Wright Chat

[peterm]

We are beginning the restoration of the Lamberson kitchen. Wright specifies Formica countertops in a color called "Surf-glo red". I have been in contact almost daily with the American Formica corporation design department, and they have been unable to find that name in their archives.

Does anyone here know about Formica colors from about 1950? (The kitchen sheet is from the summer of 1951...)

My assumption is that it would have been some variation of Cherokee Red. It seems that the general rule was to use a color for countertops which would approximate the hue of the red concrete floors.

I have samples of three contemporary Formica colors which would work, but it would be great to know which would be the closest match to "surf-glo". (Sounds more like a custom color for a Fender Stratocaster guitar from the fifties, doesn't it, maybe one played by Dick Dale?)

[Wrightgeek]

peterm-

You might want to try to contact the owners of the Boulter Residence in Cincinnati. Their home is from the same period as yours, and I know that they installed red Formica countertops in their kitchen within the past several years. Maybe they could be of some assistance to you on this.

Here is a link to their website, which has their contact info displayed:

http://www.wrightboulter.com/

The owners are Chuck and Janet, and they are very nice people who I'm sure would be glad to help in any way they can.

An interesting sidenote is that the Formica Corporation was founded in Cincinnati, and is still headquarted there.

And BTW, I loved your reference to Dick Dale, "The King Of The Surf Guitar". He is one of my all time favorites, and one of the great innovators in the history of the electric guitar, who influenced many of rock's great guitar players. I've seen him perform live on many occasions, and he puts on a hell of a show, even as he gets well up in years.

[DRN]

I too am a Dick Dale fan.

Another source for the Formica color may be the Seth Peterson Cottage Conservancy or Wright Chat's outside in...I understand the cottage's countertops were replaced during the '90's restoration.

[KevinW]

I have seen two original spec books for mid 1950's Wright houses, and they both specified "Chinese Red" by Micarta? if memory serves...but I do remember the color as being Chinese Red, which is an orange-ish red....very nice color by the way. I believe Bob Beharka used the same plastic laminate color in his own house.

I will try to locate a similar p-lam here at the office and let you know what I find.
_________________
KevinW

[DRN]

A PDF file of a '50's Formica catalog is available here:

http://www.retroplanet.com/library/index.php
(type the word shown, and scroll to the list "Vintage Vending Archives", look for "Formica Sunrise Brochure" and click on it.)

I didn't see "Surf-glo Red", but #865 "Flame" and #844 "Cherry Red" look like what I have seen in other Wright houses of the era.

I wonder if the draftsman incorrectly noted "Surf-glo" as a Formica color on the drawings when in fact it was by another manufacturer. This mistake still happens today on occaision...

[peterm]

Thanks DRN- I have studied the Raymond Lowey "Sunrise" line, but it is from 1953 (two years after Lamberson). The 1951 bathroom colors in the other earlier line look good. They show a hot and earthy red, but unfortunately it is unnamed in the accompanying text. By the way, what did Wright specify for Sweeton?

Thanks, Wrightgeek, for the tip on the Boulter house. I contacted Chuck and Janet and she replied that Wright had specified Chinese Red by Micarta (you're right, myLiebermeisterAGG...) They substituted "Stop Red" by Formica in their recent restoration. Stop Red is an intense primary red, not earthy at all... Charles Eames used Micarta for his iconic ESU storage cabinets. Maybe the red was "Chinese Red", nice warm primary red.

I'm glad there are other Dick Dale fans out there. Not exactly music that one would imagine wafting from a Usonian, but great nonetheless...

[DRN]

peterm: No plastic laminate was specified for Sweeton, instead linoleum was spec'd for countertops "#DC-100Z Red Marine Deck (Cairn or Equal) with stainless steel strips at all edges and intersections". The Sweetons went instead with luan plywood, most of which delaminated or rotted over time. Some luan remains in dry areas, mahogany butcher block was installed as a replacement near the kitchen sink in the '60's, but is rotted at the faucet (we used some scrap redwood with a heavy coat of polyurethane to make a plinth for a replacement faucet as a temporary fix).

Dick Dale wafts just fine at this Usonian, as do the Beatles. The plywood partitions seem to resonate sound....

[peterm]

The fine acoustics of Wright houses: another topic worthy of investigation...

The Lambersons were given the choice of Formica or linoleum. We decided that linoleum is just a bit too fragile, especially considering that we don't want to rule out the option of the house being a Wright rental. (Formica is already frail enough in the sense that one can't sit a hot pot on the counter as can be done with stone countertops like marble or granite.)

[SDR]

Laminate is very durable -- but once it's damaged, forget about invisible repair. (I've seen kids try an old prank with a penny heated on the stove and dropped on the counter: instant scorched/bubbled blemish.)

