The grand search for fashionable and durable Kitchen Materials

 

We have been planning and designing our kitchen for a very long time, and as mentioned previously there were a couple of necessities when it came to the design and product selection of the kitchen, with ‘durability and ease of every day use’ being one of the top priorities.

However, the need for durable products can sometimes compromise the aesthetic or look you are after! But we are absolutely stoked on what we have found, and in actual fact think we have ended up with a better looking kitchen as a result of the durable products we have chosen. Let’s take you through a bit of our kitchen journey and what we have learnt.

COLOUR

Right back in 2015 I decided that I wanted a Green kitchen. The design has evolved over the last four years, starting out with grand plans to have a Khaki Green cabinetry, then I moved to Mint Green, but in the end after finalising the colour palette of the house, I settled with a Sage Green.

I wish it was as easy to just say the colour you want and then wa-la you can get it, but we had to do a lot of research and shopping around until we found our perfect Kitchen cabinetry products/selection. 

Our first thoughts for the cabinets were, ‘if we want a specific colour, then let’s just paint the cabinets’. We did a few tests, got some samples pre-painted in the colour we wanted, but unfortunately even before the sample got to us it was chipped which raised concerns about durability straight away.

So we did a load of research and found working with Laminex New Zealand with their Melteca, Caesarstone and Laminam Ranges has given us both the look and functionality that we need in our Kitchen.

Plus, it was perfect timing as Melteca had released a new ‘Nature’ range of colours that had the EXACT green I wanted for the kitchen. ‘Possum’ Green.

Pictured above is Melteca’s new Tones of New Zealand range of colours.

 Here is what we found in our research of kitchen materials and the reasons why we decided on our final products.

 Painted vs. MELAMINE Cabinetry

There are pro’s and con’s in using both, but our research, testing and also talking to others has proven to us that laminate cabinetry is definitely the way to go.

PAINTED CABINETRY

Pros

  • You can get the exact colour you want by matching paint colours for your finished kitchen

  •  It is easy to change out the colour of your kitchen by repainting

Cons

  •  It Easily chips

  •  Not durable for a family kitchen

  • It’s costly!

MELAMINE CABINETRY

Pros

  • Very Durable for a family kitchen. Can handle heavy everyday use

  • Lot’s of colours to choose from as well as a wide range of timber veneer options.

  • Compared to painted cabinetry, it is cost effective

  • Very easy to make and install

Cons

  • They might not have the exact colour you want (but there is a huge selection of colours and veneer options)

Our final selection for cabinetry has been Melteca Possum for the Kitchen and Laundry cabinets, and then Melteca Classic Oak for the Scullery and Wardrobes.

BENCHTOPS

Our kitchen design has a large island bench that is a breakfast bar, as well as the main working space of the kitchen. It is a big feature to the kitchen, so we wanted a beautiful stone in large slab sizes. And with it being the main working space where the kids will eat (and spill) their food and drink, it also needs to be able to withstand mess, scrapes and every day carefree use.

Real Stone vs. Engineered Stone/Porcelain

We had a look at different real stone options, and even though there were some beautiful options of stone we were limited by the size of the slabs and also really reluctant on the ‘wear and tear’ of natural stone. We then looked at Caesarstone and Laminam products and compared pro’s and con’s to natural stone. It is clear who is the winner, especially for our family that is time poor, and not the best at keeping things tidy!

REAL STONE

Pros

  • Beautiful selection of stones and unique colours and patterns.

Cons

  • Stone stains easily from fruits, grease, oils etc.

  • There is no control over slab sizes

  • Real stone is soft and may chip or crack easily

  • Requires specific cleaning products and regimes

ENGINEEReD stones & PORCELAIN

Pros

  • It is stain resistant and low maintenance – it’s easily cleaned using mild disinfectants and detergents without affecting its surface characteristics

  • Laminam can be used for both indoor and outdoor use. We have plans for an outdoor kitchen, so will be cool to match up with the indoor kitchen look.

  • Laminam in particular come in large slab sizes, which means less cuts and joins required. As well as a slim 12mm profile.

  • Doesn’t seem to cost as much as real stone options.

  • Very realistic stone look finish. Very hard to tell the difference.

Cons

  • It isn’t natural stone.

Our final selection for kitchen bench tops and outdoor kitchen is Laminam Bianco Statuario Venato, for it’s classic look, but also slab sizes are up to 3.2 meters long.

We then chose Ceasarstone Empira White for the Laundry and Scullery bench tops, again for the classic Marble look and durability in a high use area..

Here are some progress photos of the Kitchen areas with our final products chosen. Final reveal is to come soon!

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Alex Walls