Wow! The brand new 180FX patterns are stunning! Building upon Formica’s  huge success of the 9 patterns released in 2010, their new patterns offer homeowners 7 additional patterns to choose from.

As with the previous releases, these latest editions show off the beautiful, full grain patterns that up to now were only visible in solid stone slabs. Paired with a bevel-edge trim, these countertops will be virtually indistinguishable from Granite but with a price tag that can’t be beat!

The collection has been expanded to included:

Black Fossiltone:Mirroring nature’s ancient art, Black Fossilstone is accented with fragments of shells and marine life to create intriguing pattern and texture

Slate Sequoia: Washed in shades of deep, warm brown, Slate Sequoia reflects a modern trend in sensuous saturated color. Ivory and green veining adds drama.

Petrified Wood: Earthy, vivid colors of rust, green, black and ivory create a look of dramatic natural beauty

Breccia Paradiso: A striking marble pattern distinguished by fragments in varied sizes and hues that range from soft gray-green to chocolate.

Soapstone Sequoia: Warm and inviting, Soapstone Sequoia has fi nely drawn veins in white, beige and gray that criss-cross over misty hues of warm and cool gray

Travertine Silver: A perfect match for the elegance of modern architecture, Travertine Silver has a creamy color accented with subtle strokes of silvery gray.

Calacatta Marble: A classic beauty, Calacatta Marble displays exquisite taupe and charcoal tracery on a luminous background of creamy white

Acrylic Undermount Sinks from Karran and Stainless Steel Undermount Sinks from Lansen have upped the ante on the age old question of whether to choose Laminate, Solid Surface or Granite for your countertop surface.

These beautiful sinks have been designed specifically to undermount seamlessly in laminate countertops. Integrate with the new Formica 180fx or Wilsonart HD finishes and Bevel-Edge molding from Bevel-Edge.com to create an affordable, stunning look that has previously been unavailable in a laminate countertop. An undermount sink provides a smooth transition from countertop to sink allowing you to wipe your countertops directly into your sink.

The newly developed installation method is straight-forward and the specially designed adhesive creates a bond between the laminate and sink so that moisture is never an issue.

Thinking of remodeling your kitchen? Laminate countertops are a great choice for DIY projects.

Not only are the cost of laminate tops far lower than most other surfaces, the color and pattern choices are almost endless. Typical shop-made laminate tops are 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of Granite or Solid Surface and there are well over 600 choices in just the 2 major laminate brands, Formica and Wilsonart. Do it yourself and even greater savings can be had!

Recently both companies have introduced patterns and finishes that simulate real stone for a fraction of the cost. The new 180fx series from Formica and HD series from Wilsonart are amazing. When the edges are treated with Bevel-Edge molding, there is no black edge line typically associated with laminate making it almost impossible to distinguish from real stone.

To top things off, along with the new patterns, both companies have recently upped the ante on durability. With value savings like these, countertops could be refreshed 3 or more times over a lifetime and always be up to date with the latest trends.

There are a number of different choices that can be made when you are looking at the different materials to enhance your kitchen makeover, but when you start planning the high traffic areas like kitchen work surfaces, laminate is a clear front-runner.
One of the reasons that laminate is a popular choice is because of the way it is made. Laminate  countertops are manufactured using different layers of material bonded together with industrial strength, specially formulated adhesives. This method of construction means that the work surface is both hard wearing and it is easy to create appealing finishes. Another plus  is that laminate countertops can be more impact resistant and spillages are easily cleared up.
After you have decided on your countertop design, many people then start designing the kitchen using the laminate work surfaces as the centerpiece of their design plan. It is worthwhile noting that on most occasions the best kitchen designs start of by taking into account how the kitchen area is used on a daily basis. It is imperative that you examine the preferred flow of users round the kitchen as the day progresses.

Kitchen Flooring
Another important aspect of your kitchen is of course the floor and quickstep flooring has proven to be a popular choice for designers. The appeal of laminate flooring is that laminate is an easy to work with floor material that can be cut in to numerous designs to accommodate different cabinet designs and floor layouts without too much extra work.

