Tag: benchtop

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House Tours Jen's reno RENO ADDICT

Reno realities: Jen’s kitchen update

In partnership with Latitude Financial Services

So, my kitchen reno started on September 27. And it still isn’t finished! Unusual? Not really! From my own and others’ experience, these things are never as speedy as you anticipate. Four weeks from start to finish? Pah! I never really believed it! Add to that the fact we had to stop for almost a week last week to have new floors go in (was hoping it would have already been finished but hey ho!), and here we are, with an 85% finished kitchen.

I’m not going to share any new photos here because I figure we might as well wait for the full reveal now! You can see all the progress I’ve shared on my Instagram and the hashtag #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno

I’ve been lucky enough to have my friends at Integriti Bathrooms and their site supervisor (legend!) Steve coordinating all my trades. And there are a lot of trades involved, especially when you opt for a flatpack kitchen (for budget reasons). You need someone to demolish and take away the old one (or hire a skip), to organise someone to both assemble it (okay, it’s possible to DIY but Damian and I don’t rate our skills and patience in that department) and install, as well as a plumber, electrician and plasterer at an absolute minimum. We also got rid of a back door which required a carpenter, and added bulkheads, which required another visit from the plasterers. Then there’s always a wait for your stone (Caesarstone) to be cut by the stonemason although ours was ready in under a week, which is amazing!

Then unexpected things will pop up to throw you: fitting our concealed rangehood and venting it through the roof was a tricky job and we needed a different tradie for this.

We always planned to have a sliding barn-style door to our laundry but finding the right size door took a while, then we decided to do that whole wall in VJ panelling (door and all) and oh my goodness, it looks great! So this required more carpenters. And then I got a bit excited about VJ and decided to do wainscoting in the adjoining dining room. None of it is painted yet so ignore the off-white look!

So, was it worth doing a flatpack kitchen with the added hassle and time of organising trades myself (with help, thankfully)? A RESOUNDING YES. I couldn’t be happier with my cabinetry from Freedom Kitchen’s Essential Range. Every trade who has been in here (and my goodness there have been loads lately!) has been surprised (pleasantly) that it wasn’t a custom job and said the quality is as good as any more expensive kitchens they’ve worked with. And that’s good to hear from people who know their kitchens, but I was already very happy with what I could see with my own eyes. And I’ve been able to “pimp” my flatpack with my choice of stone, hardware, appliances etc. I’m delighted to be honest! Just want the damn thing finished!

Check out this video of me with Jess Aloi from Latitude Financial Services, discussing ways to get the luxe look for less in your kitchen reno:

Make your reno dreams come true with some help from our partners at Latitude Financial Services.

***

OUR KITCHEN SUPPLIERS

  • Project management and trades: Integriti Bathrooms
  • Cabinetry: Freedom Kitchens
  • Benchtop and splashback: Caesarstone
  • Appliances: Ilve
  • Tapware: Meir
  • Sink and black barn door hardware: Bunnings
  • Floor: Quickstep
  • Paint: Haymes
  • Hardware: Kethy
  • Blinds (DIY Online Blinds)
  • VJ paneling: Easycraft

I’ll give you all the finer details in the full reveal post. My painters are due today so we should be done very soon!

 

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Bathrooms Design Kitchens RENO ADDICT

Darren Palmer’s top laundry design tips

Darren Palmer's top laundry design tips

Imagine a laundry room where everything you need is at your fingertips. Where clutter is kept cleverly out-of-sight and functionality meets style. What if we told you that it’s not just a pipe dream?!

On the recent series of The Block, the contestants cleaned up with their laundry design. My fellow judges and I were thrilled to see six very different and exciting designs that really pushed the envelope – showing that laundry design doesn’t have to play it safe.

Here are my main considerations when creating a laundry that’s both functional and fashionable.

What’s new in laundry design and styles?

