MOLTEN GOLD - Classic New Corian

MOLTEN GOLD is another new Gold Notes feature. Launched last month, MG will focus on hot new products or companies that can add luster to your home. Today, we'll look at a beautiful new countertop series by Corian called Private Collection.


Same quality, new style

I first mentioned this collection when I spotted it at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show last May. I thought the new colors and patterns were a huge aesthetic leap forward. My issue with Corian has never been its material properties, which have a lot to offer, but its often plastic-like appearance.



Private Collection offers a richness of color and movement I haven’t seen on Corian or its competitor tops in the past. These are great-looking counters.


Why Corian?

Why choose a Corian countertop for your home? Concrete and stone have gotten all the buzz in recent years. I’m a huge quartz fan myself, as regular readers (and my design clients) know. So what would make me recommend an acrylic surface to a client when it lacks the heat and scratch resistance of the hardier stones?


Corian’s greatest attribute, in my opinion, is that it’s completely repairable. This makes it an ideal surface for kids’ rooms. It also makes it ideal for rental properties.

I used to work in a design center where someone sat on a large Corian overhang and completely cracked off the two-foot end of our desk. When the repair pro came in and worked his magic, you could not see where the damage had been. It looked like new. How much more affordable would that be than replacing an entire section of damaged top that a tenant or tyke dinged, scratched or burn? Small scratches can even be buffed out by the homeowner, for just the cost of sandpaper.

Another popular Corian attribute is its seamless appearance. That makes it a good choice for oversized or irregular tops where you might otherwise see the joints of a stone or laminate top.



Clients who like Corian often choose its integral sink option. Unlike standard drop-in sinks, apron fronts or even undermounts, there are no edges or crevices around the sink where food can get caught. This makes for a very easy clean-up process.


The coved backsplash option – where the splash flows seamlessly into the top – is pricy, but also easier to clean and better looking than a standard four-inch splash, shown above. (I’m much more partial to full-height tiled splashes anyway.)



An additional, seldom-mentioned Corian attribute is its softness. The softer-than-stone surface is a good choice for aging in place homes, especially for clients with balance or coordination issues.


The Brand

Corian – and its entire solid surface category – were created by DuPont more than 30 years ago. Many competitors have emerged on the scene as Corian grew popular with builders, designers and homeowners, but most just imitate, rather than innovate.
The 207-year-old DuPont is not resting on its inventive laurels. It has continually improved and updated its brands. Private Collection is just the latest step.

The Facts

Warranty: 10 Year

Pricing: Estimated $45 to $55 per square foot installed

Purchase through a local countertop fabricator, kitchen showroom or home center

Website: Corian.com

KBIS 2009 - Style Spotlight

The 2009 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show is behind us now, and in my last two posts I focused on great new products for the kitchen and bath.

This final posting accompanies my new Style/File photo feature: KBIS 2009 - Designed to Thrill on the right column of this blog until the end of September. (Starting in October 2009, you can view it here.)

This posting's emphasis isn't on innovation or excellence. It's all about looking great!

These were my favorite style stars from this year's show. Some I'd definitely consider using in projects for my clients. In fact, I've already specified Kohler's velvety new Honed White lavs and toilet for a new client. They're shown in this photo album on the contemporary Reve series.

A few other products in the slide show are more pretty than performance-oriented. But, again, this is about the style stars, not the star performers!

A brand that I discovered at this year's show is actually 100 years old. It's Cifial, a Portuguese manufacturer of faucets and hardware. I was especially drawn to their Rough Bronze finish, (shown above right on the Brookhaven L Spout Faucet), which ages along with its homeowners, mellowing over the years to a soft, pale sheen. The Porto door hardware is also wonderfully handsome. Having a pair of these on double doors to your master suite would be like retreating into another world, not just another room in your home.

Kohler and Toto stole the show, in my opinion. They each brought beautiful new textures, colors, styles and, yes, innovation to KBIS 2009. In fact, Toto's Waza Noir Rectangular Lav had the finest finish I've ever seen or felt on a fixture. It was a soft, lustrous black with a velvet surface that can only be described as sensual. No kidding; it ought to have an NC-17 rating!

LaCava and MTI Whirlpool also brought impressive offerings to the show, and I look forward to seeing more from both brands in the future.

LaCava brings Italian style (and American woodworking skill) to the bath with its vanities and sinks. Two of them are featured in this photo feature.

MTI Whirlpool brings American ingenuity and good looks to its line. I've written before about its innovative products, including a jetted laundry tub that showed up in my last Style/File: That Sinking Feeling.

