Quartz and Granite Kitchen Worktops and Trends this Autumn
All of a sudden it is Autumn. The weather has changed and the jumpers have come back out and the heaters on here at the farm. I haven’t written an article on trends for a while and the more I read elsewhere, the more I feel that so much of what is written is designer speak and not what is really what we are seeing with our customers. I also feel that with so many of our homes being multi-functional spaces, with kitchens being used for entertaining, that more customers want to put their personal stamp on their own kitchen.
So, this Autumn Trends article is really a mixture of what we see actually happening here on the ground as it were, or at least in the kitchens that we are putting worktops on to, what I have seen at trade shows and what I see as new trends that I think we will see more of next year .
Trends in Kitchen Doors
Coloured kitchens are still popular with relatively few customers opting for all cabinets in white. Where white cabinets are chosen, they are often part of a bigger two-tone scheme with a darker coloured door for a bank of units or island or with a really dramatic worktop or combined with natural wood.
Colours that we have seen a lot of this year, that remain popular, are midnight blues and Forest Greens but there is also quite a lot of Graphite and textured black and ribbed doors. Certainly, we have seen a lot of dark kitchens at the various trade shows we have attended this year. A lot of the displays having dark worktops on dark units for a really dramatic impact. This combination isn’t for everyone and may not be suitable for a small or dark space. We here still tend to see lighter worktops on dark units, for the most part, with marble dark veining to pull out the colour of the doors.
Blues & Greens will remain popular into 2024 but with a move away from the midnight blue to slightly lighter blues like Colonial Blue from Blossom Avenue through to DIY kitchens Cornflower Blue. Rich dark greens will remain popular combined with hot metal door furniture but again we will also see some more pastel greens in Moonstone and Pistachio.
AG Carrara Quartz worktops and island – on a dark blue island
Rusper, near Horsham, West Sussex
Are we done with greys then?
There is a lot on the internet about whether grey has had its day, but if I scroll through our fitters’ photos, I still see quite a lot of greys. I do think there is a slight move to warmer greige tones like Tansy from Tom Howley and Charleston Grey from Farrow & Ball.
A stunning kitchen from Tom Howley featuring Tansy (grey) and Navy BlueÂ
An unusual Shaker kitchen in Farrow & Ball Charleston Grey
So, what’s new, really?
Whether it is the change in the weather or the beckoning of the Christmas season, I am completely drawn to the new rust-red doors and rich tones such as this Handleless Plum kitchen from Sustainable Kitchens
Natural Woods
For a few years we haven’t seen much in the way of wood kitchens but there seem to be a lot at trade shows. They are not the kitchens of wall to wall units with arched or polished French oak framed doors of the 90’s and 00’s, but flat doors in rustic or heavily grained textures in chunky frames . Slatted or ribbed options are also popular but, more often than not, used as an accent door rather than the whole kitchen.
An Autumn Moodboard
I had a lot of fun with this Autumn Trends moodboard, really throwing myself into the Fall vibes. I am a big fan of our Juperana Colombo granite; I love the rich golden tones and swirly pattern. I have put with it our Black Pearl in a leathered finish. Where the Juperana Colombo has a strong colour and pattern, it works well as a statement piece for a central island. The Black Pearl not only makes a fabulous contrast in colour but also in texture too.
I chose the sophisticated Sirius Feather Wallpaper in rose gold, from I Love Wallpaper. It is not just a flat colour but has the rose gold elements that appear in the Juperana Colombo and the more beige tone too. The feathers also link back to the swirls in the stone.
To compliment these I chose the Copper Shimmer which also brings out the slightly pinky tones and also the cobre Metallic Copper samples from Southern Counties glass as a more definite copper alternative. The small metallic square is the Regency Copper PVD finish for taps from Clearwater which is a really elegant copper finish.
Also on the moodboard I have opted for some even punchier colours in the Santa Maria Tango fabric (available from www.custom-curtains.co.uk together with the Dulux colours Autumn Embrace and Marigold Cheer.
We are on the slope towards Christmas, now, folks! The Bank Holidays are gone, summer holidays are a distant memory and we have mists and fog and darker evenings to look forward to. For us in the granite kitchen worktops business it is a busy time of year, as many people aim to get their kitchen sorted before the Christmas holiday. Although our product is not seasonal in itself – no one buys a set of solid stone worktops for three months! – the seasons affecting fashion and home decor in general do affect us.
Whatever your cup of tea in quartz or granite worktops, we are confident that we can find products that you will love and which will suit both your taste and your budget. And if you can wait until the New year for your worktops, be sure to check out our Special Offer – really worth it! Send us your kitchen plans – even early-stage – for a no-obligation quotation. And have a lovely Autumn!
Naomi King – Sales Manager 
A stunning slab of Juparana Bordeaux arrives at our our warehouse from famous granite wholesaler Gerald Culliford, ready for installation in the season of “mists and mellow fruitfulness.” A great autumnal stone!
