Engineered stone – quartz – continues to grow in significance in our solid stone kitchen worktops business. Most of our quartz worktops are sold on a bespoke basis, and from time to time we try to review colour trends as we plan ahead, and look at stocking specific colours.

Looking back over the first quarter of the year sparkly black quartz worktops have held their own as the dominant colour, and we have sold a significant volume over the period sourced from various manufacturers. All look very similar and in practice what tends to sell is the most economical brand for each individual customer’s kitchen plan. While most manufacturers only sell standard slabs, occasionally the extra-large jumbo slab of Negro Stellar Silestone by Cosentino or the half-size slab of Nero Stelline available from Arenastone can totally alter the economics of the quote and swing the deal.

Grey quartzes have accounted for about a third of what has been sold in quartz worktops here at Affordable Granite this quarter. This is up on last year when we were probably selling more cream quartzes. At the purer grey, and therefore pricier, end of the scale we have sold Kensho by Silestone, a beautifully pure light grey with a silky finish.

Also in the lighter greys we have sold Ceniza by Compac and Grigio Serena by Arenastone. This week we have a couple of sparkly grey quartzes in our workshop, a dark grey by Cimstone called Elvas, and Alumino Nube by Silestone, which has a more delicate sparkle in a lighter grey and white background.

Whites are popular too with our own Cimstone Arcadia selling extremely well and some of the extra-pure whites too. Quite a lot of people are going for white on white – white worktops on white units, creating a great blank canvas for brighter coloured accessories or glass splash-backs etc.

A new colour that we have installed as kitchen worktops for the first time is Truffle by Stone of London: a lovely buff suede colour with a very light delicate mottle. Other browns and creams sold this year include our own stock of Oasis by Cimstone, and Crema Sasso from Arenastone. Both of these are light creams. We have also seen customers choosing Nevers by Cimstone – a lovely cream with brown speckles –  and the dark brown sparkly Caldera, also by Cimstone.

If any of these grab you or you wish to discuss another option please email sales@affordablegranite.co.uk or call one of our sales team on 01293 863992