1 Panel game

If the word ‘cladding’ conjures up just a kitchen splashback or shower panel then think again. Yes, cladding covers both of these areas, and indeed these are incredibly popular, but it offers so much more, from wall and floor through to worktop and furniture finishings. These surfaces are available in a variety of materials from sustainable woods, through to porcelain, laminate or acrylic, and a wide choice of decors, helping kitchen and bathroom designers create schemes to suit all tastes and budgets.

Inspiring designs

In fact, creative director at Glotech Chris Reeves comments: “The inherent creativity available in today’s cladding options can inspire new thinking for retailers, in both the commercial and domestic space, helping them to secure new relationships with developers, architects and interior designers and by virtue more potential revenue streams.”

And Rotpunkt head of UK operations Matt Phillips says this inspiration must be fed through

Plant Wall forms parts of Showerwall’s 100% waterproof acrylic bathroom wall panelling collection. Its panels also span decors including marble and natural stone, as well as tiling. View all the options at www.rdr.link/KAN028 to clients: “I think we need to keep educating the end user about all the design possibilities available with the next generation cladding which is available. There are so many exciting

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Shown in New Split Oak, manufacturer of carbon-free kitchens Rotpunkt offers a wall panelling system. Download a brochure at www.rdr.link/KAN029

The Magnum collection of porcelain by Florim boasts four marble-effect decors in a choice of polished or natural finishes. Italian manufacturer Florim is B-Corp certified. See its applications and find out about the product specification at www.rdr.link/KAN030 options to extend wall effects up to the ceiling and create breath-taking modern design with materials which are easy-to-fit, kind to the planet, high quality and affordable.”

Industry experts offer the advice to think about using cladding material on worktops. They are surfaces after all. General manager of Laminam UK Tony Lleo offers: “For a unform look, retailers should consider using the same material used for kitchen and bathroom worktops in a slimmer thickness for cladding. This helps to keep costs down, but is just as effective and durable for these types of applications.” In fact, Optidek is looking to offer its marble-effect Florim surfacing, measuring 6mm, as worktops. The marble-effect porcelain is bonded onto a substrate with a front edged strip to give the impression of 50mm depth. It reduces the weight of worktops and, according to co-owner and sales director Anthony Barker, is around half the cost of a quartz surface.

Addressing misconceptions

So with cladding offering such design versatility, why has it taken its time to build up in sales?

There are still common misconceptions that need to be addressed from limited design choice through to being too expensive.

Managing director of CRL Stone Simon Boocock states: “Retailers sometimes believe that their design choices are more limited with cladding than with tiles. With CRL Stone, the opposite is true, as our surfaces are available in a huge range of styles.”

And industry experts decry that cladding is a more expensive option, stating that by the time a tiler is factored into the equation, it can be a

4. CRL STONE

Inspired by the natural tones of marble, Meteora Gris is an Inalco MDi surface, which comes in a 6mm thickness and can be used for bathroom walls. Discover the technical specification at www.rdr.link/KAN031

5. LAMINAM

Noir Desir from the Naturali range features a dark hue interrupted by ivory veining and can be used for countertops, cladding and flooring. Request a sample and download the specification at www.rdr.link/KAN032 fit service, instead of a client buying tiles, adhesive and grout and employing a tiler. It’s about improving education and training for retailers. Then, I think we will start to see more of an increase in wall cladding.”

Showing in-situ

cost-effective surfacing solution. Product manager for laminate and acrylic panel brand Showerwall Steph Harris comments: “A huge misconception from retailers is that the actual price vs tile cost is too expensive but by looking at the overall project cost, consumers will save money. The fact that wall panels are quicker to fit, that they don’t need grouting and the benefit that you don’t need a wet trades specialist to fit them means that the end total cost to the customer is far less than when compared with traditional tiles.” Anthony Barker of Optidek, agrees: “Using [Florim or Dekton] cladding includes sqm of material and our template and

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And, of course, being creative in the showroom will further accelerate interest in cladding. Tony Lleo of Laminam UK comments: “It’s important to be demonstrating different ways of using a material in showroom displays and online. Making sure you’re showing off projects with internal cladding adds visual interest and is sure to impress consumers who might not have thoughts of incorporating cladding into their own project beforehand.” While Steph Harris of Showerwall explains the company helps its retailers by offering a floorstanding display stand as standard, showcasing the range of Showerwall panels. “For even more impact, we can also work with retailers to design in-situ shower enclosures or bath displays, using full-size panels. This allows their customers to get a clearer idea of how panels can look in a real bathroom setting and it’s great for boosting sales.”

Growing market

With kitchens and bathrooms becoming large, living spaces in their own right, it opens up the potential of surfacing across wider areas. Cost-effective, easy to maintain for greater hygienic and offering a variety of decors for individualisation, cladding is only going to grow in acceptance and sales. “I think the benefit of wall panelling is that it allows customers to tick all of these boxes”, says Steph Harris of Showerwall. She concludes: “It’s a cost-effective product, easy-to-fit, hygienic and easy-to-keep clean and it offers a variety of designs ensuring that whatever the customer wants the bathroom to look like, be it a replication of natural materials, a burst of colour or something that’s personal to them – it’s all achievable and that’s what makes this such a great product.”