Ultimate Singapore Homeowner’s Guide: Choosing the RIGHT Laminates for Your Renovation
- Interior Artist Pte Ltd
- Oct 7
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 27
Dreaming of a stunning, magazine-worthy home? For Singaporean homeowners, laminates are the secret weapon to achieving that perfect look—whether you’re going for Scandinavian simplicity, sleek modernism, or classic wood warmth.
But step into a showroom, and the sheer number of choices can be paralyzing. Wood grain, marble finish, anti-scratch, anti-fingerprint... where do you even begin?
Don't fret! We've broken down everything you need to know about Singapore's top laminate brands and features to help you confidently shortlist your favourites and get one step closer to your dream home.
You don't have to look at 1,000 samples. Use this three-step filtering process:
Determine Your Aesthetic Ratio: Decide your mix: 80% Wood look, 20% Solid Colour? Or 60% Marble, 40% Solid Colour? This simple rule eliminates the majority of non-starters.
The 3-Laminate Rule: For a cohesive look, limit your final choice for any single room to a maximum of three different laminate designs (e.g., one wood, one solid colour, one accent).
The Light Test is Final: Never decide in the showroom. Request A4-sized samples and view them against your actual flooring and wall paint under both natural daylight and your home's artificial lighting (warm white or cool white).
How We Help as Interior Designers:
We filter the noise for you, presenting only the best 10-15 options that fit your budget and style.
We handle coordination, ensuring your chosen laminate tones perfectly match your tiles, countertops, and overall theme.
We advise on function, flagging where you should invest in special features (like anti-scratch) versus where a standard finish is sufficient.
Your home, your call. But with a pro by your side, the decision is confident, not confusing.
What Are Laminates?
Laminates are essentially layers of paper and resins pressed together under high heat and pressure, then bonded onto a substrate (like plywood or MDF) for your cabinetry or internal features.
Anti-Fingerprint: Essential for dark or matte solid colours (especially black/dark grey). They use a special top coat to resist oily marks, keeping your cabinets looking pristine.
Heat & Scratch Resistance: A huge plus for kitchen cabinets and dining table surfaces. These improve durability and lifespan.
Anti-Bacterial/Fungal: Perfect for kitchen and bathroom areas, offering greater hygiene in high-moisture spots.
Laminate vs. PVC Internal Laminate: Know the Difference
This is an important choice often hidden inside your quotation:
Laminates (High-Pressure Laminate or HPL):
Usage: Used for the exterior doors and visible surfaces (e.g., cabinet fronts, wardrobe doors).
Pro: Superior durability, scratch, and impact resistance. Offers the best aesthetic finish and texture.
PVC Internal Laminates:
Usage: Used for the internal box structure (carcass) of the cabinets.
Pro: Highly moisture-resistant (it's essentially plastic), making it ideal for the interiors of sink cabinets and wet areas. More cost-effective than HPL.
Con: Not as durable or aesthetically pleasing as HPL for exterior use
Laminate Showdown: Your Interior Designer Top Picks
Lamitak: The Aesthetic & Premium Choice
Lamitak is the go-to premium laminate brand for designers when texture and realism are the top priorities.
Design Focus:
Unrivalled realism, often considered the industry trendsetter for wood, stone, and solid colours.
Key Feature:
Proprietary Embossed-in-Register (EIR) textures, where the physical grain perfectly aligns with the visual print, offering the most realistic wood feel.
Best For:
Japandi, Minimalist, or Luxury themes where realistic wood veneer alternatives are needed, such as living room feature walls and display units.
Value Point: Homeowners prioritising an authentic, luxurious look and designers focused on high-detail, statement designs.
Admira: The Technical & Performance Expert
Admira is a veteran supplier chosen for its strong technical performance and reliability in specialized, functional finishes.
Design Focus:
Reliability and innovation in surface performance.
Key Feature:
Known for their Traceless (Anti-Fingerprint) and Xtreme series, which are essential for popular surfaces like matte black or dark solid colours.Well-known for advanced anti-fingerprint technology (e.g., Traceless, Xtreme).
Strong focus on anti-bacterial/antimicrobial properties, ideal for wet or high-contact areas.
A pioneering brand with a long history of quality in Singapore.
Best For:
High-touch areas like kitchen cabinet doors, high-use drawers, and utility spaces where surface resilience and hygiene are critical.
Value Point: Homeowners who prioritize low-maintenance, providing great value for their performance-driven laminates which are crucial for the humid Singapore climate.
Jennings: The Accessible & Versatile Favourite
Jennings is highly popular for its massive inventory, making it the practical and cost-effective choice for many BTO renovation projects.
Design Focus:
Comprehensive range of classic, reliable wood grains, solid colours, and essential textures.
Key Feature:
Offers a massive variety of classic wood grains, essential solids, and foundational patterns.
Reliable stock and wide availability, making it a preferred choice for large-scale, functional carpentry.
Often used for the structural, non-feature parts of the home, such as internal wardrobe laminates.
Best For:
Homeowners and contractors seeking dependable, high-volume material for general carpentry where availability and consistent quality are crucial. Internal cabinet carcasses, secondary storage spaces (e.g., shoe cabinets), and projects where a large quantity of standard, reliable laminate finishes are required under a tight budget.
Arova: The Modern & Trendy Balance
Arova has gained traction by focusing on contemporary designs and competitive pricing, making current looks more accessible.
Key Feature:
Offers designer-level patterns at a more accessible price point than premium alternatives.
Modern aesthetics, focusing on on-trend textures like Microcement, Terrazzo, and subtle stone looks laminates.
Appeals to homeowners looking for a fashionable, magazine-worthy aesthetic.
Known for offering unique styles that are easy to mix and match.
Best For:
Homeowners who want to achieve a specific modern theme Creating industrial, Scandinavian, or contemporary feature walls and counter elements without the premium cost.
Value Point: Perfect for homeowners keen on incorporating current Instagram-worthy design trends while maintaining a mid-range budget
Ready to Design Your Dream Home?
Selecting the right textures, colours, and finishes that match your home's unique lighting and design theme requires expert advice. Stop trying to match tiny sample chips—let us guide you to the perfect blend of style and durability.
We'll translate your vision into a practical, beautiful reality using the best laminates Singapore has to offer.
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