We may be spending more time in our kitchens than we'd like at the moment. But take the opportunity to look around and get to know it, with kitchen companies offering great options to UK housebuilders. Buying brand new means a brand new kitchen.
With myriad choices of materials, colours, sinks and brassware, even basic kitchen design is now a bespoke business. Rupert Bates reports on the latest interior trends.
The ingredients that go into the kitchen space are rich and varied, with worktops that are more works of art than chopping boards for prepping, while sinks and taps are now as much about fashion as function.
No kitchen is an island, but it remains a statement feature, although now so much more than just a rectangle with cupboard space in the middle of the room.
Stone Circle
“We are mixing different colours and stone types and adding wooden insets for chopping boards or eating areas. In some cases the island is even replacing the dining table, rather than just providing a breakfast bar,” says David Gosney, sales and marketing manager of Stone Circle, with built-in mobile charging stations on worktops also a sign of the times.
Practicality and aesthetics also need to come with a green conscience and commitment. Stone Circle works with natural stone, one of the most sustainable construction products, while its factory extension in 2015 has solar panels, rainwater collection and greywater recycling. Offcuts that cannot be reused are collected, crushed and recycled.
“The new building means we are almost self-sufficient in water and the solar panels can generate 40kWh of electricity, helping the power needed for the machines,” says Gosney.
Stone Circle was founded in 1968 by Bernard Vanhinsbergh, father of current directors Jeff and Steve Vanhinsbergh. It operates out of a 30,000ft² factory in Basingstoke, Hampshire, combining CNC-equipped machinery with hand-finishing skills and providing bespoke solutions for housebuilders.
Precision Stone
Sam Hotten, managing director of Precision Stone, says the latest worksurface trends are to recreate the beauty of marble with the reliable durability of engineered stone.
“Our most common request is for Carrara or Calacatta type stones and both have white base colour with grey veining. We are also introducing more stone into the new build kitchen by cladding walls, end panels and windows sills,” says Hotten.
The worksurfaces of tomorrow he expects to be porcelain, rather than natural or engineered stone and Hotten is seeing a high demand for brands like Dekton and Neolith.
Housebuilder engagement is key, especially as the worksurface comes at the end of the kitchen installation, so it has to complete on time without any delays.
Dekton
“We offer a five-day turnaround time from template to installation to ensure that there are no delays to the all-important CML date. We also offer our clients a simple two-tiered pricing structure to make colour selection easy and simple for the homeowner,” says Hotten.
Laura Davie, marketing manager of Cosentino UK, which includes the Silestone and Dekton brands, says white and grey continue to top kitchen wishlists, tying in with trends for “pared-back Scandi design”.
Silestone Calacatta Gold, a creamy marble look, is currently Silestone’s bestselling colour, although Davie does anticipate more new builds “going to the dark side”.
“I foresee an increase in richer colour schemes – from intense blacks and greys to nature-inspired deep greens and blues. These earthy hues will be complemented by dark surfaces in textured finishes, giving kitchens a tactile, living feel,” says Davie.
Cosentino is committed to sustainability and the circular economy and is in advanced planning for one of Spain’s largest renewable energy power plants for self-consumption.
CRL Stone
Simon Boocock, managing director of CRL Stone, sees materials such as ceramic and quartz increasingly being chosen by housebuilders, who are also favouring open-plan living and hence a move towards combinations of materials and colours to zone larger spaces.
“Nature-inspired materials such as stone and timber combine with polished finishes and metal and glass to create a minimal, fresh look that will appeal to the majority of homebuyers,” says Boocock.
RAK Ceramics
Ben Bryden, head of sales at RAK Ceramics, says trends in kitchen design are leaning increasingly towards minimalism, particularly in the contemporary setting.
“We are seeing a shift towards large-format tiles and slabs as a way of minimising grout lines and creating a seamless finish,” says Bryden.
“As the kitchen becomes more open-plan, so designers have a greater opportunity to make a statement with floor and wall tiles, and with work surfaces. Island units made from one piece of porcelain for example, can be eye-catching as well as highly practical.”
Stone Italiana
Phil Winter, UK sales and marketing director for Stone Italiana, a manufacturer of recomposed quartz and marble surfaces, has identified a drive for “material authenticity”.
“Products with a genuine, demonstrable eco-responsibility from manufacturers who share their growing rejection of mindless consumption,” says Winter.
He adds that buyers seek brand differentiation in the kitchen and Stone Italiana, established in Verona 1979, seeks to deliver those differentials for housebuilders, as well as working closely with the rest of the kitchen supply chain to integrate products and materials.
