Mixed Materiality - The Recipe for Kitchen Success

The three words dominating kitchen design today?  Bespoke.  Craftsmanship.  Materiality.

The cookie cutter approach of all white, or near white, kitchens has given way to custom-designed spaces whereby a rich palette of natural materials are layered and melded to create a one-of-a-kind working/entertaining zone.

The accent is on styling that is both welcoming and decorative, where craftsmanship and sustainability work hand-in-hand with efficiency and longevity.

The kitchen pictured, designed by Australia’s leading, multi-award winning kitchen design company, Studio Minosa, expertly illustrates the evolution of the Australian kitchen.

Natural surfaces and materials include Caesarstone^® ICON™ Mineral surface in one of its new colours, Calacatta Dreamwave, plus Caesarstone^® Porcelain™ Aluminous, as well as timber and leather.

The colour palette is one of warm, earthy hues from the rich timbers of the cabinetry to the layered veining of Calacatta Dreamwave in a tonal mix of earthy greys and browns on the hero island bench and rear splashback.  The visual artistry of this polished Mineral surface is expertly balanced with the inclusion of the Porcelain Aluminous surface as the island cladding and rear worksurface – its soft, neutral grey surface emulating the appearance of freshly poured cement, while its ultra rough finish is deliciously tactile.    

The sage green cabinetry and burnished copper tapware are thoughtful inclusions to the exceptional materiality of the space.

Note the new role rangehoods are playing in today’s kitchen – by cladding the rangehood in the same tactile reeded timber, along with the Calacatta Dreamwave of the island bench, the appliance is transformed into an eye-catching feature that commands attention, while not overtaking the kitchen design.

Caesarstone^® Porcelain™ adheres to the brand’s reuse process, whereby up to 20% of a slab’s contents are the waste from the initial stages of production and 99% of all water is recycled.  It is one of the most durable surface materials available, being exceptionally resistant to heat, stains and scratching – and carries a lifetime warranty.  It is also suitable for outdoor use, given its resistance to UV rays.

Caesarstone^® ICON™ Advanced Mineral surfaces are a hand-crafted stone with superior wear and durability qualities, but unlike natural stone, it never requires sealing.  Produced from natural, sustainable materials and as much recycled content as possible (at least 80 per cent in each slab), it is the only mineral surface to carry a lifetime warranty.

All Caesarstone^® ICON™ crystalline silica-free surfaces have undergone the most rigorous of independent testing, certifying the absence of crystalline silica*.

*May contain traces of up to 1% crystalline silica