Information
Confused
by the huge number of materials to choose from? Not sure about
the difference
between Laminex or 2 Pac? You've come to the right
place!
Click on one of the buttons below for more information about that product.
Postformed/Laminate
Postformed laminate benchtops are easily the most popular kitchen
benchtop, mostly due to its
affordability. It comes in a huge range
of colours and can imitate granite, marble and quartz benchtops.
It
may not fare well against scratching or heat damage. The edge
profile can be curved or square
depending on your personal
preference.
Engineered Stone (Quartz)
Engineered
Stone (Quartz) is extremely hardwearing, scratch and stain
resistant. It is a mixture of natural
minerals (quartz stones) and
resin binders to hold it all together. Other materials are also
added, such as
glass, metal, oyster shells and pigments to produce
different colour options. Engineered stones are sold
under various
trade names and vary in quality depending on the type of resin used
and the additives used.
The most commonly known brands are
Caesarstone and
Quantum Quartz.
The cost is about 3 times the cost of a postformed laminate benchtop, and a little less than Natural Stone.
Granite & Marble
Granite is
the most durable and chip/scratch resistant surface. Due to these
properties a diamond tip
machine is required to cut and can be
expensive to fabricate for complex designs. Joins are visible and
surface must be properly sealed before use.
Marble
lacks some of the durability of granite, and has a tendency to stain
and scratch if not used carefully.
It is recommended for use in
bathrooms rather than kitchens.
Stainless Steel
Stainless
steel is quite a popular choice, especially for the Chef or
enthusiast. It is a durable surface
and extremely hygienic. However,
bear in mind that Stainless Steel starts scratching from the day it
is
installed. After some time, those light scratches will all blend
into each other and the bench tops
appearance will improve. This
material can be quite expensive.
Timber
Solid
timber adds character and warmth to any kitchen. It is reasonably
durable, although scratches
from knives and burn marks from hot pans
will show up. They may be unhygienic if meat or poultry is
prepared
on it. They will require annual maintenance or resealing as
required. Depending on the species
of timber selected, the price can
vary from medium to high.
Melamine board
There
is a wide range of colours, patterns and wood grains to choose from,
as well as metal finishes
which can be effective when used on kick
boards, or for a shadow-line under the bench. Door edges
are made of
the same material and come in thicknesses of 0.4mm, 1mm and 2mm.
Essentially, the
thicker the edging, the more hardwearing and chip
resistant it will be.
2 pac (polyurethane)
MDF board is primed with an undercoat and then followed by an acrylic top coat that is sprayed on,sanded then sprayed again three to five times into a hard, thick durable coat. The finished result is beautifully
smooth, and the colour range is unlimited. You can choose from a gloss or satin finish. We recommend having
the door edges routed and sanded with at least a 2mm pencil round edge before painting, rather than a
straight square edge to prevent chipping of the paint over time. Surfaces can be easily repaired with a touch
up kit, or whole doors or panels can be repaired by sanding down and painting again.
Vinyl Wrap (thermolaminated)
Vinyl
wrapped doors are cut, routed, profiled, sanded, then glued and
covered with a vinyl film that is
pressed to the door under vacuum.
The back of the door is usually pre-laminated in white. The vinyl thickness
is between
0.4mm and 0.7mm. There is a limited range of colours,
both plain and in wood grain but often
they are embossed
to feel
like wood grain or textured films with a gloss. The edging is more
rounded than
melamine board, without sharp corners
and has no joins. However, if any damage occurs to the doors in
later
years, it may not
be possible to get an exact matching of the vinyl
cover applied.
Aluminium Framed
Aluminium framed doors will add a contemporary feel for a reasonable
cost. All aluminium doors are inserted
with laminated safety glass
for a long lasting finish and maximum scratch resistance. Consider
using aluminium
framed doors to a small section of your kitchen,
such as overhead cupboards.
Timber Veneer
Timber
veneers allow you to get the real look of timber, without the
expense of solid timber. A natural timber
veneer can be applied to
both sides of a particle board base, that is sealed with a clear
coating for durability,
or with a stain or lacquer. The colour range
and cost is dependant on the availability of the timber species.
Edges are square and in the same material. Due to the labour
intensive nature, and number of materials used,
this option is
usually more expensive than 2pac (polyurethane).
Handles
Our
handles are sourced from Kethy Handles, who provide an extensive
range of Australian Made handles
at very reasonable prices. Please
click below to download our handle brochure.
Handle Free
A
current trend in kitchen design for a minimalist look is to do away
with handles all together.
Push-to-open mechanisms are fitted to all doors and drawers.
Alternatively with 2 pac finished doors, a
routed finger pull lip
can be added to the top of the door or drawer panel. A decorative
finish (such as
stainless steel laminate) can be applied to the
shadow-line creating a wonderfully modern effect.
There is a
wide variety of innovative hardware that can add increased
functionality to your day to day
movements throughout your kitchen.
Consider some of these handy applications:
There are a few different options when it comes to splashbacks.
