Finish and Materials that are used on modern office furniture include.

• Plastic Laminate
• Wood
• Metal
• Glass

And, when these materials are combined the results can be spectacular.

Our discussion here will explore many of the different materials.  We’ll start with Laminate move to Wood then on to Metal and Glass.  We would estimate that 95% of the materials that are used are in the Laminate and Wood categories.

First Up – Laminate

This is the same or similar material as millions of kitchen counter tops.  Laminate is very durable and relatively inexpensive to manufacturer.  In recent years new advances have been made in the manufacture which includes more wood like finishes.  These can be real enough that a 30 year industry sometimes has a difficult time telling these from real wood.

In general most of the laminates that are used all into the solid color or wood grained versions.  Some of the more “exotic” styles like granite, marble and other stones tend to show up on conference tables but not generally on desk types of furniture.

Next – Wood