Underlining how design flexible and installation friendly Bushboard’s ready-made Encore solid surface components can be, is this impressive island unit fitted by retailer Interior Harmony in the kitchen of a £1.1m home in Bath. Encore components in Calico were paired with a contemporary handleless Schmidt kitchen for a feature island unit, work surfaces, upstands and hob panel in the 25sqm kitchen.

From traditional to contemporary the classic kitchen design has seen many distinct styles over the years, and one British manufacturer you can rely on for iconic and on-trend kitchen surface design is Formica Limited. As an innovator and leader in manufacture and design of kitchen worktops, Formica Limited works closely with architects, designers and specifiers to offer innovative product designs and décors responding to British market needs.

COMPAC have taken the beauty, colours, and textures of stone and combined these and other key physical characteristics with quartz to produce what is probably the best kitchen or bathroom quartz worksurface range on the market – the Nature Collection.

Zenolite, an acrylic decorative panel exclusively available in the UK from David Clouting, offers an exciting, eco friendly, colourful, tough and light weight alternative to more traditional interior wall surface materials such as back painted glass, ceramic, aluminium and wood. Zenolite features a palette of 10 innovative colours offering endless possibilities to create inspirational designs for kitchens and bathrooms.

CD UK, the company responsible for introducing Corian® to the UK over 30 years ago is the UK’s sole distributor of this award-winning solid surface material. New applications for this durable, repairable, hygienic and easy-to-care-for material are evolving all the time, but the kitchen sector still takes the lion’s share of the market and in particular for worktops.

The number of types and colours of granite available today is larger than ever, and stoneCIRCLE offers hundreds of them as well as a large selection of engineered stone. The company has a modern CNC equipped factory in Basingstoke where it manufactures natural and engineered stone worktops to order, as well as a range of other bespoke products in a variety of stones.

Interfab Ltd have fabricated DuPont™ Corian® as Solid Surface Specialists for over 22 years. We work to the highest standards of craftsmanship and service primarily in Central, Southern, Western England and Wales. As DuPont™ Network Fabricators a full 10 year warranty applies to all our work.

Sometimes it’s nice to complement eye catching kitchen furniture with the use of more subtle granites, such as Steel Grey granite; available in a polished, leathered or a Hydro finish. In the image, a leathered Steel Grey worktop has been complemented with a ‘Hydro’ finished, Steel Grey back splash. The Hyrdo finished splash back is sealed and has delightfully tactile finish that complements the leathered worktop.

High gloss, high tech solid acrylic Parapan® is now available in a 4mm thickness that is ideal for splashbacks, light pelmets, cornices, wall cladding and curved panels. The 4 mm Parapan® has all the same proven qualities of the 18mm; the 22 colours are UV stable so they won’t fade and solid which means that any minor blemishes can easily be repaired.

Bushboard’s splashbacks combine stylish good looks, cost effectiveness and the practicality of a seamless laminate surface on the wall areas between worktops and wall units. The company’s Omega range offers a choice of 34 different splashbacks spanning the design diversity of the worksurface portfolio.

Three new surface textures for Westag & Getalit’s HPL-laminate bonded worktops were launched at KBB London. From the discreet textile structure of Tessuto to the authentic stone surfaces of Roca and Scivaro, numerous possible surface and decor combinations were displayed.

Since introducing kitchen worktops the HPP range has gone from strength to strength and now incorporates a wide range of laminate and solid surface decors. Exclusive to HPP, Fusion laminate kitchen worktops are manufactured in single post form and double post form while the solid surface products are all sourced from the Earthstone range by Wilsonart.

James Latham continues to have great success among architects and interior designers in both the residential and commercial sectors with HI-MACS® Natural Acrylic Stone™ solid surfaces which is ideal for a wide variety of kitchen and bathroom applications. HI-MACS® is easily fabricated and boasts visually seamless lines.

