Classic Quartz Alaska Bianca Worktops in Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Classic Quartz Alaska Bianca
Alaska Bianca is one of the first “big-vein” marble-look quartz worktop materials to become genuinely affordable in the UK market. Big-vein in this case may not seem appropriate for the delicate spidery patterns, but the term simply means that the veins run continuously, rather than being a random mottle.
That kind of vein must be matched at joins if the installation is going to look in any way professional. This is facilitated in Alaska Bianca by the pattern being almost identical from slab to slab, and the veining is available in symmetrical “A” and “B” slabs. This makes complex projects with “waterfall islands” (with mitred downstands) relatively straightforward, at least in terms of stone planning. The material is moderately full-bodied, with the vein running deep into the stone. See the case study for the results of that.
Pricing for Alaska Bianca will depend on the efficiency of slab usage to get those neatly joined veins. But for jobs where there is not excessive wastage, the cost approaches our own in-stock marbled quartzes such as Radianz Lucern Lake.
Alaska Bianca Classic Quartz Worktops in Haywards Heath, West Sussex
This project in a traditional cottage on the southern edge of Haywards Heath was in collaboration with our friends at HKS – the town’s leading kitchen showroom. We have been working regularly with Lloyd and Gary for years now. I have to say that I always appreciate their crisp and business-like communication, clear kitchen plans and really hard work in the interests of their customers. Their studio hasn’t become the force it is by chance. Solid local businesses take years of building, and HKS HH is a prime example of the fruit of consistent effort and a readiness to pay attention to customers’ needs. If you are in Mid-Sussex and looking for a new kitchen, then you can do far worse than start your researches with HKS.
The kitchen is a U-shape with one long, extended leg. Two windows give great light and sense of space in what is a compact kitchen. Two windowsills with their associated upstands are a definite feature so far as we are concerned – with the challenges of vein matching that they bring. The units are classic shaker and the 30mm thick marble-look quartz makes the perfect, traditional-style top.
Alaska Bianca Classic Quartz Worktops in Haywards Heath: The Finer Details
Classic Shaker
Units are by Sinc Kitchens with the Madison door in Light Grey. The effect is classic but also fresh and contemporary – helped by the tons of light coming bin through those big windows.
Hob in Bars
The hob run is extremely long – with a join to the sink run at left hand end and slips at the hob to create the overall length. Here the joins of the hob bars can just be seen. Five burner hob by Siemens.
Hob join close-up
If you need to have your hob installed in bars there is no need to worry about obvious or unsightly joins. This is at the right hand end of the front bar.
1810 Company Sink
The sink is a Luxsoplus25 one and a half bowl unit from the 1810 Company. The tap is also 1810 – the Curvato in Chrome.
Drainer Grooves
Drainer grooves look right – especially on delicately patterned quartz worktops. They are not as effective as a traditional drainer, but they serve some function and complete the sink area aesthetically.
Chrome-finish tap
We tend to sell more brushed steel taps than chrome, but this Curvato from the 1810 Company looks just right against the fresh white and grey of the Alaska Bianca.
Vein-matching
Vein-matching is critical in marbled quartz worktops. Here you can see the same vein running across four pieces – and it actually extends up another upstand and onto another sill out of shot to the left. See our article on this.
Windowsill
For beauty AND practicality a windowsill and upstand in the same stone is the way to go. Easy to wipe down, whether its just dust and splashes or leaves from your herb pots.
This was a great project to be involved in – thank you HKS! Many kitchen and worktop companies tend to only show images of very large kitchens. This compact room shows what can be achieved in a relatively small space, and the way contemporary quartz worktops (and, to be fair, a lot of window area!) can make for a stunningly light and airy space. It is always good to work with these kitchen guys and we are glad to have done the installation. And Classic Quartz Alaska Bianca is just so good to work with, so good to look at once in, and so economical compared to some of the big brand materials.
Haywards Heath, West Sussex, is just half an hour from our Charlwood factory and showroom, so it is very much in our area with absolutely no surcharge for distance. That means low prices, with reduced overheads. Try us!
We are Affordable Granite, the leading installer of granite, quartz worktops in Surrey, Sussex and right across the South East. We aim to meet all your worktop needs – and to a high standard! For questions, queries and quotes connected with any aspect of worktop installation or kitchen design, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01293 863992 or by email on sales@affordablegranite.co.uk/ .
Photos copyright Andrew King Photography/Affordable Granite