A wide array of new and improved countertop materials offers a host of design possibilities for personalizing the hitchen or both.
Following, KBDN offers a collection of interesting countertop projects that maximize the aesthetic and functional benefits of a variety of different surfacing materials.The product is Bio Glass, manufactured by Coverings Etc. in Miami, FL. Raw slabs are transformed into striking countertop shapes using standard glass fabrication equipment and techniques. Decorative edges are machined using the same technology that is used with stone countertop fabrication.All of this caught the eye of Robert M. Cain, an architect in Atlanta, GA. Cain designed the RainShine House in Decatur, GA, the first LEED Platinum house in the Southeast, by achieving the highest level of "green architecture" possible through the United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes Pilot Program.Developer/contractor Todd Glaser used Oriental Jade Bio Glass to renovate a private estate in Miami Beach, FL known as Villa Okto. The goal was to create an effect reminiscent of a California home, while retaining its own character as an exclusive Miami Beach property.MULTIPLE SURFACESOHARCO is based in Omaha, Nebraska. Media is welcome to contact Patty Rasmussen at 402.829.0204 or at
prasmussen@oharco.com for more information. Customers can contact
www.oharco.com or customer service at 800.228.9460.Concrete, for instance, offers the ultra personalization factor, while cork offers a tactile sensuality. Glass provides an exquisite simplicity, solid surface offers tremendous creative freedom and even laminate offers a new-found versatility that is changing the game - particularly of interest in a more budget-conscious society where personalization is still in high demand.OHARCO will distribute Wilsonart products through its current locations in Omaha, NE and Des Moines, IA, as well as a new location in Sioux Falls, SD.SOLID SURFRCEBecause Bio Glass is strong and non-porous, the material works equally well for vanity tops/ backsplash and wet walls in the shower.According to Wilsonart Regional Manager Tom Nelson, Jr., OHARCO is ideally positioned to represent Wilsonart in these Midwest markets. “OHARCO understands the challenges and the opportunities that exist in the region. Together, we share the focus on doing the right things for the right reasons. We are pleased to offer customers and specifiers the support that OHARCO will provide."Whether the client wants a faux granite look, a monochromatic slab, the appearance of a river running through it or baby's bronzed shoes embedded in the surface for posterity, it's all possible with concrete.Composite Stone is the hot new surface when it comes to tops and a big rival to granite. It is a stone-synthetic composite made of about 90 percent quartz particles and 10 percent acrylic or epoxy binder. Some of the composites look like natural stone, but not one that you could identify. Others are so close to real granite that you're left wondering if it�s real or not? Since the composites are man-made materials, they do not have the unexpected variation of granite or marble and they do not need to be sealed. The four major choices - Silestone, Okite, CaesarStone and DuPont's Zodiaq - all use the same process. The only differences between them for the end users are the colors and textures offered. Taken together, the four companies offer more than 130 countertop choices. Cost is between $110 to $250 a linear foot, installedGLASSV EVEDIn the countertop world, Gene McDonald of Refresh Interiors is a leading champion for zero-waste fabrication, and he is also known for his creative ability to mix and match materials. For example, a recent project he completed for Clark and Barbara Cridland of Treasure Island, FL utilizes no less than eight different decorative materials for countertops, backsplashes, cabinet doors and a fireplace surround.RRlNSHlNE HOUSEHe notes that the homeowner chose Wilsonart HD because it gave her the look and feel of a luxury stone, without the major investment (or fear that one of her three teenagers would destroy it). She had recently seen the Hartson-Kennedy Amore edge treatment that wraps the postformed edge around all sides of the island and peninsula, and that clinched the deal.One of the most important credits given this home was for extraordinary performance in the selection of homeowner and environment-friendly materials from salvaged, locally sourced, recycled materials and those with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Each material represents lower energy investments, lower contribution to off-gassing and environmental pollution, reduced energy investments in shipping, enhanced durability, etc.Coffee beans and mirror chips are inlaid into the deck of the countertops for additional interest.Plastic Laminate is the most common and least expensive countertop material, by a considerable margin and is available in just about any color and texture you can imagine. The four major manufacturers - Wilsonart, Formica, Nevamar and Pionite -each offer more than a hundred colors and patterns. The latest rage is having your plastic laminate custom-designed to your own color, texture and style, but be prepared to spend a few bucks here. Laminate is a breeze to clean because of its smooth surface. Cost is between $25 and $50 per linear foot, installed.Arketique Solid Surface, located in Sefton, New South Wales, Australia, is no stranger to innovation. Originally a fabricator of fiberglass architectural products, Arketique has evolved into a custom manufacturer of solid surface materials, with a heavy emphasis on custom projects. Where the firm once consumed its entire production of solid surface for its own projects, Arketique now has expanded its operations to offer sheet goods to other fabricators.What makes this project unique is the indoor/outdoor quality of the design. While the majority of the kitchen is an extension of the family's living quarters, the smaller section is actually an outdoor barbecue that can be sealed off from the rest of the house at night or during inclement weather by sliding glass doors concealed in the wall panels. A full glass backsplash behind the main counter brings even more of the outside in.Suberin is a waxy substance in the cork bark that protects the tree and makes a cork countertop water resistant, stain resistant and antimicrobial. Manufactured by Suberra and distributed on the East Coast by Eco Supply, Suberra recycles wine corks by grinding, compressing and binding the material with a polyurethane binder. The resulting slabs are 1-1/4" thick, 25" wide and 36" long. But don't let the diminutive slab size worry you - Eco Supply CFO and Marketing Manager Brooks Perlin says Suberra Cork joints can be machined and seamed almost invisibly, much as one would expect from a typical solid surface.While natural stone has long been a favorite when discussing the latest in countertop designs, today the options are far broader, with each offering its own unique benefits.You've seen it on floors; now, get ready for 100 percent post-industrial cork as a countertop surface. Two things make cork a great alternative to more traditional materials in the kitchen and bath: a highly compressed surface, and suberin.OHARCO has a 112 year history as a wholesale distributor in the regional market. Started as Omaha Hardwood Lumber Company in 1898, the company originally focused on distributing dimensional lumber and wooden wagon tongues. Today OHARCO distributes cabinet and countertop components supplying professional cabinet shops, countertop fabricators, builders and remodelers, home centers, lumber yards and kitchen and bath dealers. Additionally, the company supplies commercial flooring to flooring dealers and supports the architectural and design community as they specify flooring and other cabinet and countertop products for local, regional and national projects.This environment of concrete's almost outof-control possibilities prompted Meld USA, based in Raleigh, NC, to attempt to "tame the creative beast" by coming out with a line of precast products that can be shipped to a fabricator's shop for transformation into a finished countertop installation. Although the company will create custom shapes and colors for the right project, most of its output is in the form of precast slabs, and nearly all of those slabs contain post-consumer recycled glass.Wilsonart® International is based in Temple, Texas. For more information about the transition, please contact the Wilsonart regional sales office in Minneapolis, MN at 877.424.4358 or email
geijerk@wilsonart.com. For product and company information, customers can also call the Wilsonart Customer Service Hotline at 800.433.3222 or visit the Wilsonart website at
www.wilsonart.com.Glass provides some great, ecofriendly options as well. Take recycled glass - things like old beer bottles, wine bottles, water bottles and stemware - crush it up and, then, using a process of heat and pressure, combine the elements into a uniform slab ready for use as a countertop or wall panel. The best part is there are no dyes, no resins, no epoxies, no chemicals, though it can be argued as well that the best part is how it looks and performs.Mike Massey of Kitchen Encounters, Belton, TX, who has been designing and installing kitchens for local builders in Central Texas for many years, was on the brink of taking his CKD exam when he came across the opportunity to design a kitchen using Wilsonart's new HD laminate series. Itching for a chance to exercise his creativity with a newly emerging product, Massey found HD laminate easy to design around.
He notes that the homeowner chose Wilsonart HD because it gave her the look and feel of a luxury stone, without the major investment (or fear that one of her three teenagers would destroy it). She had recently seen the Hartson-Kennedy Amore edge treatment that wraps the postformed edge around all sides of the island and peninsula, and that clinched the deal.
Author: Lee, Russ