I look forward to experiencing KBIS 2010 next year in Chicago. If you need an added fix until then, HGTV will be airing its annual show broadcast Sunday night, May 24 at 8/7c.

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You might also enjoy these related posts:

KBIS 2009 - Bathroom Spotlight
KBIS 2009 - Kitchen Spotlight
Style/File: That Sinking Feeling
Style/File: Counter Intelligence

KBIS 2009 - Kitchen Spotlight

Every year, the National Kitchen & Bath Association hosts the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show. At this trade-only event, manufacturers show off their new wares to kitchen designers, kitchen dealers, builders, architects, reporters and remodelers.

This year, the show was smaller because of the economy, but there were still plenty of great things to see. When asked by colleagues and reporters what I thought of KBIS this year, I invariably replied, "More evolutionary than revolutionary." What I meant is that while there were few "game-changers" that brought something new to the industry, there were some very nice additions and improvements.

There were also two distinct "green" trends: One, more products touting their eco-friendly virtues. Two, more products geared toward the recession -- i.e., costing fewer greenbacks.

Here are my favorite KBIS products for the kitchen. Check back next week for a KBIS 2009 - Bath Spotlight.


KOHLER TAKES THE STAGE

Kohler has created a combination sink/accessories/serveware/storage system called Stages that puts a range of kitchen essentials in one convenient location. It looks great, works hard and could be an ideal island or in-law kitchen option.




DRAWER VAC: HOW HANDY!

The very clever DrawerVac, (by a company of the same name), is designed to tie into -- and expand -- a home's central vacuum system. (Think of it as a DustBuster on steroids!). The unit installs in a base cabinet just below the countertop and pulls out when needed. This makes meal clean-up quicker, easier and more convenient. And anything that makes clean-up easier gets high marks from me!




GELPRO ON STEROIDS

Tile and wood have long been popular kitchen flooring options, but both can be very unforgiving underfoot. This contributes to muscle aches and fatigue when spending hours prepping, serving and cleaning up. GelPro produces cushioned mats that are ideal for a more comfortable kitchen session. There are great new designer colors, patterns and sizes to go with just about any decor. Now, instead of having one small mat in front of your stove, you can have an entire work aisle - up to 12 feet! - softened by this amazing material. (If only the whole convention floor could have been covered by GelPros, my feet would have been much happier trampers!)




INDUCTION SMARTS BY BOSCH

Bosch has made it easier for users unfamiliar with induction cooking to use this eco-friendly technology. Its AutoChef Induction Cooktop provides pre-programmed options for cooking a wide variety of foods-from pork chops to pancakes. I like induction cooking because of its inherent safety features, energy savings and easy cleanability. The Autochef makes easy learning a product feature, too, and even includes an induction compatible skillet. It's pretty darn sleek, too!



CORIAN - YES, CORIAN!

One of my biggest surprises at the show was Corian's new collection. If Corian conjures up images of tacky '80s tract home kitchens, you haven't seen its new lines! I always respected Corian for its simple virtues: (1) It's extremely easy maintenance; (2) It's warm and soft to the touch; (3) it's repairable; (4) It appears to be seamless, and (5) You can attach an integral sink. What I never liked was its attempts to imitate its richer rival, natural stone. This new collection has a beauty all its own, and deserves to be reconsidered. For another interesting Corian innovation, check out this posting, which includes its translucent Illuminations series. I spotted it last summer at the Southeast Builders' Conference.


SEAMLESS SMARTS

Affluence solved one of those gunky kitchen problems we didn't know could be solved. And they won a Best of KBIS product award for it, too! You know that ring around your kitchen sink drain that catches everything that goes into the sink and is a pain to clean? Some clever designer at this Ohio manufacturer figured out a solution for the problem... A seamless sink with no drain ring at all! Smart -- and stylish, too. (Sorry, flowers not included!)





TAKE IT OUTSIDE

If you've always wanted an outdoor kitchen, look no further than your closest Atlantis dealer. I first spotted this line in 2007 at the International Builders' Show. It's still the best outdoor cabinetry line in the industry, in my opinion. It's also the judges' opinion: Atlantis won a silver Best of KBIS 2009 kitchen award. Not surprising, since its parent company is top-notch custom cabinet maker, CWP. This year, Atlantis showed off its new bamboo series for those seeking a contemporary, eco-friendly option. (Call me old-fashioned, but my favorite Atlantis doors are still the teak series.)