Europe's leading luxury worktop manufacturer, Sheridan, has launched a new addition to its increasingly popular, Apollo® Quartz range of worktops. Apollo® Metallica Quartz is a stunning new Quartz worktop, manufactured from a combination of over 90% natural quartz, stain resistant polymers and metallic particles.

The only way for a solid surface worktop product to fully utilise the potential of solid surface material is to be solid! No MDF or particleboard substrate, but truly 100% SOLID solid surface. MISTRAL’s 25mm thick SOLID solid surface can be shaped with the imagination of the designer without the constraints and extra cost of time-consuming end-capping.

The spectrum of worktop materials and its ability to provide a product most suitable for each customer’s requirements is never tested as rigorously as it is in harder times. Each product must endeavour to present greater value to the customer, which does not necessarily translate to cheaper products, but ones with more choice, more features, and more possibilities!

EGGER’s new range of worktops presents combined door and worktop concepts together for the first time. The development of textures such as the deep linear ST22 finish and the enhanced reproduction quality has led to growth in the use of melamine faced chipboard (MFC) as frontals. The rise of MFC slab doors offers a premium look for an entry level price, allowing kitchen manufacturers to potentially increase their sales margins.

Uniformly coloured worktops have enhanced the evolution of the fashionable monolithical appearance so many people desire. Solid Surface materials including Apollo® Magna and Apollo® Slab Tech share this highly sought after joint free look.

IDS is widening the availability of its Hanex solid surfacing brand to the kitchen sector with its extensive choice of 100 decors. 

Hygienic and easy to clean, high-performance Corian® has long been a favourite of kitchen designers for worktops. Fontana Sinks combine Corian® with the highest quality stainless steel base which offers a practical and durable finish which is also easy to maintain.

Worktops cover the largest area in a kitchen so it is paramount that quality, design and aesthetics are taken into consideration when planning this space. Affordability is also a key factor for many clients.

James Latham, the UK's leading distributor of timber, panels, flooring and solid surface now offers Silica worktops as part of its extensive portfolio of decorative interior products. And it’s been an instant hit with both architects and interior designers looking for a solid surface option without the high costs often associated with bespoke alternatives.

Granite Transformations has seen a dramatic upturn in demand for earthy tones such as Lago Ambra, Terra Ombra, Tiger Beige and Rosso Fuoco; vibrant Cristallino Orange is another big seller and equally eyecatching Dream Green is predicted to be a hit in 2011.

Fancy something a little different to the usual selection of granites, tiles and paints? If so, why not add a splash of colour with a unique kiln - fused glass design from ‘Steve Robinson Glass’?

Steve Robinson Glass produce 6 ranges of exciting contemporary splash-backs – ‘Colonsay’, ‘Earth’, ‘Mono’, ‘Retro’, ‘Stripe’, and ‘Wave’. Each splash back has a unique, handmade quality and delightfully tactile character with random - natural bubbles that act as a prism to reflect light and colour.

With the new Enki collection of glass splashbacks from the CP Group, consumers have an even greater opportunity to make a show-stopping centrepiece.

The Brights range will add sensational colour to the walls, perfect for creating red hot looks this summer while the Muted collection offers timeless style and a wide colour palette with the popular shades of amethyst, mink and sage. And for those who prefer their monochromatic colour schemes, the Mono range includes contemporary glass splashbacks in black, white and silver.

Blackheath Products boasts one of the UK’s most comprehensive collections of laminate, solid surfacing and solid wood worksurfaces from one central location. And not just any worktops, they pride themselves on offering distinctive and recognisable brands such as Axiom, Duropal, Egger, Encore, Heartwood solid wood, Nuance, Prima and Tradeline.

Blackheath Products boasts one of the UK’s most comprehensive collections of laminate, solid surfacing and solid wood worksurfaces from one central location. And not just any worktops, they pride themselves on offering distinctive and recognisable brands such as Axiom, Duropal, Egger, Encore, Heartwood solid wood, Nuance, Prima and Tradeline.

stoneCIRCLE’s natural and engineered stone worktops are made to order in their own CNC equipped factory and can be teamed with a matching splash back and/or stone wall and floor tiles.

