The desire to make Evola decorative panel surfaces ‘true to life’ saw the UNILIN product design team look to where it all begins: with the original materials…
Working from original materials was the key to the authenticity of UNILIN Evola panels. The design team was packed full of discoveries from the natural world, trade shows and even personal purchases that inspired new decors in HPL and melamine-faced chipboard. Working from these original materials, the UNILIN design team began a process of experimentation.
“If we put our Evola panel next to the real thing, we don’t want to be able to see a difference.”
Ann De Blanck, Evola product manager, explains: “We needed variation, so we started to treat the genuine specimens; for example, adding a patina or saw marks to the decor. That is a job for the specialists, because it’s a very fine line between attractive authenticity and over doing it. Our ultimate goal is always very clear: if we put our Evola panel next to the real thing, we don’t want to be able to see a difference.
“That takes an awful lot of skill. By that, I mean that our team experiments and tries things out by hand, day in and day out. For example, when the ‘reclaimed trend’ was all the rage, we created a decor with cracks in the panel. We did that using a drum that we threw nails and screws into; as the drum turned, they made scratches in the decor. Yet another conscious choice and essential if you want to bring unique products to the market.”
This meticulous attention-to-detail sees UNILIN Evola panels beautifully replicate natural materials. From the deep grain and knots of Nordic Pine’s rustic texture to the subtle, super-matt surface of White Birch, each décor is a true-to-life recreation of original materials. This realism is not only down to the experimentation of the design team, but also through using production technology to develop surface structures synchronous with the design underneath.
“As well as an authentic look, the feel also needs to be right, and this has become more-so in recent years. That’s why we have specialised in developing surfaces where the structure follows the pattern beneath perfectly. This gives a realistic design, hardly distinguishable from solid wood or veneer. A realistic, budget-friendly and sustainable alternative for real material,” explains Blanck.
The UNILIN Evola collection is available in 168 different looks available in HPL, melamine and edging tape. Promising life-like wood decors and authentic embossed textures in concrete and metallics, as well as plain; it is a well-rounded collection that brings beautiful authenticity in scratch and stain-resistant panels for commercial use.
