Bespoke materials
Whenever we offer advice on materials to our clients we do so on the basis that it’s what we would choose to do in our own homes with the same requirements.
During the design process of creating your bespoke furniture, our team combine their experience and talent to present you with options using the most suitable materials available. Ensuring the materials used for your commission are nothing less than exactly what you want.
The finest materials
Our materials are sourced from trusted suppliers. All our hardwoods are FSC certified from sustainable forests, and we are members of the Corian Quality Network.
The highest standards of quality control
You’re welcome to visit our workshop at any time, and when you do you’ll see our craftsmen examining each piece or wood or veneer with expert eyes. Only the finest grade A materials are good enough to carry the Colinton name.
Call us old-fashioned but we want you to feel such pride in your commission that you’ll want to show it off to friends and family.
CORIAN
GLASS
Laminates
MDF
SOLIDWOOD
WOOD VENEERS
Corian
What is Corian?
Corian is the brand name for a solid surface material created by a company called Dupont in 1967. Originally conceived as a kitchen and bathroom material Corian first went on sale in 1971 in only one colour. Today, there are over 100 colours and every year over 100 clients ask to use Corian in their home and office projects in Scotland, England and Wales.
What can you do with Corian?
There are literally 100’s of uses for Corian. Here are some of the common ones.
Why choose Corian?
Corian is:
- Non-porous
- Stain resistant
- Seamless: In the fabrication process, joints can be made invisible by joining the relevant pieces with Corian’s own colour-matched two-part acrylic epoxy. The pieces are clamped tightly together in order to express any excess adhesive. After the adhesive dries, the area is sanded and polished to create a seamless joint. This seamless appearance is a signature characteristic of the material.
- Repairable and renewable: Cuts and scratches can be buffed out with a Scotch-Brite pad or orbital sander.
- Thermo formable: Flexible when heated, Corian can be shaped and moulded into generally limitless forms which can be used in commercial and artistic projects through a process called thermoforming.
- Heat resistant: Corian is heat resistant up to 100 °C (212 °F), but can be damaged by excess heat. DuPont recommends the use of trivets when the material is ins talled in kitchens.[15]
- Scratchable: Corian can be scratched, with scratches particularly noticeable on darker colours. However, they can be sanded and buffed if necessary to achieve that flawless look again.
Why chose Colinton?
Colinton Furniture is a member of the Corian® Quality Network, a network of fabricators and suppliers trained to help consumers, architects, and interior designers extract the highest value from the performance and properties of Corian®.
Dealing with a member of the Corian® Quality Network means you can count on state-of-the-art training and knowledge in terms of fabrication and installation.
At Colinton Furniture we are developing a strong name as a Corian centre of excellence where we not only fabricate pieces of Corian into bespoke furniture, but also provide guidance to Interior Designers and private clients on best practice design for one-off pieces.
Glass
What is Glass?
Glass is another useful and versatile material we use in our workshop. It can be cut to almost any shape, can be tinted any colour and supplied with a variety of textured finishes. Why incorporate glass in your design? It is easy to clean and cut, can be reinforced and really lends itself to a contemporary look and feel.
What can you do with Glass?
At Colinton we use glass to make display cabinets, kitchen splash backs as well as incorporating it into tabletops and splash-proof bathroom furniture.
Why choose Glass?
Why chose Colinton?
From inlays in desks, to reception panels, glass cabinets and display units, our design team can advise you on precision cuts or innovative designs incorporating glass.
Laminates
What is laminate?
Formica laminate was invented at the turn of the century. It’s a composite material which comes with a wide range of lithoprinted designs such as simulated granite, wood grain and silestone on the laminate top coating.
It is heat-resistant, water-resistant and easy to wipe-clean, making it a popular choice for kitchens and bathroom surfaces.
What can you do with laminate?
Laminate is a versatile material which lends itself to a wide range of uses.
Why choose laminate?
Due to its multi-layered construction it is a useful material for high traffic areas where a hardwearing surface is required. It is also a more cost effective solution to real wood veneer and easier to look after, with virtually no maintenance. Although the arrival of pre-veneered boards has lessened its popularity.
Why chose Colinton?
We have a diverse range of experience manufacturing products in Formica and laminate bonded to MDF and other substrates. Our team will be happy to advise you.
MDF
What is MDF?
Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) is an engineered wood product. Technically, MDF contains a mixture of recycled solid wood, wax, and resin bonded together under high temperatures and high pressure to create a uniform wood-like product that is far cheaper than real wood.
