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What’s Next for Quartz?
A color and design consultant shares four trends for this popular countertop material
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When it comes to countertops, if you combined nature-inspired aesthetics with durability and quality with affordability, you may very well end up with engineered quartz. As the 2018 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study confirms, the material is now the most popular choice for countertops — and there have never been more options. Designer Mark Woodman, color and design consultant for Corian Design, a manufacturer of Corian Quartz and Corian Solid Surfaces, lays down four top trends.
1. Soft Textures
What’s the first thing you do to get a sense of a surface? You touch it. Woodman asks the same of anyone choosing a countertop. “Although quartz is inherently a hard product, when you actually have your hand on it, it feels softer and warmer to the touch,” he says.
For Woodman, leathered quartz is the texture trend right now. “People will think of an old briefcase, of leather gloves,” he says. “The connotations of it are really comforting.” Its primary qualities — that it’s versatile, nonporous and strong enough to withstand the hard knocks of kitchen living — are the same as a polished quartz surface, but the feel is softer, more textured and variable, all with less shine.
“The soft-sheen finish is more accessible across style lines as well,” Woodman says. If placed on a carved wood base, he says, the overall look becomes traditional. As part of the neutral kitchen landscape seen here, modern leathered lines in a brown-gray tone balance a rustic exposed ceiling and weathered brick walls.
What’s the first thing you do to get a sense of a surface? You touch it. Woodman asks the same of anyone choosing a countertop. “Although quartz is inherently a hard product, when you actually have your hand on it, it feels softer and warmer to the touch,” he says.
For Woodman, leathered quartz is the texture trend right now. “People will think of an old briefcase, of leather gloves,” he says. “The connotations of it are really comforting.” Its primary qualities — that it’s versatile, nonporous and strong enough to withstand the hard knocks of kitchen living — are the same as a polished quartz surface, but the feel is softer, more textured and variable, all with less shine.
“The soft-sheen finish is more accessible across style lines as well,” Woodman says. If placed on a carved wood base, he says, the overall look becomes traditional. As part of the neutral kitchen landscape seen here, modern leathered lines in a brown-gray tone balance a rustic exposed ceiling and weathered brick walls.
2. Natural Hues
Woodman suggests that the antidote to the stress of daily living is calming, natural colors. “There’s so much going on when people are in kitchens,” he says. “What are really nice colors or natural hues that give people a great background to create all the other things nature gives us in food?” One answer is the subtle textural combination of gray and white seen here on an island and waterfall countertops. The quartz’s leathered texture brings organic warmth to the space, along with the ample natural light and concrete flooring that resembles cracked stone.
While Woodman sees a lot of black or white used in kitchens, gray tones offer a pleasing equilibrium. A stone-like gray can balance other color choices, be they stainless steel appliances, cobalt blue accent pieces or various wood tones. “People want things that really do look natural,” he says.
Woodman suggests that the antidote to the stress of daily living is calming, natural colors. “There’s so much going on when people are in kitchens,” he says. “What are really nice colors or natural hues that give people a great background to create all the other things nature gives us in food?” One answer is the subtle textural combination of gray and white seen here on an island and waterfall countertops. The quartz’s leathered texture brings organic warmth to the space, along with the ample natural light and concrete flooring that resembles cracked stone.
While Woodman sees a lot of black or white used in kitchens, gray tones offer a pleasing equilibrium. A stone-like gray can balance other color choices, be they stainless steel appliances, cobalt blue accent pieces or various wood tones. “People want things that really do look natural,” he says.
3. Dramatic Patterns
Houzz’s Kitchen Trends Study also found that countertops are the top updated kitchen feature. Woodman has noticed a shift to stronger design statements and patterning when people upgrade to quartz. “For a while in design, the statement pattern wound up on the island,” he says. And with good reason — an impressive island can anchor an entire kitchen space. As seen here, diagonal veining shot through a relaxing white quartz achieves what Woodman calls “engaging drama.” When placed between romantic pendant lighting and contemporary stainless steel drawers, three layers of radiance captivate the eye.
