Unlocking TFL’s Potential in Modern Design

It’s been around for decades, but commercial and residential designers are still discovering TFL’s potential.

It’s always refreshing to see our industry and its materials through the eyes of designers.

While in Milan for Design Week in April I spent a few days with an architect from Seattle and an interior designer from Los Angeles, both heavily involved in designing and specifying cabinetry for multifamily projects across North America. We had been invited to join a VIP tour with West Coast distributor E.B. Bradley, including a visit to the EuroCucina global kitchens exhibition and the Milan showroom of TFL (thermally fused laminate) producer Cleaf.

Both of these influential specifiers were particularly impressed with the execution of casework and millwork using TFL, even though EuroCucina was heavily populated with kitchens in American hardwoods.

They knew the basics of TFL, but had never seen it used so creatively, and with such attention to detail and workmanship.

What they saw in Milan inspired them to expect more from their cabinetry and casework suppliers, in apartment units, and in the amenity areas — the coworking spaces, party rooms, fitness areas, etc., that are becoming key attractions for renters. An intricately machined mosaic of different TFL designs in the Cleaf showroom inspired one designer to change her approach to durable, design-forward walls, if only this level of workmanship could be found stateside.

“This was a great example of seeing different ways to use a familiar product like TFL, in ways that wouldn’t be at the forefront of my mind,” one designer told me.

“I think I need to find new millworkers and cabinetmakers,” said another. “We always struggle to get consistent quality from our fabricators.”

It’s no secret that our abundant supply of high-quality solid wood, and our centuries-long practice of perfecting its utilization, has shaped North American preferences and tastes in furniture and cabinetry. In Europe it’s quite a different story, Markus Raves tells me. Raves, president of RAMS Industries, a distributor of edgebanding near Toronto, was born and educated in Germany, and has for decades been a keen observer of the North American panel-based furniture market.

“Solid wood furniture is considered the highest quality cabinetry in Europe, but only affordable to a small group of consumers with high disposable incomes. None of the European countries (except Russia) is in the top 15 list of countries with the largest forestry resources.

“So, Europe has to be very strategic with its resources,” Raves explained. “Particleboard and TFL deliver a way to create furniture that’s more affordable, looks great, and meets the high quality expectations of European consumers. This means manufacturers must invest in high quality raw materials, machinery, technology, and people, and that they have a much longer history than North Americans creating high quality furniture from these materials.”

+ Putting TFL in context

In the United States, high-pressure laminate (HPL) remains the most commonly specified material for cabinetry in commercial projects, largely because this market has been comfortable using it for decades.

In many instances, however, thermally fused laminate (TFL) could be a more suitable and aesthetically pleasing alternative, which is why it’s used more often in Europe.

TFL involves the direct fusing of a decorative paper layer onto a substrate using heat and pressure, creating a seamless and integrated surface. This eliminates the visible brown line that appears at the edges, which can detract from the visual appeal of cabinetry. The seamless nature of TFL not only enhances the appearance but also allows for the use of matching edgebanding, resulting in a smoother and more cohesive finish.

The ability to use matching edgebanding with TFL provides a significant advantage in achieving a modern, minimalist look that is increasingly desired in contemporary commercial interiors. This smooth, continuous surface without visible seams or edges aligns with current design trends that favor clean lines and uniformity. Additionally, TFL is often more cost-effective and environmentally friendly compared to HPL, as it typically involves fewer materials and less energy-intensive manufacturing processes.

— Beverly Crichton, Stevenswood

Challenge: skilled factory labor

“One of the biggest challenges we face here is the availability of skilled labor,” said Raves. Citing a November 2021 Woodworking Network article by Rich Christianson, “New research sheds light on woodworking industry’s workforce struggles,” Raves noted, “If the pool of skilled labor is small, logic suggests you use your highest skilled labor for plant supervisors, project managers, etc., leaving the less skilled workers to operate machines. The issue with this concept is that these machines can be complex to operate, and unless you spend time and money on the training, mistakes will happen.”

He offered an example using the essential panel-processing machine, the edgebander.

“I have often asked operators how long they have been working on the edgebander, and I often get, ‘A few months,’ as an answer,” he said. “Buying a million-dollar CNC or edgebander and then employing a worker making minimum wage only makes sense if you have no other choice. Training, fair wages and career opportunities can work, if labor competition is low. However, in highly competitive labor markets, automation might be a better solution to minimize mistakes and increase product quality.”

Is quality product scalable?

