Smart Technology Smooths Defects

Consumers are of two minds on furniture and cabinetry design: the popular glossy surfaces with seamless edges, as well as the textured with even rough surfaces.

The glossy appeal follows the iPhone look, sleek perfection, simplicity and spare. It caters to the “technology rules” mindset.

Simultaneously, we see a rise in preference for textured surfaces in panel and lumber products. This appeal wells from earthier inclinations: helping the earth by reusing resources.

In the glossy techy side, customers want a perfectly shiny laminate surface with an invisible seam where edging meets the laminate top. Zero-glue line or zero-joint edgebanding that uses lasers, hot air and specially extruded edge material, delivers this zero-defect edge.

In the  rough cut area, customers hanker for reclaimed wood that is explicit about its origins – in other words, it shows the defects, at least up to a point.

Obviously if everyone wanted only reclaimed wood, we would run out of supply. So newly manufactured lumber and panel is being given the rustic look, up to a point.

Watch for new machinery at the International Woodworking Fair in August that identifies and fixes defects in reclaimed and other rough surface wood. It smooths out the nooks and crannies to keep it natural, within limits.