Consumers are of two minds on furniture and cabinetry design: glossy surfaces with seamless edges are popular. And so are textured, and even rough surfaces.

The glossy appeal follows the iPhone look: sleek perfection, simplicity, spare. It caters to the “technology rules” mindset.

Simultaneously, we see a rise in preference for textured surface in panel and lumber products This appeal wells from earthier inclinations: helping the earth by reusing resources;

In the glossy techy side, customers want a perfectly shiny laminate surface with an invisible seam where edging meets the laminate top. Zero-glue line or zero-joint edgebanding using lasers and hot air and specially extruded edge material, delivers this zero-defect edge.

In the rough cut area, costumers hanker for reclaimed wood that is explicit about its origins – in other words, it shows the defects, at least up to a point.

Obviously if everyone wanted only reclaimed wood, we would run out of supply. So newly manufactured lumber and panel is being given the rustic look, and also, up to a point.

Watch for new machinery at the International Woodworking Fair in August that identifies and fixes defects in reclaimed and other rough surface wood, smoothing out the nooks and crannies to keep it natural, within limits.

This blog also appears at Bill Esler's blog channel at Franklin Adhesives.