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Product News
| Apr 7, 2004 |
Design Trends Forecast From Formica Corporation |
CONTACT:
For more information or product samples:
Bill Roush
Formica Corporation
(513) 786-3400
bill.roush@formica.com
Design Trends Forecast From Formica Corporation
Interiors blend comforts of the past with optimism of the future
CHICAGO (April 2, 2004) ― Texture and dimension, neutralized colors, Indonesian influences, as well as consumers' desire for realism and sophisticated design, are driving this year's interior design trends and new product introductions, according to design experts at Formica Corporation, a leading surfacing industry innovator.
"Today, consumers are blending the comforts of the past with the optimism of the future and, further, are more willing to express their creativity and personal style, while choosing the latest in advanced technology and convenience," says Reneé Hytry, vice president of design, Formica Corporation. "We'll see products in 2004 that replicate textures and finishes of real stone and granite, yet are easier to maintain."
According to the Color Marketing Group, consumers have purchased items with unexpected sophistication. Today they are looking for durable home products with brighter colors and home fashions that focus on innocence, freshness and elegance.
In the year ahead, architects, designers and consumers will find new, more sophisticated building materials to create interiors that blend comfort with creativity, past with future, and luxury with practicality, thanks to innovative advancements in technology.
As part of the 2004 Formica Corporation Design Trends Forecast, Hytry described the newest design themes, color tendencies and ideas for residential and commercial settings.
Big design themes
"Texture is becoming more important than ever as colors blend and neutralize," Hytry says. "With the popularity of outdoor living, there is also a craving for realism, or using materials that look and feel like those found in nature. And as people customize their spaces to express their individuality, they are incorporating exotic, spa-like motifs from faraway places like Asia, representing a therapeutic and nurturing environment."
Residential Trends: Outdoor Realism Comes Indoors
In the prosperous 90s, many homeowners cultivated a taste for high-end materials such as natural granite, stone and expensive woods only to face a new, uncertain decade that caused them to restrict home spending. But new technological advances in man-made materials make it possible to mix luxury and sophistication with practicality and realism.
For example, honed stones have been a popular choice in real stone flooring, and now homeowners want that look on the countertop. While this type of finish is desirable, real stone is difficult to maintain. "Building on the success of Formica® Brand Laminate's introduction of the Etchings Finish Collection, we are bringing dimension to laminate by creating a new realistic honed finish," Hytry says. "Our newest Honed Finish Collection provides another popular stone finish that is realistic both visually and tactically, and with the ease of maintenance of laminate." Kitchen counters take on new sophistication with the low-sheen satin finish featuring subtle clefts and crevices that mimic softly brushed stone.
Solid surfacing materials remain popular and engineered stone is growing as consumer's expectations for realistic-looking man-made products increases and costs are lower compared to natural products. The new Formica® Solid Surfacing introductions give consumers even more choices in granite and stone looks, from new Mosaic colors to Agate and Terrazzo stone patterns. "Translucent looks and glass tints with subtle pearlescent shimmers continue to be popular this year," Hytry says. "Retro smoked glass, striking c obalt blue and green citron are incorporated in the new 'ice' patterns we are introducing that lend a sophisticated look to contemporary counters or vanities."
Commercial Trends: Exotic, Edgy and Modern
Many residential design trends are also finding their way into the commercial market, such as government, hospitality, education and office construction. These markets show the most growth potential for renovation and design opportunities.
"Zen Earth and environmental themes remain strong but are taking on a quirkier feel," Hytry says. "Designers who favor bamboo and rattan looks are bringing an exotic, edgy and modern look to high-traffic public spaces."
Formica brand laminate's new Silk Screen, Shoji Screen and Painted Screen meet these trends by combining sheer, delicate-looking textures with industrial-strength durability.
Other Asian-themed patterns being introduced into commercial interiors include new laminates inspired by modern pop-art anime designs, such as Beluga, an aquatic blue-green that evokes colors from the Sea of Japan. Other realistic yet long-lasting looks include Rattan Cane, a wood grain laminate that brings an exotic Indonesian feel to healthcare, education and commercial interiors.
Intensive design development and research with specifiers and customers helped shaped Formica® brand products January 2004 introductions. "As the newest interior design trends blend the comforts of the past with the optimism of the future, consumers will continue to expand their creativity and embrace the new technologies and opportunities being introduced," says Hytry.
About Formica Corporation
Founded in 1913, Formica Corporation is a leading surfacing industry innovator that designs, manufactures and distributes a full range of surfacing products for commercial and residential applications. To request information on all Formica brand products, consumer and trade representatives should call 1-800-FORMICA (1-800-367-6422) or visit formica.com.
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