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Mistral: the perfect design partner

To launch the new Kew Painted Ash style, Burbidge & Son wanted to create two inspirational room sets, initially to photograph for its brochure and ultimately to display in the showroom at the company's Midlands headquarters. Having worked with Mistral 25mm solid surfacing for imaginative solutions on previous shoots, Burbidge invited Karonia to work with it on the new sets.

Kew is a Shaker-inspired doorstyle, elegant and contemporary with a focus on imaginative detailing. Available in Burbidge's standard palette of 15 classic shades, the new room sets were designed to showcase two of the new colours, Soft Grey and Jute, along with exciting features of the range such as mullioned glass doors, curved pilasters and a large open unit.

To complement the gentle, neutral shades of the cabinets, Winter Drift from the Mistral range was selected for the worksurfaces. One of 17 designs available, Winter Drift combines the look of natural quartz and stone with the practicality of an acrylic-based material. Although completely flush, the chip composition gives the surface an eye-catching visual depth and texture.

The completely solid nature of Mistral means that sinks can be cut anywhere in the worktop without the need for prefabricated worktop models. In this case, the worksurface has been cut and shaped to accommodate the deep-set butler sink, reflecting its exact contours. For practicality, deep grooves have also been cut into the worksurface forming useful drainage areas on either side of the sink.

Combining different colours and textures is a definite surfacing trend for 2013 and one that is demonstrated here with a curved preparation area in solid timber inset into the worksurface. Again, the simplicity of working with Mistral ensures a perfect fit and a neat curve to match the profile of the cabinet below.

Sometimes it's the small details that really add the final element of style to a kitchen design. Juxtaposing different surface materials could have disrupted the flow of the set and spoilt the overall effect. In this case, however, the ease with which curves can be added to Mistral allowed the designer to soften this island worktop with elegantly rounded corners.

In some cases, the role of the worktop is to provide a frame or accompaniment to furniture or accessories such as sinks and appliances.

Mistral's colour palette and its ability to be shaped allow it to follow the aesthetics and form of other elements of the kitchen design. This enables the designer to work with a freedom that inspires creativity incorporating the very latest innovations and trends.

Mistral 25mm solid surface worktops carry a 10 year manufacturer's warranty and are available via a network of distributors listed on the website.

T: +44 (0) 845 6580 333
W: www.karonia.com

5th April 2013