When I was first asked to write an article for the TTJ investigating trends in surfaces, I thought, what an interesting question. All too often we are guilty of focusing on pushing volumes of one product group or other out of the door, but what are the subtle preferences in colour or pattern our customers want and, more importantly, what will they want next? Working for a leading distributor of veneered boards enables me to see the species requested today for tomorrow’s requirements.
Today, trends in surfaces and furnishing veer towards a combination of light and dark, often mixed together for dramatic effect. In terms of veneered boards the most popular species seem to be maple and ash for the ‘blond’ look set against American black walnut. Oak, however, continues to be extremely popular this year, with crown cut taking preference over quarter cut. This links with a theme of contrast for both colour and materials across many differing aspects of interior design, such as wood and metal, varying colours of laminates, and suede and fur in fabrics.
Textured finishes
Texture as well as colour is becoming a factor. We have seen this come through to melamine-faced boards, with Kronospan and Nexfor‘s Caberdecor offering natural textures and natural finishes; melamine finishes that feel like wood. For the first time the feel of a melamine-faced board is as important as the look. Two or three years ago, the idea of a customer touching a melamine-faced board to see if they liked the way it felt was unheard of; if a salesperson started to suggest that they might the customer would probably suspect one too many gin and tonics had been consumed at lunchtime!
Linked to this ‘sensory’ trend in surfaces is a preference for solid wood worktops, again the feel and the look being of equal importance.
Following close behind these leaders in veneered boards are warm cherry and steamed beech colours. The melamine-faced boards colour trends are similar to veneered boards but not a mirror image. High performing colours and patterns include oaks, white, maple, beech, pearwood, walnut, birch and cherry.
Flooring
Moving down to flooring, we have seen a move towards real wood, particularly the engineered flooring that is perceived to be a growth market.
To sum up, “surfaces” is an evolving market place, with technology providing more choice in terms of texture and a shift towards all things ‘natural’. The rate of change in terms of trends is gathering pace and the trade needs to make sure it keeps up.
