Woodwork and Countertops

Laminates

No longer the stuff on cheap looking formica-topped furniture of my parent’s generation, laminates nowadays are of much better quality and come in a mind-boggling array of good looking designs.

Benji and Alvin handed me some catalogs filled with pages of small “thumbnail” samples to pore over. It was pretty difficult to visualize the design combinations as well as imagine them on a larg actual scale though. This is where the ID’s 3D drawings come in handy, and Benji was able to mock up a few selected designs on the drawings.

I selected a white-on-white laminate design for my custom-made cabinets ("White Firenze" by EDL Laminates). A plain matt white laminate would look quite bland, while an all-glossy white might look a bit cheap, so this combi of glossy white stripes on a smooth white background worked for me. I also have a thing for all things stripy!

Lovely subtle stripes

Custom-made cabinetry and furniture is expensive, so I had to forego a couple of items I had wanted made. The benefit of made-to-measure cabinetry however is that everything fits exactly into your space of course, and is configured and designed specifically to your liking.

For my TV feature wall I chose a psuedo lime stone laminate, Pallido and Nero Limestones. These turned out alright, however remember these are laminates so there is no texture as you would imagine "limestone" to have, it is just a flat print on a wooden surface.

Laminate options for my TV feature wall

Countertops

For hardier work surfaces such as the kitchen and bathroom countertops we used a popular material referred to as “solid surface”, a molded polyester-based surface. Solid surface is water-proof, is made to measure, and there are relatively economical ranges. There are also high end ranges such as Corian® by Dupont. Benji cleverly designed the countertop to curve up a little into a low back-splash, a nice curvilinear addition.

I chose a white countertop with a design of embedded sparkles for a bit of glitz, however the effect turned out to be a lot more subtle than what the sample conveyed. A caveat also is that medium grade solid surface scratches easily, and if you leave hot pots on the counter it does leave a mark, although Benji has advised that the surface can be buffed. If you want a more durable and high quality option and are willing to pay for it, then consider a granite or stone top surface, which is what I had previously and frankly liked better.