Lamin-Art Products Are Now GREENGUARD Certified

Almost all materials and products that are used in our living and working spaces emit chemicals and particles that can have a negative effect on our health.  Lamin-Art is committed to reducing the impact that our decorative surfacing materials may have on the air we breathe whether at the office, at school, or dining with friends and family.  This is why Lamin-Art is proud to announce that our premium high-pressure decorative laminates have been awarded GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.   Lamin-Art products have been rigorously tested according to the GREENGUARD Standards for Low-Emitting Products to determine their impact on indoor air pollution.  The GREENGUARD mark means architects, interior designers, and product specifiers can be confident Lamin-Art products are low-emitting and suitable for spaces seeking superior air quality.  Lamin-Art has also been awarded GREENGUARD Children & Schools certifying that our products are also suitable for the sensitive nature of school populations (daycare and K-12).

When working on projects seeking LEED certification, Lamin-Art's GREENGUARD certification satisfies a requirement of LEED-CI, Indoor Environmental Air Quality, Credit 4.5: Low-Emitting Materials, Systems Furniture and Seating.  When specified in conjunction with other materials achieving these low-emission standards, Lamin-Art high-pressure decorative laminate may contribute to earning points toward LEED certification.

For more information on the steps Lamin-Art is taking to reduce our our impact on the environment, visit our website.  And keep reading The Source for more information on Lamin-Art's environmental commitment and "green" design in 2008.

What's New in 2008?

We've listened to our readers and will be incorporating some of your suggestions for improving The Source throughout 2008.  With this issue, you will now be able to share The Source with friends and colleagues.  Simply follow the "Forward to a colleague" link to the right of this article.  Additionally, past issues of The Source are now available to you in the Newsletter section on our website.   We hope these changes make The Source an even more valuable resource to you and your colleagues.

Also, our Architectural and Customer Service Representatives are always asked interesting questions about high-pressure decorative laminate and its uses.  We'd like to share the answers to some of those inquiries with our Source readers.  If you've got questions about our products or high-pressure decorative laminate in general, we encourage you to send them to TheSource@laminart.com.  We promise to address those questions or topics in future editions of the newsletter.

Coloring the Year 2008

Warm, earthy tones will continue to dominate the color palettes of new interior spaces this year.  The Color Marketing Group, the leading international association of color design professionals, recently released it's annual forecast of the top color trends for 2008.  As in 2007, the colors of nature such as off-whites, sandy beiges, brownish-greens, as well as sky and watery blues will remain fashionable.   Look for metallics to go warmer with copper and bronze tones overtaking brushed chrome and nickel hues in popularity. Rich, ethnic accent colors reflecting the growing global economy will also be in play.  While already fashionable in residential interiors, reds, oranges, golden yellows and turquoise will also find a home as punch colors in hotels, restaurants and retail environments.

Brights and pastels could also play a role as we get deeper into 2008.  The Pantone Fashion Color Report for Spring 2008 indicates designers will look to punch up traditional neutral shades with invigorating reds, sunny yellows, cool blues, and cheerful eco-friendly greens.

These emerging color trends were reinforced by Lamin-Art's own recent color discussions with designers in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Boston.  Interior designers in these cities re-iterated to us their desire for warmer colors including browns, oranges, and yellows to create more homey, cozy environments.  Many also told us that pastels could be making a comeback in 2008 similar to the hues found in popular sugared almond candies.

The following links have more information on emerging color trends for 2008.

Color Marketing Group Hot Trends for 2008

Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring 2008 

Frequent Flyer Miles

"New digs and new venues" best describes Lamin-Art's event and trade show schedule for 2008.  We'll be showcasing our high-pressure decorative laminates in new shows such as GlobalShop in Chicago and IIDEX/NeoCon Canada in Toronto this year.  And we'll be debuting a brand new exhibit.  If you plan to be at any of these great shows, stop by our booth and say hi!:

GlobalShop 2008
March 18-20, 2008
McCormick Place West
Chicago, IL
Booth #5637

HD Expo
May 15-17, 2008
Sands Expo
Las Vegas, NV
Booth #1454

IWF
August 20-23, 2008
Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta, GA
Booth #2526

HD Boutique 2008
September 17-18, 2008
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami Beach, FL
Booth #TBD

IIDEX/NeoCon Canada
September 25-26, 2008
Direct Energy Centre
Toronto, ON, Canada
Booth #611