There are endless style options that you can choose for your laundry – from Scandi and Hamptons to modern and industrial. A recent trend in laundry design is coordinating the style and finishes of your laundry to match other ‘wet’ areas of your home, such as the kitchen. This provides a seamless transition into this essential working space. Another big trend in traditional homes is that of the mudroom. If you’re squeezed for space, the laundry is a great way to create the mudroom look in a space that often transitions to the exterior of your home. A stylish mudroom includes upholstered seating, shaker style doors, elegant aged brass handles and even VJ panelling – lifting your laundry from the functional to the indulgent.

Don’t be afraid to be bold with your design choices. You can create any number of looks if you start with simple grey or white cabinetry as your base – then accessorise creatively. Cup handles, aged brass and porcelain sinks work to jazz up a traditional look. While matt black, subway tiles or brick with oak can give you that industrial edge. Smooth silky marble (or marble look) with bright chrome can also give your laundry that smart and classic look. You just need to work in with the rest of your home’s style or theme and apply the appropriate details.

LayoutDarren Palmer's top laundry design tips

Just like a kitchen, you have a variety of choices when it comes to the layout of your laundry – namely U-shaped, L-shaped or galley. The shape and configuration of your floorplan will dictate which layout is best for you. In a dedicated laundry, keeping the space ‘open’ is key – both from a functional and aesthetical point-of-view. When planning, consider the location of the most-used elements in your laundry – such as appliances, benchtops and the sink – plus what will be in your line-of-sight as you enter the space.

Appliances and the sink should be kept together for plumbing purposes. And ideally, you want a design that keeps appliances concealed or out of your initial line-of-sight.

StorageDarren Palmer's top laundry design tips

Storage is king in the laundry. If you design your laundry correctly, it can be so much more than just a place to launder your clothing. Maximise cabinetry as much as possible (without comprising your ability to move around the room of course). If space permits, consider tall cupboards to store items such as brooms and mops. Wall cupboards are more practical than drawers in a laundry. However, consider an internal drawer, as this will allow easy storage of items like washing powders and pegs. If you introduce open shelving to your laundry design, you can both increase storage space and create a stylish nook in what is usually considered a purely functional space. Add special touches – such as plants, candles, folded towels and stylish canisters for your washing powders and pegs – to garner instant ‘wow’ and interest in your laundry.

Bench spaceDarren Palmer's top laundry design tips

Along with storage, creating enough usable bench space is an important consideration in any laundry design. Be sure to position the benchtop to facilitate cleaning chores. This way, clothes can be pulled from laundry hampers or your washer and dryer and immediately sorted on the benchtop. Caesarstone benchtops, manufactured from 93% natural quartz, are a great option for laundries (and kitchens). They’re highly resistant to stains and scratches, and are very easy to clean. You can choose from a variety of colours – from marble-looks to beautiful and durable representations of contemporary concrete.

If working on a tight budget, you should consider contemporary laminate benchtops as a viable and aesthetically pleasing option. They’ve come a long way in recent years, and you can achieve marble or timber looks for a fraction of the price. Karlie and Will featured the new Natural Halifax Oak in their winning laundry (below). It’s a new addition to the Freedom Kitchens range – beautifully replicating the appearance and texture of solid oak, without the maintenance issues.

AppliancesDarren Palmer's top laundry design tips

Your selection of appliances and how you fit-out this space will affect the way you use your laundry. You may opt for a pair of front-loading appliances. You can fit these beneath a benchtop or simply stack a washer and dryer. Either option is a great space-saving solution that will depend on your available space and layout. Should you wish to conceal your appliances in the laundry, consider stacking them to allow the addition of an extra shelf or cupboard. As mentioned earlier, consider coordinating the style and finishes of your laundry to match other ‘wet’ areas of your home – such as the kitchen. This provides a seamless transition from the other areas of your home into this essential working space. Additionally, using the same materials as your kitchen and even bundling the two projects together can save you money in production, and also add significant value to your home.

Book a FREE in-home design appointment with a professional Freedom Kitchens’ designer or download their latest catalogue.

For more inspiration, follow them on Instagram.

 

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Kitchens RENO ADDICT Shopping

New flagship Caesarstone showroom opens in Melbourne

Caesarstone has just opened the doors to a brand new Sales and Distribution Centre in Heatherton, Victoria.

