This weekend I was with a group of friends and one of them mentioned that they would love to see a “Terrazzo flooring” post. This is a much bigger research project but for today I thought it would be fun to focus on vintage advertising for all types of “Flooring” from the 1930’s to the 1960’s.

1960 Flintkote Floors Vintage Ad featuring various early 1960s people posing with their floors.

1960s Flintkote fashion floors. Source: Etsy-Plentiful Pages

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

NOTE: If you click on any of the items featured below and they are not available, don’t fret! Hit the search button and see what else is on the websites. There are 1000’s and 1000’s of items being listed daily.

Vintage Flooring Advertising 1930s-1960s

1940s vintage ad for Armstrong’s Linoleum Flooring, featuring cool flooring ideas for when you turn that “unused attic into a one-room apartment”.

How big is that attic?

Further Reading: One of my top blog posts is entitled, “The Beautiful World of 1940s Linoleum Flooring” and features a bevy of fantastic flooring ads. Please take a look after your done with this post.

1940s vintage ad for 'Armstrong's Linoleum Flooring' featuring cool flooring ideas for when you turn that "unused attic into a one-room apartment".

Source: Etsy-Plentiful Pages

1937 Armstrong’s Linoleum Floors ad featuring “Five Rooms In ONE!”.

“It’s a study, a den, a sewing room, a fitting room and a guest room”.

1930s vintage ad: 1937 Armstrong’s Linoleum Floors advertisement featuring "Five Rooms In ONE!". Super vintage home interior design ideas.

Source: American Century Shop

1951 Amtico Rubber Flooring, featuring a stylish early 1950s bedroom and hallway.

“Tommi Parzinger calls Amtico Rubber Flooring “Designer’s Delight!” (he was a designer).

1951 AMTICO RUBBER FLOORING Vintage ad featuring images of early 1950s bedroom and hallway flooring.

Source: Etsy-KristensVintagePaper

“Splash away, Betty! Congoleum Rugs like water”. This ad is from the March, 1933 McCall’s magazine.

1930s vintage ad: 1933 Congoleum Gold Seal Rugs Vintage Flooring Advertisement.

Source: Etsy-Plentiful Pages

I LOVE THIS MID-CENTURY ROOM in this 1961 Armstrong vinyl floors ad!

What a fun party area to spend time with friends in while listening to records or having a drink at the bar and then relaxing on the leopard print sofa. Special shoutout to the record player screen and the tiki themed decor.

1960s vintage floor ad for Armstrong Vinyl Floors from 1960. What a fun party area to spend time with friends in while listening to records or having a drink at the bar and then relaxing on the leopard print sofa. Special shoutout to the record player screen and the tiki themed decor.

Source: Etsy-KristensVintagePaper

‘Kentile Vinyl’ floor ad from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, Spring 1959. “Metallic Chip – adds the glitter of gold to luxurious solid vinyl”.

1950s Vintage Advertisement: 'Kentile Vinyl' floor ad from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, Spring 1959 featuring a fashionable 1950s couple

Source: Etsy-MidCenturyPrintAds

1947 Kentile Asphalt Tile advertisement featuring flooring ideas for your basement or a classroom (the basement party / game room looks fun!).

1940s vintage floor ad: 1947 Kentile Asphalt Tile Vintage Ad featuring flooring ideas for your basement or even a school classroom.

Source: Etsy-Plentiful Pages

Hello Mid-Century Family Room! If you watched Mad Men, this feels like some place Don Draper would of lived.

1968 Armstrong Vinyl Flooring ad.

1960s vintage floor ad from 1968 for Armstrong vinyl floor featuring a mid century family room / living room. Super vintage home decor & home design inspiration.

Source: Etsy-Plentiful Pages

“Thank your Stars Your Hair is Silver Gray”. 1941 Alexander Smith Rugs vintage ad.

