SAN FRANCISCO—Bamboo and palm interior finishes manufacturer Smith & Fong 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 percent 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.
