Melamine is a particle board faced with paper that has been impregnated with melamine resin. It is is perfect for shelves and cabinets as it can be wiped clean very easily and provides an aesthetically pleasing finish and can be purchased in different colours. It can also be purchased with various different cores as only the laminate is actually melamine. Chipboard being the most common but can also be purchased with melamine faced on MDF core.