As designers, the selection of high-quality materials is not only a matter of the heart, but a matter of course. We firmly believe that one should not compromise in regard to the things we surround ourselves with daily. For our CLOKK we have selected two special materials, which we will briefly introduce below.
MDF
The medium-density fiberboard, short MDF, belongs to the fiberboards. In their production, softwood is usually finely shredded and then glued and pressed in plate form using a complex process. The use of natural fibers creates a very hard surface, while retaining a pleasantly warm, “cloudy” structure. The standard brown material is mainly used in interior design, but also in furniture making. The MDF blackened by the addition of color pigments during production, which we use for the production of our black CLOKKs, has a matt surface and is dark gray in the untreated state. The surface can be treated however, for example, with linseed oil and thereby gets noticeably darker.
Even though multiplex and MDF are two very different materials, they have some similarities. Both board materials have their origin in wood, they can be processed well with a CNC milling machine and enjoy a wide dissemination. This allows us to source them directly in our area. This keeps delivery routes short, thus protecting the environment and ensuring that we always get enough supplies even at short notice.
Multiplex
Multiplex is a special birch plywood. During production thin veneer layers are glued together under high pressure. The wood has a fiber direction which plays an important role in the production of multiplex. Alternately, the layers are laid “along” and “across” each other. This “plying” (hence the term “plywood”) creates a very stable and durable material that is very rigid and hardly warped even under load. The orientation of the veneer layers leads to the characteristic “multiplex edge”, which is particularly emphasized in furniture making as a stylistic device by many manufacturers.
We have been big fans of this material for years, combining technology and aesthetics in an ideal way. The multiplex used for our white CLOKKs also has a double-sided white cover layer made of melamine resin. This smooth surface is easy to clean, is very durable and has a light sheen. By milling through the melamine resin surface, the dials of models 1-WS and 1-WP reveal the wood and provide a nice contrast to the homogeneous white surface.
A Matter of Taste
Ultimately, the decision for a material remains a matter of taste. What better fits the apartment or your own style. Which color is your personal favorite – just write your answer in the comments!