Feel the difference! Nine inspirational textures that prove laminate has depth

Think laminate is flat? Think again. Choosing laminate today goes well beyond the décor: a huge variety of different textures are available – and the results are stunning.

As well as helping to intensify decors, Formica^® laminate surface textures offer new options in both design and functionality. At a stroke, they extend the possibilities for surfaces in a range of environments – from creating a sense of warmth through to aiding functionality and improving an environment’s allure.

“With wellbeing and mindfulness at the forefront of design, tactility plays a key role by awakening our senses of touch and sight,” says Nina Bailey, Formica Group’s Design Manager.

“Texture can enhance a design space, bringing it to life while helping to convey a style and mood. Soft and matte textures with minimal depth offer calm and relaxed ambiances, while high gloss and deep textures create sharp and energetic vibes.”

Specifying premium textures to complement your décor choice offers three main benefits:

When chosen well, textures create a remarkable final product. Gloss, for example, brings out the depth of a solid colour, while textures that complement stone (such as Honed) and woods (such as Linewood) can help to create a premium, realistic look.

The hardness, roughness, depth or gloss level of a texture is key to its ongoing performance. AR Plus^® (abrasion resistant high gloss laminate) for example, is twice as resistant to scuffing and mar abrasions than a standard gloss laminate, while textures such as Plex and Matte58 are perfect for horizontal and vertical applications in high traffic environments.

How a surface feels has a profound emotional effect on the user and can deeply change perceptions. Some finishes (such as MicroDot) also create unique visual sensations.

During the laminate manufacturing process, kraft papers and décor papers are initially treated separately. Resins are used to give flexibility and strength to the layers of craft paper, while a melamine surface gives wear and surface performance to the décor paper.

Sheets are then cut and “packs” created by putting the décor and kraft papers together. A steel texture plate then presses the packs under high pressure and heat, fusing together the board while imprinting the texture on the surface of the finished laminate sheet.

Through its own plate-making facility in Quillan, France, Formica Group is entirely free to create any texture imaginable. MDJ Kuu, a bespoke laminate texture designed by artist Matthew Day Jackson and featuring to-scale lunar textures from NASA images, is just one example of what is possible.

Order your free palette of laminate texture samples now