FOR DECADES linoleum has been shorthand for downmarket and drab, the stuff of dingy, unrenovated kitchens and hospital corridors.
But lately that bad rap is fading, thanks to creative, environmentally conscious designers who are approaching the material with fresh eyes.
In the linoleum renaissance, the colors are rich and sophisticated, the patterns unexpected.
In cabinetry and furnishings as well as underfoot, these new, elevated versions argue persuasively that the utilitarian workhorse can deliver practicality with panache.
“Around 2000, you started to see a fetishization of luxury and ‘natural’ materials like stone and wood,” said Ms. Lange.