The interplay of surface colours and textures can elevate a kitchen from a purely pragmatic space to a place of inspiration and delight. To get you started with the Essastone 2018 Collection, we've chosen three of our favourite new decors and built colour schemes around them using surfaces from the broader Laminex range.
Essastone Marmo Bianco: rich and sophisticated or light and organic
Marmo Bianco's beauty is, in large part, due to the nuance in its veining which shifts in intensity across its ivory white base, creating visual depth and texture.
You can build a rich, sophisticated palette around Marmo Bianco by combining it with navy tones and brass accents - two colourways that are going to be incredibly popular for 2019. With the stone applied as benchtops and splashbacks, introduce navy with Laminex Battalion cabinetry and add the warm metallic sheen of Laminex Brushed Brass to kickplates and shadowline detail.
Alternatively, you can take Marmo Bianco in a more organic direction by applying the fresh, natural mid-tones of Laminex Seed to base cabinetry. Adding Laminex Classic Oak on feature cabinetry such as overheads and towers creates a wonderful interplay between the depth of tonal variation in Marmo Bianco's marbling and Classic Oak's beautifully balanced heartwood and sapwood woodgrain detail.
The result: two very different kitchens but both are clean and modern, and very much reflect emerging trends for 2019. It's a good illustration of the considerable versatility of Essastone Marmo Bianco.
Essastone Grigio Novello: elegant shades of grey and black and blue
Grigio Novello's deep charcoal tones are perfect for anyone who wants to go dark, but not all the way to black. And because its veining is soft and grey rather than starkly white, it can be adapted just as well to modern and classic design treatments.
Laminex Lava Grey is a great companion to Grigio Novello because its warm, mid-tone grey draws out the smoky veining detail in the stone. Using it exclusively for cabinetry would make for a strikingly simple design scheme. For greater depth and a touch of rich colour, the deep navy of Laminex Battalion can be introduced as a second cabinetry decor. And to add a touch of subtle glamour, add a splash of metallics with Laminex Satin Smoke kickboards.
Our second palette tells its moody story through the names of the Laminex surfaces we've included. Starting again with Grigio Novello for benchtops, build cabinetry around the rich blue-grey of Laminex Winter Sky and, for tonal variation around this dark sophisticated scheme, consider the deep thundercloud grey of Laminex Stormcloud.
Essastone Luna Concrete: inner-urban warehouse style
The natural design application for Luna Concrete is as a feature element within a contemporary industrial look - think reclaimed timber, raw brickwork and concrete floors. Furniture and accessories featuring burnished metallic finishes and aged leather tones are also a wonderful fit.
Capture this inner-urban spirit with a feature block island clad in Luna Concrete. Introduce Laminex Black and Laminex Oyster Grey for feature cabinetry to provide structure and contrast.
The beautifully layered texture of Luna Concrete contributes to an authentic, handmade aesthetic but if extra warmth is desired, substitute Laminex Natural Walnut for the feature cabinetry decors.