Think you know monochrome? Think again. While some of our materials may appear black and white, on closer inspection you’ll see they’re not so cut and dried after all. And that’s because while a monochromatic palette may form the base aesthetic of Orca, Charcoal, Black Dapple, Cosmos, and Heron Duo; thanks to the custom characteristics produced through each of our range’s unique PET, HDPE or HIPS blend, there’s so much more to visually explore.
We harbour the strong belief that beauty can be found in the traces of our materials’ former lives, apparent on the final collections’ surface. Whether it’s a silver fleck of foil that glimmers as you pass by Charcoal, or a flash of neon pink or orange orbiting Cosmos, we sort our pre- and post-consumer waste plastics by colour, polymer type, and grade, and, like a painter or a whisky blender, selectively combine them to create these distinctive surface patterns.
And while this is a process that we apply to every product we offer, we feel it’s particularly effective when it comes to monochrome. Because there’s a perception with black and white that it’s, well, black and white. But we feel there’s more to it…
Own it with Orca
Orca is a reimagined version of our highly popular Black Dapple material. Crafted from discarded chopping boards and plastic packaging, Orca shares the elegant, marble-like quality of the Dapple, but sports a unique character and a striking style of its own.
Using a classic monochrome palette, the intensely dark base colour contrasts with patches of white, bringing depth and drama. The result is a visually playful and bold aesthetic, very much inspired by one of our favourite sea creatures. It was recently used as part of a hospitality project at Camberwell College of Arts, adding a pop of the unexpected to the coffee bar scheme.
Orca is also at the centre of a material collaboration with GOODSHEET – a design and research brand developing objects from closed loop materials. Its tables and bench are not only a sight to behold but are highly flexible, working equally well in workspaces as they do in retail environments or the home.
Perhaps monochrome isn’t so black and white after all?
Orca is available in thicknesses of 12mm and 20mm – order your sample.
Check out Charcoal
Charcoal is a Classics material created from post-consumer plastic packaging. It has a white streak that draws the eye in, akin to stars at night or gracefully smudged chalk on a blackboard.
This material provides a versatile canvas, ideal for allowing a quiet statement to be made, or to be elevated – such as with backlighting – to bring out the pattern’s details. This adaptability lends itself perfectly to fabrication, the ROKKI Stool and Side table by @studiovonmorgen being a standout example.
Charcoal is available in thicknesses of 5mm, 12mm and 20mm – order your sample.
Back Black Dapple
Back by popular demand, Black Dapple is a firm favourite – perhaps down to its organic-inspired appearance looking like a cross-section of marble, with an intense black base contrasting wonderfully with its weave of white veins.
Playful yet sophisticated, Dapple’s high contrast pattern gives it a lively personality that evokes the material’s millions of years of biological, geological, and manmade processes.
As well as being visually mesmerising, Black Dapple is also extremely purposeful. It was recently used as bathroom wall panelling in a scheme by Harris + Harris, and as vanity tops at Mo-tel House by Office S&M, plus in workplace designs at Luanda by Carlos Pereira at Induse Design, proving that achieving exemplarily form doesn’t mean having to compromise on function.
Black Dapple is available in thicknesses of 12mm and 20mm – order your sample.
Covet Cosmos
An intergalactic combination of expansive monochrome and explosive bursts of brilliant colour, our reimagined Cosmos is an otherworldly delight. Though its appearance may be ethereal, its ingredient mix was sourced here on Earth, comprising a base of 100% recycled plastic packaging that has flexed in response to raw material supply.
The dynamic visual pace of Cosmos makes it appear to have been painted, with its splatters and splashes of bold colour reflective of the vigorous process in which it was created. When it comes to transforming waste into wonder, Cosmos proves the sky doesn’t have to be the limit.
Cosmos is available in thicknesses of 5mm, 12mm and 20mm – order your sample.
Double down on Heron Duo
While a monochrome palette dominates with Heron Duo, this new material features subtle glimmers of dynamic grey and pearl tones, alongside unexpected hints of rich ochre, for a truly unique palette that reveals something new at every glance.
Utilising discarded black plant pots and white goods in a twist on our popular Heron material, Heron Duo contributes to commercial interior schemes seeking to make a meaningful statement. As with all Smile Plastics products, Heron Duo wears its sustainability credentials, quite literally, on its sleeve, resulting in a contemporary spin on classic monochrome.
Heron Duo is available in thicknesses of 5mm, 12mm and 20mm – order your sample.
So, you see, even our most understated collections have their own personality – with unique visual elements peeking through the surface. Just like people, it’s a complex mix that makes them what they are. And that’s why you’ll never find two Smile Plastics panels the same. This individuality, we believe, should be celebrated – it sets schemes apart, and means our materials are never totally black and white.
To chat more about how Smile Plastics can help add a splash of individuality to your next scheme – whether you’re going for monochrome, or not – get in touch.
