| THE HISTORY OF FORMICA CORPORATION |
The Nineties and Beyond
No single design theory dominated the next decade. High tech, industrial chic and retro styles all had their moment. The modernist values of simplicity and functionality remained significant and an awareness of ecological imperatives emerged. Consumers also began to express a preference for sophisticated design and luxury materials like granite, stone, metal and wood – or their more affordable replicas.
In 1990, Formica Corporation introduced the International Collection of Metal Laminates in mirrored, brushed and embossed designs and in 1991, launched Formica Formations, a series of organic designs in subtle colors and patterns like Bayou Oxide, Almond Dust and Graphite Graphix. The Nineties also saw the introduction of Ligna wood surfacing, a true wood veneer bonded to a phenolic back; and in 1996, a line of laminate flooring products that included the Ceramix, Heirloom and Stone Classix Collections. Through an innovative in-register embossing technology, Formica brand flooring offered realistic textures that captured the rich look and feel of tile, wood and stone.
Formica Corporation now offered two solid surfacing brands: Surell, first developed in the 1980’s, and Fountainhead. Solid Surfacing offered a smooth, seamless surface that could be cut, routed, edged and inlaid to express unique design ideas. It could be shaped for commercial and residential applications such as vanities with integral backsplashes, or produced in sheet form for countertops and work surfaces. In 2003, the Fountainhead and Surell product lines were combined to create Formica Solid Surfacing, a reformulated product with greater depth of design.
In response consumers’ higher level of sophistication, Formica Corporation developed a number of premium laminates for the residential market, including Honed, Etchings, Riverwash and Radiance -- more premium finishes than any other laminate manufacturer in the industry. Formica brand laminates also offered a remarkable realism made possible by manufacturing innovations in such as the Company’s textured plate technology. For its growing commercial market, Formica Corporation expanded its offering with MicroDot, Naturelle, Sculpted and Luxe finishes.
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