SUPPLIER PROFILE | CDUK
Corian in action
KITCHENS INTERNATIONAL, GLASGOW The design below shows the flexibility of Corian and the ability to fabricate a complex, yet traditional edge profile. The sweeping island worktop in solid surface Corian Carrara Crema curves around the banquette seating and flows seamlessly into an Axix Seamless Technology sink from The 1810 Company.
KITCHEN ARCHITECTS, GLASGOW
Beautiful grey veins through a cool white surface, Corian Carrara Lino is one of the latest colours, inspired by nature’s most revered stone, which works well alongside other materials too. It is non-porous and so inherently hygienic, and the ability to create seamless pieces allows designers to create unique spaces that are durable, practical and easy to clean. According to CDUK, Corian solid surface is also repairable, indefinitely extending the life of the aesthetics.
COOKS AND COMPANY, NEWARK
This display consists of a stunning combination of Corian Cosmos Prima and Corian Carrara Lino in a standout island combined with integrated seating. Contemporary design features include a seamless chunky end panel and a Shark’s nose edge detail, a 60mm thick edge and an integrated herb garden and champagne trough. Cooks & Company are also finalists in the Showroom of the Year and Retailer of the Year categories in the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2024 [see pages 39-45 for details of all the finalists].
CNC engraving and seamless sinks has increased considerably.” Noble acknowledges that inde- pendent retailers are a key part of CDUK’s business. The KBB sector accounts for 30% of its turnover and independent retailers around 20%, which equates to around £4 million worth of sales.
Noble adds: “The independent sector has been a big part of CDUK for over 40 years. We have around 800+ displaying studios, many of whom buy from Corian Quality Network Partner fabricators, who offer a 10- year warranty. “We’ve known many of the retailers for two or three generations now. Independents bring some character and boldness into the KBB sector.
I
think that’s what allows designers to thrive and our product to stand out from the crowd. They are a big part of our future plans.”
Training
He continues: “We’d like to grow our KBB
business in future years,
concentrating on Corian in the upper- mid, premium and luxury sectors, and then introducing new work surfaces into other parts of the market.” CDUK also provides a lot of training support for its fabricators and designers with CPD seminars online or face-to-face. “We can’t
take for granted that
designers know our products, particularly Corian, just because it’s been around for nearly 50 years,” says Noble. “So if we don’t give people the confidence, if we don’t allow them to be bold and brave and help them, then we won’t stand out from the crowd.
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“Our training academy in Guildford has been open for around 18 months to offer practical training not just to fabricators, but any designers who want to get hands-on with the product. We also offer CPDs, lunch-and-learn seminars and kitchen designer training sessions online.”
CDUK can also support retailers by helping them find fabricators. It can point retailers towards its network of approved fabricators, who can offer a 10-year warranty on their work.
Sinks and basins
CDUK has a partnership with The 1810 Company and is now distributing Pfeiffer’s Mixa sinks and Vivari basins. Noble explains: “We supply some of The 1810 Company’s sinks, particu- larly Axix. We’re looking to expand our range this year. We’re introducing Mixa sinks into our range. They have been
available in the UK and Ireland for some time, but we’re going to add them to our portfolio and look to expand its breadth in the market. “We’ll be looking to work with bath room and kitchen retailers to create oppor - tunities for Mixa and Vivari.”
Sustainability is more on consumers’ minds these days, and CDUK is now offering PaperStone surfaces, which use 100% recycled paper set within natural
Independents bring some character and some boldness into the KBB sector. And that’s what allows designers to stand out from the crowd
resin, and Polygood surfaces, which are made from recycled plastic. But what of Corian in terms of sustainability? Noble says: “Corian is 100% repurposable and our mission is
to repurpose as much Corian in future years as we can. One of the beauties of Corian is that it can be reworked, re-sanded, repolished, and brought back to life. So we’re working to establish a take-back scheme that would bring materials back from our supply chains. “We think there’s maybe around 450 tonnes of solid surface material that goes to landfill every year, so we’ll take the lead in repur- posing
that in the
years to come.” In terms of new
MR Walls Corian panels can be sculpted and back-lit to create dramatic splashbacks
products, what does CDUK have in store for the future? “We would like to find a product that complements Corian in the mid and the upper-mid market,” says Noble. “We will also be looking at other innovative solutions for sinks and basins that would complement the work surfaces that we have.” Noble is also keen to make more progress with CDUK in the bathroom market. He explains: “We feel there’s an opportunity to do more in the bathroom sector. We’d like to explore that in the coming years and see how we could work more with products that are suitable for bathroom studios and bathroom retailers.” To conclude, Noble says: “We’re a small business and we’re full of people who just want to create beautiful projects. We’re ambitious. We’re agile We feel we reflect the independent network very well. “We’re not frightened to have an opinion. We’re not frightened to push the boundaries.”
• February 2024
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