Formica and Design: From the Counter Top to High Art

This profusely illustrated and comprehensive examination of Formica surveys all aspects of the brand's artistic and cultural influence. Soon after its invention, Formica laminate was used as a decorative material, adorning such interiors as those of the Queen Mary and Radio City Music Hall, among others. Formica's easy-to-clean features and its chameleon-like capacity to adopt to any pattern and color soon made it a ubiquitous surface material for kitchens and bathrooms across America. More importantly, Formica laminate has changed with the tastes of the times from the modern style in the 1930s to the postmodern style of the 1980s. Individual chapters and essays explore Formica's many applications—in diners, hotels, homes, furniture, and jewelry.

Susan Grant Lewin is the creative director of Formica Corporation. R. Craig Miller is the Curator of Design and Architecture at the Denver Art Museum.