The aesthetic qualities of linoleum are still admired now, particularly as historic preservation becomes more popular and nostalgia infiltrates our collective consciousness. But the majority of “linoleum” flooring you see in modern homes, that checkered pattern quintessential to retro-style kitchens, is typically vinyl, and not nearly as beautiful as its predecessor.
I saw this firsthand when I moved away from Missouri a few years ago and my younger brother, on the cusp of his unruly teen years, took over my old bedroom. He insisted his “man cave” remodel include marble flooring. This was outside our budget, so instead my mother found vinyl tiles with a marble-inspired pattern. I noted that the company also sold “linoleum-style” flooring—which is to say vinyl.
Vinyl flooring made a grand debut at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933, and while its durable, space-age nature captured many hearts, it proved hard to produce when World War II put a clamp on resources. Vinyl burst into popularity during the early 1950s. Brighter colors, cleverer patterns, and a cheaper installation cost made vinyl the new favorite for households in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Some companies even replicated popular linoleum patterns in their vinyl sheeting. For the first time in the 20th century, linoleum was on a downswing.
Linoleum has endured because its contemporary manufacturers have gotten creative in using it. Blocks of linoleum have become particularly important in art and art schools. Softer than metal, less brittle than wood, and easier on the hands than both, linoleum was the top choice for art students who needed to carve. And while some “serious” artists dismiss the compound as a children’s toy, linoleum is a significant part of art history. One of the pioneers of the linocut printing process was Henri Matisse, who produced a series of elegant linoleum reliefs in the 1930s and ‘40s. These pieces lent themselves to easy reproduction, and helped inspire other artists who favored the starkly graphic nature of the linocuts’ lines. One notable fan was Pablo Picasso, who perfected and then revolutionized the linocut technique.