Pretty in Plastic...

...or maybe Lovely in Laminate? Countertops, cabinet fronts, backsplashes [those nasty little four-inch ones], and even the shelves in the greenhouse window of this late 1940s-era kitchen are all swathed in the stuff. Low in maintenance and high in aesthetic possibility—although as always, it's worth noting there's no accounting for taste—the material provided a great escape from the past.