BATHROOMS & KITCHENS ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES


What are the latest surface trends for the kitchen and bathroom? Ben Bryden, Sales and Marketing Director at RAK Ceramics UK, takes a look.


Practical, versatile and stylish flooring solutions don’t get much better than porcelain tiles. Strong and durable, this is a material that is suited to all areas of a home, and the kitchen and bathroom in particular. Practicality should take precedence here and durability is key.


Whether it is used for a kitchen worktop or a bathroom floor, the material chosen needs to be hardwearing and made to last. Ease of maintenance and cleaning is another essential element, and slip resistance is of equal importance. This is what makes tiling, and porcelain tiles in particular, such a popular choice for all sorts of surface applications.


The manufacturing process of porcelain, which uses a finer and denser clay combined with high temperature and high pressure, results in a material that is far stronger than other types of ceramic, making this material highly suited for flooring. Areas such as the kitchen and bathroom can benefit in particular from the properties of porcelain which, because of its density, is extremely resistant to humidity and water. It is also resistant to chemicals and staining, so everyday spillages in the kitchen can be easily wiped clean.


Porcelain is also favoured in kitchens and bathrooms because of its versatility. The colour and style choice is almost endless and finishes are variable, giving designers a huge amount of creative freedom and enabling the material to be used in almost any application. Tiles can be printed or embossed in numerous ways and solid floor tiles can be mixed-and-matched in patterns and colours of any combination. They can be chosen to match or contrast with wall tiling and splashbacks for a cohesive look and can replicate the look of many hardwoods and natural stones for the ultimate luxe aesthetic.


Nature-inspired tiles are still very much on-trend and porcelain offers the perfect opportunity to bring the great outdoors into the home without compromising on function. Tiles with a marble-effect pattern work well when teamed with materials such as wood, creating a calming, timeless and high-end look. Revised classy marble and granite inspired patterns displaying elegant veins, used on kitchen floors for example, create a sophisticated ambience.


Wood is another very popular material for creating a rustic style in the home, but can be difficult to care for. Wood-effect porcelain tiles provide an effective solution. Whether chosen in a vintage style with distressed wood-look tiles and a matt finish or a glossy finish that replicates polished wood, all the beauty of wood can be enjoyed with porcelain tiles that look the part and will last for years with very little maintenance.


Porcelain also offers a wonderful opportunity to introduce pops of colour to any setting, with vibrant colourways to catch the eye of visitors and turn a specific area into


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Solid, durable and extremely versatile, RAK Ceramics Curton are stone-look porcelain tiles that make a highly attractive visual impact. Creating a welcoming atmosphere that suits a sophisticated environment and giving a sensation of wellness and relaxation, Curton is available in Beige, Taupe or Grey.


a focal point. This trend isn’t limited by space either, working well in compact locations such as cloakrooms and wet rooms, as well as larger bathrooms and open- plan kitchens.


Providing the opportunity to zone large areas, tiles can add differentiation where required. This is something that has often been seen in commercial settings and is now increasingly the case domestically too, particularly as open-plan kitchen living areas become more the norm. The variety in formats, finishes and shading enables tiles to be used for consistency through kitchen, dining and living spaces in an open-plan home, and in broken-plan living spaces tiles can be used to create visual barriers without building solid walls.


A key trend in tile design is a move towards large-format tiles. These offer a stylish and minimal look, with less grout creating a clean and uninterrupted finish. Using large-format tiles in smaller spaces will help the room appear bigger, while also making cleaning simpler.


Installation of the tiles themselves is also straightforward, with mega slabs from RAK Ceramics minimising grout lines and creating a luxe look. Such slabs offer endless design possibilities that can be used across the home and in commercial situations such as bars and restaurants too, providing a seamless finish.


www.rakceramics.com/uk www.tomorrowstileandstone.co.uk


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