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utilized elements of a kitchen and, as such, need to withstand all varieties of usage demands. Te market is demanding surfacing materials that meet high-performance standards and also add value to their home. Further, homeowners expect these high-quality and design-friendly materials to be accessible for their needs, re- gardless of budget and price point." | "Manufacturers will continue to push boundaries with the development of propri- etary technology to enhance and improve stone surfacing and create products that not only will stand the test of time, but also ofer fexible solutions for a range of design chal- lenges," Marquez predicts. "It's important to recognize that counters are one of the most countertops will be with the edges and how realistic they are. Edge options combined with the number of laminate options make the possibilities endless." Weadock also comments about the expand- ing edge profle options in laminate, specif- cally mentioning decorative edge profles and mitered edges, both of which remove the dat- ed brown seam line from years past. Laminate application isn't limited to just countertops, though. "One of the cool things about laminate is there are so many ways to use them," says Chmiel. "We've seen laminate as built-in shelves or recladding of an old wood surface. It's a great way to freshen something up a bit. I had lunch at a restaurant recently that topped its old tables with coordinating laminate. Te tables were fea markety, but had a fresh new surface. It was really cool." Laminate also can be applied to walls, but Chmiel does caution about installation. "It cannot be applied directly to drywall or gypsum. It has to be put on particleboard or plywood before it's put on the wall," she says. Weadock envisions laminate moving onto other surfaces in the home. "We're looking at places where the high-performance surface de- fes heavy trafc, like kids' rooms, craft rooms, laundry rooms and garages. Tere are many vertical surfaces that beg for more playful or dramatic details, like cabinetry, backsplash- es or walls with bold geometric shapes and painted wood grains." Galloway is one of five offerings showcased as part of the Coastal Collection of quartz surfaces from CAMBRIA . The line features neutral-toned, stain-resistant and nonporous natural quartz surfaces with flowing designs that depict a clashing of rock, sand and water, according to the company. Circle 7 on inquiry card WILSONART debuted 27 designs in its residential laminate collection last January at the Kitchen and Bath Industry show. Four key design themes are Super Natural, with seven designs; Everyday Luxury, with four designs; Sticks and Stones, with eight designs; and Stylistic History, with eight designs. Wilsonart also debuted a quartz countertop collection (right). The 50 patterns showcase a full range of colors, textures and four structures: fine and small scale, medium scale, large scale, and veining and movement. Circle 8 on inquiry card QualifiedRemodeler.com | ForResidentialPros.com QR May 2015 43