Walnut: America's Dark Wood

Early American colonists often employed the hardwood of the walnut trees they imported from England for their homemade furniture and gunstocks.  Today, the American walnut continues to be among one of the most highly desirable woods for a wide range of commercial interior applications, particularly furniture design.  With a heartwood that ranges from light to dark chocolate brown, walnut is often being specified in office interiors where warmer tones are being employed to create a more comforting environment for both employees and clients.  The richness of dark wood also matches nicely with trendy metallic, stainless steel, silver or platinum finishes and offers a variety of grain pattern options making it quite a versatile species.

Unfortunately, the unprecedented demand for walnut in the United States, Europe, and even in China has resulted in limited supply and higher prices for the veneer.  In response, Lamin-Art recently introduced two new, realistic high-pressure decorative laminate interpretations of this American classic.  3047- Black Walnut reads reddish-brown with a tint of the gray tonalities found in traditional American walnuts, while 3048-Contemporary Walnut is a lighter and cleaner variation featuring beige and creamy tan tones with just a subtle hint of red undertones to compliment the flat cut grain structure emphasizing the walnut's cathedral patterns.  These random matched beauties also feature extra large pattern repeats (49 inches vertical) that make it easy to specify for large area applications such as paneling, hotel reception counters, and large office furniture systems.  Both of these walnuts are available in Lamin-Art's exclusive new, subtly soft Supermatte finish for an even more realistic appearance.

These two new items are a welcome addition to Lamin-Art's family of premium walnut wood prints.  2608- Fancy Walnut is color rendered in a variety of rich mixtures of browns that have a light red cast.  3028- Havana Walnut is rendered towards a much darker chocolate brown for a more exotic yet contemporary look. 

All four of these attractive renditions of this prized hardwood are part of Lamin-Art's Premium Wood Prints collection.  Contact your Architectural Representative today for a presentation of our renowned series of native and exotic wood species.

No Minimums Required

We are continuing to make specifying and ordering products from Lamin-Art easier for our customers.  Now you can order just one sheet of any special-order item, including non-stock finishes, post-forming grade or fire-rated material, as well as Pearlescence^TM products with the addition of Oyster Shield High-Wear Protection^TM.  And those single sheet orders will be available at no additional charge.  All non-stock finishes and items available with Oyster Shield are identified as such in Lamin-Art's Stock List or online, while post-forming grade and fire-rated materials are considered special orders. 

"We've streamlined our manufacturing processes to make it possible for us to better serve our customers," says Curtis Nyssen, Lamin-Art National Sales Manager. "Now customers who only need one sheet to complete a project or a repair only have to purchase one sheet." 

Coupled with our Guaranteed Shipment Program, having no minimum sheet requirements means that the material is available when you need it in the quantity that you need.

Understanding Light Reflectance Value

Finish is particularly important to the design impact of high-pressure decorative laminate, as it determines the Light Reflectance Value or LRV of the product. LRV is a numerical value associated with the amount of light reflected off a surface. It's used often in the paint industry, but can apply to any decorative surface treatment. The measurement is obtained by a gloss meter and can range anywhere from 0 (low sheen) to 100 (high reflectivity).   The sheen level of textured surfaces vary, anywhere from very low to the mid teens when moderate light refraction and reflection are achieved.  Glossy surfaces have a high degree of reflectivity, typically near 100. 

Besides overall design impact, the LRV is important to note when specifying HPL, because surfaces with lower LRVs (more textured than smooth) tend to show less fingerprints, smudges and scratches over time.  Higher LRVs, such as a standard glossy finish, while visually appealing, tend to fingerprint and scratch easier, therefore ongoing maintenance is more of an issue.  Be sure to keep the anticipated use of the end application in mind when selecting the finish of the laminate.  Click here for more information and images of the various finish options available from Lamin-Art.

Giving Thanks

The editorial staff of The Source would like to say thank you to all of those subscribers who participated in our recent Reader Survey.  We appreciate your honest feedback and your comments will help us shape the content of future issues of The Source.  Congratulations also goes out to Joni Kappos of Burkett Design in Denver, Colorado.  Joni's name was selected in a random drawing of all survey respondents, and she receives a $100 American Express gift card.  Of course, we always welcome feedback from our readers.  If you've got a suggestion for an article or topic for a future issue of The Source, send it via e-mail to newsletter@laminart.com.