The biggest challenge in design today is not so much in creating unique design solutions but rather in achieving them within the dictates of tight budgets. The cost of materials and finishes on a job often impose on the final design, which may lead to cookie-cutter design treatments and ordinary results.

Before succumbing to this sometimes fatal fact of design, take a second look at what surfacing materials are available today--you'll find that function and aesthetics can and do work together on a wide range of budgets. From classic decorative laminate and custom-looking edge treatments to the luxury of solid surfacing, the design options within any budget are virtually limitless.

Classic Value
Since its days as a counter top-only material, decorative laminate has achieved an important status in a variety of residential and commercial applications. Decorative laminate, arguably the most inexpensive surfacing material available today, has been a staple of surfacing options for decades. The classic value of decorative laminate provides a high value-to-cost ratio of any surfacing treatment and meets the functional, aesthetic and budget dictates of many design challenges.

Laminate manufacturers have expanded their range of product types, patterns, colors and finishes to meet a growing list of contemporary and traditional applications in both residential and commercial arenas. The fashion-oriented lines of today offer hundreds of solid colors, realistic woodgrains and stones, contemporary stippled looks and abstract visual patterns in coordinating colors. With literally thousands of options for any style or theme, decorative laminate not only is an inexpensive surfacing option, but also is a medium of choice for many designers.

For projects requiring special surfacing needs, decorative laminates also are available in several specialty and performance options. Wilsonart recently introduced its custom screen printing program. Inlays offer two laminate patterns or colors in one design: the first is cut and layered over the second, before the papers are laminated. Screen printing allows for considerable design detail and the use of more than two colors in the printing process. These processes can be used to create as little as one sheet or larger runs, with cost varying according to quantity.

Work surfaces meeting special performance needs also are widely available. For example, a chemical-resistant laminate is available for applications where resistance to aggressive chemicals is required. Other performance options offer extra high-wear resistance, extra impact resistance, extra strength and fire and smoke resistance.

Classic Style
The thought of customizing a surface design may sound costly, but with new edge moldings it's easy to upgrade the classic look of decorative laminate. Available in laminate, metal, solid wood and solid surfacing, custom edges give counter tops and cabinets a high-cost look with minimal additional expenditure. They also provide a seamless look without the familiar brown line seen on simple laminate applications.

Custom edge designs are available in self-facing, beveled and rounded profiles. Some designs' profiles allow you to insert a strip of contrasting laminate or decorative metal for a unique design. Counter tops combined with a matching beveled edge offer a truly monolithic look.

Several new options in edge treatments have recently come out on the market including a repairable and renewable solid surfacing molding that offers an upgraded look to laminate countertops. A new flexible bevel laminate molding accommodates radiused counter tops.

Pure Luxury
The functional and aesthetic needs of the design within the constraints of cost are not the only elements to consider. Looking at a surfacing option as a long-term investment, consider the maintenance, repairability and refurbishment of the material as part of the overall value.

Solid surfacing, a man-made, stone-like product, is a luxurious alternative to laminate in applications where the need for superior strength, durability and repairability are a must. This luxury-priced surfacing option allows for burns, scratches and stains to be scrubbed away or sanded to restore the material to its original appearance. Other characteristics are its resistance to bacteria, flame, heat and stains.

Solid surfacing offers a smooth, seamless construction and comes in a wide selection of colors and natural stone looks, including granite and marble, and with a range of accessories that includes integral sink bowls, tubs and shower surrounds. Solid surfacing also is non-porous, and does not absorb moisture or chemical substances the way other surfacing options can. Sheet thicknesses from 1/4- to 3/4-inch make it possible to use solid surfacing on walls, as well as counter tops and work surfaces.

While the up-front cost to install solid surfacing may initially deter specifiers, the pay-off in lower maintenance and refurbishment costs over time offset the price issue. When solid surfacing is the best choice for the surface design, its overall value, rather than its initial cost, outweighs the selection of other materials.

Alternatives to the luxury-priced solid surfacing that offer the look of solid surfacing without the cost soon will be available to the marketplace. Wilsonart Solid Surfacing Veneer, a 1/8-inch-thick solid surfacing material, is bonded to a substrate like laminate, but has the same seamable, repairable qualities of conventional solid surfacing. A counter top fabricated in this material may cost half of what a solid surfacing counter top does. Renewable laminate, a colorthrough laminate with pattern--not just solid color--all the way through also is expected to enter the market soon. Yet another surfacing alternative to designers, this material is highly durable and scratch resistant with a surface finish that can be restored with abrasives and Scotch Brite pads.

The many surfacing options readily available on the market today offer unique solutions to fit the needs and budget of nearly every design challenge. By determining what the client wants and how to best serve the purpose, design and budget, no project needs to look or function like a low-budget job.

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