Entering a New Year with a new project on the horizon is a wonderfully positive start. All the decorating magazines are focussing on new trends for 2024, which is great for inspiration. However, the investment in your kitchen needs to last longer than the ‘latest flash in the pan’ gizmo, so let’s look more closely […]
Entering a New Year with a new project on the horizon is a wonderfully positive start. All the decorating magazines are focussing on new trends for 2024, which is great for inspiration. However, the investment in your kitchen needs to last longer than the ‘latest flash in the pan’ gizmo, so let’s look more closely at some modern style choices that are fast becoming design classics.
Ship-shape with Nautical Navy
The crisp sharp contrast of dark Navy-blue cabinets and pale worktops is one of the strongest trends we’ve seen recently. Using dark shades on base cabinets & islands and lighter shades for walls, keeps the scheme balanced and grounded. A single worktop colour brings everything together, especially when taken up the wall as cladding and into windowsills. British Racing Green or dark Graphite Grey cabinetry could easily be substituted into this overall scheme.
To unify the scheme, a veined worktop, with either Carrara, Misterio or Calacatta type pattern is the most usual choice. The background colour should complement the walls, while the dark base units will coordinate with the veining. The options are limitless and ultimately comes down to personal taste. For light veining, we suggest looking at Silestone Ariel, Nile Carrara Spring, Technistone Noble Areti or CRL Cararra. Increasing the intensity of veins and the choice takes in Unistone Cararra Misterio, Cimstone Cortina, Cimstone Britannica and Caesarstone White Attica. For the strongest, boldest veined look – any of the Calacatta choices will fit the bill, such as Classic Quartz Calacatta Milan, CRL Vesuvius or Nile Calacatta Supreme.
Our own quartz range covers all types of veining, from the lightest Eterno Statuario White moving on to Eterno Calacatta Misterio or Eterno Arabescato and ending with our boldest design Eterno Calacatta White.
Natural but never neutral
At one time a pale, creamy palette was all the rage in home design. Although magnolia and taupe have given way to Bone, Dimity or Joa’s White the love of natural tones remains as strong as ever. To inject your own personality and create a more individual look, try mixing up textures and materials. Combining quartz worktops against rough stone, brick walls or tongue & groove panelling are easy wins. Likewise, different surface textures can be used as a more subtle contrast.
From the Caesarstone range, worktops in warm, natural shades include Clamshell, Shitake, Primordia and Pebble. In matt, concrete or textured finishes the choice expands to include Fresh Concrete, Wyndigo, Raw Concrete and Topus Concrete.
Silestone are clearly backing this trend to continue and have introduced their Urban Crush range – Brass Relish, Lime Delight and Concrete Pulse all available in a suede finish.
Black is back
For a long time, black worktops have been considered a slightly ‘retro’ choice and a throwback to the ‘80s. However, as we all know black never goes completely out of fashion! The current resurgence is in part, due to the introduction of some new materials. For matt black quartz, the best options are Silestone Cinder Craze, Silestone Corktown or Silestone Night Tebas. For polished options, consider Caesarstone Jet Black or Brilliant Black, Gobi Black or Taurus Black all from Technistone.
Adding veins or pattern, widens the choice to Marquina inspired quartz, such as Silestone Eternal Marquina, Cimstone Nero Marquina or Griggio Marquina or CRL Staccato. Caesarstone offer several others, such as Black Tempal, Darcrest, Vanilla Noir and Empira Black. In Dekton, the most popular colour choice is Laurent which has the added interest of coppery, terracotta shaded veins.
We’re always pleased to see new customers to talk through projects at our Bicester showroom. Alternatively, search all the colours from the leading suppliers via our Materials Catalogue pages online. For any further questions email info@thegranitehouse.co.uk or call 01869 324442.
