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16 new designs available through the Virtual Design Library
TEMPLE, TX (August 29, 2017) – Architects and designers specify wood to bring warmth and beauty to their work, and many believe that since trees can be replanted, they’re a renewable resource. While trees are renewable, forests are not; still in 2017, wood species from threatened and endangered forests continue to be used in design projects around the world. Wilsonart, a world leading provider of engineered surfaces, captures the unique beauty of global wood species and brings awareness to this alarming issue with 16 new laminate designs in the “Nature Undisturbed” Collection.
“Wilsonart conducted a national survey that found the architecture and design community needs more information about the materials they specify, particularly when it comes to natural resources – 99 percent of respondents could not identify most endangered or threatened wood*,” said Tammy Weadock, Marketing Communications Manager at Wilsonart. “‘Nature Undisturbed’ offers us the opportunity to start a conversation about the continued specification of threatened and endangered wood species. The level of detail in these globally-inspired designs is incredibly realistic, offering professionals the ability to easily specify responsible surfacing without sacrificing the unique beauty of the spaces they design.”
Celebrating and preserving nature’s beauty, Wilsonart addresses exotic woods and regionally-inspired patterns through its Virtual Design Library (VDL) of laminate surfaces:
Vulnerable Wood Species
- Umber Makore (Y0553K-18) duplicates an endangered wood from West Africa where overexploitation is leading to serious population declines, notably in Ghana and in Liberia, where there is a possibility of the species becoming extinct. This medium-sized straight grained wood is a mid-tone warm brown with subtle firings throughout.
- Indonesian Rosewood (Y0548K-07) is an endangered wood. Its timber is of high commercial value and wild subpopulations are widely overexploited with illegal felling, placing considerable pressure on this species. This VDL laminate design is a beautiful fawn brown exotic wood with full cathedrals in a deeper brown found throughout this stunning large-scale woodgrain.
- Mahogany from Central and South America is a vulnerable species and is the most commercially important of the mahoganies. Exhaustion of the species is especially hard in the northern regions of its growth. Harvesting and processing of these trees is only 50 percent efficient. Java Mahogany (Y0554K-78) is a rich and beautiful wood design in a deep coffee / java brown, full of soft delicate graining and some firing. Autumn Mahogany (Y0552K-07) is a rich golden brown with subtle planking and full of firing.
- Heartwood Cocobolo (Y0547K-07) is a rich deep brown exotic wood pattern with black graining and pale sap lines that are found throughout the large-scale woodgrain. Cocobolo is a vulnerable species intensely exploited as a timber. Areas where the species was formerly widespread are almost completely exhausted, most notable in Costa Rica. The habitat has been exploited for 400 years and continuing reductions are caused through cattle ranching and fires.
- Midnight Ebony (Y0549K-07) mirrors African black wood, a near threatened wood from South Africa, which also is considered the first Ebony. Levels of exploitation are very high and larger or suitably exploitable trees are becoming increasingly scarce, causing concern over genetic erosion in many populations. The laminate is full of rich browns and ebony color with full featured unique cathedrals and bold graining.
- Quartered Koa (Y0551K-12) replicates the elegant straight grain wood from Hawaii. This highly desirable premium species is not considered vulnerable. However, due to land clearing and invasive species, these trees are not growing to maturity. The species is not found below 600 M elevation, but can be located only in high altitudes in remote areas of the island. The woodgrain design is full of beautiful flaming.
- With its characteristic bold dark down wood graining found throughout, Zebrawood is a vulnerable species from West Africa. It is listed as vulnerable due to a population reduction of more than 20 percent in the past three generations caused by a decline in its natural range. Natural Zebrawood (Y0555K-12) is a beautiful natural color with bold ebony straight graining.
- Eucalyptus, though not vulnerable, is included into this exotic wood collection based on its unique and beautiful graining and coloring. Red River Gum Eucalyptus is offered in 3 colorways: Sienna Eucalyptus (Y0557K-07) is a large-scale dark warm brown wood with charcoal graining running throughout. Fawn Eucalyptus (Y0558K-07) is warm café au lait coloration with some deep golden and brown graining running throughout. Raw Eucalyptus (Y0559K-28) is a natural coloration of the eucalyptus full of golden tones with warm grey and dark brown graining.
Regionally-Inspired Patterns
- Ikat is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles which employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric. Artisans from Central Asia created this weaving method with cultures across the world creating their own versions. Traditional Ikat weaving requires the artisan to dye the pattern into the weft thread using a method similar to tie dying. When the artisan is stringing the weft onto the loom, it is very difficult to get the pattern on the threads to line up. This is how the blurring effect that Ikats are known for happens. After the warp is attached to the loom, a solid colored warp is woven into the weft.
- Shadow Ikat (Y0562-60) is a dark charcoal large-scale chevron pattern in an Ikat style. Fog Ikat (Y0563-60) is a large-scale warm mid-tone grey pattern inspired by Ikats in a chevron pattern. Baltic Blue Ikat (Y0564-60) is a stunning cobalt blue large-scale chevron pattern inspired by the Ikat weaving tradition.
- Kilim is a flat woven rug from Central Asia. Skilled artisans weave the rugs together using the same technique as tapestry weaving. Tarnished Kilim (Y0561-60) is a dark monochromatic steel grey color in a medium-scale modern interpretation of the Kilim rug. This medium allover-scale pattern has a distressed texture adding visual interest. Indigo Kilim (Y0565-60) is a beautiful medium-scale design, inspired by Kilim rugs that have a modern feel with monochromatic indigo blues and a distressed texture.
*Research conducted by SMS Research Advisors, March 2017.
