Kitchen Trend Alert – Curved Benchtops will be All-the-Rage in 2023!
As Australia begins to open up, many homeowners are now ready to renovate their kitchens after spending more time than ever before inside their homes during the last two years. Creating a peaceful atmosphere in our homes has never been more essential to residents as our world has been flipped upside down.
Our homes have become a refuge for us – a place where we work, home school, study, play, and most importantly, it’s where we want to feel secure. So, no wonder Australians are looking to create a refreshing and happy environment that we like spending time in.
But what will the new kitchens look like in 2023? One thing is for sure that curved designs and rounded edges will take centre stage! Let’s take a closer look at this trend and how Made in Stone can help you bring luxurious curves to life.
What is a Curved Benchtop?
We can all agree that 2021 was a challenging year, so it’s time to take the edge off in 2023– literally!
The appeal of curved designs has migrated from European furniture markets to Australian households. Instead of square shapes and harsh edges, curves have gained appeal in interior design, from furniture design to archways across houses.
Now, this elegant element is gaining centre stage in kitchen designs, providing an organic softness to home kitchens!
Expect to see more curved island benchtops popping up in the years to come as more people embrace this organic trend. Curved benchtops lend a much-needed softness to angular kitchen spaces and look especially good when paired with manufactured stone!
Compared to a typical kitchen benchtop’s clean, straight lines, a sculptural island provides a more expansive casual dining place where people feel closer and more connected. Curves indeed create beautiful architectural aspects, so for an even more cohesive look, it’s ideal to repeat these curved aspects throughout your home.
The Curved Design has Unlimited Options!
A rectangular kitchen benchtop is limited by its use of exclusively straight lines, but your possibilities become nearly unlimited when you use curves.
For example, curves might be based on the diameter of a circle or a series of freeform curves. The benchtop can be curved on its own, or it can be curved to match the curves of cabinets. You may have one curved edge, semi-circular end cabinets, a retro-looking kidney-shaped island, or even create a completely circular island.
Tiered curving islands are another growing design that adds more attractive and useful alternatives. The seated area can be elevated above the work area, sink, or stove, with the majority of the benchtop raised.
Do Curved Kitchen Benchtops Work in Every Kitchen?
The best aspect of a curved kitchen benchtop is its adaptability to fit into any type of kitchen. For starters, the square sides of a rectangular island might be a significant issue in a smaller kitchen, taking up vital traffic areas or forcing you to compromise for a smaller-than-desired island.
But by softening the cabinet and curving the benchtop edges, traffic can flow more easily around the small kitchen area. There are no sharp edges to contend with, and the island does not appear to be a “fortress” in the centre of the kitchen.
In addition, the beautiful curves of a rounded kitchen island provide an element of flair that can’t be outdone in a bigger kitchen. At the same time, the interior curvature is good for working, and the outer curve is ideal for seating even in an extensive kitchen space.
For seating around a kitchen island, a 30cm overhand is excellent. However, there must be at least 90cm of aisle room to move easily around the kitchen. By building up the edge of an island benchtop, you get extra aisle room without sacrificing too much seating space. Plus, the curved tabletop removes potentially harsh edges.
In terms of aesthetics, overall, the curving benchtop leans towards a modern or 70’s glam kitchen style, depending on the finishes and style used. But we firmly believe that curves can function well in almost every new kitchen design, from shaker to traditional.
What is the Best Stone for a Curved Benchtop?
While curved benchtops are genuinely an “in” trend, the design is labour intensive and can be intricately difficult, resulting in potential added expenses. The key to making any design, curved or otherwise, a reality is to understand and work with a material’s qualities, rather than attempting to build-up the material to your will.
Therefore, to ensure a remarkable curved design benchtop, the material used should be relatively malleable so the curved forms can be easier to create. Typically, manufactured stone will be much easier and less expensive to use rather than carving the curves out of a natural stone!
Manufactured stone, which comes in various colours and finishes, is a popular alternative to natural stone. Quartz is the most common manmade stone material, and it was long regarded as a “luxury” material. However, in 2021, manufactured stones became the standard, and it is expected to be a reliable material for many years.
What Colours will be Popular for Curved Benchtop Styles in 2023?
Considering that organic curves will be a huge feature in 2023 contemporary kitchens. To create a visually pleasing area, the softness of the benchtop can be impeccably matched with natural textures, earthy patterns, tranquil tones, and delicate colour palettes.
In sum, using natural components, like marble kitchen benchtop designs, is a growing kitchen trend!
Even though curved benchtops are limited to using porcelain and manufactured stones, it does mean that homeowners cannot get the aesthetics of natural stones, like a natural quartz or marble kitchen benchtop. As some varieties of manufactured stone benchtops can be produced to have a marble kitchen benchtop look and still offer the durability of a manufactured stone.
At Made in Stone, we supply numerous manufactured stones colours that approximate various marble stone appearances. The non-porous surface of manufactured stones has the luxurious appearance and feels of genuine marble kitchen benchtops. But the engineered surface is more durable, doesn’t need to be sealed, is stain-resistant, heat-resistant, and scratch-resistant.
No matter your home’s aesthetic, manufactured stone is the most affordable option for durable and practical installations, including kitchen benchtops and vanity tops.
Ready to Install Your Dream Curved Kitchen Benchtop?
Before you let your creativity go wild, consult with our expert stonemasons to iron out the kinks and save you money to ensure that your curved kitchen island fits in your available area.
Your curved kitchen island will not only be “on trend” today but will also be a pleasure to use for years to come if you work with a professional!
If you need advice on installing a new kitchen island or new kitchen benchtops, consider selecting a stone kitchen benchtop from Made in Stone – Sydney’s leading stone supplier. Contact Made in Stone today on (02) 9756 4599 or get a FREE kitchen benchtop quote online!
With over 25 years of industry experience, you will only get the highest quality Engineered Stones, Caesarstone, Silestone Calacatta Gold, Natural Stones, Marble Benchtop, Porcelain Materials and Granite kitchen benchtops Sydney, all from Made in Stone. So, call us today and ask us about our wide range of offcuts to choose from to help save some $$ in your renovations.
As a local Sydney stonemason, we cater to any customer requirement, whether you need a stone installation for your kitchen benchtop, bathroom vanity top, bar, outdoor barbecue area, fireplace, columns, etc. Our team are available to assist you. So, speak to the stone experts today!