The company offers hundreds of different types and colours of granite, meaning that your customer can choose one to suit her kitchen and pocket and will end up with unique kitchen surfaces that are beautiful and hard wearing to boot. Engineered stones also exist in many different colour and stone combinations and stoneCIRCLE are approved fabricators for many of the leading brands such as CaesarStone, Dupont® Zodiaq™, Silestone and Q-Stone.

As from 1st March, the Maia brand of solid surface worktops will be offering a special, tailored service catering for individual requests.

This new offering will be referred to as ‘Works Service’ and was introduced as result of a growing demand for island units. Now, for a complete and coordinated look in the kitchen, homeowners can enjoy maia even if their requirements are not met by the standard range of products.

As the trend for textured woodgrains in the kitchen kicks up a gear, Pronorm offers designers the flexibility with 11 of its woodgrain effects as laminated worksurfaces made to bespoke specifications. Pictured is Rift Oak Light which marries a fashionable medium colour tone with a textured woodgrain surface, while also being easy maintenance on a day to day basis. Rift Oak Light, along with its sister colour of Rift Oak Dark, can be specified as a worksurface to match door frontals and both team well with plain colours, allowing designers to create the trend look for contrast in the kitchen.

The Pure Inspiration brand of Thermopal laminate worktops, exclusively available from NESP ltd, have grown steadily since the launch almost 5 years ago. Through tough economic times, the quality of the brand has shone through ensuring sales have grown through this time.

Transcending time and style, PWS’ range of timber worksurfaces now features 15 species, including 9 in full stave options adding a further aesthetically pleasing dimension to the hugely successful range.

Since introducing kitchen worktops the HPP range has gone from strength to strength and now incorporates a wide range of laminate and solid surface decors. Exclusive to HPP, Fusion laminate kitchen worktops are manufactured in single post form and double post form from 28mm and 38mm thick, while the solid surface products are all sourced from the Earthstone range by Wilsonart.

Interfab Ltd have fabricated DuPont™ Corian® as Solid Surface Specialists for over 22 years. We work to the highest standards of craftsmanship and service primarily in Central, Southern, Western England and Wales. As DuPont™ Network Fabricators a full 10 year warranty applies to all our work.

HI-MACS® is ideal for the preparation of food, as proven by the increasing number of kitchen manufacturers specifying it primarily for this function. However HI-MACS® offer designs and performance that extend beyond the purely functional requirement of a kitchen.

Zenolite, an acrylic decorative panel exclusively available in the UK from David Clouting, offers an exciting, eco friendly, colourful, tough and light weight alternative to more traditional interior wall surface materials such as back painted glass, ceramic, aluminium and wood.

Granite, Quartz and Solid Surface worktops are no longer only for those with a six figure budget for their kitchen renovation, fitting Apollo® Quicktops® worktops now means that luxury worktops are within reach of most budgets. Using the latest in V groove technology, Quicktops® worktops are identical in appearance to the more expensive solid versions, and in day to day use Apollo® Quicktops® worktops are just as strong, durable, hygienic and resistant to heat and stains…infact the only difference is the amount left in your bank balance.

CaesarStone, synonymous with style and durability, has created their ‘Get Thinner’ 13mm designer collection, to compliment the existing 20mm and 30mm thick range. The new range was showcased at Ecobuild, held at ExCel, London, between 1st and 3rd March 2011.

Forget templating. Forget lead times. And forget off-site fabrication or specifiying pre-sized modules because Bushboard’s Encore solid surface worktop range involves none of these and is the fastest and easiest solution for undermounted sinks on the market today.

How often are you told that it’s your unique selling points that make the difference between you getting the business or not? And there’s no doubt that these are competitive times when retailers need to optimise the value of every sale.

LG Hausys, after in-depth dialog with Architects and Designers, is delighted to announce the launch of 9 new stunning HI-MACS® solid colours for 2011. This brings the total number of colours on offer in HI-MACS® to more than 100 fabulous shades.

