Engineered Surfaces: Why They're the Material of the Moment
Dark and light hues, sophisticated veining patterns and textured finishes stood out at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show
Engineered-stone surfaces are having a material moment. Engineered quartz, for example – typically created from about 90 to 95 per cent ground quartz and five to 10 per cent resins and pigments – is a durable, stain- and scratch-resistant material that works wonders as bathroom and kitchen countertops, shower walls, fireplace surrounds and more. Nowhere has the popularity of engineered quartz been more evident than at the 2020 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), held from 21 to 23 January this year in Las Vegas, USA.
The dark side awakens
One of the most noticeable trends at the show was the emergence of several lines of dark engineered surfaces, in colours such as jet black, charcoal grey and even dark green and blue.
One of the most captivating was Dekton’s Laurent slab, shown here in kitchen countertops, backsplash and island cladding. The dark-brown background with gold veining is part of the company’s new Avantgarde collection, which debuted at the show and features three dark hues.
If you were at KBIS and visited the Dekton booth, you might have seen the seemingly never-ending crowd gathered around the dark Laurent slab to snap photos of the material and touch it.
KBIS 2020: The Latest US Trends in Bathroom Fittings and Fixtures
One of the most noticeable trends at the show was the emergence of several lines of dark engineered surfaces, in colours such as jet black, charcoal grey and even dark green and blue.
One of the most captivating was Dekton’s Laurent slab, shown here in kitchen countertops, backsplash and island cladding. The dark-brown background with gold veining is part of the company’s new Avantgarde collection, which debuted at the show and features three dark hues.
If you were at KBIS and visited the Dekton booth, you might have seen the seemingly never-ending crowd gathered around the dark Laurent slab to snap photos of the material and touch it.
KBIS 2020: The Latest US Trends in Bathroom Fittings and Fixtures
Caesarstone’s Dark collection, also introduced at KBIS, includes four new colours, including Black Tempal, seen here. The colours have a textured, matt finish for an even more dramatic look. Black Tempal has soft mineral deposits that offer contrast to its dark-charcoal base.
Caesarstone’s new Oxidian surface, seen on the cabinetry and island in this loft-style space, has an aged-rust appearance that blends dark grey, rust and blue. Oxidian has a textured-matt finish that is marked with an oxidised effect, distributed unevenly, to more closely resemble natural rust.
If you want to go for full-on black, consider Caesarstone’s new Piatto Black, shown here as a kitchen countertop.
Viewed up close, Caesarstone’s Piatto Black has a granular, textured appearance that enhances the deep, dark look.
How Do I… Select a Kitchen Countertop?
Viewed up close, Caesarstone’s Piatto Black has a granular, textured appearance that enhances the deep, dark look.
How Do I… Select a Kitchen Countertop?
Meanwhile, Minnesota-based Cambria is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020 with 20 new countertop designs. The new line includes two saturated black-marble looks, which grabbed a lot of attention at the show.
Its Woodcroft colour, shown here, is a bold black with pale metallic streaks and sparkling golden veins, which is a veining colour we saw a lot of at KBIS. As this image indicates, the colour will be available from Cambria later this year.
In contrast, Cambria’s Charlestown colour is a dramatic charcoal grey with meandering grey-and-white veining.
Its Woodcroft colour, shown here, is a bold black with pale metallic streaks and sparkling golden veins, which is a veining colour we saw a lot of at KBIS. As this image indicates, the colour will be available from Cambria later this year.
In contrast, Cambria’s Charlestown colour is a dramatic charcoal grey with meandering grey-and-white veining.
In addition to the Avantgarde collection, Dekton – a brand owned by Spanish company Cosentino – introduced its Portfolio collection. Inspired by various natural rocks, the collection comprises three new dark colours. Bromo, shown here as kitchen countertops with waterfall edges, is a dark-blue shade reminiscent of metamorphic rocks such as slate, with a faded-graphic composition.
Dekton has clearly been busy. The brand introduced two other lines as well.
For its Liquid collection, Dekton collaborated with pattern experts and designers at London-based Patternity to launch three new colours inspired by liquid. The carbon-coloured Liquid Embers, shown here, recalls swirling magma.
Finally, Dekton’s Chromica collection, designed in collaboration with Daniel Germani Designs, features two deeply saturated, European-inspired colours.