The island is not the only place for pattern, however. “I like a statement, period,” says Woodman, “and I’m putting it on all my surfaces.” He suggests bold patterning for open kitchen shelving or a full (grout-line-free) backsplash to match a countertop. To add additional visual interest, Woodman says you could take quartz slabs and install them like tile.
Houzz’s Kitchen Trends Study also found that countertops are the top updated kitchen feature. Woodman has noticed a shift to stronger design statements and patterning when people upgrade to quartz. “For a while in design, the statement pattern wound up on the island,” he says. And with good reason — an impressive island can anchor an entire kitchen space. As seen here, diagonal veining shot through a relaxing white quartz achieves what Woodman calls “engaging drama.” When placed between romantic pendant lighting and contemporary stainless steel drawers, three layers of radiance captivate the eye.
The island is not the only place for pattern, however. “I like a statement, period,” says Woodman, “and I’m putting it on all my surfaces.” He suggests bold patterning for open kitchen shelving or a full (grout-line-free) backsplash to match a countertop. To add additional visual interest, Woodman says you could take quartz slabs and install them like tile.
4. Beyond the Kitchen
The kitchen is hardly the limit for quartz countertops. The same qualities people love — strength, durability, cleanliness and compelling design — carry right into a laundry room or bathroom, where you tend to have more products that stain than in kitchens, Woodman says. With a floor-to-ceiling vertical application, seen here, there’s nowhere for bacteria to fester, making it easy to keep clean — and water stains won’t stand a chance. The diffuse white veining also adds depth and movement to the calm gray quartz.
You can think smaller-scale, too, like furnishings or standalone accents. Consider any tabletop, from coffee to dining. You can surround a fireplace or integrate shelving, or even do a quartz headboard. “As with any material, have a professional work with you on application, fabrication and installation,” Woodman says. Given the weight and thickness quartz can have, this is sound advice.
Whether you plan to prioritize texture, color or pattern, and regardless of which room you choose, engineered quartz is a popular and yet timeless option. And with the latest designs — with their powerful marriage of aesthetics and functionality — the future looks bright.
More: For more information on Corian Design and Corian Quartz, visit the company’s website.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
The kitchen is hardly the limit for quartz countertops. The same qualities people love — strength, durability, cleanliness and compelling design — carry right into a laundry room or bathroom, where you tend to have more products that stain than in kitchens, Woodman says. With a floor-to-ceiling vertical application, seen here, there’s nowhere for bacteria to fester, making it easy to keep clean — and water stains won’t stand a chance. The diffuse white veining also adds depth and movement to the calm gray quartz.
You can think smaller-scale, too, like furnishings or standalone accents. Consider any tabletop, from coffee to dining. You can surround a fireplace or integrate shelving, or even do a quartz headboard. “As with any material, have a professional work with you on application, fabrication and installation,” Woodman says. Given the weight and thickness quartz can have, this is sound advice.
Whether you plan to prioritize texture, color or pattern, and regardless of which room you choose, engineered quartz is a popular and yet timeless option. And with the latest designs — with their powerful marriage of aesthetics and functionality — the future looks bright.
More: For more information on Corian Design and Corian Quartz, visit the company’s website.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Welcome to the Corian® US Design Houzz page. Your home is more than just nails and plaster; every surface speaks... Read More
Welcome to the Corian® US Design Houzz page. Your home is more than just nails and plaster; every surface speaks... Read More
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I think quartz is simply beautiful! But, @tville, soapstone is my favorite, too. My plan is to remodel the kitchen with soapstone, with the added 'dish grooves' near the sink, which will be traditional white enamel. I love soapstone so much, I risked creating a 'faux soapstone' finish in my first kitchen.
I think it came out sort of nice.
The possibilities are endless. It really accents the kitchen. I prefer the lighter colors since they bring more light into the room. The patterns hide imperfections over time.
I’ve always had granite which I still love. My daughter has quartz and there are many nicks on the edges around her sink and a few on the island edges.