Worktops and flooring to make you look twice

by beautifulkitchens • December 20, 2011 • Flooring, Kitchen makeovers, Surfaces, Worktops • 1 Comment

Time was when I could look at a picture of a kitchen and say without a shadow of a doubt what certain elements of it were. Granite worktops were a cinch and I could spot travertine tiles at 10 paces.

However, these days, it’s not that simple. The rise of the lookalike worktop and floor has changed the game.

A perfect example is this Crystal Cream worksurface by Bushboard.

Crystal Cream from the Encore range, from £178 per linear m

While it looks like natural stone, it’s actually a solid surface made from acrylic with random opaque chips. More stain-resistant and warmer than stone, it’s ideal for large islands as any joins aren’t obvious.

Flooring is another area where lookalikes are gaining ground. Solid wooden flooring needs a fair amount of TLC to keep looking its best, whereas engineered boards, while more stable, are pretty pricey.

The solution? Either a good quality vinyl, such as Amtico, or the latest composite planks from Trend. Made from quartz, granite and recycled glass, the result is Trend Teak – a timber-effect floor that can even be continued from the kitchen outside onto a terrace.

Trend Teak planks look as good as wood. From £135 ex VAT per sq m

The planks need no adhesive as they clip together, so can even be laid on top of an existing floor, which is great for a quick kitchen refresh. Here’s one we made earlier…

Trend flooring is easy to lay thanks to its Clip2Go system

Have granite and wood had their day? Leave us a comment below and let us know what you think.

Rachel

by beautifulkitchens • June 11, 2010 • Kitchen design, Surfaces, Worktops • 0 Comments

They’re striking, come in every colour imaginable and offer something a little different from the norm, but are glass worktops practical? Let’s start with the pros: they’re waterproof, non-porous – so they won’t harbour germs and bacteria, available in large sheets of varying shapes for a seamless look, and can be back-painted in endless colours to match other kitchen components. This stunning design created by Contract Glass shows just how creative you can be with colour.

BK - green tops, purple splashback

Now for the cons. It can chip, crack or scratch if you’re not careful, but it is toughened so you’d have to be pretty heavy-handed or clumsy to ruin a glass worktop. It also requires regular polishing if you want it to remain smear-free, but then the same is true of granite. This is by no means an exhaustive list, so why not check out our handy guide to see if glass worktops are right for your design and lifestyle. For us, the pros far outweigh the cons… Emily