Leading from the Front with World Premieres: Continental Points the Way with Natural and Sustainable Approaches
- Printed, 3D formable PET films open up totally new possibilities for kitchens, bathrooms and living areas – also available with a high proportion of recycled material in the polymer
- High-quality plain finishes and new decors have a natural look & feel and functional benefits
- In keeping with the message “Sustainability starts at the surface. Inspired by nature. Expressed by design.”, the surfaces specialists embrace trends and customer requirements
Pordenone/Hanover, Italy/Germany, October 15, 2024. Continental is poised to bring a number of world premieres to the Sicam international furniture supplier exhibition in Italy, injecting fresh energy across the industry with its printed 3D malleable PET films. And the technology company’s surfaces specialists will also be displaying their commitment to sustainability and "naturalness" at the event in Pordenone on October 15 – 18, 2024, in keeping with its tagline "Sustainability starts at the surface. Inspired by nature. Expressed by design." Visitors to the company’s stand will find a broad offering that includes intriguing new PET and vinyl products, a host of high-quality, deep matte plain finishes and on-trend new decors. All impress not only with their natural feel, but also with numerous functional benefits such as anti-fingerprint properties, good chemical resistance and a high degree of formability.
"With our new products and innovative approaches, we are looking to drive the market forward and put down some positive markers," emphasizes Jörg Biller, Head of Interior Living EMEA at Continental Surface Solutions. This is the only way to combat the general decline in demand in the furniture sector, he suggests: "We need to embrace the changes taking place in society together and address them with fresh ideas." To this end, the surfaces from Continental cover all current trends and customer requirements – whether than means 3D formable, with soft curves, grooved, flat or concave-convex in form. Together with their diverse functional properties, this means the films can be used precisely as required. "So our customers and partners always have the right equipment for their needs," sums up Biller.
Enhancing kitchens, bathrooms and living areas
One of the products celebrating their premiere at Continental’s Stand B13 in Hall 4 is the plain-colored 3D PET design laminate skai PureLux 3D Touch. Its elegant appearance is complemented by a smooth, soft-matte feel that invites you to touch it and allows you to do so without leaving behind annoying fingerprints.
Two versions of this surface product will be on show: a virgin PET variant and the even more sustainable rPET, which has a high proportion of recycled material in the PET polymer. With material properties such as good cleanability and scratch resistance, this design laminate shapes up equally as well in kitchens and bathrooms as it does in living areas.
Oak remains very much on trend in the drive for "naturalness"
The 3D-decor-printed PET design laminates skai PureLux 3D structure Casella Eiche nature and Catania Eiche amber are world premieres from Continental. Both impress with their matte feel and innovative wood structure, which provides a fresh take on the hot current trend of "naturalness" and makes this something you can see and touch.
The skai Karlstad Eiche decor developed in close cooperation with surfaces supplier Schattdecor stands out with its fine, clear overall character. This is achieved by bringing together an array of typical oak elements, such as flower grain, pores, subtle knots and medullary rays. Together, they create a harmonious overall impression that is particularly effective in large-area applications for living areas or kitchens.
New design paths
Breaking new ground visually is skai Port Oak, developed as part of the decor partnership with Interprint. Its subtle brushing, cut flowers, soft pores and lightly smoky color tone elevate it above other oak decors. The distinctive look it creates works extremely well in kitchens, bathrooms or living spaces.
Rounding off the extensive selection of decors is oak decor skai Riva developed with Schattdecor. Inspired by the "naturalness" trend with a reduced, elegant, rustic style, this decor shows no knots or cracks. The result is a subtle yet expressive decor style with a veneer look. With its elegant natural wood structure, skai Riva is suitable for a multitude of applications in living and working areas, as well as for public spaces.
"With these new products and others besides, skai now covers the full range of surfaces for interior design," explains Biller. "Our surfaces combine design and sustainability to impressive effect, and that’s something we want to demonstrate at Sicam. After all, this is exactly the right time to bring new ideas and solutions to the table when it comes to the future of surface design in the furniture industry."
Axel Schmidt
Head of Communications
ContiTech Surface Solutions
