Wednesday, 13 February 2019

The role of colour in your quartz kitchen worktops in Haywards Heath


Renovating an existing kitchen or planning a brand spanking new one is a serious investment and you'll want to get it right. The choice of colour for your quartz kitchen worktops in Haywards Heath plays a significant role in setting the mood and establishing the design theme.

The beauty of quartz is that the colour options are not as restrictive as natural stones such as granite or marble. As a man-made, engineered stone, the minerals and pigments which are combined with the crushed quartz, provide a wide colour spectrum and stunning visual effects. This provides the opportunity to introduce a mood-enhancing ambiance, reflecting the personality of the home environment.

In a small kitchen, the choice of white for the quartz kitchen work surface can create a sense of space, purity and cleanliness. To avoid a boring or bland affect, teaming the worktops with brighter splashbacks or warmer base materials such as wooden or painted cabinets, will balance the character and mood. Consider the slightly warmer white of Radianz Lucern Lake from Affordable Granite's Premium Plus Extra range, or Arcadia Quartz for a tighter budget.

At the opposite end of the colour spectrum, jet black Quartz is a stunning and sophisticated focal feature with dramatic affect. It's also versatile, combining well with all other colour pallets.

If you aspire to have an attention-grabbing kitchen, installing red quartz worktops suggests an area of high energy and also gives the opportunity to introduce a playful element to the overall design scheme. The vibrant red of Cimstone's Recife makes a strong statement in the contemporary kitchen and marries perfectly with plain white cabinetry.

The various tones and colour options are too extensive to cover here, but the Affordable Granite team can discuss your ideas and advise on selection to meet your budget. If your aspirations are for a relaxed vibe or a vibrant ambiance, the highest quality of quartz for your  kitchen worktops will complete your vision of a kitchen to fall in love with.

Call us today on 01293 863992 for more information.

Tuesday, 5 February 2019

How to ensure the quality of your granite kitchen worktops in Haywards Heath


You may have coveted the granite you've seen in other kitchen work surfaces, and expect to find the exact slab in colour and hues for your own kitchen.
Granite however, is unique to the site where the stone has been extracted and even with the same provenance, each layer will depend on the how the magma has crystallised beneath the Earth's surface and the mineral content which has formed around the main formation of the rock. If you want to ensure the quality of your granite kitchen worktops in Haywards Heath and to make the best choice to complement your interior design scheme, there are several issues to consider.

The higher price of certain granites doesn't necessarily mean that lower priced examples are of a lesser quality, with the supply and demand of the rarer colours and striations increasing the value of the stone. Shipping costs also reflect the price, especially if the limited supplies are transported in smaller quantities. Affordable Granite are able to pass on to customers discounts achieved by purchasing the more plentiful options in bulk from trusted wholesalers, with stringent quality control at every stage.

It's highly advisable to view and select your stone due to the variance in the sample of the slab which will be cut and polished before installing your granite kitchen worktops. Cutting from the same block will reduce the variance of colour and grain. Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder, and where some might be happy to have naturally occurring fissures in the finished surface, others may prefer a more uniform appearance. The Affordable Granite team will advise on the difference between a natural fissure and the structural defect of a crack which can expand over time.

Even the most superior quality granite won't be given the appreciation it deserves without a dedicated team of templaters, fabricators and installers. Affordable Granite have built an exceptional reputation in and around Haywards Heath over many years for ensuring the investment in your new kitchen will meet all your expectations and give decades of delight in the finished project.

Thursday, 24 January 2019

Shining a light on quartz kitchen worktops in Brighton


The great debate of quartz versus granite or marble for your Brighton kitchen worktops continues to be a hot topic. If you aspire to a design scheme which has the appearance of natural stone without the maintenance, quartz provides the combination of nature's bounty and advanced engineering techniques with minimal upkeep. The non-porous properties of quartz gives a hygienic surface which is impervious to stains and bacterial growth. In choosing quartz for your kitchen worktops in Brighton, you will have the benefit of durability with a striking visual appeal, reflecting the character of your home lifestyle.

Admittedly, quartz doesn't have the same uniqueness as granite or marble, but many prefer the uniformity of colour and veining of this engineered stone. There is still a natural feature, as quartz crystals are the main element of the slab, combined with a smaller percentage of polymer resins and fragments of re-cycled metal or glass. When pigments are added to the mix, the colour spectrum is spectacular and vast.

When selecting the quartz for your kitchen space, consider the overall look and style you want to achieve. As the work surfaces are likely to be the main focus, the choice of colour and will reflect the identity of an ultra-modern, traditional or country-style kitchen. A zonal layout with sociable peninsulas or island units, provides the scope for mix-and-match tones and finishes.

The industrial 'grunge' look is on-trend for 2019, with Affordable Granite's addition to the range of Excava from Caesarstone or the new arrival of the industrial character of Silestone's Silver Lake textured white, from the Loft series. The quartz colour palette provides the opportunity to achieve an open plan kitchen-dining area that is a harmonious fusion, with effects which can be muted or breathtaking in luminosity.

Affordable Granite are committed to ensuring an end-to-end service deserving of a superb quality product, from the initial sourcing through a trusted supplier, to skilled Stonemasons, Templaters and our experienced installation team. Your vision for a stunning kitchen  in your Brighton home for your present needs, will also be a wise investment for the future.

Call us today to find out more on 01293 863992