2017 has been an exciting year in the sintered stone industry, with more products on the market than ever before. A combination of technological innovation in design and manufacture, and increased consumer demand for thinner and larger formats, has meant Neolith® now offers customers bigger, bolder and brighter surfaces.
Decor choices for household interiors are deeply personal, so finding a universally consistent taste can be difficult. However, Neolith® has identified a number of trends in sintered stone.
Fade to grey
White marbles and greys are in the spotlight this year, throughout the household, but especially in the kitchen/dining and bathroom. A highly desirable aesthetic, grey has a universal appeal and application, whether as part of a neutral scheme with a white or black foundation, or, equally, combined with earth tones or pastel colours.
Carrara marble continues to remain a popular choice. Its beautiful grey veining means it is continually used for centrepiece kitchen islands, an important design aspect within the contemporary kitchen.
Continual research and development mean that manufacturers can now create realistic replicas of this type of stone without the ongoing maintenance, hygiene and cost issues associated with the genuine article. Neolith®’s Blanco Carrara proves that you can enjoy the best of both worlds – it’s a low-maintenance, high-spec surface that looks and feels like the real thing.
Slimming down
Thin is definitely in, with a move away from thicker profiles towards slimmer-looking contours. 12mm has become the standard for contemporary applications, especially for worktops and kitchen surfaces.
Rust never sleeps
Home owners once deterred by the cost or practicality of having real metal in the household are catered for by today’s manufacturers, which use state-of-the-art decoration technology to produce surfaces with authentic metal-like appearance.
To provide some contrast and warmth to a space, Neolith® found that by adding an aged and distressed metallic finish to its stone, this would provide an ideal focus point and prevent the room from becoming cold or stark. This effect works very well against a dark background, which helps this type of stoneware to stand out.
Go big (or go home)!
Large-format wall tiles are becoming increasingly popular in today’s contemporary interiors. For example, in bathroom installations, large slabs are easy to apply and, from a hygiene point of view, mean less grouting. The same principle can be applied across the house, from the kitchen and living room to the patio, and even exterior walls.
Larger slabs also make it easier to create a statement piece and are effective in offering an easy-to-maintain, open space. The range of finishes now available on the market (including marble, wood and metallic) means that the only limit to home owners is their imagination.
Decoding an ENIGMA
From Neolith®’s perspective, the global hotel and restaurant industry is a great place to register new trends and ambitious design. Often the large budgets behind these projects allow manufacturers and designers to be more adventurous, producing highly creative interiors that catch the eye and fire the imagination.
The possibilities for the home owner are myriad, and there is plenty of inspiration for those looking to incorporate bold patterns and textures within their decor, especially in the kitchen.
Recently, Neolith® worked with the award-winning RCR Arquitectes and celebrated architect Pau Llimona to create an interior for Albert Adria’s ENIGMA restaurant in Barcelona, Spain. Based on a vivid watercolour, full of swirling blues and greens, Neolith® mapped out the painting and incorporated it into its sintered stone using proprietary digital printing decoration technology, Neolith® Digital Design (NDD).
The end result was an immersive and eyecatching experience, enhanced by the careful implementation of the surfacing, which guaranteed consistency in the stonework. The potential for such design to be used within the home arena is huge, and more and more Neolith® is receiving requests for bespoke products to bring the vision of the client to life.
To find out more about Neolith® by TheSize, visit https://www.neolith.com/en/ or email hello@neolith.co.za.
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