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Caesarstone quartz surfaces feature throughout the showroom with large wall panels of every colour and an awe-inspiring kitchen island benchtop that spans 5.2 metres and features the Supernatural design, Statuario Maximus combined with the Bora down draft induction cooktop, Abey undermount sink, Gessi mixer, Gaggenau oven and Vintec wine fridge.

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“We are thrilled to open our new state-of-the-art showroom here in Melbourne and offer our customers the full Caesarstone brand experience” said Chris Lenihan, regional manager Caesarstone Victoria. “We wanted to show a variety of new colours not only in large format panels but also in applications such as our very latest new release White Attica, which is showcased in a very impressive 4 metre long reception desk.” Inspired by classic natural marbles, White Attica features a clean white base with dense, dark grey interwoven veins.

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With expert staff on hand to assist with colour selection this new showroom will no doubt become a popular destination for anyone looking to design, renovate or build.

The Heatherton Showroom and Distribution Centre is located at 57 Corporate Dr, Heatherton. Doors are open Monday to Friday from 9am-to-5pm and Saturdays 9am-to-5pm.

For more information.

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Bathrooms Kitchens RENO ADDICT Shopping

essastone launch new range of sophisticated, durable benchtops

A benchtop is much more than just a showpiece; it’s a place for socialising, for cooking, for sharing and for living. Taking the best of what natural stone has to offer in beauty and design, essastone has re-launched its sophisticated collection of durable stone surfaces that have been perfected for life – the way we really live it.

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Made with up to 95 percent natural quartz, the new essastone range is more resilient than ever, meaning your benchtop can resist life’s wear and tear. Offering a stone solution that survives the spills and thrills of life, essastone’s key benefits include guarding against staining, scratching and citrus acid stains. It is also incredibly easy to clean, so it looks as good as the day you bought it.

The latest in interior design reveals the desire to achieve raw, natural looks, with a lot of texture. Veined decors are becoming increasingly popular as is the strong demand for concrete looks.

Reflecting emerging design trends, essastone is suitable for a range of surfaces throughout the home including benchtops, vanities and decorative features. Selected specifically for Australian interiors, the stunning new stone and concrete designs – ranging from classic European to modern industrial – will make an unforgettable impression in your next project.

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essastone marketing manager Josh Woods, said the re-launch of the brand gives homeowners even more choice when it comes to creating long-lasting, stylish interiors for everyday use. “When we live well, our benchtops live well too and essastone is the perfect surface that’s made to handle it all. It’s there for three meals a day, every dinner party, every piece of homework, every snack and every unexpected occasion.

“At essastone, we celebrate life; not just the beautiful moments, but the mess and the spills too.”

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essastone offers versatile designs that can be fabricated to make a variety of decorative  solutions. The new range encompasses the following four collections across 31 design options, including Concrete Pezzato – the revolutionary new weathered finish, exclusive to essastone – adding style and sophistication to any space.

  • Elemental: a classic design palette that is both stylish and affordable with large sheets on offer
  • Luxe: a versatile collection of contemporary and popular designs
  • Vogue: a trend led collection featuring a sophisticated palette of décors and finishes
  • Evolve: a premium collection which showcases the latest in innovative décor designs

essastone comes with a 15-year limited warranty.

For more information click here.

Categories
Kitchens The Block

The Block week 8 room reveals: kitchens

There were some pretty stunning results in last night’s kitchen reveals with two 30 out of 30 perfect scores for both Will and Karlie and Dan and Carleen. Considering they only had a week for such an involved and large room, all the couples did amazingly well. Here are the pix, the scores and the judges’ comments. If I had to pick a favourite personally, mine would be Julia and Sasha’s. How about you?

Check back here later this afternoon for our video tours with the top scoring couples and their kitchens!

KARLIE & WILL: 30/30, joint winners

The judges could barely contain their excitement. Darren said it was gigantic, the polished concrete flooring was absolutely spectacular and the colours worked brilliantly. Shaynna said the palette was divine and worked well with the other rooms. Darren was blown away by the benchtop, beautiful tapware and the sink. Shaynna thought it was superbly planned. Darren thought you felt you stood in the space and felt totally in control of the whole apartment. Neale said it was the nerve centre of the whole apartment.

