Using solid wood for furniture and interior design has its own set of drawbacks. For an affordable buyer, the best alternative to solid wood is plywood. Plywood is easy to… shape, readily available in different textures and comfortable to work with. The different textures of plywood range from the smoothest of birch panels to mottled press boards. These properties of plywood make it a versatile product used for a wide range of structural, interior and exterior uses.

We can classify plywood into 3 categories.

1. Commercial Plywood (MR) Grade (Moisture Resistant): All the furniture used in houses, commercial spaces, restaurants, etc., is made from this type of plywood.
2. Waterproof Plywood (BWP/BWR) Grade: This type of plywood is resistant to even boiling water. It is used in spaces like kitchens and dishwashing areas, where plywood comes in contact with water frequently.
3. Marine ply: Marine ply is the highest quality of plywood and is used for industrial uses and building ships/boats. It is rarely used for domestic purposes.

We can make plywood from both hardwood and softwood. Hardwood ply is stronger than the softwood variant. In recent times, a variant is known as “Flexi Ply” is the more popular choice among architects and interior designers. It is often used for designing flexible and curved surfaced furniture.

A wide range of materials can be used for coating the plywood backing. The possibilities are infinite as creativity throws up more and more ideas for plywood coating. Each coating material has a unique property that enhances not only the aesthetics but also the usability and durability of the plywood backing.

Some surfaces that are used to treat plywood are as follows.

1. Laminate: The most common coating used on plywood is laminate cladding. Laminates come in different sizes, shapes, and colours. We can find this coating on the furniture used in homes, offices, and restaurants. The wooden textured laminates are in popular demand because of their classical look.
2. Veneers: We can use all veneers on plywood. Once polished, these veneers give a rich and grand look.
3. Wallpaper: Different wallpapers too can be used on plywood bases. Before using any wallpapers on plywood, we should ensure that the surface is smooth. This smooth surface is achieved by applying one layer of each plaster and primer.
4. Painting: It is very easy to paint on plywood. It is preferable to apply a 4mm thick coating of MDF if the surface is to be painted.
5. Solid Surface (Corian): If you wish to add an extra-luxurious finish to your plywood, coat it with Corian surfaces. Corian is used on a plywood backing for wall claddings or furniture items like beds and tables.
6. Branding: Putting vinyl branding on ply surfaces is also popular. You can get an image of your choice printed on a vinyl surface and can get it fixed on the plywood surface.
7. Back painted glass: Another popular trend in plywood applications is back-painted glass fixing. We can use it for kitchen dados in residential interiors and column cladding in commercial interiors.
8. Fabric Panels: If you are looking for an enhanced acoustic property of your space, try using fabric panels on your plywood backings. It, too, gives a classy and good finish to your furniture.

The list of coatings does not end here. There are still processes studying the impact of the different coatings on plywood. With every coating surface, the usability and application of plywood change. This makes plywood versatile enough to be used for many applications. The flexibility of plywood to adapt to different applications, based on its type and its coating, makes it ideal for designing the interiors of domestic and commercial spaces.

All we need to do is, explore! Try plywood and leave the rest to your imagination!