Murphy Company debuted a radically new material this year at IWF 2022: Decorative wood panels carrying printed wood grain surfaces that can be stained and finished like natural veneer, using standard chemistry and equipment.
KIRI, created by international decor printer Toppan, starts with printing a high-resolution wood grain on specialized decor paper. The paper is then treated with a water-based coating system that allows it to accept wood stains and finishes like natural veneer.
This major innovation is accompanied by a surface texture providing the same iridescent visual movement, or “flip,” seen when turning a finished veneer in the light, and the subtle wood grain textures seen on well-finished natural woods and veneers.
Available from Murphy Company on standard hardwood panels, KIRI avoids some of veneer’s natural challenges:
- Consistency: Perfect color and character on every panel.
- Efficiency: One tree of standard veneer can only surface 2.5 kitchens. With KIRI, every tree harvested for fiber can surface 12.5 kitchens. That’s 5x more yield with KIRI.
- Carbon storage: Hardwood veneer trees absorb up to four times more CO2 per year than the fast-growth trees used for KIRI, and have a much longer lifespan. Leaving these trees in the forest reduces CO2 in the atmosphere.
- Reduces waste: Up to half of material delivered in veneer orders isn’t usable. With KIRI, 100 percent of the material is AAA-grade character, with no waste.
- ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Advantage: KIRI’s climate positive benefits are a powerful addition to any company’s sustainability bona fides.
Maple, Cherry and White Oak are the first species offered, but the KIRI collection will continue to grow.
Murphy Company is a leading domestic producer of hardwood and softwood plywood, engineered wood/laminated veneer lumber, and softwood veneer in the Pacific Northwest. Its manufacturing—from tree to finished product—exceeds national and environmental standards value-added services include UV coatings, custom staining/coloring, laminates, overlays, cut-to-size, and cabinet components. Murphy Company panel products are used in the cabinet, furniture, fixture, and construction industries. Hundreds of combinations are available to meet specific needs with a choice of core, veneer and finish. www.murphyplywood.com/plywood