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Although Neale said the bar area felt unresolved, this was about the only criticism between them. Once they got into the butler’s pantry, Shaynna got really excited. Neale went as far as saying: “this is genius” and like a separate self-contained kitchen. As it turned out, the same could be said about all the couples’ pantries. “Visually it absolutely stunning, sleek and glamorous,” said Neale, adding that black is the new white in kitchens.

Shaynna said the kitchen did justice to the building and the rest of their apartment.

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Get the look:

Freedom Kitchens cabinetry and other details

Neff coffee centre

Russell Hobbs Sienna Black Diamond toaster

DAN & CARLEEN: 30/30, joint winners

It started very well with Darren saying: “wow, I love that cabinetry.” The judges said the whole space sang! Neale said it felt incredibly spacious, beautifully understated and sophisticated. Shaynna said the benchtop was so massive it needed its own postcode! Darren called it the cherry on top. Shaynna loved the light fitting, even though it wouldn’t work in many kitchens and she also thought the styling was superb. Neale loved being able to see into the butler’s pantry too.

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Again, there was little to criticise, apart from the lack of drawers picked up by Darren.  Neale thought it was their best room yet and Shaynna said it was a very high end European kitchen.

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Get the look:

Hensley crystal pendant

Freedom Kitchens cabinetry and other details

Morphy Richards copper colour kettle

 

ANDY & BEN: 29/30, second place

Considering the boys’ serious lack of funds (which will really affect them this week it seems) they did well to pull off second place! Although it was a shame they wasted their bonus point as it turns out it wouldn’t have been enough to get them a win and the $10,000 they desperately needed.

Neale said felt very modern but referenced the Deco era. Shaynna loved the different colours. Another huge benchtop and luxury butler’s pantry, and the judges were still very happy!

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Shaynna said the styling let it down and she’d like to see them remove a lot of the items and keep it simple. But overall it was magnificent and the party kitchen of the block. She said even though they’d kept a fun aspect from day one, they’d got more and more sophisticated.

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Get the look:

Timber door handles

Freedom Kitchens cabinetry and other details

Siemens integrated rangehood

JULIA & SASHA: 28/30, third place

I loved this kitchen and thought it was very feminine and elegant. Darren was right when he said it was pretty and that Sasha and Julia had walked the line of a really simple palette, adding all the luxury touches you’d want.

Shaynna said the lighting was exactly right but the benchtop size felt a little mean especially with the oversized cooktop. Darren hugged the fridge and was like a kid at Christmas with all the high end appliances, especially the pop-up rangehood! The steam oven was too high though and an accident waiting to happen.

Neale said compared to the kitchens he sees in magazines, this ticked all the boxes and someone was going to walk in and be blown away.

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Get the look:

Solid brass handles

Gold bar stools

Freedom Kitchens cabinetry and other details

KIM & CHRIS: 24/30, last place

All the judges loved the timber breakfast bar but Shaynna was concerned about how well the stone and the timber went together because they were both heroes. Neale felt it was a little bit clumsy and didn’t have the same flow as the other kitchens. “Everything slightly clashes.” Shaynna said it felt very top heavy and she would have preferred smokey glass to the mirrored splash back.

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On the plus side, they thought the layout was fantastic and very functional. Darren liked the bench space on either side and the double swing doorway into the butler’s pantry. They were all amazed at the scale of the pantry and storage wise and design wise, Darren said it was really fantastic. They all thought Kim and Chris had produced an excellent kitchen but it just didn’t move them to the same level of emotion as some of the others. Shaynna said she couldn’t see two buyers fighting over the room.

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Get the look:

LED lighting system

Siemens 90cm gas cooktop

Freedom Kitchens cabinetry and other details

–Our part-time Reno Addict features writer, Channel Nine journalist Lauren Ellis, has been at The Block for us, getting a better look around all the kitchens. We’ll be sharing the video footage here all week so make sure to check back in The Block section of the site!

