Maximum freedom of design thanks to innovative materials
“Beauty for all shapes and forms” – this is the motto under which REHAU Interior Solutions presented its current product range at this year’s SICAM. At its impressive booth REHAU demonstrated how it helps industry and trade achieve freedom of design in form and function – with pioneering materials that, thanks to color and design combinations, enable perfect components for interiors that look as if they have been cast from a single mold. Organic shapes in furniture construction are trending: curves in furniture, soft contours, warm color combinations – preferably with natural decor. This development poses challenges for manufacturers, whether from industry or manufacturing.
Bending or shaping materials such as glass, stone or ceramic is difficult or even impossible. This is where REHAU materials come into play. The surfaces, edgebands and tambour doors make it easy to create slightly different shapes – using standard woodworking tools and with a high-quality look that is almost indistinguishable from the original material. But it is not just the material properties that ensure creative freedom – exceptional design is supported by trendy decors, a variety of colors and the concept of the design match. This is how REHAU Furniture Solutions’ surfaces, edges and shutters combine different materials and products to create furniture with a holistic design, which SICAM visitors were able to appreciate in the solution displayed at the company’s stand.
The popular RAUVISIO collections are also being expanded with a variety of new colors and decors in line with current global trends. Starting from next year, the RAUVISIO crystal Collection – the plain color palette of the smart glass laminate – will feature five new colors in high gloss and matt. A dark blue with a delicate green shimmer represents calm and stability; light blue radiates lightness and openness. The warm sand-colored decor creates a natural base, while light green adds a subtle freshness. Terracotta gives the room a gentle warmth and character.
The subtle metallic shimmer RAUVISIO crystal Deep Collection is also three colors richer. Luna, Torba and Terriccio are the names of the warm, earthy shades that blend harmoniously into a wide variety of room concepts. Visitors’ attention was caught by the possibility to combine different REHAU materials in the same color in the Luna color scheme and create holistic room concepts with a monolithic look using the smart glass, the elegant matt RAUVISIO noir surface and the RAUVISIO cube concrete surface. This latest innovation presented at SICAM features a unique surface finishing that is always different in every panel.
RAUKANTEX edgebands have been the innovation benchmark for edgebanding for over 50 years: with its extensive inventory program, REHAU has the “perfect match” for the surfaces of all leading manufacturers, available instantly. At the same time, with its growing range of special applications, REHAU demonstrates that the history of innovation in edgebanding is far from over. With RAUKANTEX pigmento, REHAU offers an edgeband design for textured surfaces such as ceramic, stone, wood, and concrete. Thanks to an innovative formula, the edgeband can now also reproduce the visual impression of these materials in the milling radius, creating a seamless, natural look.
RAUKANTEX folding, on the other hand, is REHAU’s answer to the demand for handle-less fronts. The edgeband can be shaped in various ways using the soft-forming process or angled edgebanding. The RAUKANTEX folding premium edgeband was specially developed for more complex geometries such as the J and C shape. Thanks to its unique formula, the material is even more flexible. Finally, there was also a focus on sustainability with the RAUKANTEX eco & evo edgeband solutions: recently honored with the German Innovation Award 2024, together with the RAUKANTEX PP range they now also meet the strict requirements of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. REHAU is also strengthening the circular economy for edgebands with the ReTurn edgeband return concept.
With sustainability in mind, REHAU also presented a new option for tambour door systems. With the eco version, various tambour door profiles made from 100 percent recycled materials can now be ordered – without compromising on feel and appearance. The tambour door is made entirely from post-industrial PP recyclate. REHAU purchases the return material from external, certified suppliers. In this way, PP products that are no longer used, such as old protective sheets, are given a new purpose. The range of storage solutions presented at SICAM is rounded off by the FLIPDOOR, that will be available with a new slat technology in the standard range starting in 2025. Furniture manufacturers and interior designers can use it to create space-saving and stylish storage solutions that fit seamlessly into any room, especially when combined with RAUVISIO crystal as a front or niche back panel. Thanks to the simple installation, FLIPDOOR can be effortlessly inserted into standard carcasses, offering an aesthetically striking, extremely functional solution with a unique opening mechanism.
The flexibility that REHAU products offer to furniture manufacturers from industry and trade in terms of color, function and form is also reflected in REHAU’s customer service. With the service and logistics center in Visbek – in which more than 200,000 edgebands variants are stocked – REHAU not only keeps its promise of the perfect edgeband for every project, but also ensures an even faster and more effective response to customer requests. They can benefit from a short-length service from 1 m and a width-cutting service for edgebands between 13 and 70 / 104 mm. Industry, too, benefits from this service: in furniture production, standard goods are being used more and more frequently, especially for special solutions – and companies receive these goods from Visbek in a short time.
