CURVED CORNERS: CURVES ON MY GRANITE WORKTOPS

The short answer is Yes! One of the joys of working in solid stone is precisely that it can be shaped to make curved corners. Laminate worktops can have pencil round edges or large arcs but never both. Those iron-on strips give you sharp and uncompromising edges. Only in solid materials can you get lovely soft edges, or neat bevels, heading into big curves and even reverse arcs and S-bends. For more on laminate v granite worktops, please see here.

When we talk about curved corners on granite worktops we are first and foremost talking about the external corners – the bits that poke out, that you could walk into. But that also means corners that you are less likely to bump up against – the corners at a Belfast sink, for example, or the corners either side of a range. In the image here you can see that the range has ends of worktop alongside it.

A bevel corner. This is the most basic corner we can offer. We can’t make absolutely square corners for reasons explained here, and if we could they would be uncomfortable to the point of real danger if walked into! So our most angular corner is the bevel. We don’t often make bevel corners, but occasionally on contemporary, angular, slab-door kitchens where very tight overhangs have been specified, the bevel corner is the best way to go. Sometimes hearths are also made with bevels on the exposed corners.

A pencil corner  This is the smallest of what might be called curved corners. A tight radius, only a few millimetres, rounds the bevel out and makes it that little bit more comfortable if you happen to bump into it. Like the bevel corner above, the pencil is most often used in kitchens where a tight line is needed, with small overhangs and a basically square look.

A 20mm radius corner  This is probably our most popular corner in a kitchen. Shaker and other traditional styles continue very popular. These kitchens tend to have reasonable sized overhangs, clearing the door furniture, and lend themselves to larger radius corners. On top of the question of style, 20mm curved corners are vastly more comfortable if you walk into them!

A 40mm corner  This is about as large as we can ever go on a normal corner over a kitchen unit – and even then the overhang needs to be especially large to allow it. Corners like this are more common on islands, where a big overhang allows real freedom as to how the corners are cut and polished.

Our curved corner demo sample in the showroom – Azul Platino granite, cut and polished so as to show off the four styles listed above. 

Hand finishing a granite worktop at our Surrey Countertop Factory

Pilaster Corners at the ends of runs or on islands are an elegant way to finish off a line of kitchen units. This is the point where we need to start charging for making curves – but not nearly as much as the pilasters themselves are going to cost you! The radius of the curved corners on the granite worktops should allow the overhang to remain constant right round the curve.

Curves over 300mm corner units  Despite its cost, the 300mm curved corner unit is a mainstay of kitchen design, and it needs a curved worktop over it. This kind of curve costs a little more (£45-£50 from us) which is still relatively inexpensive compared to the underlying unit.

Overhangs don’t have to have large curves. This island in Steel Grey Granite keeps to 40mm radius or so all round. Bear in mind that large curves take material away. That means less space on your breakfast bar. Ultimately the choice of curved corner size needs to be based on a blend of practicality and the look you want.

Larger island curves  This stunning island in Paisley Gold granite is installed in a Betchworth, Surrey, kitchen. Check out the full case study here. The island has 300mm corner units at the other end, and has been kept symmetrical by echoing that radius at the breakfast bar.

Full arc across an island This massive slab of Ivory Fantasy in a Guildford, Surrey, kitchen has a polished arc right across its end. See full case study here.

‘Offset’ arc on island  As with the previous example, this full arc on a Cimstone Lapland island does not run from corner to corner of the units. But running the breakfast bar straight out from the units for 200mm or so, the arc doesn’t take away so much material and reasonable seating space can be maintained right across the curve. See full case study here.

Crazily curved island This rather interestingly shaped island in Arizona Granite was fitted in Chertsey, Surrey. The worktops are in Black Pearl granite, and also feature a 300mm radius curve over a corner unit.

Curved corners can be internal too! This hob run in Mirama Bronze from Radianz features a breakfront with neat S-bend curves, convex and concave. See full case study here, and our FAQ article all about breakfronts here.

Mirrored curves in the upstand This traditional kitchen in BQS Blanco Massa quartz has a 300mm radius curved corner on the peninsula. It was a great idea to take the upstands slightly higher and then give the end a curve like this, to echo the curve on the big quartz worktop. See full case study here.