-
Laminate:
A huge amount of colours available, and a very cost effective option. Aluminium or stainless
steel laminates are also available which are a cheaper alternative to real stainless steel.
-
Vizage Vertical Surfaces:
An innovative product from Laminex, provides you the modern look of a mosaic splashback,
without the hassle or expense of tiles. The surface is also very easy to clean as there is no grout.
-
Colour-backed perspex:
A cheaper alternative to colour-backed glass. A selection of modern colours, though not suitable
for heat affected areas, such as behind cooktops. Can also scratch easily.
-
Quartz/Caesarstone:
This can sometimes be surprisingly cheap if the stone mason can use off-cuts from your kitchen
benchtops! In this case, a quartz splashback will be half the price of glass.
-
Colour-backed glass:
Probably the most expensive option. Unlimited colour possibilities, however standard glass has a
clear green tint, so for a perfect colour selection, starfire glass should be used which has no green tint,
but is also more expensive.
Research
shows that most households keep their kitchens for approximately 14
years. Therefore it pays to
carefully consider your kitchen needs
and wants during the planning process. Consider your lifestyle,
cooking
frequency and the number of people using the kitchen, to
create a kitchen that is both functional and organised.
Where do I start?
Not sure
where to begin? If you want to leave it to the experts, contact us
to arrange a free onsite measure
and we will take all the hard work
out of it for you!
However, if you are interested in doing some of the ground work yourself, consider these four items first:
1.
Plan efficient storage space
Don't
realise too late that you need more storage! Consider how much space
you will need for all your
stored items before the kitchen planning
begins. Do you have lots of pots and pan or plastic containers
to
store? Perhaps you are addicted to appliances and need a home for
each one?
2. Planning in the 5 kitchen zones
All well
planned kitchens start out by first laying out the individual
kitchen work areas to minimise excess
movement. These kitchen zones
include:
 |
Consumable |
 |
Non-Consumable |
 |
Cleaning |
 |
Preparation |
 |
Cooking |
3. Avoiding shelves in lower cabinets
The use of
shelves in base cabinets is the most cost effective method, however
it is poor ergonomic
design. Items on shelves are very difficult to
find since you don't have an overview of the entire cabinet
contents. Quite often you will have to bend down or stretch to
locate the item you are looking for. If you
can afford a little
extra in your budget, always use drawers wherever possible.
4. Selecting fully extending drawers
Fully
extending drawers and pull-outs, that pull all the way out of the
cabinet offer an added bonus with
regards to comfort. Normal drawers
only open 2/3 of the way, limiting visibility and access.
Ideal Layouts, Using the 5 Zones
Where possible, try to group the 5 zones together (mentioned above) when planning your kitchen.
A kitchen with mixed kitchen zones means an
extra 50 meters each day of traffic around the kitchen - that's
a
whopping 1927km over 20 years! The amount of daily work time in a
standard kitchen can be reduced from
2 hours, to 1 hour 40 minutes.
That's a saving of 20 minutes every day!
When choosing your colours, consider
the room as a whole including furniture, walls and floors. Many of
our
homes are now open plan so the kitchen will form part of the
whole look of your lounge/dining/family area.
A rule of thumb says to colour a room
with a 60-30-10 split between three colours: use one colour on a
majority
of the space, a little bit less of another, and an even
smaller amount as an accent colour. In the kitchen, your
major
colour might cover the walls or the cabinets; your secondary colour
the floor or benchtops; and your
accent colour could be decorator
items, splashbacks, or feature sections of cabinetry.
You can use colour to influence how large or small the kitchen
feels:
|
Desired Effect |
Colour Choice |
|
Expand space |
Cool, light, or dull colours; minimal contrasts |
|
Shrink space |
Warm, dark, or bright colours; maximum contrasts |
|
Lower a ceiling |
Warm colours and dark tones |
|
Heighten a ceiling |
Cool colours and light tints |
|
Shorten a room |
Warm or dark colours |
|
Lengthen a room |
Cool, light, or dull colours; limited contrasts |
|
Hide an undesirable feature |
Surrounding colour |
Because
the cabinets typically represent your greatest expense and need to
stand the longest test of time,
you may be more comfortable choosing
a style in a more neutral finish.
The same goes for the countertops and
flooring. But let yourself have some fun slapping the brighter,
trendier
shades on your accessories, small appliances, and
decorative items.
Want to find out more?
If you
would like to know more about any of these products or ideas, please
feel free to contact Melanie on
(07) 5597 2482 or email
melanie@littlemoredesign.com.au.
You can
also visit our showroom to have a look at the various options
available to you, and to get ideas
for your new kitchen, bathroom or
laundry! Please see our opening times
here.
Shop
Address:
2/13 Kamholtz Court, Molendinar QLD 4214
Postal Address:
PO Box 1086, Ashmore
City QLD 4214
Ph:
(07) 5597
2482
Fax:
(07) 5597
3582
Email:
melanie@littlemoredesign.com.au