A countertop is the heart of your cooking space and choosing the right material, design and finish does matter when renovating a kitchen. In this article, we have compiled some of the best 2019 trends for porcelain and quartz worktops to give you an idea for styling your kitchen. These trends emphasize more on material and colour choices.

1. Quartz is here to Stay

While granite has dominated the countertop world for years, homeowners who want something more durable, strong and better looking, quartz is the answer. In addition to having the same or more strength, quartz worktops and non-porous. This means that they are impervious to liquids and therefore do not stain. Similarly, quartz stone is not reactive to acidic foods when compared to a marble worktop.

Also, quartz worktops are highly resistant to bacteria. In contrast, there is always minimal chance that the same might start breeding as water seeps into the granite worktops or marble due their porous nature.

Another advantage of choosing quartz for your worktops is that the slabs come in set sizes, allowing you to plan your designs in advance. In the same way, by knowing what the pattern of your stone will be, you can organize your creations.

Equally, stone suppliers and fabricators find it easier to work with materials such as quartz. As you may imagine, the stability and flexural strength on of these man-made materials ensure the final products are easy to make.

Lastly, you can choose quartz in endless patterns, effects, finishes and more. If you wonder how big quartz slabs are, dimensions vary according to the brand. But in most cases, you will be safe to assume a standard dimension of 3000x1400mm. You can also choose Jumbo and Giant slabs which reach dimensions of up to 3300x1650mm. You will find this format ideal if you are creating a kitchen island or focal wall.

Without further ado, let’s find out what’s going to be in trend.

Here are some of the popular quartz countertop designs that are trending:

• Unistone Concreto Velluto finish: This quartz stone is a new design from Unistone. It was introduced in the UK at the end of 2018 and will surely become a favourite amongst designers and aficionados.The stone has a dark grey background that resembles concrete but it’s more luxurious and non-porous in nature. This means it won’t have any issues like cement and concrete surfaces. Natural concrete may crumble and break. Besides, it can stain and mark heavily due to its intrinsic constitution. Unistone Concreto worktops provide you with the same look, but with enhanced performance features. The Velluto finish is offers a velvety tactile feel, resembling the traditional building materials. The product is available in slabs with thicknesses of 20mm and 30mm.

• Caesarstone is a leading brand of quartz. The manufacturer has global reach with presence in over 50 countries. In addition, it was the first Company making engineered quartz slabs for worktops back in 1987. Caesarstone is currently is a publicly traded Company listing in the stock exchange NASDAQ in New York. The brand has gone from strength to strength over the years due its innovative approach to making high-quality surfaces.Caesarstone quartz mimics the aesthetics of natural stone while owing its non-porous and durable characteristics. Similarly, this worktop material is natural and luxurious at the same time. Caesarstone Airy Concrete is one of the popular designs that brings an industrial appeal to urban kitchens. Also, it provides your space with high performance and durability. These are two of the reasons to think it will be a trend-setter in 2019.

• Compac Zement Ice is a reinterpretation of the popular Ice Zement quartz stone that also bears a concrete feel, along with high versatility. Compac Quartz is a Spanish manufacturer of quartz and marble surfaces since 1975. The Company has recently reduced their offering in terms of colours to focus on delivering incredible products and good prices.Zement Ice is extremely resistant to staining, heat and scratches. Moreover, its uniformity on the plain pattern offers scope for many combinations in traditional and modern settings.  Its soft appeal yet long-lasting features ensure the product does not fade nor degrade over time. In a similar way, if you are looking for a stone worktop that is both practical and easy to clean this is a great choice.

2. Honed or Polished FinishNeolith New York is perfect for those who prefer shining and luxurious surfaces. This greyish cement-like worktop is available in silk finish and brings a natural concrete-like appearance to create a minimalist yet luxurious visual effect. It is also available in matte finishes for those who prefer honed textures. Neolith sintered porcelain surfaces have become popular over the last five years due to its unique aesthetic appeal. You can choose surfaces with realistic looks such as marble, fabric, wood and concrete effect worktop surfaces amongst others.Even sintered porcelain worktops are one of the high-end materials that are loved by interior designers and architects when it has the typical shiny and glossy finishing. Moreover, it is a very tough material for the kitchen. It is even resistant to stains, heat and scratches just like the quartz worktops. In addition, sintered porcelain can sustain higher temperatures than quartz stone.

3. Worktops with Veined Patterns

One of the popular patterns are worktops featuring realistic marble veining. Silestone Calacatta Gold is a good example of vein patterned countertops. It boasts dominant white and grey and golden veins spread across the pure white surface. Its careful construction and patterns in shades of grey give a classic appeal to the kitchen decor. Coupled with the extreme resistance of quartz, you can have the best of both worlds. Even Silestone Brooklyn is a perfect worktop material with similar characteristics. These countertops are ideal for both traditional and modern homes. Many homeowners are increasingly using the off-cuts of the kitchen to decorate the pantry and utility rooms with these. If you are thinking of giving a makeover to the whole of the rear extension, this may be a cost effective way to create bespoke and matching interiors.

4. Soft Neutral Tones in Trend

People nowadays are giving preference to soft, neutral tones for stylish and contemporary kitchen decor. The neutral colours and tones are making its way into the urban homes. You can even experiment with these subtle tones to maintain minimalist and neutral style.

5. Splashback Trends

Splashbacks are fun when it comes to decorating kitchens with new styles and trends. You can choose the basic subways tiles. These can be used on larger slabs with various patterns moving across the entire slab.

Moreover, the colour choices for these worktop materials are endless. Lastly, matching worktops and splashbacks is another great way to complete your design in cost effective yet beautiful manner.

Published by Jesus Alberto Mouzo on January 11, 2019