European engineered stone trends just got closer

The tendency in kitchen trends is they start in Europe, make their way across to Australia and eventually sneak into New Zealand. The trickle-down of design choices means that only a handful of New Zealand designers get the opportunity to use the most innovative and on-trend engineered stone product.

But Jason Ranston from Archant says it’s an issue that has now been addressed in their latest collection, which comprises 29 colours in 14 new decors in the most on-trend engineered stone sourced directly from Italian suppliers. “What we’re trying to do is break down that barrier and bring Europe closer to New Zealand and allow designers and consumers to access the latest trends.”

To select the range, Archant worked with a range of New Zealand designers and spoke to them about what’s hot, what’s not and addressed any deficiencies they had in their range. They then travelled to Italy and met with suppliers and vendors to source “the finest collection of engineered stone available”.

Consumers in New Zealand are becoming more empowered to make their own design decisions, says Jason. They’re seeing the products that they love on social media, Pinterest, magazines and design websites, and they’re prepared to pay for quality to get the look and feel they’re after - “Consumers are creating spaces that are truly exceptional.”

As such, Archant sourced three ranges to cater to the vast range of personal choices:

The Ultimate Series, which as the name suggests, is the ultimate in colour and texture and is for those who appreciate luxury and a little bit of opulence in their design; the Impressions Series is quite a refined offering and slightly more daring as it ventures into warmer colours; and the Project Series takes in a range of pearl finishes and classic whites.

The three series' not only encompass all the latest colours and decors but the latest textures too, an important feature of the trends occurring in Europe.

“People are moving towards a natural organic material look. We have a range called Metropolis, it’s matte and the finish resembles concrete. The great thing about it is it looks like concrete but it doesn’t come with the issues associated with concrete.”

The on-trend texture has been very popular in dark tones, says Jason, but there’s also been a new trend with white tones that veers away from the traditional ‘jet white’ popular with consumers for the past decade.

“It’s not that people are going away from the jet white, it’s that they want more depth in the pattern of the white that they are getting.”

For example, Metropolis Oyster is white with smoky tones and hues that are more detailed and more expressive than what’s been previously available. There are hints of grey and black and these notes change the visual appearance of the benchtop so that when standing back from the benchtop you see white, but as you move closer you are drawn into the detail.

Jason is noticing the trend for the organic elements associated with the imperfections found in nature and he says consumers want their engineered benchtops to be unique with design elements “that draw you in”.

Because their engineered stone range now encompasses a highly personalised aesthetic Archant’s sample size has increased to reflect consumers need to see those wide-ranging organic elements of the stone.

“Traditionally people get a 100mm x 100mm block sample, but the problem with that is it doesn’t really give you a perspective of what a real slab could look like. So we’ve moved to a 250mm x 125mm sample size which is much more substantial and gives you a real feel for what the slab will look like and ultimately what the bench top will look like.”

When customers are spending upwards of $10,000 on a benchtop or splashback that they will stand in front of for the next 10 years it simply makes sense, says Jason – after all, you wouldn’t purchase a $50,000 car without viewing it first.  

Knowing what a kitchen design will look like when it’s completed is crucial, and Jason says Archant recommends viewing the slab that has been selected before finalising a design. Currently, Archant has a wide range of large-sized sample slabs in their Auckland showroom and next year they will have even more substantial examples from their range of 29 colours available to view.

Jason says when viewing the slabs customers often ask about certifications, and this is a growing concern for consumers. Archant's range is NZS certified and has a Greenguard certificate. These certifications mean the stone is food safe, kosher, it doesn’t emit chemicals into the air and it can be used in sustainable builds due to its performance and waste management process during manufacture.

Much like buying a diamond, the investment in a precious engineered stone benchtop is something consumers take seriously, says Jason; they want to know where their stone came from and be sure of the quality and environmental impact of the product, as much as they want a bespoke product that will shine as the centrepiece in their design.

Want to know more about the latest trends in engineered stone? Be sure to visit Archant on ArchiPro today or visit the Auckland showroom to learn more.