Hi there I thought I would jump in here a touch as you are on the right track but there are some glaring points that need to be cleared up for you before you go and purchase flooring. Laminate flooring is a Hi Def image of Timber flooring/oak/Natural Species etc and then transposed using a heat method to a MDF or HDF core, then profiled with a click system for ease of installation, maintenance relocation and repair. Good laminate flooring (Quikstep or Krono Swiss) can be very rewarding , look very much like natural timber, and be very durable against scratching and indentation. Laminates nemesis is high saturation of water or moisture. Good e budget solution for all living areas and rooms except toilets bathroom or laundrys. Engineered boards are a veneer of Natural timber and are just as durable as the solid version of whatever species you choose. Whether that be Spotted Gum, Jarrah or Oak. Sorry but you CAN re sand engineered boards. When re sanding occurs through a professional sander, the top .5mm is the depth of the product that you generally ever really need to remove. Some engineered flooring has a 6mm wear layer/ veneer and that's more than if you purchased a solid 19mm raw timber floor. Engineered boards are less likely "cup"(edge of the boards rising so that you can see a little lip) than a solid. We would recommend that if you are considering a timber floor please consult a retailer that only handles timber and specializes in that medium. Hope this helped

I would have your bench top supplier cut a thin batten of timber in the same 40mm thickness, and fix this as a front to a white melamine shelf. For a couple of reasons. Melamine is easiest to keep clean, whereas a varnish or oiled timber will require constant maintenance and resealing if it is used often, it will discolour and even with the sealant it does not like moisture, being natural, all timbers expand and contract in temp changes. Melamine is stable, and won't be seen from the viewpoint, and the timber front will make it look more substantial. Secondly, this thickness will be necessary to avoid shelf deflection, where lengths over 900mm will commonly sag under weight. Reinforcing your shelf with timber battens will avoid this, and the timber edge strip again hides it. If all this seems a little too hard, just invest in solid timber shelves of around 40mm, but have the tops laminated.

Hi Ron, I think that's a great selection and I believe will work well together. The black and white of the stone/tile has a nice minimalist feel, and a wooden look vanity will offset that with some warmth. Definitely recommend that, well done :-) I've attached a pic of a similar approach we've designed recently - timber veneer vanity with black marble tile with white solid surface sink, has a similar feel. Now with the timber you have to make sure that - if it is veneer (i.e. actual timber) it has a good protective coat (you could go for a 2pack finish or similar), and if it is a timber-look-laminate, make sure to double-check with the supplier it is suitable for bathroom application. I wouldn't recommend using veneer for the top surface, but you could use a suitable laminate, or you could even go for a solid timber bench top if you don't want to do stone. If it was me, I would just do the vertical surfaces in wood, and the bench top differently :-) Anyway, good luck with it all ! Marc.

Leading aluminium building products manufacturer DECO Australia has unveiled its brand-new internal flooring system, DecoFloor. Offering the natural beauty of timber with added durability, the revolutionary aluminium floorboards are a first in the Australian flooring industry. Designed to replicate the form, feel and appearance of real timber floorboards, DecoFloor is made from solid, powder-coated aluminium for a durable and long-lasting flooring solution for any space and environment. It is completely non-combustible, moisture and termite resistant, and unlike traditional timber and laminate floors, it will never rot, warp or swell. DecoFloor’s long, 5.4 metre extruded aluminium floorboards offer ultimate precision and consistency across each board, allowing for effective design planning and exceptional material utilisation with minimal wastage. Their innovative interlocking design allows the boards to simply ‘snap’ together for a seamless finish with no unsightly nails or trims. DECO Australia’s Research and Development Manager and DecoFloor designer Richard Hamber said that DecoFloor would revolutionise the way specifiers, builders and installers approach floor covering solutions. “This is a one-of-a-kind in flooring design.” he said. “We designed the DecoFloor system with simplicity and ease in mind. The aluminium floorboards simply snap together with an interlocking design, and when coupled with the realistic woodgrain finish, the result is ground-breaking. Imagine a flooring solution that is durable, fire-safe and effortless to maintain – the benefits are infinite”. To achieve its natural timber appearance, DecoFloor utilises DECO’s innovative sublimation powder coating technology to create a super durable and realistic timber-look finish across each floorboard. Available in 25 premium DecoWood® woodgrain finishes, including popular Australian natural hardwoods and other exotic timber species, DecoFloor offers a colour to match every décor. Best of all, DecoFloor never needs sanding, staining or oiling, and requires very little maintenance apart from the usual sweep, mop or vacuum. DecoFloor is truly an effortless and beautiful flooring solution. For more information visit www.deco.net.au