Unexpected Application – CJH Studio and Laminex

Conceived as a curious exploration of the dynamic nature of Woodgrain Laminates, Laminex has teamed up with Director of CJH Studio Cassie James-Herrick to deliver a delightful collaboration that pushes the boundaries of laminate application. The intrepid integration of Laminex Woodgrains sees the creation of four spaces that allow materiality and form to shine.

Approached by Laminex to delve into the possibilities of the Woodgrain range, CJH Studio’s mutual love for custom joinery and philosophy of designing with a spirited desire to champion materiality and spatial arrangement proved the perfect partnership. Headed by Cassie, CJH Studio infuses interiors with a signature timeless aesthetic, achieved through soothing palettes and clean minimalism that remains warmly welcoming in its refinement. Soft forms and neutral tones permeate Cassie’s stylings, with personalised detailing and layers of texture punctuating throughout and, as a familiar patron of CJH Studio’s spaces, Laminex is often utilised for projects that necessitate durability and are mindful of budget. “With this Laminex collaboration, we wanted to challenge not only the traditional application of the material in various ways but highlight unique ways to customise the product within the designs by incorporating various techniques and bespoke details,” Cassie explains.

Communicating the extensive design capability of Laminex’s Woodgrains, the collaboration sees the creation of four distinct yet harmonious spaces.

Communicating the extensive design capability of Laminex Woodgrains, the collaboration sees the creation of four distinct yet harmonious spaces. Cassie’s deft employment of Laminex to form a dramatic kitchen, living, bathroom and wardrobe space brings to light the sensational spatial impact that can be achieved with a laminate façade. Tasked with actualising the arrangement of each Woodgrain display, Cassie ensured that not only would the designs showcase realistic practicality and functionality but also deliver an outcome that could genuinely feel at home within any of CJH Studio’s own high-end residential projects. “The other important response from the outset of the collaboration was in our art direction [and] styling intent, which was to include as many Australian only brands, designers, companies throughout the sets as we could,” Cassie details. “Although a difficult self-set task, it was really exciting to see so many beautiful Australian pieces aid the designs and be supported within this campaign.”

Crisply exemplified in the resultant spaces are moments of evocative materiality, magnificently emphasising the luxe effect of utilising a single material. Featuring tactile Chalk finish Woodgrains, the kitchen is dressed in a low-gloss finish that affords the look and feel of raw veneer. “I wanted to play on and show that Woodgrains can be mixed successfully in one space, softening yet highlighting the Woodgrain texture with curves and ensuring a soft and streamlined consistency from bench area to cabinetry internals,” Cassie describes. “The aged ash as the predominate Woodgrain in the design is soft and warm, with the surround upstand that wraps around the benchtop acting as a much blonder Woodgrain that highlights this design feature.” Cleverly matching the internal cabinetry, “the plinth in Danish Walnut was designed to also display the materials capability in that it can also form into beautiful furniture pieces,” she adds.

Crisply exemplified in the resultant spaces are moments of evocative materiality, magnificently emphasising the luxe effect of utilising a single material.

Multifunctional and featuring Danish Walnut Chalk finish, the living space encompasses a desk area, chair and small bar to offer work and play to its users. “The design in the living space was to allow these functions to seamlessly interact yet with the ability to be closed off while the other is in use,” explains Cassie. “The joinery, in this case, was to appear less bulky and built in and more like a piece of furniture in the space.”

An alternative aesthetic to the expected, “the bathroom space was pushing a conceptual response to the brief, whereby using as much of the woodgrain as possible in tall cabinetry, as well as concealing a Euro laundry,” Cassie describes. “The design of the basin vanity shows full Woodgrain doors and panels, set off from the rear mirror wall to again amplify the beauty of the product rather than the stone benchtops that you might see traditionally.”

Combining the alluring semblance of authentic timber with the hard-wearing performance of premium laminate, Laminex Woodgrains offer the most desirable facets of both materials to yield an incomparable relevance.

Cassie says that the full-length joinery in the wardrobe became “a personal challenge to respond and incorporate all the elements you functionally may need this space to be but, in a more considered and unique way, everything was to have a home.” Offering quietly hidden storage and incorporating marble-look laminate to accent the Chalk finish Woodgrain, the wardrobe space is anchored in aesthetic functionality.

Gently rounded edges not only add movement with their sweeping curves to the otherwise angular contemporary forms but are cleverly placed to bend in places that beckon users inward; for a peek into the bathroom mirror, towards clothes hangers in the wardrobe and to prepare a meal on the kitchen bench. “The curves created a visual response to how we generally see the product being used as well as seamlessly integrating the product across all planes,” Cassie explains.

Depending on the degree of curvature, arcs are specified by the processes of cold-forming – as seen in the kitchen splashback, wardrobe, overhead cabinetry and plinth – or post-forming – used for the kitchen bench, pantry shelving and handles. Cold-forming involves adhering laminate to a rounded substrate for relatively open-angled curves, whilst post-forming sees the laminate heated to conform to tighter bends in the substrate. These rounded features give a unique platform for the ability of Laminex to be manipulated in unexpected presentations. Its function transcends simply covering flat surfaces to being pivotal in modelling sculptural elements – echoing the ability of solid wood to be carved into shape, however, offering a much simpler and affordable mode of application – making it a viable option for wide-ranging host of creators.

Every element sees Laminex Woodgrain wrap effortlessly around the entirety of its joinery, encapsulating the exterior and continuing through the interior cabinetry. “The benefits of using Laminex when integrating storage lies in the large selection of colours and finishes available, that can also be used within internal cabinetry,” Cassie says. Her cleverly concealed storage solutions are seamlessly unified with Laminex Woodgrain, maximising space and showcasing the material throughout. “For me, the major appeal lies in its consistency in both timber grain and stain colour. Having complete control of the final outcome with Woodgrains is a real advantage,” she notes. “Using and Woodgrain laminate removes the process of selecting real timber grains, its species, crowning type, followed by the process of stain colour finishes, as well as then lacquer finishes and gloss levels, all of which is a challenging process, even for experienced specifiers and makers alike.”

Combining the alluring semblance of authentic timber with the hard-wearing performance of premium laminate, Laminex Woodgrains offer the most desirable facets of both materials to yield an incomparable relevance. Ranging from glossy to matte, the Nuance, Chalk, Silk and Natural finishes are crafted to suit any space. With natural wood veneer being a choice option for Australian interior design, Laminex has created a range of Woodgrains that embody the look and feel of timber whilst being impervious to elements such as moisture, heat and UV. Exceptionally durable, Woodgrain laminates bring the beauty of timber to spaces that otherwise would not be suitable for wood – such as kitchen and bathroom surfaces – opening the door to a wealth of design opportunities.