Innovative Materials for your Designer Kitchen
Entry #2613, July 3, 2013
Looking for inspiration for your bespoke kitchen design? Today’s trends are about new and innovative materials, using natural influences and that little touch of something special. Vincent from London interior designer Increation says that “something we have been doing for a while but really coming into the fore in interior design is the use of organic form and shapes. This, plus a return to a little glamour. Many clients are tired of the minimalists look.”
Image via: Bruce DaMonte
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Quartz Worktops
Quartz resin is getting a lot of press at the moment as a good worktop alternative to granite. Also known as engineered stone, the process, developed by Italian company Breton combines a mixture of crushed quartz resin and dye in molds where the mixture is heated and vibrated.
The resulting slabs are solid and impervious to stains, moisture and bacteria. They are also heat and scratch resistant. The appearance varies according to the quartz color and size of pieces that are used. Some companies are incorporating semi precious stones for an even more dramatic look. Quartz resin is also stronger than granite and so is more suitable for overhangs as it does not need rodding to prevent cracking. Brand names for this type of surface include Silestone, Caesarstone, and Cambria Quartz. For an even more glamorous surface investigate other stone in resin such as agate.
Lava Stone Worktops
Another combination using natural stone, lava stone is hardened volcanic material cut in slabs much like other stone surfaces such as the ever-popular granite. Lava stone is then, however, coated in hard enamel glaze, which gives a surface that is extremely durable. Owing to the enamel coating, lava stone work tops are available in a choice of bright and beautiful colours. Essentially all lava stone supplies come from one source, Pyrolave, so these surfaces may be hard to come by in certain areas, but are all the more beautiful and exclusive for that.
Image via: Sub-Zero Wolf
Copper and Brass
These beautiful rich metals are big news this year across the home. Although hardly a new material for the kitchen, with copper kettles and pans being a staple for generations, these metals are being used in different ways. For instance why not think about a copper sink as a stunning accent piece for your kitchen?
Don’t be afraid that you will need to use copper as your metal of choice right across the kitchen. Many designers are using copper and brass in handles and light fittings as well as sinks and splash backs but teaming them with nickel or stainless steel for taps and appliances. Used in these different ways, copper and brass can be used to hark back to the traditional kitchen or give a contemporary design a warm luxurious accent.
Image via: Natalie DiSalvo
Real Linoleum Flooring
Lino, as the term is often abbreviated, has a bad press bought about by imitation sheet flooring such as PVC based vinyl, present in many homes in the 1970s, which is not the real thing. Real Linoleum is a natural flooring option made of linseed oil, cork, wood flour, tree resins, ground limestone and pigments all pressed onto a jute backing. It is easy to clean, long lasting and extremely durable. It is cheap for an eco friendly product, and comes in lots of colours and patterns. Mainly because of its durability and environmental aspects this flooring, used for much of the first half of the 20th Century is experiencing a revival. It’s a fabulous material for the vintage home.
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