MDF is typically made up of:-
82% wood fibre,
9% urea-formaldehyde resin glue,
8% water
1% paraffin wax
MDF is primarily used for internal applications because it is typically not moisture resistant, although some forms can be made moisture resistant and fire retardant.
It is available in raw form with a fine, sanded surface or with decorative overlay such as wood veneer, melamine paper or vinyl. Unlike solid wood, MDF does not contain knots or rings, making it more uniform during cutting and in manufacturing
Typical MDF has a hard, flat, smooth surface that makes it ideal for veneering, as there is no underlying grain to telegraph through the thin veneer as you would see with plywood.
MDF may be glued, doweled or laminated. Special screws are available with a coarse thread pitch, but sheet-metal screws also work well. Like natural wood, MDF may split when woodscrews are installed without pilot holes.
What can you do with MDF?
Thanks to the fact that MDF can be cut to virtually any shape, it is used in a variety of situations. Here are some of the ways we use MDF:
Why chose MDF?
Advantages of bespoke furniture made with MDF:-
- MDF is an economical choice. It’s inexpensive to make so costs less than solid wood.
- MDF uses recycled wood in its construction and is environmentally friendly, thereby helping to save trees.
- MDF is easy to paint in many different colours, whereas solid wood doesn’t take the same variety of colours. We have our own dedicated spray-shop at Colinton Furniture.
- A smooth material throughout, MDF does not have knots that can blemish the surface of a piece or make components difficult to attach.
- MDF will not expand and contract due to heat and humidity the way solid wood can.
- Shaping MDF is easier than shaping solid wood, making it easier to do more elaborate designs. Cutting grooves on the reverse side makes it flexible and shape well.
- Wood veneer can easily be attached to MDF to give it the look of genuine wood.
Why chose Colinton?
At Colinton Furniture we manufacture hundreds of custom-made MDF products each year and our cabinet-makers have the specialist knowledge required to get the very best from this incredibly versatile material.
Solid Wood
What is hard wood?
Hardwoods come from deciduous or broad-leafed trees. They are generally slow growing which tends to make them harder and more expensive. They are highly prized because of the beautiful colour and natural structure of the wood grain, which comes to life once varnished and polished.
We only purchase hardwood from suppliers registered with The Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC). This system allows consumers to identify, purchase and use wood, paper and other forest products produced from well-managed forests and/or recycled materials.
What can you do with hard wood?
Hard wood has been used to make cabinets and furniture for many years thanks to its durable nature. It’s strong and ages well, in fact some would say hard wood pieces get better with time.
Why choose hard wood?
Hardwoods are tough and beautiful. You only have to look at antiques passed on today to see the alluring and enduring quality of such a beautiful material. It will come as no surprise then to find that Colinton Furniture put hardwoods like walnut and oak to a variety of uses.
Why chose Colinton?
For over 130 years our family of master craftsmen have been making handmade furniture from hardwoods. Those traditional skills are alive and well in our workshop today. Please feel welcome to visit us any time, or get in touch to talk to us about a project you have in mind.
Wood Veneers
What is Wood veneer?
Wood veneer is a very thin slice of wood, usually less than 3mm, which has been chosen for its detail or surface character. Bespoke furniture can be made entirely of veneers, or as a combination of solid wood and veneer.
What can you do with wood veneer?
Wood veneers usually exhibit exceptional beauty and character in the pattern and grain detail. They are often used on the most visible surfaces of furniture and can be easily shaped to produce intricate inlay details.
Plus many more including brightly coloured veneers such as dyed tulipwood.
Wood veneers are creatively very interesting to work with and can give you all manner of rich and unusual looks. Get in touch if you’d like to see samples of the wood veneers available.
Why choose wood veneer?
Wood veneer has always played an important role in furniture making. High quality veneers have the same visual appeal as hard wood, yet they tend to be easier to work. Which is why when you see antiques with intricate in-filled designs they are likely to have been done with wood veneers.
Is solid wood better than wood veneer?
The truth is that both are extremely durable and can look spectacularly good. While solid wood is strong, wood veneers allow for more intricate patterning or detail across larger surface areas such as multi-media walls or boardroom tables. Here are some examples of commissions we’ve undertaken, which have included wood veneers.
Why chose Colinton?
The longest serving member of our team (22 years) is a wood veneer specialist. Rest assured there are few other companies around with as much working knowledge of veneers as we have. Why not bring us your ideas and find out what we’d suggest?