Summary
• Colour co-ordination of fascias and carcassing is becoming more important.
• 3D depth or “holographic” effect is a development area.
• Waterproof wall panelling is becoming popular.

According to Steve Rickers, supply chain director at International Decorative Surfaces (IDS), there is strong demand for panels colour co-ordinated with vinyls and foils for doors.

This link between the fascias that follow fashion and the carcass and constructional materials that support them will become more important. Carcass materials are going upmarket with plain colour gloss finishes being used to match the door effects.

“One CEO we spoke to recently said that surface finish was the new frontier. Decorative panel and laminate producers are investing in giving products a natural feel like real wood, slate and stone and using printing techniques to fool the eye into seeing tactile surface features or a 3D/holographic depth of design,” said Mr Rickers.

High gloss finishes

This year high gloss finishes and deeply embossed woodgrains in dark colourways have gained popularity. With high definition printing, there has been a revival in woodgrains, especially reproduction of exotic woods that avoid the need for environmental certification.

“One laminate wood veneer producer dropped real wood for printed reproductions,” said Mr Rickers.

There is also a trend towards gloss finishes for domestic furniture, ranging from MFC at the value end of the market to multi-layer Italian lacquer doors that can show a deep mirror piano black gloss. The trick, said Mr Rickers, is to make an acceptable gloss finish at competitive prices. While HPL bonded to chipboard or MDF is one answer and offers gloss of a quality that will be generally accepted, it’s not quite good enough to meet the most exacting standards and is quite expensive.

Value and quality

Egger’s product manager Andrew Sanderson said it was no coincidence that solutions that address both value and quality are having the most positive impact. “The rise and rise of MFC doors is a great example,” he said. “The increased prominence of texture as a key design element, and the quality of the reproductions, has led to growth in the use of MFC as frontals.

“With consumers increasingly opting for the contemporary look, the colour or grain pattern in combination with the texture does not require shape as a third dimension, such as a Shaker-style door, so sleek ‘slab’ styles look set for a period of sustained growth.”

They are especially popular for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and office spaces. “It offers a premium look for an entry level price, something the German and Italian kitchen manufacturers have been doing so well for years,” said Mr Sanderson. “This allows furniture manufacturers to increase their sales margins in a challenging market. Some of our customers already report increased sales margins by up to 20% by launching some of our new designs and switching to MFC doors.”

Hotel bathroom sector

In the hotel bathroom sector, wall panelling is an increasingly attractive option, said IDS key account manager Dave Huggins. “Cost, installation time and ease of maintenance are as important now as the design aesthetics; we are seeing a move away from the tile route in favour of waterproof wallpanelling such as our Showerwall range,” he said.

He said hotel specifiers liked waterproof wallpanelling for its functional and decorative benefits. Design-wise the product has been reinvented to meet contemporary design trends such as stone, oxidised metals, exotic woodgrains, plain colours with appealing textures and pearlescent particles.