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This material by Caesarstone may look like quartz but it’s not! Semi-precious stone can be used as a for a beautiful display.
It’s crafted from hand-selected natural gemstones such as agate, quartz, amethyst and jasper that are bonded with resin to create a one-of-a-kind solid surface design. Due to the unique color and transparency properties of each stone, each handcrafted slab essentially becomes an inimitable piece of art!
Source: all semi-precious stones from Caesarstone.
:::Kitchen Countertop Material: Semi-Precious Stones::: /stevenandchris/content/images/__common/_slideshow/_fullslide/countertop-trends-bamboo.jpg:::Bamboo is eco-friendly and much stronger than your regular butcher block. Bamboo material — particularly in the form that's used for countertops — looks, feels and responds just like wood. However, to be technically correct it's not wood — it’s a form of grass.
As a building material, bamboo is an "engineered" product. It's an assembly of many pieces of bamboo that are glued together to form boards and panels — similar to how plywood is made. There are different configurations for bamboo countertop construction.
Source: checker-board end-grain bamboo from Teragren.
:::Kitchen Countertop Material: Bamboo::: /stevenandchris/content/images/__common/_slideshow/_fullslide/countertop-trends-paperstone.jpg:::Paperstone is made from 100 per cent post-consumer recycled paper. After trimming it to length, resin-saturated sheets are stacked and moved into a press where they are fused together under heat and pressure. The paper sheet count determines the thickness of the finished panels.
PaperStone's non-porous surface provides a lifetime of stain resistance and it absorbs virtually no water. Any surface cuts or marks may be sanded or rubbed out with an abrasive pad.
Since this product is 100 per cent recyclable, don't feel bad if you get bored of it and want to change it out!
Source: Slate by Paperstone.
:::Kitchen Countertop Material: Paperstone::: /stevenandchris/content/images/__common/_slideshow/_fullslide/countertop-trends-concrete.jpg:::Regular concrete is a tough material to work with and definitely should not be something one should take on as a DIY. Concrete can't just be placed onto regular cabinets because it is very heavy and needs reinforced cabinets (and sometimes even reinforced floor joists!). The labor cost with concrete is very high and removing it, if it tires you, is not easy either.
CaesarStone’s concrete quartz eliminates all the above issues, is easy to install and virtually indestructible!
Source: Fresh Concrete and Raw Concrete from CaesarStone.
:::Kitchen Countertop Material: Concrete Quartz::: /stevenandchris/content/images/__common/_slideshow/_fullslide/countertop-trends-leathered.jpg:::The leathered finish is a new way of finishing granite that is becoming increasingly popular. The density (or depth) of its texture will vary depending on the type and composition of the stone. This gives you a more sophisticated look to the stone.
The leathering process closes the stone’s pores which helps it to become more stain-resistant than the honed surface. A leathered finish retains the stone's natural color, while the honing process washes out the natural color. A leathered finish also hides fingerprints and water spots better than a polished surface.
Source: Leathered granite from York Fabrica.
:::Kitchen Countertop Material: Leathered Granite:::