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OCTOBER 2018 | 35 Kitchens The latest kitchen trends are warm and welcoming K itchens so often act as the heart of the home – the gathering place for fam- ily and friends or a hub for comings and goings. So it's no surprise that owners and developers demand a lot from these spaces. "Clients are looking for bright, functional, open work spaces for cooking and enter- taining," says Quinn Prince, COO of SSC Countertops. A great kitchen can't just be beautiful, it also has to be ultra-functional. "Clients are looking for smart materials that are durable enough to stand up to everyday life, as well as beautiful and on-trend pat- terns that make a lasting impression when they walk into the space," says Gerri Chmiel, residential design lead at Formica Corporation. And they're willing to invest to build a space that suits their needs. In B.C. and Alberta in particular, the budgets are growing for kitchens, as people are investing in renovations and new builds. "People are coming out to buy with some budget in their hands," says Alok Kansal, president of Hari Stones Limited. "They're not looking for cheap product." "Clients are looking for surfaces that go beyond just beautiful design," adds Massimo Ballucchi, executive director of marketing for Cosentino North America. "Functionality and durability have become two key components when it comes to kitchen countertops." I N D U S T R I A L C O O L "Industrial surfaces have been a key trend in 2018," says John Filomena, national marketing manager, Caesarstone Canada. "Many people are opting for a look of industrial modernism in their spaces." For Caesarstone, that has meant an increased demand for its Cloudburst Concrete product, which transforms the material by using lighter shades, including shades of white. "These are a romantic interpretation of the industrial trend and able to com- plement any style preference and existing layout," says Filomena. "They bring a softness to raw concrete." Caesarstone's industrial-inspired Metropolitan Collection features five new designs (Excava, Topus Concrete, Airy Concrete, the aforementioned Cloudburst Concrete and Frozen Terra) that achieve authentic tex- tures of manufacturing such as oxidized steel, poured plaster, and raw concrete that give residential and com- mercial spaces a touch of modern industrialism. The good news is that these industrial-style mate- rials aren't just stylish, they're hyper-durable. "The texture and finish of cement combined with multiple application possibilities, such as countertops, back- splash, cladding, flooring or facades, truly allows designers and architects to create unique spaces with the added durability such as high resistance to scratches, UV rays, stains, fire, heat, and abrasion," says Ballucchi S T O N E C O L D S T U N N E R S Concrete is just one organic material that's heating up in the market right now: natural stone of all types is one of the most popular options for countertops and backsplash. "The natural stone trend continues to stay strong with both dark or light tones," says Ballucchi. "Designers are loving a modern, reinvented take on some of the world's most sought-after mar- bles and stones." One of Cosentino's most popular colours in the Canadian market is Silestone's Eternal Calacatta Gold, a colour that captures the essence of Calacatta marble and features large grey veins with a touch of elegant gold detail on a pure white base. "Natural marble is back in a big way," says Prince. Meanwhile, Formica launched its 2018 Living Impressions Collection earlier this year, including 11 new on-trend laminate designs, the most popular of which take on natural stone patterns, such as Sea Pearl design – a blend of warm and cool greys with a dramatic vein in rust. "The designs in this collection are a result of major trends we have tracked for home interiors across the world," says Chmiel. The ultra-compact Dekton by Cosentino takes inspiration from nature as well for a variety of its latest products: the six options from its Stonika Collection; its Industrial Collection that offers a range of contemporary colours replicating patinaed metal and concrete; and the Silestone by Cosentino Eternal Collection that added five new colours this year, bringing the collection to a total of 11 colourways, which are inspired by natural stone. As stone becomes standard in kitchen design, manufacturers are improving on the material's natural resilient properties with new technologi- cal developments. Cosentino's patented Silestone N-Boost lends a water repellent property to the sur- face of the material that achieves an improved level of stain resistance. "The process modifies the molecular properties of each slab, altering the surface tension of the material and thus eliminating the micro-poros- ity caused by the polishing process and preventing any liquid penetration," explains Ballucchi. The nano-technology-based treatment also increases the intensity of colour and lustre of Silestone surfaces. Q U A L I T Y Q U A R T Z This year Formica introduced a Quartz Composite, the brand's very first manmade, true-scale quartz pattern, with artwork created using a blend of con- crete and recycled glass. And FloForm has expanded its quartz offering to include HanStone and Aurea Stone, two premium brands that now allow the company to offer over 200 cutting-edge quartz designs in addition to its Laminate, Solid Surface, and Wood surfaces. But as quartz has become increasingly accessible, the higher-end market has reacted by turning to more exclusive options. "High-end granite and high-end quartzite and marble counters are the new trend for high-end properties, and that trend is going up very aggressively," explains Kansal. "We've seen our sales up to 50 percent off for granite compared to quartz. Quartz product going into low- to mid-range properties." P O W E R P A L E T T E S White and light tops with veining that resemble natural stone is still the number one trend in the marketplace, says Derek Macdonald, marketing man- ager for FloForm – a classic look that matches almost every design style and appeals to almost everyone. "In most kitchens, people are going white on white on white," agrees Prince. It's Getting Hot In Here by STACEY MCLACHLAN Dekton Stonika Collection from Cosentino.

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