Surfaces on Aluminum Blog

Inspiration for the visual illusion in this finish came from the shape shifting patterning in stingray leather.  Reflecting both the natural and the organic, the finish evolves from large irregular circular shapes in the center to tightly spaced small shapes on the outer edge.  The finish pushes surface effects through carefully creation and alignment of the shifting structure to the shape of the trim piece.  The skin-like surface switches the natural for the unnatural.  Imagine the surface developed to follow a contoured trim piece, the finish relating to the shape and dimension of the trim product.

A high gloss texture against a matte black background creates a look of luxury and elegance.  The surface is reinvented with a futuristic twist when the cool, sleek surface of polished metal is introduced as a background to contrast with the natural texture. 

Both examples serve as starting points for your own exploration in pattern development.  How would you translate this finish on to an aluminum trim piece?  What products would you apply this type of surface to?  What other ideas come to mind for finishes that are designed to relate to the overall shape of a decorative trim piece?

Request a sample of this pattern to begin exploring the options available to you in playing with shape and form of finishes on aluminum.

The Lampshade Pattern

Ask anyone in our Design department about the lampshade pattern and this is the finish they will point you to.  The finish is featured on the Colored Darks mood board in our trend presentation.  It is another example of creative inspiration coming from just about anywhere.  The theme of this board is to play with shadow and light.  The finishes rely on layering and rich shadowy darks.  The aluminum patterns are dramatic, mysterious and veiled. 

How does this finish have anything to do with a lampshade?  It does in two ways.  First and foremost is the overall translucent effect.  The pattern takes advantage of the reflective metal surface with a layering of transparent tints of color.  The near black finish shifts in appearance from translucent blue to shadowy black.  Think of how light glows softly through a lamp shade.  This finish mimics this quality taking on an appearance of almost being lit from behind.

The structure itself is also inspired from an actual lamp shade.  The lamp shade served as a seed of inspiration, a starting point to launch into exploration.  Here is is interpreted into a midnight blue finish.  What if were printed in translucent off white or bronze?  This finish then becomes the starting point for additional exploration.  What further exploration would you do with this finish?

Request a sample of this finish to begin exploring the possibilities available to you in incorporating aluminum patterns into decorative trim.

Organic Finishes on Aluminum

Blend polar extremes.  Balance is found between modernity and gathered natural references.  Ancient crafts and advanced technology combine.

The Origin mood board includes organic structures based on the familiar colors and structures in woodgrains.  The video summarizes the inspiration and processes behind the woodgrain-like aluminum finishes.  The finishes can be integrated into decorative trim for automotive, appliance and electronic applications.  Request samples to see the subtle effects in the woodgrain-like finishes.

Organic Engine Stripe

Engine stripe with a twist or should I say rethought?  What if engine stripe wasn't so polished?  What if it wasn't so precise?  Could it be more random?  Could we create more of a handcrafted look? These were some of the questions that set us off on a path exploring the possibilities available to us when we break down the traditional boundaries of the engine striping process.

This engine stripe is softer and slightly random.  It is only one of the possibilities which opened up to us during our exploration of the engine stripe process.  Both engineered and random engine stripe themes were explored.  Mood boards featuring aluminum finishes based on these themes were created to begin telling the story about what happens when you take a traditional metal process and add a twist.

How would you stir things up on metal?

A major trend in aluminum surface design has been toward organic linear structures.  In contrast to crisp pinstripes with a precise and technical look, these finishes are inspired by nature and compliment the more organic shape of products today.  The waves in water, the ripples in sand or the patterns created by grass are all inspiration for this theme.

The possibilities are endless when considering the variety of structures and the processes available to explore this idea.  These finishes use a layering of process to create depth and movement.  Selective brushing produces natural highlights and shadows in the finish.  Finally, transparent and opaque colors are combined for visual intensity.

The visual and tactile texture, created by layering a selective low gloss texture on the surface of these patterns, adds to the depth of the finish.  The finishes are shown here in a rich copper or warm grey color way.

These fluid oraganic finishes translate successfully into other color ways on aluminum such as dark black tints, transparent blues or whites.  Using subtle contrast results in surfaces with a premium look.  A more graphic effect can be created with bold colors and high contrast.

See for yourself the depth possible in aluminum finishes by requesting samples of these featured finishes. 

What other organic linear surfaces would you like to see explored?  What colors or scale can you see applied to the featured finishes?

In Wisconsin we enjoy almost half the year without leaves on the trees.  The patterns the bare tree branches create against the sky have always interested me.  They are so perfectly organized and layered.  Shift your perspective and there is an entirely new pattern created with the same branches.  It is interactive. 

Recently we worked on a series of organic finishes on aluminum.  We looked at nature in both a macro and micro level for our inspiration in this group of patterns.  Bark, leaves, fruit and vegetables all found their way into our studio as we explored this theme.

The inspiration for one finish came from that fascination with the endless patterns formed by bare tree branches.  The structure we needed came from the silhouette the branches created.  The next step was deciding how to interpret this on aluminum.  It was important to us to let the reflectivity of the metal show through.  The finish also needed to have depth and movement.  The final pattern used a layering of processes and color to achieve the look.

A person seeing the pattern for the first time may not associate it with its creative source.  Each individual will look at the finish from a different point of view.  This impacts their interpretation and response to the finish.  The fun thing about this surface is the story it has to tell.

Sometimes we look in unexpected places for inspiration.  What surfaces in nature have stimulated your thoughts?