Caesarstone engineered quartz surfaces are available in numerous designs, some of which replicate industrial-type materials, such as concrete and natural stones. It’s important for us to see designs in large formats – after all, a kitchen island can be around three or more metres long – that’s a lot of surface area, and it’s vital that we have a realistic idea of patterning and scale. Excava has a textured finish, and the subtle colours are varied and interesting. This could be one that would work well with a black or dark grey island. It’s also available in a slim depth of just 13mm as well as the more standard 20mm and 30mm

We stopped off at the CRL Stone displays, to look at a variety of ceramic and quartz designs. The Ceralsio range is made from ceramic, and is extremely hardwearing as well as having all the usual resistance to scratches and stains. The latest CRL Quartz collection of engineered quartz stone comes in two depths, 20mm and 30mm and is also tough and resilient. Often our clients express an interest in using real marble for their project, but as it’s porous it’s not always suitable. However, we could now show them a sample of Ceralsio Bianco Silver which has the look of marble without any of the potential issues of real marble. We liked the Ceralsio Belvedere Black as well – a nice choice to add contrast to pale cream or ivory cabinetry.

There was a lot to look at Cosentino, the collections include Silestone quartz, Sensa granite and Dekton, which is a very slim and compact surface replicating stunning natural stones. The Liquid series is influenced by the beauty of nature, and the Avant Garde series has a high-shine finish and is inspired by natural stone textures and patterns. Sensa by Cosentino is a natural stone surface, available in 20mm and 30mm thicknesses, and it has a Senguard NK stain protection for improved performance and doesn’t need daily maintenance.