Composite Panel Association

05/29/2026

The Design Portfolio is the most comprehensive resource available for specifiers, architects, and designers specifying composite panels and decorative surfaces.

From residential kitchens and custom built-ins to commercial offices, hospitality environments, healthcare facilities, and retail spaces, composite panels deliver the durability, versatility, and design that modern interiors demand. The Design Portfolio brings all of that together in one place, with real-world examples, manufacturer connections, and the specification support needed to take a project from concept to completion.

Whether the project is a single-family renovation or a large-scale commercial build, the Design Portfolio is the starting point for making informed and confident material decisions.

A must have for any designer, architect, or specifier.
Here is what is inside:
•Access to North American manufacturers
•Design case studies
•Educational product descriptions
•Design inspiration
•Product specification guides

Download yours at the link in our bio.

05/27/2026

What is High Pressure Laminate?

HPL, or High Pressure Laminate, is a decorative surface that is often specified in projects designed for high traffic.

How is HPL made?

HPL is created with multiple layers of kraft paper along with a printed décor paper that are bonded together under extremely high pressure and heat. The result is an extremely durable laminate that is adhered to a composite panel substrate like MDF or particleboard. This combination is what makes HPL an excellent choice for high-use environments.

Where can you find HPL? You can find HPL on countertops, retail shelving, wall panels, locker systems, healthcare furniture, laboratory surfaces, restaurant and hotel interiors, schools and universities, and other high-demand commercial environments.

Why do designers and manufacturers specify HPL? Advances in surface texture technology have expanded the finish range dramatically over many years, making HPL available in realistic wood grains, stone looks, solid colors, and tactile textures. This allows for a full range of options to work with any design vision in high-contact commercial projects.

How durable is it HPL? HPL performs reliably in both residential and heavy commercial environments and is available with characteristics designed to resist wear, impact, and scratches.

Explore HPL finishes and connect with North American composite panel manufacturers in the Design Portfolio. Link in our bio.

05/18/2026

Most people walk past particleboard every single day without knowing it.

Particleboard is the substrate behind many cabinets, furniture, and built-ins across homes, commercial spaces, healthcare facilities, and more.

Particleboard is a widely used material in interior design and in the built environment, it’s also one of the most versatile and sustainable material on the planet.

What is Particleboard?
Particleboard is made using recycled and recovered wood chips, shavings, and sawdust (that would otherwise go to waste). These wood residuals are bound together with resin and pressed into enduring composite panels. Cost-effective, durable, and incredibly versatile, particleboard is one of the most resource efficient panel products available and a staple in furniture and cabinetry manufacturing worldwide.
North American particleboard manufacturers operate under rigorous environmental standards, including the ECC (Eco-Certified) standard that takes sustainability a step further.

ECC panels are verified carbon sinks, meaning they store more carbon than they produce across their lifecycle. Manufacturers meet vigorous third-party testing and audits to ensure they meet criteria including that their wood fiber is from certified forests and sourced within 250 miles of the manufacturing plant. Manufacturing is so efficient that over 97% of the raw wood that enters the mill is utilized.

Carbon store. Recovered wood. Responsible sourcing. Rigorous standards. Good design and sustainable material production are not mutually exclusive. Composite panels prove this every day.

Learn more about composite panels at the link in our bio. For the full sustainability story, visit Panels for the Planet at the link in our bio.

05/07/2026

The secret to a calm space? Reducing visual clutter.
Research consistently shows that visual clutter increases stress and makes even well-designed spaces feel chaotic. Adding more space is not necessarily the perfect fix. Often it’s just about optimizing existing storage.
Composite panels are the smart and sustainable solution to common problem.
Medium density fiberboard (MDF), particleboard, and decorative surfaces make it possible to build custom storage that disappears into the design. No mismatched furniture. No exposed shelving pulling the eye in every direction. Just clean, intentional spaces that feel easy to be in.
In a home that means built-in cabinetry that keeps everyday items out of sight without sacrificing style. In a commercial space it means reception desks, wall panels, and storage systems that keep the environment feeling professional and composed, no matter how much is happening behind the scenes.
The calm that comes from a well-designed space is not accidental. It is built by the right materials like composite panels and decorative surface.
To learn more about designing with composite panels, get full access to our Design Portfolio by clicking the link in our bio.

05/06/2026

What are your top three picks?

Popular Kitchen Cabinet Styles
From timeless classics to modern statements, cabinet style defines the kitchen. The material behind most of them? Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) or Particleboard. These are the substrates in some of the most popular cabinet styles, offering a smooth, consistent surface that takes paint, laminate and decorative finishes better than almost anything else. Here is a look at the 10 most popular kitchen style trends for cabinets:
• Shaker
• Slim Shaker
• Flat Front/Slab:
• Raised Panel
• Beadboard
• Inset
• Glass Front
• Mullion
• Open Shelving
• Two-Tone
Whatever the style, the right material makes it possible. Composite panels paired with decorative surfaces like Thermally fused laminate (TFL) or 3D Laminates (also known as rigid thermofoil/RTF), work together to deliver consistency, durability, precision, and performance that today’s most popular cabinet styles demand.

