My Mom's ironing board had layers and layers too ... when it got too scorched and dirty, then the next layer went on over top. And it was pretty much whatever she had available ... never anything "pretty" like =many of us choose now, just functional and white.
I don;t have hers though I did purchased one last year at a sale and use it for display purposes ... stripped down to it's bare woord (sanded and varathaned), it usually has a quilt or two draped over it.