Contrast as a design choice
Material contrast is one of the oldest devices in architecture, and at the same time one of the hardest to get right. Put two materials opposite each other and each of them is judged more sharply. A rough wall next to a moderately finished floor looks careless; a rough wall next to a perfectly flat floor looks intentional.
In this dining space the second option was chosen. The white-painted brick wall deliberately keeps its structure: the joints, the irregularities and the texture of the brick remain visible through the paint. Opposite it lies a completely even, seamless resin floor in a light grey shade.
The system used
The floor was carried out in PSL 3650, our polyurethane resin floor, finished with the UV-resistant WPT 5000 CM top coat.
PSL 3650 is built on aromatic polyurethane and was developed for homes and commercial spaces with high design requirements. The main properties:
- Seamless, so no joints or transitions in the surface
- Robust and solid, suitable for intensively used spaces
- Available in all RAL and NCS colours
- Matt or satin, depending on the desired appearance
The WPT 5000 CM top coat provides the UV resistance and also determines the cleanability and the gloss level. Here a matt finish was deliberately chosen.
Why matt is the right choice here
The space has skylights, which means strongly directed light falls in from above. A glossy floor would reflect that light and create bright patches on the surface.
A matt finish does the opposite: it scatters the light. That makes the play of light and shadow across the floor soft and even, and keeps the colour uniform instead of shifting with the viewing angle. In a space where the light comes from above, that is the difference between a floor that feels calm and one that looks restless.
What an even surface demands
A seamless floor hides nothing. There is no joint pattern to distract the eye and no tile size to absorb small differences in level. The flatness of the end result is therefore determined by the preparation of the substrate and by the build-up of the system.
That is why we work with matched systems: primer, scraping coat, resin flooring compound and top coat are developed for each other and produced in house. That makes the behaviour of the build-up predictable, and it allows us to determine in advance, together with the applicator, which build-up belongs with which substrate.
This project was made with our products by the installer on site.
Colour as part of the contrast
The light grey of the floor was not chosen by chance. It is close enough to the white of the wall to read as one family, but different enough to distinguish the two surfaces. Because PSL 3650 is available in all RAL and NCS colours, that coordination can be exact rather than approximate.
Want to know more?
Are you curious about the possibilities of PSL 3650 in a home or project environment? Feel free to get in touch with us for technical information or a colour proposal.