This set of observations was triggered by an interior designer who suggested replacing 30 year old linoleum flooring with those fake (but realistic) plastic wood planks you see in new construction today.

Linoleum sold on the roll has always been a cheap substitute for tiles. No one uses it anymore. But if you have linoleum and it's easy to clean and STILL in good shape after years?

Why would you rip it out for what is just the new version linoleum?

That's a downgrade.

@futurebird You just delineated most of my issues with function vs fashion.

Frankly most linoleum floors of this kind have wear spots, or holes and yeah, replace that.

But if it's in good condition with more life in it why would you want your home to look like every other cookie cutter house out there when you have this amazing relic from the past that's still going strong?

This flooring was cheap, but with good installation and care it can last. And I think it's just more impressive to have that than... plastic wood, you know?

Frankly most linoleum floors of this kind have wear spots, or holes and yeah, replace that.

But if it's in good condition with more life in it why would you want your home to look like every other cookie cutter house out there when you have this amazing relic from the past that's still going strong?

This flooring was cheap, but with good installation and care it can last. And I think it's just more impressive to have that than... plastic wood, you know?

@futurebird

I agree with you on keeping it if it's in good shape, and also not horrendously ugly.

But also: if you for some reason _want_ a non-wood wood-look floor, LVP (the L stands for "Luxury" in an meta-ironic way) isn't the only or best option. The ceramic wood-look tiles are much nicer.

Or, you know, go with actual hardwood, but that's more expensive and needs maintenance.

The same designer then went on to say that the "new trend" in fake wood floors is more narrow planks.

Why would that be? Could it be because it's *absurd* to pretend that 8" wide planks on a huge "open plan" floor are "real" ? The simulation started to waver.

So, the solution? More narrow modest fake planks that might look more like real wood.

The cycle/game makes me sad. People are caught up in it. It's not like you have many other choices.

Hold on to the old and durable with your life.

@futurebird To be fair, parquet is pretty nice. If you want l'real thing.

@futurebird The plastic wood flooring is basically linoleum anyway. Or at least it’s vinyl.

The same designer then went on to say that the "new trend" in fake wood floors is more narrow planks.

Why would that be? Could it be because it's *absurd* to pretend that 8" wide planks on a huge "open plan" floor are "real" ? The simulation started to waver.

So, the solution? More narrow modest fake planks that might look more like real wood.

The cycle/game makes me sad. People are caught up in it. It's not like you have many other choices.

Hold on to the old and durable with your life.

This set of observations was triggered by an interior designer who suggested replacing 30 year old linoleum flooring with those fake (but realistic) plastic wood planks you see in new construction today.

Linoleum sold on the roll has always been a cheap substitute for tiles. No one uses it anymore. But if you have linoleum and it's easy to clean and STILL in good shape after years?

Why would you rip it out for what is just the new version linoleum?

That's a downgrade.

@futurebird
My kitchen had cheap vinyl tiles badly stuck on top of an older lino/vinyl floor. The vinyl tiles were both horrible and very damaged. Unfortunately the lino under was also damaged quite badly partly from the glue used for the vinyl tiles.

One day I got annoyed with it and just ripped it all up, and underneath were the original (probably, 1920s) dark floortiles, the type that contain asbestos but which are fine as long as you don't go breaking them apart. They look *so much* better!

@futurebird I don't know if it counts as durable (I was not there for this conversation) but when my brother was redoing our bathroom he was asked what color he wanted the linoleum to be.

He said purple.

It turned out there was no purple, and frankly there weren't a lot of color choices other than gray.

To this day I wonder why we were asked about color choice

@lapis

I thought this was due to landlords, but interior design has been VERY bland for a long time now. Even in single family homes where people ought to feel more free to have some colors without freaking about about "resale value"

Unless one is a "flipper" I think all the focus on resale value is a bit silly. And limiting.

@futurebird have you noticed this trend in like, restaurants and fast casual and such that they've got to redo their buildings to look like gray bland office complexes that don't look like they serve food?

Like I have not been to a panera in years partially because I forget they exist, because all our paneras look like they should be law firms or architectural firms or something.

Are we re-creating the giver? Are we recreating the story beat on neopets I didn't follow that took the color out of everyone and everything?

In 30 years someone will be saying you need to tear out your "wood effect" planks for ... whatever they are on to next.

I guess not everyone can see that these are the same thing but from different eras. I will take the older one, please. Because real tile, real wood are not on the table in either case at this price point.

@futurebird
We need to replace our Marmoleum floor soon. It’s gotten so rough it doesn’t look clean even when it is. It’s about 20 yrs old.
I looked into vinyl. It’s tougher than Marmoleum. That fake wood was the only way vinyl was sold, though. To get an actually interesting floor, we’ll have to put in Marmoleum again.

@ohmu

cork?

@futurebird
Cork had pretty awful sustainabily and exploitation issues last I checked...
I really wish Marmoleum was tougher. It's pretty and it is pretty much a sustainable product.

In 30 years someone will be saying you need to tear out your "wood effect" planks for ... whatever they are on to next.

I guess not everyone can see that these are the same thing but from different eras. I will take the older one, please. Because real tile, real wood are not on the table in either case at this price point.

There is a furniture shop in the Bronx that has always baffled me.

But, recently? I had a revelation.

I was baffled because the stuff in their window is so showy and colorful. It’s just not what I’ve been taught to think of as “good design.”

But m, then, I stepped back and considered their prices, the build quality of the furniture— and in that light it’s not that different than IKEA.

In terms of price or functionality or materials.

It just has a very different design agenda.