Categories
Expert Tips Kitchens RENO ADDICT

3 ways to transform your benchtop for a few hundred dollars

By Cherie Barber

Kitchen renovating can be wildly expensive, so instead of scrapping the original and starting from scratch, it’s always good to consider if you can apply one of the four Rs: retain, recycle, repair or restore.

Often robust items, like a laminate benchtop, are still in good condition; they’re simply dated and need a contemporary new look. That’s when the specialty resurfacing products on the market come into their own.

There are a couple of different options, depending on the look you’re after. The most straightforward is to use White Knight’s Laminate Paint teamed with its Bench Top Protective Coating for a hardwearing finish. You can tint the laminate paint to virtually any colour, so it’s highly flexible and a great solution for revamping that mustard yellow or orange benchtop.

KITCHEN and lounge Before
BEFORE
Kitchen and lounge After
AFTER: White Knight Laminate Paint and Benchtop Protective Coating

It’s pretty much the same procedure as you’d use for painting any surface: clean, sand, prime, then carefully apply the paint, preferably with a roller to get a really smooth finish, then put your top coat on.Laminate paint can be used for your kitchen cabinetry as well, so you can spruce the whole lot up in a weekend of intensive DIY.

If you want a granite-look benchtop, then Rust-Oleum has a couple of products that come as a total kit. There’s Benchtop Transformations, which is applied similarly to the White Knight products, except you get a granite fleck in the paint. It’s available in either Diamond White or Galaxy Black. This video I’ve recently done takes you through all the steps and the fantastic final look you’ll get.

Then there’s Rust-Oleum Countertop Transformations, which is a little bit more involved, as you actually use the sifter that comes with the kit to sprinkle tiny decorative chips over an adhesive base coat, which then gets sealed. If you’ve got particularly worn or damaged benchtops, this is a great cover-all and it comes in four shades, from a desert sand to a deep charcoal.

Kitchen Before
BEFORE
KITCHEN After
AFTER: Using Rust-Oleum Countertop Transformations in Desert Sand

Here’s a video I made a while ago with some of the girls from my Renovating for Profit team that demonstrates how it’s done.

The really important thing with any of these products is that you meticulously prepare whatever surface you’re treating. All cracks, chips and dents must be repaired, filled and finely sanded before you start and the surface has to be completely cleaned of grease and dust. The smoother and cleaner your base, the better quality your finish. And be sure you use masking tape and plastic to keep surrounding surfaces cordoned off.

Resurfacing your benchtops can be a little tricky, but you’ll be rewarded with striking benchtops that only cost you a few hundred dollars at most and look as good as new.

–Cherie Barber is the director of Renovating for Profit, a company that teaches everyday people how to buy and renovate properties for a profit.

Categories
Kitchens RENO ADDICT

The latest trends in kitchen benchtops for 2016

Ruba Jaajaa, colour expert and showroom manager for Cosentino, shares the following tips…

1. Blue is the new black

Blue hues will replace the traditional use of black for a bolder and warmer look in the home. Black tones can often look harsh and overpower other colours, whereas blue is the perfect complement to any space without compromising depth or style. It’s a new look that is both chic and daring!

Trend 2

2. Matte finishes are a must-have

Matte finishes lend a stylish feel to any space, offering a modern edge that will add greater interest to the overall style.  You can add a subtle, elegant touch to your home with Silestone® Suede finish, a unique matte texture, perfect for modern designs. Suede is available in more than 30 colours across Cosentino’s signature Silestone® range. From the celestial, cool tones of Lyra,to the earthy hues of  Blanco Capri!

Trend 2 Suede (second option)

3. Nature knows

Nature-inspired design has become a popular part of home styling, which will only grow in 2016. Incorporating natural,warm, earthy tones of the beautiful Dekton Sirius and Keranium worktop is a perfect example of how to bring a contemporary nature feel into your home!

Trend 3

Photo Credit: The Japanese Kitchen Studio

4. Traditional goes modern  

Don’t feel that you need to remove those traditional favourites from your space, instead try and give  them with a modern twist! Take inspiration from winning couple on this season of The Block, Shay and Dean, who updated the Scandinavian look in their apartment to make it a crowd favourite! The couple used contrasting benchtops in Blanco Orion on the island and Cemento Spa with a suede finish.