“European craftsmanship is known for its precision and attention to detail, often involving custom work that fits specific spaces perfectly,” said Beverly Crichton, National Product Specification manager for TFL producer Stevenswood. “By contrast, while custom work is available in the U.S., there is a greater prevalence of standardized practices and prefabricated components to meet the demands of large-scale projects.

“While both European and U.S. millworkers are skilled and produce high-quality work, their approaches reflect different cultural, aesthetic, and practical priorities,” she said. “European millwork tends to emphasize precision, modern design, and sustainability, while U.S. millwork focuses on durability, diverse styles, and efficiency.”

Investment choices show the divide. “Europeans invest highly in their capital assets and machinery that drives automation and repeatability, and they sometimes remove the human aspect in order to hit large quantities,” said Chris Tutuska, Product/Operations director for Funder by Genesis Products.

“Alternative materials were adopted in Europe much earlier than here in the U.S. Solid wood veneer and substrates are readily available in the U.S., but have many variables in the way they are finished,” Tutuska said. “All the machine manufacturers offer the same equipment here that they do in Europe, so machinery shouldn’t be a factor.”

Availability is key

Don Raymond, VP of Marketing for Uniboard, has been traveling throughout the U.S. this year and says fabricators are telling him they are finding all the colors and finishes they need from domestic producers, with no difference in quality.

“The biggest issues I’m hearing about are, one, distributors aren’t stocking enough colors from TFL manufacturers,” he said. “They need access to products in one or two weeks; they can’t wait six or eight weeks for the colors they really want to come in as special orders.

“They’d also like to see matching edgebanding kept in stock, or at least available in small minimums. And finding doors for their projects is still a challenge, especially five-piece Shaker doors, which are becoming more popular.”

North American manufacturers are not opposed to TFL. “I’m happy to say that I’m seeing very limited resistance to using TFL,” Raymond said. “A lot has changed in the last five years.”

The price-quality equation

“I wouldn’t say that the quality of furniture in Europe is always better than in North America,” said Raves. “I’ve seen very high-end furniture manufacturing in North America that can compete with anything coming out of Europe. The automotive industry is a good example. BMW and Mercedes are both producing vehicles in the U.S., and the quality is the same as it is in Germany.”

But price is still a factor.

“There will always be a segment of the consumer market that prioritizes price over quality,” he said. “But I think with an emphasis on sustainability and less consumption, my hope is that consumers in North America will be willing to pay a little more to buy higher quality products that last longer.”

+ TFL excels in multifamily design

Sage West Loop, a 196-unit multifamily gem in Chicago’s near west, is designed for young movers and shakers who have left crash-pad living in the rearview mirror. Part of its appeal is expert use of TFL.

“This developer likes to focus on the quality details, the design details, and Sage definitely reflects that,” said Brenda Radziwon, director of Sales and Marketing at cabinetmaker Quest Engineering.

Sage’s kitchens are done in a subtly striking oak design from Arauco’s Prism TFL Taction series of EIR (embossed in register) designs.

“It’s a lighter wood grain, very clean, very natural, very minimal,” said Radziwon. “I’d say it evokes a spa environment.”

“TFL used to be kind of a unicorn, people couldn’t figure out what it was, so you had to do a lot of explaining,” she said. “Now it’s much more common. Mainstream cabinet manufacturers, brands everybody knows, are incorporating it into their product offerings. It’s just part of the market now.”

“TFL is used often in multifamily work because it’s so low maintenance and we know it holds up over time,” said Radziwon.

“These doors and panels can be easily replaced with perfect matches if needed, even years down the road, because with TFL the color is always going to be consistent,” she added. “It’s not like you’re dealing with a cherry or maple veneer that’s going to mellow over time and change color as it ages.”

“This is why it’s a popular option for designers and architects,” she said. “It just makes their jobs easier, and drastically reduces callbacks.”

Increasing role

Because of the incredible progress made in its designs, textures, and performance, TFL is in a unique position in North America.

It already constitutes a large share of the square footage in office, healthcare, hospitality, retail and other commercial furniture and projects, whether specifiers know it or not. (Many mistakenly believe the “laminates” they’re getting from their fabricators are still HPL.)

It’s also a major component in residential cabinetry, especially in multifamily projects, because of its on-trend designs, design matches with HPL, TFL, and foils, and its proven performance over decades in high-use environments.

TFL suppliers are investing heavily in design visuals and textures, and in educating architects, designers and manufacturers about the uses for this material.

Direct comparisons to its acceptance in Europe may not be fair, given the differences in design preferences, but one thing is certain: it’s a category poised for growth in North America.