Why High Pressure Laminates Are So Popular in Commercial Design

HIGH PRESSURE LAMINATE IN DESIGN

We live in a highly creative and ambitious world, full of incredible designs and designers who are always looking to create something unique and beautiful. Recently, more and more of these talented designers are turning to high pressure laminates (HPL) to help turn their vision into a reality. High pressure laminates have so many different styles and finishes that it’s no surprise to see why so many people are using it in commercial design. Whether they are creating a new high-end clothing store or a new London restaurant, HPL will be able to suit these designs thanks to its versatility and endless potential.

How people are using High Pressure Laminates in design

HPL is considered to be one of the most durable and decorate surfaces around as well as being highly hygienic and versatile. It is made of resin impregnated decorative and kraft papers, which are then bonded at high pressures and temperatures. They are then bonded to substrates such as MDF (medium density fibreboard) or particle board. A long process, but one that makes for a strong, durable and adaptable material able to provide any room with something special.

High Pressure Laminate is being used all over the world to create anything from ultra modern bars to vintage restaurants and everything in-between. Not only is this material multitalented but it’s also a much greener choice over things like wood and is reliably consistent, meaning companies looking at franchising their locations can produce the exact same style in every single building.

To shed some more light on why so many people are turning to HPL in commercial design, we thought we would reach out and speak to some of the world’s leading experts, spanning different sectors. We contacted commercial designers, architects and engineers and ask them how they think High Pressure Laminates should be used and here is what they had to say:

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Harriet Anstruther is a member of the prestigious British Institute of Interior Design and the International Interior Design Association. Her studio boasts incredible designs and a fantastically collective mix of styles, from contemporary to classic and everything in-between. Her wonderful studio has been nominated as a 2017 creative leader by the design museum and it is no surprise why.

“I like to mix materials, combining the classical, traditional with the modern & contemporary. This results in an eclectic style, with twists & turns of the imagination. Using high-pressured laminates is a great way of doing this juxtaposed with antiques for example. Laminates have multiple uses and can create unique looks with surprising results. They have the ability to be both subtle and bold, able to stand out, & can even act as an art installation. At the same time, they can produce a calming effect when used with a light touch.”

Website – www.harrietanstruther.com Twitter – @HJCAnstruther

Meade Design Group is a truly exciting, refreshing and innovative design company. Their extremely talented team are responsible for some of the most beautiful and modern commercial designs around. We were lucky enough to get in touch with both the Principle Designer Ivan Meade and interior designer Echo Eaton-Thorne, who kindly provided us with their thoughts on this topic.

“High Pressure laminates are a great alternative in commercial spaces due to their increased durability over their natural counterparts. Today, many laminates are very believable and have visually improved exponentially in recent years. Another added benefit is their reliability in terms of consistency – franchises can all have the exact same product, regardless of their conditions that may alter the look of a natural material. The consistency can also be found in the thickness of laminates, a metal-look can be placed against a stone-look and a wood-look and they can all be laid up simply and quickly without altering the substrate as would be required for the natural versions.”

Website – www.meadedesigngroup.com Twitter – @MEADE_DESIGN

Sarah White is the owner of Whitehouse Interiors whose commercial designs are truly beautiful. Her fantastic use of space and colour within her designs not only provide a room with elegance and sophistication but also stylish simplicity. Sarah generously gave up her time to share her opinions on how she thinks High Pressure Laminates should be used and here is what she said.

“As a designer we are always searching for new textures and surfaces for a multitude of uses. With the breakthroughs in laminating, faux woods and veneers it really does open the world to us in terms of styling and practicality. By using laminated surfaces you can create a range of bespoke designs at affordable costs without costly and time consuming care or maintenance to worry about. Also there is an eco factor to consider when using laminated material in design. Anything that enables us as designers to give variety, quality, durability and save the impact on the environmental burden can only ever be a good thing. Laminated materials are very much here to stay in my humble opinion.”

Website – www.white-houseinteriors.com Twitter – @WhiteHouseiUK

James Moyes is a very talented service engineer and commercial designer who is a key member of the impressive team at Hoare Lea. Their work covers all types of buildings, from hotels and resorts to healthcare and education. Having gained a stellar reputation over the years for their incredible work we were lucky enough to get their thoughts on this subject.

“High-Pressure laminates have more uses than you may think and can be expanded in their use. I think their use could be extended to walls where the area will be particularly messy and need regular cleaning. Commercial kitchen walls, children’s and special needs patient’s classrooms would all be good examples of where HPL would work perfectly. I see no reason why laminate couldn’t be used on the exterior of buildings too, especially as roofing on temporary accommodation or structures if they are made durable enough”

Website – www.hoarelea.com Twitter – @hoarelea

Melanie Lissack is both a talented designer and writer as well as being the owner of Melanie Lissack Interiors, a website dedicated to showcasing the hottest new design trends. Her commercial design knowledge has helped her website win awards from London Design Week 2017 Blog Award to Amara Interior Awards 2016. We were lucky enough to get her thoughts on high pressure laminates in commercial design, here is what she said.

“Great quality High Pressure Laminate looks as convincing as real wood these days. Choose a washed out white and grey laminate to create that desirable, calm, Scandi look.”

Website – www.melanielissackinteriors.com Twitter – @LissackMelanie

HIGH PRESSURE LAMINATES INFOGRAPHIC

As High Pressure Laminates have so many styles and design possibilities we thought we would help to show you where certain types work well and why. We made sure to cover everything, from wood grains to metal laminates, all of which we hope helps to show how truly versatile High Pressure Laminates are and how they might be able to help you in your own designs.