Formica 50s Classics "Boomerang" and "VirrVarr" Bounce Back in Retro Colors

CINCINNATI (May 9, 2005) - When people think of Formica® Brand Laminate they think of their grandmother's kitchen, where whimsical tri-colored boomerangs or energetic criss-cross designs danced across the countertop and dinette set. Today, Formica Corporation is bringing back the kitchy-cool High Pressure Laminate (HPL) that came to be known as Boomerang along with European classic VirrVarr, another 50s HPL favorite.

"We're excited to send consumers down memory lane by reintroducing these whimsical classics with cool retro appeal," says Renee Hytry, senior vice president global design, Formica Corporation. "Over the years we've received countless requests from designers of diners and shops and from homeowners who are remodeling classic ranch houses to bring back the Classics."

As a leader in surfacing trends, Formica Corporation is introducing the Classics Collection as part of their ongoing commitment to offer architects, designers and homeowners trend-forward building materials in contemporary styles and colors. Design themes for 2005 are incorporating more vibrant colors and graphic patterns reflecting a similar optimism of the 50s, when the Classics were originally launched. Additionally, the housing market may play a significant role in this retro trend as well. Many of the homes purchased today by younger homeowners are ranch and bungalow homes of the 50s and 60s. Homeowners are looking to remodel and update while maintaining the home's historical integrity.

"With the Classics Collection, Formica has re-energized the Boomerang and VirrVarr patterns by revisiting the original colors that now meet global color trends - from spa-like aqua, rich-red coral or powdery blue to contrasting tones of charcoal gray, black and crisp white," Hytry says.

Boomerang Bounces Back
The Formica pattern now known as Boomerang was created in the early 1950s by industrial designer Brooks Stevens, later altered by Raymond Loewy, and first introduced under the name Skylark. A popular element in the era's bungalow and ranch home kitchens, the pattern earned its nickname from its lively boomerang-shaped designs in happy-go-lucky colors that signaled the post-war generation's optimism for the future.

As the generations marched forward in time, Skylark became brighter and more stylized. In celebration of Formica Corporation's 75th anniversary, Formica brought back the pattern in 1988 in 80s punk colors and renamed it Boomerang. In 1997, the collection was dropped from the laminate collection. By 2000, the company began to see an increase in requests for Boomerang through its Web site as the trend in home restorations boomed. Today, Formica has updated the classic once again to reflect a global preference for graphic modern and retro influences.

Contrary to the 1988 re-launch, the new 2005 Boomerang collection was styled using original Skylark colors from the 50s but incorporates modern printing techniques. Colors include Skylark, a light, powdery blue; Aqua, a trendy spa-like water color; Coral, a rich retro red; and Charcoal, a warm gray with contrasting tones of white and black. All of the new designs feature the same classic boomerang-shaped designs that captured consumers' hearts in the 1950s, when happy kitchen colors, playful patio parties, charcoal grilled steaks and tinkling martini glasses were the order of the day.

Vivacious VirrVarr Revisits
Vivid and smooth at the same time, but lively enough to be applied on larger surfaces, Formica's classic VirrVarr pattern also arrives refreshed and ready for today in trend-forward colors with retro appeal.

Named after the Swedish word for "tangled" or "criss-cross," VirrVarr is characterized by its casual, rough-hewn lines against a lighter background. The popular European design was created in 1958 by Prince Sigvard Bernadotte of Sweden. It quickly became a classic and reached top-selling status by 1965. Many Northern Europeans fondly remember having hot chocolate or doing homework on a VirrVarr table.

For its new Classics Collection, Formica refreshes VirrVarr in Light Blue, which features a powdery blue background with dramatic gray lines criss-crossing one another. The pattern also is available in an updated White with a hint of gray lines for a clean, soft graphic interpretation of the best-selling original VirrVarr series of the 1950s.

"The world is willing to take a chance again on color for colors' sake," Hytry says. "Formica's new Classics Collection allows designers to reinvest in retro color influences from the 50s and 60s, when graphic patterns and bright colors were used in everyday environments, signaling an openness to change."

About Formica Corporation
Founded in 1913, Formica Corporation is a leading surfacing industry innovator that designs, manufactures and distributes a full range of surfacing products for commercial and residential applications. To request information on all Formica brand products, consumer and trade representatives should call 1-800-FORMICA (1-800-367-6422) or visit formica.com.