Trend 4Photo Credit: The Good Guys Kitchens

5. New neutrals

Neutrals are a key component of creating a comfortable and sophisticated atmosphere in your home. In 2016 neutral trends will continue to grow, highlighting the beauty of muted hues that offer a timeless look. Tones such as Makai from Cosentino’s Dekton Spring Colour range, complement a neutral palette perfectly!

Trend 5

Categories
Appliances RENO ADDICT

Your guide to the latest laundry trends

With contestants on The Block teasing us with stylish yet functional laundries, it’s not surprising to learn that kitchens aren’t the only rooms enjoying a few tasteful remakes. The Good Guys Kitchens designer, Julie Hanover, shares the latest trends making waves in laundries.

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Custom built cabinetry It is becoming increasingly popular to renovate laundries in conjunction with kitchens, and built-in cabinetry is at the top of the trend to maximise space. Using your kitchen company to also design your laundry means you’ll enjoy complementing joinery, as well as saving time and money.

Concealed storage Tall utility cupboards for ironing boards and built-in solutions like baskets and hampers mean you can enjoy a stylish and clutter-free laundry.

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Fisher & Paykel 8.5kg Front Load Washer

Benchtops Gone are the days of the freestanding steel tub. Sleek Silestone benchtops dominate with their seamless built-in sinks, providing plenty of space for sorting and folding. Laminate benchtops will also do the trick (and be softer on your wallet).

Details It’s the little things that count, right? Although you don’t generally show off your laundry, you might have a reason to with the abundance of feature tiles and smooth, shiny handles on offer. Decorative and under cabinet lighting would help show off those stylish features as well as provide some much needed lighting to a generally dim room.

Appliances The main reason for the existence of your laundry is, of course, to house your washing machine and dryer. These come in many different shapes and sizes, and feature plenty of different functions, so it’s important to find the ones that best suit the needs of your household.

Samsung 8kg Heat Pump Dryer
Samsung 8kg Heat Pump Dryer

Washing machines To front load or to top load? That is the question. To save space, front loaders can be stacked on top of one another. A stacking kit can help save space not only by stacking your washer and dryer, but also by incorporating a handy pull-out shelf to hold your laundry items. With modern technology comes a hoard of available features, from steam eco washes to live Twitter streams (ok, I may have made that one up). Don’t get too carried away with all the extra features – focus on the functions that will best suit your lifestyle, such as size and water efficiency.

Dryers Dryers are expensive to run, so keep an eye on those little energy star ratings stickers when buying. The capacity of your dryer is determined by how much you want to fit in each load, with a larger drum size suiting larger households. Obviously, you don’t want anything that impedes on the functionality of the rest of your laundry, so keep in mind the space you have set aside for your dryer. If you’re not much of an ironer like me, a smaller but faster dryer will result in fewer creases (as well as a smaller energy bill).

Categories
Bathrooms Kitchens

Benchtops made from semi-precious stones? So wrong it might just be right!

Now, this is one benchtop surface that’s going to divide opinion: the new Concetto from Caesarstone. First I loved it, then I hated it, then hang on, I really quite like the look of that! Hmmm…

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Concetto is a collection of extraordinary surfaces handmade from individually cut and bound semi-precious stones and it certainly makes a statement.

[contextly_sidebar id=”B7pcF8crNTAM9hFTmPR9WR2e3jGVGETV”]“It is amazing to consider that the semi-precious stones used to make Concetto are sourced from all corners of the Earth and up to 150 million years in the making. It is somewhat akin to owning a special piece of art,” said Andrew Dixon, general manager marketing for Caesarstone Australia.

“We are seeing Concetto used in very unique interiors, often as highlight elements in very contemporary, sometimes minimal ways. The development of new LED lighting technologies, often remotely controlled, is seeing the fusion of different back lighting effects being used with the six surfaces in the collection which can be backlit”

All Caesarstone showrooms can demonstrate Concetto backlighting examples by appointment.

