Have your eye set on a posh, high-end look for your home but concerned it could bleed your pockets dry? Well, designing a luxurious space need not cost you an arm or leg!
Laminates have come a long way since its humble beginnings; these days, a wide range of designs are available that look and feel like the real thing (think pricey marble or stone) - all at a lower cost! Here, we check out 6 expensive interior materials that can be achieved for less, with EDL’s affordable but high quality range of laminates.
High-End Material #1: Solid Wood
Interior Designer: Fuse Concept
Natural and sturdy, real timber planks help to exude a sense of comfort and warmth that’s perfect for all sorts of interiors. While it’s highly durable and ages beautifully over time, timbers can be extremely costly and is less environmentally friendly, due to diminishing forests and higher workmanship costs.
Swap It With: EDL’s Medium Hipster Oak
Laminates are highly versatile - unleash your creativity with its expansive range of unique finishes and colours, such as this feature wall by interior designer 82! Take note how the material makes use of chevron designs to achieve an uncommon, yet minimalist look that reminds us of a relaxing café.
High End Material #2: Veneer Wood
Interior Designer: Ascenders Design Studio
Of course, there’s more to woods than the rudimentary, rugged timber planks. Veneer wood offer a smoother, sleeker alternative, with its seamless wood grain. Usually a thin slice of wood attached to a lightweight core, they make great alternatives for fixtures like wall features, doors or screens, but can still cost, depending on the type of wood and the type of stain/finish chosen.
Swap It With: EDL’s Nocino
Sure, veneers may be cheaper compared to actual timber pieces, but laminates are even more affordable, durable and easier to maintain (no pesky termite problems). What is there to not love? Especially if you’re planning on emulating a Japanese-ryokan interior - like this refined space with its predominantly woody scheme by Asolidplan - it pays to get a sturdy material that can stand the test of time. Used from the concealed wall cabinets to the shoji-door styled window feature, laminates are highly adaptable to all sorts of applications.
High End Material #3: Real Marble
Interior Designer: akiHAUS
Marble with its luxe effect never goes out of style. Intricate marbling can be used as a standout on a stark minimal space, but they are also a common choice for opulent-traditional style houses. However, this timeless look comes with a price; quality marble slabs from places such as Italy or Greece are hard to come by, and run up to the thousands per foot run.
Swap It With: EDL’s Royal Carrara
You can now achieve this at a fraction of the cost! With this high gloss finish that mimics real polished marble to a tee, no one would even know. Here, EDL’s Royal Carrara laminate finish is the perfect, sophisticated contrast to the rest of this eclectic home’s monochromatic scheme by Fifth Avenue Interior. Against the vintage pieces and industrial styled furniture, the bar counter’s delicate marbled finish helps to soften the interiors.
High End Material # 4: Slate Tiles
Interior Designer: ISH Interior Design
Matte and coarse, volcanic slate rock definitely brings about a sense of edginess and raw glamour with its irregular texture. Unfortunately, decking entire spaces in slate can prove to be costly, since this naturally-occurring material also needs careful labour to install.
Swap It With: EDL’s Luserna Nero
If you’re going for a clean industrial style like this home by The Local INN.terior, EDL’s Luserna Nero might just rock that look for you! Get the same look without the potentially abrasive, rough texture and skyrocketing installation costs. Besides looking sleek and smooth, laminates are also much more lightweight than heavy stone, great for condos or HDBs with a limited floor load.
High End Material #5: Travertine
Interior Designer: Architology Interiors
Marble’s neutral-toned, stately cousin, travertine has long been a highly sought-after material for its classy, understated grain. A natural limestone with beautiful colourations ranging from light cream to warm browns, it’s no wonder this heavy set material can cost a pretty penny - sometimes even more so than marble.
Swap It With: EDL’s Chiaro Travertino
Reference Image Source: Pinterest
Proving that modern laminates can now look as detailed as the real deal, EDL Chiaro Travertino’s elegant grain appears just as upscale as real travertine. Instead of spending inordinate amounts of money on carving out a travertine wall feature from an entire slab, a laminate application is less of a hassle (and burn in the pocket).
High End Material #6: Acrylic
Image Source: Pinterest
Translucent as glass, but as malleable and hardy as plastic, acrylic finishes provide a lightweight, glossy sheen that works great on contemporary or minimalist styles. And unlike glass, it is available in a wide range of colours, though large quantities of it can be costly, due to installation costs.
Swap It With: EDL’s PianoGloss laminates
Reference Image Source: Pinterest
One must never gloss over the important things in life. That applies to choosing a suitable look for your home too. Glossy acrylic can provide a clean, seamless shine that works great on minimalist styles; like this ultra-minimalist bathroom decked completely in white, the use of a polished acrylic-effect PianoGloss finish in the shower area adds dimension to an otherwise flat-looking space.
Explore The Possibilities of Laminates
