Friday, May 18, 2012

Versatility of HPL

As discussed, the physical properties of HPL (impact resistance, color fastness, scratch resistance, material size, ease of cleaning, etc.) are attributes that are desired by architects and designers. However, the versatility of HPL makes it a popular choice as well.

Although I have personally been involved in hundreds of different projects using thousands of sheets of laminate over the years, I am still fascinated by the many creative designs and applications utilizing HPL throughout the design and construction industries. The thousands of combinations of colors, patterns, and finishes that are available, along with the ability to be used in virtually any plane, be easily bonded to multiple substrates, and be easily cut and shaped create nearly unlimited design possibilities.

I read a quote from a designer a while back mentioning that he likes to use plastic laminate in his designs because he finds it easy to create fun, vibrant, modern spaces with the multitude of colors and patterns available. He also said he likes plastic laminate because it is in his words "a very democratic material choice". I had to think about that phrase just a little bit to get the sense of what he was trying to say, and I realized he was saying "works for everybody" - just brilliantly expressed! HPL is well suited to be used to some degree in high end environments, but unlike high end materials is affordable for everyone.           

Here are a couple of examples of modern kitchens using plastic laminate cabinets from an interior design blog:

http://www.interiordesigningg.com/tag/kitchen-interior-design/

http://www.interiordesigningg.com/tag/kitchen-interior-design/