From multi-functional areas, through relaxing and harmonizing spaces, to sophisticated areas choosing colours is one of the most important decisions when designing living spaces – starting from the façade to the smallest details of the interior design.

Like most areas of interior design, the worktop market has evolved fantastically over the past few years to a point where consumers can enjoy more choice and value for money than ever before. The credit crunch has of course affected sales but it’s important to note a very positive consequence of such tough trading times.

Galaxy

Maia’s ‘Galaxy’ worktop was launched in response to the continuing strength of black in home interiors. Giving the look of a moonlit sky, this addition uses metallic flecks that reflect light to add a touch of contemporary glamour to the kitchen environment.

Created to offer both kitchen designers and homeowners alike a practical and aesthetically superior worktop surface, ‘Galaxy’ is one of maia’s 10 décors that bridge the gap between entry level laminate worktops and the more expensive Granite or Corian options. In common with all other maia products, Galaxy boasts the appearance of stone but without the inherent drawbacks.

Absolute Blanc from COMPAC is a vibrant white quartz worksurface allowing for the creation of stunning kitchens and bathrooms.

With superb consistency of colour, practically non-existent porosity, resistance to impact, heat and abrasion, and its natural antibacterial protection (due to the almost completely impermeable nature of quartz) Absolute Blanc is absolutely perfect for any contemporary or traditional kitchen or bathroom.

HI-MACS® is ideal for the preparation of food, as proven by the increasing number of kitchen manufacturers specifying it primarily for this function. However HI-MACS® offer designs and performance that extend beyond the purely functional requirement of a kitchen. It introduces a high level of aesthetic value through colour, texture, patterns and shape. New possibilities can be explored along with often stunning effects in combination with strategic lighting.

Successfully combining the breathtaking looks of natural quartz and stone, with the practicality and creative freedom of acrylic based solid surface material, MISTRAL delivers exceptional aesthetics and outstanding product value.

Bushboard's Omega Chocolate Quartz laminate work surface brings together high fashion, performance and practicality in a single stroke.

Transcending time and style, PWS’ range of timber worksurfaces has been enhanced. Constantly evolving, the collection now features 15 species, including 9 in full stave options adding a further aesthetically pleasing dimension to the hugely successful range.

Zebrano headlines the exotic timber options. This dramatic species is not for the faint-hearted, it is a statement surface that has confidence and will be the focal point of the design. This premium timber is particularly suited to contemporary schemes where the emphasis is on individuality and drama.

From the innovators who introduced Parapan® and Corian® to the UK comes yet another quality product, stainless steel worksurfaces by Foster. These high quality countertops can be bespoked to suit any kitchen design whether sexily curved as here, a simple linear run along the wall, an island, cleaning or cook zone.

Worksurfaces can be made with a variety of edges; rounded, rimmed or sharp, or veneered in wood.

Zenolite, exclusively distributed in the UK by David Clouting – is an innovative, high gloss acrylic decorative panel that will transform any kitchen or bathroom and offers an exciting alternative to more traditional materials such as ceramic to create splash backs, feature walls or backing walls for kitchen units, vanitory units, wash hand basins etc.

Available in 10 exciting colours Zenolite is highly engineered to deliver a stunning finish - its integrated colour layer offers superb consistency of colour. Each panel is highly resistant to UV light, cracking, staining or warping and has 25 times the impact strength of glass

Interfab Ltd have fabricated DuPont™ Corian® as Solid Surface Specialists for over 22 years. We work to the highest standards of craftsmanship and service primarily in Central, Southern, Western England and Wales. As DuPont™ Network Fabricators a full 10 year warranty applies to all our work.

Interfab now introduces the new Mistral Solid Surface worktop range launched at KBB 2010 earlier this year.

James Latham, the UK’s leading timber and panel products distributor, continues to have great success with its HI-MACS Natural Acrylic Stone™ solid surfaces, ideal for a wide variety of specifications.