Get full access to the Design Portfolio in our bio and connect with North American manufacturers to start your next project.

04/28/2026

Thanks to the versatility of decorative panels, pastels aren’t just a spring trend, they are a design choice that can live all year round, in every room of a home or commercial space.
Here’s why experienced designers choose composite panels like particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF) paired with decorative surfaces like thermally fused laminates (TFL), high pressure laminates (HPL), and 3D/2D Laminates (3DL & 2DL):
▪️Versatility: From cabinetry and countertops to wall panels and furniture, decorative panels go practically anywhere the design calls for them. Whatever the vision, there is a panel built for it.
▪️Durability: A visually compelling design doesn’t have to mean delicate. Decorative panels perform to handle real life, whether that’s a busy kitchen, a high-traffic commercial space, or a family bathroom.
▪️Sustainability: Made from renewable and recycled wood, decorative panels are the environmentally responsible choice that doesn’t compromise on style. Plus, choosing Eco-Certified Composite (ECC) panels that are third-party certified as truly sustainable, can help achieve LEED credits, making projects meet the highest standards inside and out.
Pastels aren’t going anywhere. Neither is good design or high performing products.
Save this post for your next project and visit the link in our bio to get full access to the Design Portfolio and learn about the endless possibilities of decorative panels.

04/28/2026

Thanks to the versatility of decorative panels, pastels aren’t just a spring trend, they are a design choice that can live all year round, in every room of a home or commercial space.
Here’s why experienced designers choose composite panels like particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF) paired with decorative surfaces like thermally fused laminates (TFL), high pressure laminates (HPL), and 3D/2D Laminates (3DL & 2DL):
Versatility: From cabinetry and countertops to wall panels and furniture, decorative panels go practically anywhere the design calls for them. Whatever the vision, there is a panel built for it.
Durability: A visually compelling design doesn’t have to mean delicate. Decorative panels perform to handle real life, whether that’s a busy kitchen, a high-traffic commercial space, or a family bathroom.
Sustainability: Made from renewable and recycled wood, decorative panels are the environmentally responsible choice that doesn’t compromise on style. Plus, choosing Eco-Certified Composite (ECC) panels that are third-party certified as truly sustainable, can help achieve LEED credits, making projects meet the highest standards inside and out.
Pastels aren’t going anywhere. Neither is good design or high performing products.
Save this post for your next project and visit the link in our bio to get full access to the Design Portfolio and learn about the endless possibilities of decorative panels.

04/24/2026

Happy Arbor Day 🌳

Did you know that sustainability is embedded at the core of North American wood composite panels?
Crafted from recycled and recovered wood, these panels transform natural materials into high‑performance products with purpose.
Rooted in nature and refined by design, they make it possible for cabinets, shelving, and furniture to be as beautiful as they are responsible.

Pro Tip: if you’re working with a designer on a larger project, wood composite panels can support LEED and other green building certification credit eligibility too.

Good for design. Good for the planet.

Learn more about composite panels commitment to sustainability by visiting Panels for the Planet on our page or clicking link in bio.

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day!

Sustainability isn’t just a trend for wood composite panels, it’s our core.
Composite panels made in North America prove their sustainability by being certified to the Eco-Certified Composite (ECC) Sustainability standard. It means that certified panels act as carbon sinks, use locally sourced and recovered wood fiber, are sourced from sustainable forests, and meet the strictest air quality standards in the world.

Learn more about how composite panels are sustainable to the core by visiting our Panels for the Planet link : https://www.compositepanel.org/panelsfortheplanet/

Panels for the Planet Decorative at the Surface. Sustainable to the Core. Made in North America with wood from sustainably managed forests, composite panels are renewable, recycled, carbon negative, and produce near zero waste. https://www.compositepanel.org/wp-content/uploads/Renewable-P4P-Final-Re...

04/01/2026

The Composite Panel Association (CPA) is thrilled to recognize the Spring Meeting sponsors for 2026:

Platinum Sponsors: Arauco · Roseburg
Gold Sponsors: Arclin · Bakelite · Hexion Inc.
Golf Sponsor: Arclin

With their continued support, CPA’s annual meetings stand out as the industry’s leading platform for connection, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration.

We look forward to welcoming our members on April 12 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, Florida.

To learn more about the association and our annual meetings, visit: https://www.compositepanel.org/resources/annual-meetings/