Baltic, a dark-blue surface, was inspired by the nuances of deep-ocean darkness.
Dekton’s Feroe colour, also part of the new Chromica collection, is a dark green inspired by “unexplored corners of nature,” says the company in a statement announcing the collection.
For its Liquid collection, Dekton collaborated with pattern experts and designers at London-based Patternity to launch three new colours inspired by liquid. The carbon-coloured Liquid Embers, shown here, recalls swirling magma.
Finally, Dekton’s Chromica collection, designed in collaboration with Daniel Germani Designs, features two deeply saturated, European-inspired colours.
Baltic, a dark-blue surface, was inspired by the nuances of deep-ocean darkness.
Dekton’s Feroe colour, also part of the new Chromica collection, is a dark green inspired by “unexplored corners of nature,” says the company in a statement announcing the collection.
Coante, a Turkish manufacturer of engineered quartz, showed off this display at its KBIS booth. Again, you can see some of the dark, matt finishes that companies are betting will be big in the coming years.
Blue crush
Several of the new quartz colours play to the recent rise in blue cabinetry by featuring wisps of navy veining as well as colours that complement blues, such as greys, taupes and warm gold.
Included in Cambria’s new collection of 20 colours is Portrush, shown here as kitchen countertops. Its white base supports crisscrosses of navy, grey and black veining, with finespun filaments of gold flakes.
Portrush shows its varied tones, which would beautifully complement navy-blue or even forest-green cabinetry.
Several of the new quartz colours play to the recent rise in blue cabinetry by featuring wisps of navy veining as well as colours that complement blues, such as greys, taupes and warm gold.
Included in Cambria’s new collection of 20 colours is Portrush, shown here as kitchen countertops. Its white base supports crisscrosses of navy, grey and black veining, with finespun filaments of gold flakes.
Portrush shows its varied tones, which would beautifully complement navy-blue or even forest-green cabinetry.
Though not part of its new collection, Cambria’s Skye colour, seen here as a bright bathroom vanity countertop and backsplash, was displayed at KBIS to much fanfare. You can see how this vibrant blue could work beautifully with white or grey cabinets.
Similarly, Cambria’s not-new granite-like Islington quartz, seen here as kitchen countertops, garnered a lot of attention at the show. Its swirling blue and grey undertones complement the timber-trimmed range hood and charcoal-grey cabinets.
Gold rush
Gold accents are showing up in the new countertop offerings as well, complementing the rise in satin-brass kitchen knobs, pulls, faucets and lighting.
Cambria’s Clovelly, used here for the countertops and backsplash, has a creamy background with copper and brown veinings that coordinate with the brass faucet and island pendants.
Gold accents are showing up in the new countertop offerings as well, complementing the rise in satin-brass kitchen knobs, pulls, faucets and lighting.
Cambria’s Clovelly, used here for the countertops and backsplash, has a creamy background with copper and brown veinings that coordinate with the brass faucet and island pendants.
But engineered surfaces aren’t just for countertops and backsplashes. Cambria’s quartz product, for example, can be cut as thin as one centimetre and used to clad fireplaces and shower walls, as shown here with its new Colton colour.
Similar to Clovelly, this colour offers a creamy background with rusty, brownish-grey veins that work well with warm wood tones.
Similar to Clovelly, this colour offers a creamy background with rusty, brownish-grey veins that work well with warm wood tones.
Though marble seems to be the most popular natural stone mimicked by engineered surfaces, it’s not the only source of inspiration.
Khalo, part of Dekton’s new Avantgarde collection, resembles the look of Patagonian granite. It features black, pale gold and coffee tones and shows a subtle gold and brown dappling. A glossy finish enhances the effect.
Khalo, part of Dekton’s new Avantgarde collection, resembles the look of Patagonian granite. It features black, pale gold and coffee tones and shows a subtle gold and brown dappling. A glossy finish enhances the effect.
Going grey
Grey tones on white backgrounds are also popular when it comes to engineered surfaces. The two colours naturally complement and coordinate with popular cabinetry colours, such as white, grey, medium-tone woods and navy blue. Here, Cambria’s Queensbury is used for the countertop and backsplash.
