Laminate in the limelight

The laminate floor provides the answer for many styles of furnishing, whether traditional or modern, natural or avant-garde, and whether in a woodgrain look or creative design. The product serves an enormous market worldwide with a comprehensive palette of colours and patterns.
Light-coloured wood is one of the classic types of flooring effects.
Unchallenged as consumer favourites at the top of the international league are attractive wood decors. Practically all kinds of wood are represented, from alder to maple, cherry to mahogany, oak to walnut. The desire for naturalness and cosiness has brought the different kinds of timber lasting market success. In structure and colouring the decors are orientated towards the natural product they are modelled on. Popular patterns include two strip, ship deck and country manor flooring.
Creative finishes on the way up
Wood effects are coming in new colours like eggshell, crème, white and rosé. Yellow and orange finishes with a hint of white suggest a Mediterranean ambience. This mood is further enhanced by matt surfaces in a bleached or limed look. But strong colours like grey, red and blue can also be found among the laminate flooring patterns. Interesting contrast effects are achieved by combining them with white or silver.
The three-strip teak pattern in a strong shade of dark red is trend-setting in interior design.
Much in demand in America, though they have still not quite made it to Europe, are new creative decors featuring stone and tile effects above all. There is also a new slate version in strong shades of grey and anthracite, as well as marble and granite finishes. The new products also include double-width panels (40 cm).
Growing world market
According to estimates from the EPLF (Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring), in the year 2001 the world market for laminate flooring grew by around 3.5 per cent to 363 mio m² on the 2000 results. The West European market remained constant at 200 mio m², whereas East Europe grew to a total of 35 mio m² (previous year 32). The Asia/Pacific region achieved a combined total of 68 mio m² (previous year 65). Despite the events of 11 September, North America registered an increase to 55 mio m² overall (previous year 50). Other markets expanded to 5 mio m² (previous year 2.5). The 20 EPLF member companies succeeded in increasing their global sales to 252 mio m2 (previous year 247 mio m²), which amounts to growth of two per cent. Europe once again represents the…