Homeowners No Longer Seeking Permission for Sensational Surfaces

NOW IS THE TIME TO EMBRACE ARTISTIC ELEMENTS, ECLECTIC DESIGNS, AND NEW TEXTURES AND STYLES

BY AMY GATH, VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AT FORMICA CORPORATION

We have officially entered a new year, and (knock on, Formica!) things are looking up. As we continue to spend more time at home, homeowners are honing their personal design aesthetics more than ever before. In addition, the national housing shortage has further led many to opt against buying a new place to call home and instead renovate their current spaces through projects that bring added beauty and function.

More time spent in and around our kitchens, bathrooms, and mudrooms, in particular, has led both homeowners and interior designers to reassess what works and what can be improved about these high-traffic spaces, including not only how they perform but also how they are designed. Gone are the days of waiting for trends to become mainstream; homeowners are no longer looking for permission to embrace unique and artistic elements throughout the home. When it comes to the surfaces they are seeking, this emboldened thinking is driving greater preferences for unconventional yet sophisticated materials. This gives surfacing manufacturers a fantastic opportunity to get creative.

Formica Corporation’s new 2022 Living Impressions Collection was inspired by this very notion of design freedom. The collection, which officially launched in February, encompasses organic patterns, modern marbles, and a trove of sophisticated

The design team pulled in rustic elements with texture such as woodgrains and patinas and soft metals that were mechanically burnished to appear rich in luster.

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surfaces for elevated interiors. From glass to stone to metals, patinas, and more, these designs feature a plethora of new and innovative artistic materials. The launch brings 14 versatile surfaces and one new texture into our existing residential repertoire.

As with many of our collections, this launch began with an extensive research process. When talking with designers and homeowners, we discovered a few important trends. In exploring these avenues, we created several new designs that will allow people to bring handcrafted, artistic looks into their homes while also exploring new textures and styles.

First, we found that while homeowners continue to gravitate toward light and white spaces, they want those spaces to feel comforting and inviting rather than cold and austere. This led our design team to pull in rustic elements with texture such as woodgrains and patinas and soft metals that were mechanically burnished to appear rich in luster. It is incredible to me that with the technology available to us today, innovative designs like these are possible.

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Our research also found that homeowners are drawn to an aesthetic that blends classical and new design elements. This eclectic trend appeals to many design tastes with accessible palettes that feature a hint of drama. We brought this idea to life in a variety of new surfaces within the collection. One of my favorites is our new Manhattan Marble design, which incorporates dramatic veining across a milky white backdrop.

Our research also unveiled homeowners’ appreciation for the texture and authentic imperfections of burnished or patinaed metals and natural elements. However, natural items can be challenging to source and incorporate into residential designs. We solved this by harnessing burnished and patinaed looks in lightweight laminate designs that are easy to install horizontally and vertically, allowing homeowners more freedom to play and express their personal style.

As we explore other standout patterns, I would be remiss not to mention our design team’s passion project: Sugar Glass. This ethereal pattern was inspired by the beauty of experimental glassmaking and reflects a translucent blue-gray glass floating in a white sheet of opaque glass. Our team of designers handcrafted this design using rounded shards of recycled glass, sugar, water, and milk to create a dreamy pattern that balances the translucency of glass with opaque elements. Our White Pearl Cascade pattern is a subtle surface that features pearl pigments that are applied during the traditional paper-making process. When paired with our new Monolith texture—which we developed to offer an authentic stone feel with a matte visual—this contemporary pattern has a subtle sparkle with shimmery ribbons on a clean, light background.

We’re thrilled to see the freedom with which homeowners and designers have been incorporating new-age patterns and designs into their homes. Rather than designing for resale, they’re considering what feels special to them and creating truly unique concepts for their homes. May the boundaries for artistic design remain limitless this year and beyond. s p