Release Date: July 24, 2017
San Francisco, CA – Bamboo and palm interior finishes manufacturer Smith & Fong today announced the launch of Simla, a new hybrid panel derived from both coconut and sugar palm, according to company founder and CEO Dan Smith.
“The history and culture of India offer wonderful inspiration for new designs and motifs in palm,” Smith said. “Simla is a colonial era hill station in the foothills of the Himalayas that functioned as the summer capital during British rule. It is today still sprinkled with lovely old wooden cottages from this period, and the design we have chosen is reminiscent of some of the weathered siding and interior paneling of these homes.”
Simla is fabricated using a 100% Indonesian coconut palm core with face and back veneers made of Indian sugar palm in the DecoPalm™ motif. The panels, manufactured at Smith & Fong’s longtime Formosa facility, utilize 100-percent formaldehyde-free adhesives and are finished in either hand-rubbed polyurethane or natural oil.
The panels work particularly well for interior applications using Smith & Fong’s Monarch wall-cleating system. Also good for cabinetry and fixturing, Simla’s look is flexible with a linear relief pattern and Deco design face. This motif works well for both modern and contemporary or even tropical residential or commercial interiors. The panels come in dimensions of either 3/4” x 36” x 96” (19mm x 915mm x 2438mm) or 3/4” x 48” x 96” (19mm x 915mm x 2438mm).
Smith & Fong first began exploring palm as a resource 15 years ago. Since then it has refined its sourcing and processing of this vibrant, sustainable wood. Produced and fabricated both in the United states and abroad, Simla palm panels can contribute to USGBC LEED® credit for Low-Emitting Materials. These panels come standard with a Class C fire rating, but can also be ordered Class B.
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in San Francisco, Smith & Fong Co. was the first U.S. based company to manufacture and import laminated bamboo products under the Plyboo brand. Entering the palm market with the Durapalm branding in 2000, today Smith & Fong’s products are distributed throughout the Americas, Europe and the Middle East and Asia. Smith & Fong is committed to sustainability, innovation and great design. For further information call 866-835-9859 or visit us at durapalm.com.
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