Creative Customisation With Laminex – Workplace by Kennedy Nolan

With bold curved forms and vibrant, eye-catching colour combined with natural tones and engaging textures, Workplace by Kennedy Nolan draws on the creative possibilities of Laminex laminate to create custom furniture, joinery and fittings that bring to life a professional environment as inspiring as it is functional.

The central table is the focal point of the space, setting the dynamic and energising tone that is carried throughout the design. The table exemplifies some of the key benefits of working with laminate. While it would be possible to make the curved tabletop and base by machining a solid material or applying a timber veneer, these techniques would be far more costly and the result less able to withstand the demands of a busy workplace. Using Laminex, the table was simply fabricated around an MDF frame which was then clad in Trade Essentials Bending Plywood, providing the substrate upon which the high-pressure laminate (HPL) surface was cold-formed. Against these curves, the flat ends create a two-dimensional section of the table’s form that is unexpected and intriguing.

The custom table is the focal point, employing curved forms and contrasting to energise the space.

The impact of the table and the effect of the curved forms are emphasised by the application of colour. Kennedy Nolan had always been inspired by the flat solid colour, resistant to fading or staining, offered by Laminex. “These colours do something together that really excites us about working with laminate as a product, with that solid, continuous colour,” says Kennedy Nolan Principal Rachel Nolan. In the Workplace, bright Laminex Pillarbox is used for the base and flat end section is juxtaposed against the gentle green of the Laminex Enamel tabletop. This combination animates the space, offset against the natural tones of the sisal flooring, cork wall and woodgrain Laminex Sublime Teak joinery.

The colours are inverted on the display shelf, with red the dominant hue and green applied to the side section. The tighter curve of shelf’s lip, which is a practical feature that facilitates the display of documents or other items, was created by post-forming the laminate. This technique uses heat to soften the resins in HPL before the material is bent, enabling curves with radiuses as small as 5mm to be made using Laminex Redback HPL. Post-forming also enabled the cabinetry handles to be crafted from laminate to create a rhythmic series of vertical lines that accentuate the height of the space. Not only are these handles more ergonomic than a typical handle or pull but they are key to the way the bank of storage is concealed, with the curved laminate handles and woodgrain Laminex Sublime Teak reading more like a timber-panelled wall than built-in joinery.

Workplace sees Kennedy Nolan play with the possibilities offered by laminate. Cold-forming the material to create the sculptural central table, post-forming the tighter curves of the display shelf and cabinetry handles, juxtaposing contrasting colours to heighten the impact of these curved forms, and strategically employing a woodgrain finish that turns the practical bank of joinery into a neutral, calm backdrop, the design exemplifies how Laminex can facilitate the creation of custom pieces for vibrant, durable and functional commercial interiors.

To discover more about the Laminex x Kennedy Nolan Workplace collaboration, click here.

The table exemplifies some of the key benefits of working with laminate.

“These colours do something together that really excites us about working with laminate as a product, with that solid, continuous colour.”