I can't understand a lipstick red counter in a brick Usonian with original red floors; something closer to the warm tones of terra cotta -- Cherokee Red -- would be so much more likely, wouldn't it ? It's very possible there's something closer today than was available in 1950 -- though I certainly understand the desire to be true to the Taliesin specification.

Stephen

[peterm]

I agree with your assessment of the potential problems of laminate, but with a little bit of precaution, I think it should be ok.

The problem with the laminate choices in 2010 is that most of the manufacturer's energies have been put into faking the look of stone (exotic granites and marbles) and wood grains, leaving the solid colors in the dust. This is not the case with the European Formica; they offer much more in the way of subtle shades of solid colors.

Here is what Formica U.S. now sells in solid colors:

http://www.formica.com/ProductLine_Colors.aspx?prl=PRL_LAMINATE&cls=CLS_SOLID_COLORS

None of these reds have the earthiness (they sent me samples in gloss and matte of each of the reds) which SDR describes.

Notice how many options are available in the U.K.!:

http://www.formica.co.uk/publish/site/eu/uk/en/home/collection/plain_colors.psresults.html?search_term=F4162&search_atom=ProductID

Wilsonart has practically discontinued its solid color line in favor of bizarre faux stone.

[SDR]

There must be half a dozen laminate brands available today. Abet Laminati is a well-known Italian line -- or series of lines (they have a bizarre natural-wood laminate that manages to look like a graphic product). Nevamar has a matte finish that I swear resists scratching better than other brands -- I don't know why, as melamine can't vary that much from one manufacturer to another, I'd think. The surface has a slightly different texture than other mattes. . .

(If you can find someone who uses rigid glue rather than contact cement, I'd stick with him. It's rare to find this, but the difference in longevity will be worth the trouble.)

I worked with laminates for forty years. It's a viable alternative, as long as you understand what it does and doesn't do. At this point, it qualifies as a "period" product, which gives it a certain charm in the right places -- like a 'fifties house ! I think of it as the "default choice" for American kitchen and bath counters during the second half of the last century -- at least !

Stephen

[DRN]

[peterm]

The European Formica is only available in large quantities. I don't know about other brands.

The dark line is not so much of an issue, due to Wright's nice edge detailing: He shows the formica coming all the way to the edge of the countertop, sitting on top of a 2 1/2" redwood fascia. The dark brown edge line will tend to disappear on the darkish redwood and keep the color only on the top, not wrapping down the fascia a bit, as might be the case with the "color core". We happened to use the same detail which Wright drew, but with a douglas fir fascia for our teal colored Formica countertops here in Altadena. I have been very happy with it. The effect is crisp, and the dark line is not objectionable.

Please give me your opinions on this color, "6902 Grenadine". It is my favorite so far. I realize that monitors may differ, but my sample is pretty close to the computer image, except the real sample that I received reads a bit "browner":

http://www.formica.com/ProductLine_Colors.aspx?prl=PRL_LAMINATE&cls=CLS_SOLID_COLORS

The "Burgundy" they have would be an option were it not so "blue". The real sample is leaning towards purple...

[SDR]

That seems about right, from what I can see.

The incredibly simple edge detail Peter mentions makes perfect sense to me, yet is virtually unknown throughout furniture and cabinetmaking practice, in my experience. Gluing just the edge with rigid glue, and the field with contact cement, is a compromise that is easily accomplished that would assure that the vulnerable edge never opened up.

(The main reason that contact cement is universally popular is that it dispenses with clamps and presses; its deficit is that it can dry out and let go over time. The dishwasher-heated area of the professionally-installed laminate counters in my parent's kitchen completely delaminated over time; I coached my capable but laminate-inexperienced dad long-distance on a remedy.)

I am surprised by the lack of solid colors; just a few years ago the world was overrun with solid choices. My last shop had several chip racks stocked with hundreds of samples. I guess the pernicious invasion of stone has had its effect ?

Yes, solid colors and subtle textures are "natively plastic," aren't they. Color Core has the advantages mentioned, though the surface lacks the hard melamine layer (in the brands I've used). So-called solid surface materials (Corian, etc) seem a likely compromise between laminate and stone; as far as I know they have always included entrained plastic and/or mineral specks and flecks, and are not made in simple solid hues. This material (made in thicknesses from 1/4" or 3/8" up) seems to have potential in lots of areas; I've always thought it would make a dandy toe-kick material.

SDR

[DRN]

6902 Grenadine looks good. My laptop screen is not picking up the purple/blue of the Burgundy, but if the desired color is to be in the family of the floor, I'd go with the Grenadine. The interior floor (at least at Sweeton) is a red/red/brown...a dark terra cotta where it is most pristine.