Types Of Kitchen Floor Plans
There are a few useful traditional layouts you can use as the base of your kitchen design. The most common of the floor plans that you can choose from starts with what’s aptly called the one wall plan. Just as it describes, this is the layout where all the base units and domestic appliances are situated against one wall. For budget sake this is a popular model, but there are other plans that incorporate more elaborate designs.
For example, the galley and the L-shaped kitchen are useful for breaking up kitchen units and domestic appliances and the Peninsula kitchen is suitable for kitchens that have an open wall.

Lets Not Forget The Work Triangle
Another distinct advantage to of using laminate for kitchen work surfaces comes about when you begin to design the work triangle. This is the high use area around the major appliances (refrigerator, sink and stove. Laminate work surfaces are ideal for creating sufficient space to work in, in a non-cluttered area.
There is no getting away with the number of design decisions to make when re-designing a new kitchen, but choosing laminate countertops will not be one of them.

High Depth
Start with the detail, the appearance of depth and texture, the flow of color, the play of light and shadow. Twenty-first century science and design have come together to create totally new laminate surfaces that challenge easy description or comparison.

High Drama
Wilsonart HD High Definition Laminate is all about drama and surprise — deep, luxurious looks that intrique the eye and invite the fingertips, delighting you from the first moment, pleasing you every day, and stopping your guests in their tracks.

High Durability
Drawing on technologies first developed for laminate flooring, Wilsonart HD delivers three times the wear-resistance of the industry standard. It’s the performance you’ve come to expect from laminate, dramatically multiplied.

Warm to the touch, with designs and textures unavailable in other luxury materials, Wilsonart HD is a welcome alternative; there is simply no other surface like it. And one more dramatic surprise — Wilsonart HD is a surprising value when compared to other luxury surfaces. In fact, this may be the most affordable luxury you’ll ever make your own.

Homeowners in love with granite’s big impact but not its hefty price now have a new option to consider. 180fx™ by Formica Group is the first laminate to reflect the true scale and striking color variations and veining of a full-size natural granite slab.

“180fx™ looks so real that only the homeowner and installer will know it is a laminate, especially at first glance,” said Chris Gray, Vice President of Marketing North America. “No other product on the market comes close.”

Until now, granite laminates were designed with a repeating pattern throughout the sheet. To create 180fx™, the Formica Design Team hand-selected granite slabs and used advanced printing technology to capture every detail. Combined with the multi-faceted Radiance™ finish, 180fx™ achieves an unmatched realism for just a few hundred dollars more than a traditional laminate countertop.

Featuring nine best-selling granite colors, 180fx™ brings the luxurious look of stone and practical advantages of laminate to kitchen countertops, islands, vanities and full-height backsplashes. The collection includes:

Mascarello Series: Striking, large-scale granites characterized by rich veins of color and large masses of quartz.
• Golden Mascarello — Striking gold and brown, versatile enough to complement any wood cabinet stain.
• Antique Mascarello — Chocolate brown is more muted, coordinates with dark brown woods and stainless appliances

Blue Storm: A beautiful rarity featuring swirling blue, gold and warm-white veins with ruby red garnets. Ideal for a dramatic center island or feature wall.

Yellow River Series: Small crystalline flecks of color with characteristic diagonal streaks.
• Yellow River — Golden and coffee brown tones that coordinate well with cherry and brown-stained cabinets.
• Olivine River — Natural earth-green tones that blend well with the new eco-inspired gray-green paints for cabinets and walls.

Red Montana Series: Rich colors dispersed in a wavy strata and diffused with a crystalline mist, creating a sweeping pattern on a grand scale with subtle veining and small quartz details.
• Red Montana — Multi-hues of red, tan-brown and gray, Red Montana coordinates with a broad range of woods from traditional cherry to brown-glazed maple cabinets.
• Burnished Montana — Styled in rich terra cottas and browns, this color coordinates with warm cherry and cotta-stained woods.
• Corbeau Montana — Dark green and raven black that works with traditional wood cabinets as well as the new eco-inspired gray-green.

Espirito Santo: A large-scale classic with gold, white and black even-sized crystals, Espirito Santo coordinates especially well with warm honey tones, browns and blacks.