Decorative laminates are fibrous sheets, stuck together with resins. These sheets are superimposed on wooden furniture and tabletops to give them a decorative look. It has been believed that Indians have been using decorative laminates for 5 decades. The first decorative laminates available in India were Formica but after the entry of Sunmica in the 90s, the latter became quite a rage so much that any kind of decorative laminates came to be referred to as Sunmica, just as how for us, Indians, Xerox means photo-copying. Today, however, there is more awareness about laminates. Now you go to buy decorative laminates and you will find hundreds of branded and non-branded sheets in different designs, varieties and colours, making them a vital part of home décor solution.
Uses of decorative laminates
Today, decorative laminates are used in a wide range of areas apart from interior decorations. In fact, they are used in almost all kinds of wooden products, from cubicles and furniture to even wall linings.
- They are used in the making of false ceilings and you can even find decorative laminates being used in retail displays in shopping arenas, in housing sector, in office partitions and more.
- Of course, their primary use lies in furniture, not just in homes but also in commercial buildings and even in healthcare areas.
- Decorative laminates add sheen to doors, table tops, kitchen and bath cabinets, counters, shelves and so on.
- Decorative laminates are also used as wall linings and column coverings.
Advantages of decorative laminates
- Beauty: Laminates add extra beauty and appeal to wood. Decorative laminates can make wood look new. They add to the beauty of interiors, home or office.
- Durability: Decorative laminates are quite durable and last for a long time.
- No maintenance cost: Decorative laminates are easy to maintain. Any dirt or stains on it can be easily wiped off.
- Availability of different shades: You get a variety of shades such as metallic, plain and wooden. Be it any popular wood shade, such as pine, oak or walnut, you will get decorative laminates of these shades.
- Wide range of finishes: Decorative laminates also are available in different finishes such as glossy, suede, matt and textures.
- No more polishing: Polishing of surfaces can be quite messy, time consuming and expensive. With decorative laminates, say good bye to polishing as with the use of laminates, your wooden materials and furniture will get a new lease of life and make them wonderfully attractive.
- Affordability: Decorative laminates are available in different prices, and there is one for every kind of budget. Thus they are pretty affordable.
- Different thicknesses: Since decorative laminates are available in different thicknesses, they can be used for all kinds of wooden surfaces. For example, if you want to laminate inner surfaces of kitchen shelves and wardrobes, you can use laminates of 0.7mm and 0.8 mm in thickness and for outer surfaces, 1mm thickness is popular.
Current trends in decorative laminates
White is in demand: A popular trend these days is of off white decorative laminates. These are used mostly for covering interiors of wardrobes, cupboards, shelves and cabinets. There is also a demand for shades such as ivory, peanut and even barista colour.
Surfaces that do not reflect: Earlier, many preferred to use shiny surfaces because of the glow it lend to interiors but today, the trend is of non-shiny textures. Hence even in decorative laminates, many prefer a natural look rather than shimmery. Laminates that lend soft texture not only gives a natural look to interiors but also helps in making the space look larger. Contrasts are in vogue: Just as the trend of contrasts is seen in different aspects of home décor, even in decorative laminates, there is a preference of using contrasts. If the door has a plain coloured laminate, then the kitchens shelves may have a contrasting colour so as to give a unique look. Lighter and darker shades too are used to give interiors an interesting look.
Interesting magnetic laminates: Magnetic laminates in kitchen seem to be another trend that is catching up. Home makers find it useful as they can write down their shopping list or reminders on paper and stick them on to these magnetic laminates.