Ideal for a wide variety of applications such as kitchen benchtops, splashbacks, bathroom surfaces, furniture pieces and feature walls, Concetto carries the same superior properties as all Caesarstone surfaces.

I’d love to know what you think?

Categories
Bathrooms Kitchens

Caesarstone launches Sleek Concrete design

It’s been a good month for exciting new products from Caesarstone. Last week, we shared the new Calacatta marble-inspired quartz surface, and today we bring you Sleek Concrete.

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With a warm grey base, it encapsulates the look and feel of fine concrete, but has the durability and ease of maintenance that Caesarstone surfaces are renowned for. There’s also a more on trend concrete matt textured finish, which creates an industrial, aged look and feel. It never requires sealing and will acquire a natural patina over time.

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Perfect for both residential and commercial use, Sleek Concrete can be used for kitchen benchtops, splashbacks, wall panels, vanities, café tables and benches and bars. Sleek Concrete is available now and comes with 10-year limited warranty. Find your nearest showroom here.

Categories
Bathrooms Kitchens

Caesarstone’s new Calacatta marble-inspired design its most talked about yet

I am obsessed with marble. You could call me a marble freak. It’s just gorgeous, right? Nature can do no wrong, but it did really REALLY well with marble. Trouble is, it isn’t always the most practical choice and certainly not the cheapest. Which is why Caesarstone’s interpretation of the famous Calacatta marble, Calacatta Nuvo, is bound to be a hit.

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They’ve been talking about it for months but it’s finally available, and the opportunities for both kitchens and bathrooms (where real marble isn’t always a smart choice) are endless. “The response we received from designers from many of our global markets was exceptional,” says general manager marketing for Australia, Andrew Dixon. “Calacatta Nuvo is proving to be perhaps our most anticipated new design ever. Like several recent marble-inspired designs, we take inspiration from natural marble products, but go on to create something relevant to many markets and unique to Caesarstone.”

Calacatta Nuvo works beautifully with a range of complimentary materials including crisp, modern white cabinets, stainless steel and simple wood grains. Likewise, it brings the classic luxurious marble look to both transitional and traditional kitchens and bathrooms with its polished gloss surface.

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I was present at its first showing to global consumers and designers at the recent Milan design week, where Caesarstone exhibited a major installation designed by London-based Raw Edges. The 18-metre long kitchen ‘island’ demonstrated the subtle strength and impact that the large vein structure can give the overall look and feel of the kitchen. I thought it was very impressive.

“Whilst kitchens and especially islands, are certainly the main area of application, we are seeing significant interest from designers considering selection for commercial uses in hotels, restaurants, bars and retail interiors where the ease of maintenance and high durability bring added benefits to the aesthetic impact,” Andrew adds. “In addition, Caesarstone’s low porosity makes it extremely well suited to bathroom wall linings, bath surrounds and benchtop surfaces.”

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Given the large‐scale design, Caesarstone recommend viewing large panels of Calacatta Nuvo during the selection process and to that end all Caesarstone showrooms across Australia have full panels on display. Calacatta Nuvo sells at a higher price than other designs in the marble-inspired supernatural range.

Established in 1987, Caesarstone pioneered the original quartz surface. Caesarstone surfaces consist of up to 93% quartz. Applications include kitchen bench tops, bathroom vanities, flooring, wall panelling, furniture and more.

For further information, go online or call 1300 119 119.

 

Categories
Kitchens

The latest kitchen makeover trends

Australians are still all about the neutrals when it comes to their kitchens, but they’re mixing it up with more eclectic finishes, matt doors, deeper benchtops and deorative murals.

Copyright Eliot Cohen - Zeitgeist Photographyemail: eliot@zeitgeist.com.au

In 2012, kitchen makeover specialists Granite Transformations completed more than 8,000 kitchens in greys, beiges and whites and in response to demand, they’ve released 5 new colours exclusive to the Australian market and in time for the warmer months ahead. Ikea, on the other hand, whose catalogue launch I attended last month, has introduced a red kitchen, especially with its Australian Asian customers in mind.

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