Caesarstone
“Many housebuilders are investing heavily to create a space that is aspirational and inspirational to potential homeowners; one that taps into the latest trends for the design-conscious customer while also being practical, functional and to a high standard,” says Jonathan Stanley, vice-president of marketing at Caesarstone UK, with the company set to unveil a selection of dark-themed quartz surfaces.
“Housebuilders are becoming braver with their choices, steering away from traditional whites, woods and greys and instead experimenting with bolder colours, such as blues, greens and dark greys,” adds Stanley.
Worktop space form and function applies to every aspect of the kitchen and every tool of the culinary trade.
“The need to make the most of worktop and floor space is now a vitally important factor for homeowners. Items such as built-in appliances, concealed storage and multifunction taps can help to reduce clutter,” says product manager at Bristan, Natalie Sartain.
Bristan’s taps include the 3 in 1 and its range also extends to flow-limited aerator taps that reduce water waste, as well as its Easyfit kitchen tap range.
“We’re in the final stages of launching our Cold Start Mono Kitchen taps. So only cold water is activated when you turn the tap on when the lever is pointing forwards, so it doesn’t fire up your boiler and unnecessarily use hot water and energy,” says Sartain, adding the importance to housebuilders of durable, futureproof products to “fit and forget”.
Reginox
Dave Mayer, sales and marketing director of Reginox UK, believes stainless steel will continue to dominate, highlighting Reginox’s new coloured stainless-steel products such as RegiColor and PVD coatings.
Sales of granite sinks have also been growing, Reginox’s Multa sinks are manufactured using Keratek Plus technology, which provides high definition, non-fade colours, as well as an impact-resistant finish and a smooth, easy-to-clean surface.
“The trend for metallic finishes, PVD sinks and taps has also continued. Currently PVD sinks are available mainly in gold and copper finishes but this has the potential for growth as PVD coating can be produced in a wide range of colours including blue, red and purple,” says Mayer, with the company also having recently launched its latest Houston stainless steel sink.
Reginox, offering a range of more than 150 sinks and 60 taps, has also seen huge growth in instant boiling hot water taps, although not at the expense of ‘standard’ taps, while 3 in 1 hot taps are its biggest seller.
Rangemaster
James Cunningham, sales director at AGA Rangemaster, sees a trend for warm, metallic colours such as copper and brass.
“Taps in brushed finishes can be chosen specifically to match other aspects of a kitchen, such as cooker handles, fridge-freezers or handleless rail systems for doors and drawers,” says Cunningham.
As the trend for darker kitchens increases, so does demand for black and grey sinks. The sink is no longer solely for washing the dishes; it has a place within the overall aesthetic, especially in open-plan kitchens.
Abode
Matthew Pitt, managing director of Abode, agrees that hot water taps continue to trend, evolving from a luxury item to standard, with Abode expanding its Pronteau range in terms of style, function and budget.
“The other really big trend is in tap finishes. With the lines between the kitchen and living space blurring, taps are now often chosen to complement the key elements of the room’s design, from the overall style of the space and colour scheme down to the furniture type and worktops,” says Pitt.
“Consumers want products that serve a meaningful function and we have seen this with the growth of integrated functionality within brassware, for example. Having steaming hot water and filtered cold water on tap is becoming a requirement of more and more consumers as their knowledge on product availability increases. It is products such as hot water taps and filtered water taps that can really help developers stand out.”
N&C
Flooring is equally important to the aesthetic of the kitchen. Polished Sugi Wood, by N&C, is a wood-effect porcelain tile collection, designed and inspired from the ancient Japanese exterior sealing technique of shou sugi ban, coupled with the use of modern day inkjet technology for the intricate detailing. Also known as Yakisugi, shou sugi ban is a technique for preserving Japanese red cedar wood naturally by burning and charring the surface of the wood, then oiling it to help preserve and seal timber buildings, protecting it from water damage, termite attack and making it fire resistant.
Kitchen design is evolving all the time and bringing the outside in is all the rage, turning sliding doors and retractable windows into key components in creating that hybrid social space as a kitchen opens fully to the garden.
Eggersmann
German kitchen manufacturer Eggersmann advocates a focus on earthy colours and natural materials for flooring, walls and furniture to achieve the fusion of inside and out, with light-reflecting surfaces such as glass splashbacks and high-gloss furniture to reflect the view of the garden, together with rougher textures such as stone and exposed brickwork.