“This is a room for a woman with silver-gray hair. She doesn’t just in it. She “wears” it-and it makes her radiant. For this is is a new idea in decoration-rooms created to flatter your hair and skin and eyes. It’s called Colorama…..”

Liz note: I am going white haired very quickly (have been since 16) and this 1940s vintage hairstyle on our model is fantastic inspiration for my next stage in life.

1940s Vintage Flooring Ad from 1941 for Alexander Smith Rugs featuring a woman with silver gray hair 1940s hairstyle posing in front of her livingroom with green carpet and yellow furniture.

Source: Etsy-Plentiful Pages

You can never have enough game room floor and interior design ideas. This is from a 1957 Armstrong Plastic Flooring ad and features not only a cool floor, but a pool table, bar, piano AND an indoor firepit (to the far left). How awesome is this room?!

1950s vintage floor ad: You can never have enough game room floor and interior design ideas. This is from a 1957 Armstrong Plastic Flooring ad and features not only a cool floor, but a pool table, bar, piano AND an indoor firepit (to the far left). How awesome is this room?!

Source: Etsy-KristensVintagePaper

Vintage ceramic flooring 1950s ad featuring the stunning modernist design of Harwell Hamilton Harris.

Further Reading: 1950s / 1960s Outdoor Patio Furniture Ideas

Source: Etsy-MidCenturyPrintAds

1941 SEALEX Linoleum Floors ad featuring a very posh dining room with a green linoleum floor. The ad also includes a wall covering interior design note.

Further Reading: Vintage Wallpaper Ideas from a 1940 Montgomery Ward Catalog & B e Inspired! Vintage Photos of Wallpaper Designs in Mid Century Homes

1940s Vintage Floor Ad: 1941 SEALEX Linoleum Floors ad featuring a very posh dining room with a green linoleum floor. The ad also includes a wall covering interior design note.

Source: Etsy-KristensVintagePaper

“A new floor in minutes!…just roll it out! Beautiful!…sanitary!…easy to clean!”.

Gold Seal Congoleum Rugs 1955 advertisement.

1950s vintage flooring advertisement for Gold Seal Congoleum Riugs 1955 featuring images of different rugs you could buy for your 1950s home.

Source: Etsy-Plentiful Pages

I loved doing this post, I just enjoy seeing how homes looked in all the different time periods (big fan of the 1950s and 1960’s mid-century interior designs).

What vintage ad did you enjoy? Or floor / design idea? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Further Reading: Vintage Home Decor / Interior Design archived blogs posts from the 1920s-1960s

Thanks for dropping by!

Liz

During Black History Month, discover the most iconic yearbook superlatives from Black high schools, colleges, and universities in the 1950s. From best dressed to most likely to succeed, these vintage snapshots capture the essence of a generation and reveal the unique experiences and achievements of Black students during a pivotal time in history.

Are you ready? Let’s get started.

All images from North Carolina Vintage Yearbook Archives

1940s vintage yearbook photo from Washington High School (Raleigh, N.C.) of the 1948 "Most Humorous" students from the High school. — 1948 Washington High School (Raleigh, N.C.) “Most Humorous” students.

Vintage Yearbook Superlatives from Black High Schools, College & Universities 1950-1959

1950s yearbook photo from Williston Senior High School, North Carolina, The Willistonian [1955] featuring a young Black Woman being voted as "Best Looking" for the Superlatives in her yearbook. — “Best Looking” Williston Senior High School, North Carolina, The Willistonian [1955] via digitalnc.org

SUPERLATIVE: The actual definition of a superlative is an object or person that has the most of a given quality. Within the context of high school, college & university, superlatives are reserved for the senior class as a rite of passage, with their peers voting in various categories. They are part of yearbook traditions.

Examples of Categories:

Best all-around
Biggest flirt
Class clown
Cutest couple
Life of the party

The Vintage Class Superlatives…

“Most Dignified“, Pauline Leake & Kenneth Norton from Central Piedmont Community College, “The Buck [1950-1951]” Yearbook.

