Hard Walls, High Style
Writable Laminates
Writable laminates have many uses in the commercial and health-care fields. In a nurses’ station, for instance, laminates that can be written on can become the center of communication for the caregivers, where clear communications can be a life and death matter. In patient rooms, writable walls can also enhance communications between various health-care specialists that visit during the day. The walls can also serve as a communication tool and mood brightener with messages left by visiting family and friends. In a restaurant kitchen, a writable wall can contain a running list of supplies needed or clearly indicate the tasks for the day. The same could be said for a retail store’s back room. The following case study shows how writable walls brought value to a design firm’s office.
Writable laminates foster better communications in health-care settings.
CASE STUDY: OREGON KIDS PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY
The pediatric dental office’s feature wall is like a giant coloring book page, but the kids use dry-erase markers.
While many kids might fear the dentist, parents may argue that the waiting room is actually the most difficult part of the experience. Full of nervous energy, many kids will not sit still or read a magazine, and handing them a phone for a quick distraction often results in a battle to get it back when they get called to see the dentist.
But Dr. Jordan Lentfer, D.M.D., at Oregon Kids Pediatric Dentistry and Renee Snyder, interior designer at Emmett Phair Construction, may have found the perfect solution.
“Dr. Lentfer wanted to have a marine life theme throughout the whole office, and we wanted to design a space that was fun for both the kids and parents,” Snyder says. “We came up with the idea of creating a custom dry-erase board with this marine life motif so the kids can color and play with that in their section of the waiting room.”
The team at Emmett Phair sourced the imagery, pieced it together in a design program, and sent it to manufacturer for evaluation, testing, and printing. The laminate was installed in the kids’ corner and quickly became the focal point of the office.
The coloring wall seems therapeutic for children and adults alike.
“The kids and parents are drawn to it,” Dr. Lentfer says. “I have had parents choose to stay and draw while their kids come back for their dental visit.” But more than that, Dr. Lentfer has noticed that the custom write upon laminate provides more benefits than just a waiting room distraction.
“I would say there is definitely a therapeutic benefit to it,” Dr. Lentfer says. “It has been a great addition to our office. It is colorful, calming, fun, and just a beautiful piece of artwork.”
Emmett Phair had used write-upon laminate on a previous project, but this was the first time the firm paired a writable surface with a custom laminate. It was a perfect combination.
“The artwork is viewable from outside the office, and people who were not even coming for an appointment stop in to look at it and comment on how great it looks,” Snyder says.
Custom Laminates
Custom laminates for vertical applications tap into designer creativity and solve many problems, from creating a unique environment to supporting client branding. Custom laminates can be based on an original design, photograph, painting, or any other artwork.
CASE STUDY: FUGAZZI PIZZA
Because the pizza place needed to look unique, the designer turned to custom laminates for vertical and horizontal applications.
When Toby and Taylor Gauley were asked to design the new Fugazzi Pizza restaurant in an up-and-coming Montreal neighborhood, they seized an opportunity to create a unique design that ventured away from the traditional Italian restaurant style.
“I guess you could say we were a little more invested in this one,” Taylor says. “We really wanted to create a one-of-a-kind experience that was different from the ‘nice and clean’ look that you can find everywhere else.”
Transitioning an old Irish pub into an Italian pizza joint would certainly qualify as different, especially when the owners and kitchen staff are self-described “fake Italians” (fugazi is a slang word used to mean “fake,” thus, the name of the restaurant). Taking their cue from the humorous name, Toby and Taylor Gauley knew they could infuse their design with a truly customized look and feel, but budget constraints left them searching for a solution that would bring their unique vision come to life.
The designers submitted a few test designs and were impressed by the laminate samples.
“Custom is not usually associated with inexpensive, but growing up with our father in the construction industry, we were taught how to work according to the budget you are provided,” Taylor says. “When we heard about the custom laminate option, we were thrilled that we could meet both the custom and affordable guidelines.”
Following the custom laminate process, the designers submitted a few designs as high-resolution vector files. Test samples were returned for evaluation (“They were amazing,” Taylor says.), and then the sheets were printed and delivered for installation.
“We used the custom laminate on tables as well as a vertical application on the walls,” Taylor says. “The whole process could not have been easier, and the laminate company helped us achieve the one-of-a-kind look we wanted.”
With its truly custom setting (and of course, delicious food), Fugazzi Pizza has quickly emerged as a popular Montreal-area restaurant.
Conclusion
The need for durable design and interiors makes decorative protection panels a good option for many commercial and public spaces, including restaurants, schools, museums, public buildings, offices, and more. While standard laminates are based on a Kraft paper core, these upgraded panels contain a fiberglass core. Rigorous testing results indicate these protection panels are indeed more resistant to impacts. Other types of panels are available for vertical surfaces, including metal laminates, write-upon surfaces, and custom laminates. Each has its own qualities to increase a project’s appeal and functionality. As a final consideration, the designer is wise to specify all surfacing products, from walls to countertops to backsplashes, from the same manufacture to ensure the seamless coordination of colors and patterns. With the correct specification, projects with these specialty panels are sure to bring positive attention to both the business and designer.
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Formica Group is a leading provider of branded, designed surfacing solutions for commercial and residential customers worldwide. As the world’s largest manufacturer of High Pressure Laminate (HPL), ongoing product design and development process underscores the Formica Group commitment to innovation. |
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