MARBLE LINOLEUM

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 179, 19 October 1927, Page 7

MARBLE LINOLEUM

NEW COVERING FOR WALLS

()NCE upon a time it would have v been considered impossible that linoleum should charm the eye. It was a thing of utility in kitchens and bathrooms and an ugly necessity in other rooms when you couldn’t afford carpets. But in competition with all kinds of other floor coverings, linoleum has been improved so much that nowadays one buys it from choice. Bad designs and crude colouring have given place to the soft veinings of marble and the deep tones of Persian rugs. They copy so well the things they set out to imitate that from the distance it is almost impossible that they are not what they seem. That is why marble linoleum is becoming a favourite covering for walls. It gives the beautiful effect at the minimum of cost and at the same time provides a hygienic surface, easily cleaned and practically impervious to atmosphere and dirt. The linoleum used for this purpose is of a specially thin variety that “hangs” well and may be had in plain and shaded colours as well as in the marbled effects. If your rooms are small you thus can create an illusion of greater space by covering walls and floor to match with a light lino, and relying upon rugs and hangings for the introduction of contrast. Then linoleum so closely represents the beauty of various woods in parquet flooring that the linoleum, which can be highly polished, is an excellent substitute for the wood blocks which are naturally more expensive. Where there is a good deal of hard wear, the special “tiled” linoleum which represents old-fashioned red tiles has special advantages. It not only charms the eye, but being a mixture of rubber and cork is warm and quiet in use. Each tile is actually separate, the. space between being filled with a special cement. This also is advantageous, for it permits shabby or worn piecs to be cut out and patched so that the repair is invisible. But if you dislike mere imitation, then there is an endless choice of linoleums that are quite original in design and conception. Naturally, an inlaid linoleum lasts longest, but nowadays the printed varieties are of such good and lasting qualities that no doubt need be entertained about the wisdom of buying them. Bear in mind that a good printed linoleum has a comparatively dull surface. A high degree of varnish on the patterned parts betrays the cheaper qualities.