Liz note: I’m obsessed with Pauline’s early 1950’s jacket.

1950s vintage yearbook Superlative from Central Piedmont Community College, "The Buck [1950-1951]" Yearbook featuring "Most Dignified" Black Man and Black Women from a HBCU. Fantastic early 1950s fashions!

“Most Carefree”. One more from Central Piedmont Community College, “The Buck [1950-1951]” Yearbook.

1950s vintage yearbook Superlative from Central Piedmont Community College, "The Buck [1950-1951]" Yearbook featuring the "Most Carefree" Students. The Image features 5 Black College students in early 1950s fashions.

Saint Augustine’s University, 1951 ‘Falcon’ Yearbook picks….

“Most Popular” was Alexander Morris. “Best Dressed Girl” went to Marilyn Lomax. “Best Dressed Boy”, Jason Randall and “Most Versatile” was Donald Ashman.

Saint Augustine’s University, 1953 ‘Falcon’ Yearbook Superlatives…

“Most Cooperative”, “Most Musical” and “Friendliest”.

1955 Williston Senior High School, North Carolina, The ‘Willistonian’ Yearbook featuring the “Most Intellectual”, “Best Dancers”, “Best Solo Dancer”, “The Most Studious” and “The Most Temperamental”.

1950s Vintage Yearbook photos: 1955 Williston Senior High School, (Black High School) North Carolina, The 'Willistonian' Yearbook featuring the "Most Intellectual", "Best Dancers", "Best Solo Dancer", "The Most Studious" and "The Most Temperamental".

1955 Superlatives from the Booker T. Washington High School (Reidsville, N.C.), ‘The Pioneer’ Yearbook. The categories on this page were…

“Most Dependable”, “Most Studious”, “Most Versatile”, “Biggest Flirt”, “Most School-Spirited”, “Most Likely to Succeed”, “Best Dressed” and “Best Actor / Actress”.

1950s Vintage Yearbook from a historically Black High School-1955 Superlatives from the Booker T. Washington High School (Reidsville, N.C.), 'The Pioneer' Yearbook. The categories on this page were...

"Most Dependable", "Most Studious", "Most Versatile", "Biggest Flirt", "Most School-Spirited", "Most Likely to Succeed", "Best Dressed" and "Best Actor / Actress".

1958 ‘Blue Flame’ Yearbook from Central High School (Hillsborough, N.C.) featuring the “Most Dramatic” & the “Most Talkative” Superlative.

1950s Vintage Yearbook: 1958 'Blue Flame' Yearbook from a Historically Black HS-Central High School (Hillsborough, N.C.) featuring the "Most Dramatic" & the "Most Talkative" superlative.

Another 4 from the same Central High School in 1958….“Most Athletic” & “Best Dancers”.

1950s Vintage Yearbook: 1958 'Blue Flame' Yearbook from a Historically Black HS-Central High School (Hillsborough, N.C.) featuring the "Most Athletic" & "Best Dancers".

Some new one’s in the Senior Superlatives from Dunbar High School 1959 ‘The Bar’ Yearbook.

“Most All-Round”, “Most Helpful” & “Shortest”.

1950s vintage yearbook: 1959 Dunbar High School in North Carolina a Historically Black High School featuring the Superlatives students of 1959.

Shaw University, 1959 ‘The Bear” Yearbook featuring the chosen two for “Most Jovial”.

I hope our Richard was just having an off day when they took his photo.

1950s vintage yearbook from Shaw University, 1959 'The Bear" Yearbook featuring the chosen two from "Most Jovial". Shaw is a Historically Black University.

Thanks for reading my post!

I wonder how everyone made out in life? Did they continue to be the “best dressed” or the “most carefree”? I would like to think so.

Question time: Did your yearbook have as Superlative? If so, were YOU in it (I don’t think my school had this)? Share any fun insights or comments in the section below.

Further Reading: Vintage Yearbooks 1920s-1960s (archived blog posts)

Liz

Month: February 2024