Cambria’s Queensbury colour highlights a feature that the company has spent years perfecting: the prominent grey veins include large pieces of real quartz, resulting in a sparkling, crystalline look.
Grey tones on white backgrounds are also popular when it comes to engineered surfaces. The two colours naturally complement and coordinate with popular cabinetry colours, such as white, grey, medium-tone woods and navy blue. Here, Cambria’s Queensbury is used for the countertop and backsplash.
Cambria’s Queensbury colour highlights a feature that the company has spent years perfecting: the prominent grey veins include large pieces of real quartz, resulting in a sparkling, crystalline look.
Dekton’s Helena, also in its Avantgarde collection and shown here as a shower wall and vanity cladding, has a translucent appearance in whites and greys, inspired by natural onyx.
Here’s a look at Cambria’s Archdale colour used as a fireplace surround and hearth. The colour features a quiet white background with fine-grain dark-grey capillaries.
Going back to Dekton’s Liquid collection, Liquid Sky recalls cloudy-day patterns in a white base with grey swirls.
The veined looks that recall marble certainly dominate most brands’ offerings, but other looks are worth considering as well.
Cambria’s Brittanicca Block, shown here as wall cladding, features recycled scraps of material discarded after fabrication, now reused to create a butcher-block-style design. Brittanicca Block features randomised grey tones on a milky-white background.
Cambria’s Brittanicca Block, shown here as wall cladding, features recycled scraps of material discarded after fabrication, now reused to create a butcher-block-style design. Brittanicca Block features randomised grey tones on a milky-white background.
For a heavier dose of grey, consider Cambria’s Bradwell, used here on countertops in a walk-in pantry. Its backdrop of medium grey supports dark-grey strands and clusters.
Grey – or engineered surfaces, for that matter – isn’t for indoor use alone. At KBIS, Caesarstone launched its new Outdoor line, which includes three colours.
Its Clear Skies colour, shown here as an outdoor kitchen’s countertop, backsplash and dining table, has the look of pale-grey concrete. The outdoor products have been refined to account for high heat, harsh sunlight and temperature variations.
Its Clear Skies colour, shown here as an outdoor kitchen’s countertop, backsplash and dining table, has the look of pale-grey concrete. The outdoor products have been refined to account for high heat, harsh sunlight and temperature variations.
Other notable surface innovations
As we’ve seen, slabs of engineered-stone surfaces are the standard application for countertops, backsplashes, shower walls, fireplace cladding and more. But Spanish company Compac generated a lot of buzz at its KBIS booth with the angular island shown here. Designed by Arik Levy, the piece, called Mineral Mass, is made from cut quartz slabs set together to appear as if carved from a single block of quartz.
As we’ve seen, slabs of engineered-stone surfaces are the standard application for countertops, backsplashes, shower walls, fireplace cladding and more. But Spanish company Compac generated a lot of buzz at its KBIS booth with the angular island shown here. Designed by Arik Levy, the piece, called Mineral Mass, is made from cut quartz slabs set together to appear as if carved from a single block of quartz.
Compac’s Waterstorm bathtub, shown here, drew a constant crowd as well. Also designed by Levy, it’s made from a single block of the company’s new Obsidiana material, which is made of recycled raw materials. The process requires about 80 hours of sculpting by machine and 45 hours by hand, with 84 per cent of the material ultimately removed to form the fluted tub.
Diverging a bit from engineered quartz, Florim, an Italian company, showed off its new collection called I Filati di Rex, which includes large porcelain slabs printed in patterns pulled from Rubelli fabrics.
The image here, captured at Florim’s booth during KBIS, shows a floral print in the Lady Hamilton Vaniglia pattern.
The image here, captured at Florim’s booth during KBIS, shows a floral print in the Lady Hamilton Vaniglia pattern.
A nearby Florim display shows the various Rubelli fabrics that can be used for the porcelain slabs.
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Veiny marble-look whites and greys were popular among the products introduced at the show, including Dekton’s Rem colour, shown here as a bathroom vanity, sink and wall cladding. Dekton, an ultra-compact surface, is made through a process that heats and compacts raw materials used to make glass, porcelain surfaces and quartz surfaces.
But much of the excitement was generated by several new dark colours. We’ll return to the lighter shades later in this ideabook, but first let’s take a look at the darker ones.