Linoleum City — 66-plus years on legendary Route 66
Known for having the largest selection of floor coverings in the country, Linoleum City (4849 Santa Monica Blvd.) has covered it all. From movie sets and game shows to family households — they’ve even provided the Academy Awards with its famous red carpet in the past!
Established by Bill Stifter in 1948 at 5606 Santa Monica Blvd. near Wilton Blvd. in Hollywood, Linoleum City has enjoyed more than 66 years on the historic Route 66. After a couple of changes in location — all still on Santa Monica Blvd. — the store finally landed at 4849 Santa Monica Blvd., where it resides today.
In the beginning, in an attempt to capitalize on its proximity to Sears, Linoleum City used to advertise by passing out yardsticks that had its address on it and the slogan “Sears is across from us.” Later, when Linoleum City relocated to 5657 Santa Monica Blvd., the phrase on the yardsticks changed to “Sears is next to us.” Now, Linoleum City doesn’t need to piggyback on anyone. Its reputation for having the largest selection of flooring makes it stand out.
“Linoleum City has the most diverse offering of floor covering solutions in all of the greater Los Angeles area,” says Justin Landreth, an Armstrong Supplier, whose company frequently does business with Linoleum City.
Linoleum City has now expanded into a 15,000-square-foot warehouse and showroom. Their large stock includes various options of cork, rubber, solid vinyl / luxury vinyl, vinyl sheet, bamboo, hardwood, carpet, laminate, ceramic, specialty and, of course, linoleum.
“We carry the entire gamut,” says Fred Stifter, current president of Linoleum City, and son of original owner, Bill Stifter.
In fact, in the late ’50s and ’60s, when other companies stopped selling real linoleum (a product made out of cork and linseed oil), Linoleum City was the only place in the United States that still provided it. And now, the company’s namesake is one of the most fashionable trends in flooring. “It’s one of the hottest things with the design community because it’s the friendliest floor that you can put down,” Stifter says of real linoleum. “It’s a green product and it’s recyclable.”
Being in Hollywood, Linoleum City has naturally had its fair share of encounters with the entertainment industry.
Many studios have turned to Linoleum City for sets, especially for decade-specific pieces. Linoleum City has practically cornered the market on supplying retro-themed flooring for the film industry because “no one else has a red and white checkerboard [floor]. We do,” Stifter says. The company also provides a unique “hexagonal design that we have made special for the studios.”
The first film that comes to Stifter’s mind that Linoleum City’s floors have appeared in is the 1999 film “The Green Mile,” directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan, for which they provided a mile’s worth of linoleum.
Perhaps the firm’s most recognizable contribution to the entertainment industry is that Linoleum City often has been in charge of the most important flooring in Hollywood history, the Academy Award ceremony’s iconic red carpet. Stifter says that Linoleum City has rolled out the famed carpet for the ceremony more than once.
For those looking to cover their homes, rather than movie sets, Linoleum City has you covered as well.
The people at Linoleum City understand the impact a floor can have on a home, and they work hard to help homeowners find what they’re looking for. “In some instances flooring can make or break the house,” Stifter notes. Homeowners can either take on a do-it-yourself home renovation project, or the staff can refer customers to an independent licensed flooring installer.
As Linoleum City continues into the next century at its Route 66 location, Stifter makes this promise: “We have all of the floors that you could possibly use.”
By Julia Stier
Category: Real Estate