HI-MACS® is easily fabricated and boasts visually seamless lines. Supplied in thicknesses of 12mm, 9mm and 6mm and offered in 93 shades and patterns, HI-MACS® is versatile, adaptable and creates fantastic design-led areas.

Leading national kitchen products supplier DK Distribution have an exciting and imaginative range of quality laminate worktops for immediate delivery. The 40mm bull nosed worktops have been specially selected to compliment DK’s beautiful range of doors and kitchens.

The 14 worktop designs offer various finishes and effects including the fascinating white and black spark effects with suspended particles. Other effects include Luna Terracotta, Black Jade Matt, Polaris Metalic and Walnut (Wide Block).

The demand for Mistral Solid Surface Worktops is growing steadily, this is due to it’s unique construction – free from the constraints of a substrate/ chipboard core; but also in part due to the enthusiasm of it’s distributors.

NESP were one of Karonia’s original Mistral distributors & for whom a strong belief in the product means actively investing in it.

stoneCIRCLE’s natural and engineered stone worktops are made to order in their own CNC equipped factory and can be teamed with a matching splash back and/or stone wall and floor tiles.

The company offers hundreds of different types and colours of granite, meaning that your customer can choose one to suit her kitchen and pocket and will end up with unique kitchen surfaces that are beautiful and hard wearing to boot. Engineered stones also exist in many different colour and stone combinations and stoneCIRCLE are approved fabricators for many of the leading brands such as CaesarStone, Dupont® Zodiaq™, Silestone and Q-Stone.

Egger has updated its UK decor collection. New woodgrains include Brown Cassino Ash (H1215 ST22) which features a blend of dark, pronounced pores and open shadow pores along with deep texture. Natural Aragon Oak (H1372 ST22) offers a highly defined, natural grain with cross-fires and subtle planking; while Light Venetian Cherry (H3660 ST9) is a contemporary, linear design.

For striking yet natural exotic reproductions, Coco Bolo (H3012 ST22) is the ideal choice while Mali Wenge (H3058 ST22) sets a new benchmark with its realistic three-dimensional look and feel.

Axiom by Formica®, the UK and Ireland’s leading kitchen worktop and accessories range, offers the ultimate choice of designs, textures and materials to create the dream kitchen. The Axiom® range has been developed in response to trends in kitchen and interior design and offers a wide variety of looks for the design-conscious consumer.

Bushboard reports that sales of its laminate splashbacks are up 10% for 2010 and growing - which the company attributes to the stylish good looks, cost effectiveness and practicality of a seamless surface on the areas between worktops and wall units.

Granite Transformations has introduced agglomerate worktops that are at least two-thirds lighter and thinner than other materials like granite, marble or engineered stone - yet sacrifice nothing in terms of strength and performance.

From the innovators who introduced Parapan® and Corian® to the UK comes yet another quality product, stainless steel worksurfaces by Foster. These high quality countertops can be bespoked to suit any kitchen design whether sexily curved as here, a simple linear run along the wall, an island, cleaning or cook zone.

High gloss, high tech solid acrylic Parapan® is available in a 4mm thickness that is ideal for splash backs and wall cladding.

The maia portfolio is set to expand and improve with changes to its popular sink module range. The addition of a brand new large bowl is part of an overall update of the range with changes being made to the bowls used in all maia sink modules.

James Latham, the UK’s leading timber and panel products distributor, is the exclusive UK distributor of Natural Acrylic Stone™, a versatile solid surface product that can be used with ease.

North East Sheets & Panels Ltd have been supplying worktops for over 5 years. Initially supplying laminate worktops, the range has recently been extended to include solid surface options.

Absolute Blanc from COMPAC is a vibrant white quartz worksurface allowing for the creation of stunning kitchens and bathrooms.

With superb consistency of colour, practically non-existent porosity, resistance to impact, heat and abrasion, and its natural antibacterial protection (due to the almost completely impermeable nature of quartz) Absolute Blanc is absolutely perfect for any contemporary or traditional kitchen or bathroom.