What You Can Do with Specialty Laminates

by Rachel Lyon, Editorial Director for Direct from the Designers™

You have all sorts of surfaces in your home, and all sorts of materials to choose from. If you’re looking for a way to amp up your interior, check out the possibilities afforded by specialty laminates. They’re a lot more diverse than you may know, both in terms of design possibilities and practical benefits. Here’s why specialty laminates may be the solution you need for different areas of your house!

Protect Against Wear

High-traffic areas accumulate wear and tear, so outfit your home to withstand the challenge. Laminate today is engineered to be durable from its hard, scuff-resistant overlay to its dense, treated paper core, and there are different product types that go above and beyond if you need extra protection. In any case, this material is known for being low-maintenance and also resilient to everyday challenges, so it makes itself a welcome addition throughout the house.

Suitable for use in kitchens, bathrooms, mudrooms, and just about anywhere else, the supreme adaptability of specialty and performance laminates contributes to their popularity. Check different grades before purchasing, because some are meant for horizontal use (think countertops) while others can be applied vertically (think cabinets and walls) as well. This means you can use laminate on your work surfaces, as many do, and in more niche areas—like in drawers or behind shelving to provide impact and scratch resistance, for instance. The possibilities are practically endless, and don’t forget that there are hundreds of patterns to suit your aesthetic needs for every space!

Create Unique Appeal

Have you been looking for a way to add some oomph into your design? If paint and wallpaper have left you wanting more, a unique laminate may be the answer. You’ll find all sorts of solid colors and print patterns, as well as stone, wood, and even woven cloth looks that deliver a natural vibe with so much more durability and less maintenance than the genuine articles. If you really want to go bold, check out some metallic options—available in hues from cool to warm in a variety of finish textures—to add a pop of something unexpected. When you search through the design catalog, you’ll probably be surprised by the diversity of the patterns available.

If you choose to make specialty laminate a key part of your design, be sure to keep everything in balance. That complex pattern you love might be overwhelming across a wide canvas, so let it be a focal point instead. Don’t be afraid to mix styles so the room doesn’t fall flat. Create an accent wall, consider different colors (foreground and background) for cabinets and/or countertops, or let it stand out from the back of a built-in. Laminates make it easy to be creative with your interior!

Add Extra Functionality

Laminate is a flexible product due to its construction—the manufacturer can imbue various characteristics right into its layers to serve different purposes. Maybe you’re looking for a smooth fingerprint-resistant surface? How about a writeable wall—blackboard or whiteboard, your choice!—to help keep the office, playroom, or kitchen organized? Specialty laminates offer this! Shop with function in mind and you can put together an utterly practical design for your needs, all without compromising on the aesthetics you want.

Looking for laminate to outfit your home to exact specifications? Wilsonart has an enormous collection to suit all tastes! If you want a particularly striking, high-end look, the new Slice of Ice by Danny Seo line really delivers. And if your curiosity has been piqued, find a dealer to help turn your laminate aspirations into beautiful, functional reality!