Luxury bookmatching: a technique that could enhance your kitchen's design aesthetic?
Transforming Kitchens with Bookmatching: A Symmetrical Aesthetic
Bookmatching, a technique often applied to natural stone slabs like marble, is making a significant impact on modern kitchen design. This process, which involves cutting a block of material into separate slabs, numbering them, and polishing alternating sides before joining them together, creates a near-identical, mirrored pattern that adds a touch of luxury and artistry to any space.
The recommended locations for bookmatching in kitchen design are primarily backsplashes and countertops. Bookmatched stone or porcelain backsplashes behind white or neutral cabinets add depth and create a cohesive look that can visually integrate walls and windows into one continuous surface. Bookmatched slabs form symmetrical patterns that create a luxurious and eye-catching focal point, often extending vertical veining to the backsplash or waterfall edges on an island.
Materials commonly used for bookmatching in kitchens include natural stones like marble, granite, and quartzite, as well as engineered materials such as quartz and large-format porcelain slabs. These materials showcase veined or patterned surfaces that look dramatic and seamless when bookmatched, especially on countertops, kitchen islands (often with waterfall edges), and backsplashes.
Matthew Weatherill, head of UK installations at Wren Contracts, has driven the growth of the business with over five years of experience in the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom sectors. Wren Contracts offers a selection of quartz worktops in a variety of colors and finishes, allowing for a luxury yet natural aesthetic. The company achieved the prestigious FIRA Gold Accreditation for its installation services across kitchens and bedrooms under Matthew's leadership.
Oli Webb, director at Cullifords, is an expert in the stone industry with over 20 years of experience. Including a waterfall worktop or a split level kitchen island idea can help add an eye-catching focal point to the heart of the home. The mirrored effect created by bookmatching can serve as a dramatic focal point, especially on a large surface.
It's important to note that vein-matching is not the same as bookmatching. Vein-matching marries up sections of a veined material so that the vein runs along a continuous length, while bookmatching resembles a pair of identically mirrored butterfly wings. Plainer materials do not have the qualities needed for the bookmatching effect, so materials with veins or patterns are often chosen.
The cost of bookmatching depends on the design and size of the slabs. In some instances, additional material may be required to achieve the bookmatch look. Despite the potential added cost, particularly when achieved from marble, a bookmatched surface is long-lasting and easy to clean, making it a low-maintenance yet high-quality decorative touch.
In summary, bookmatching is highly recommended for kitchen backsplashes and countertops, especially with materials that have strong natural veining or patterning such as marble, quartzite, quartz, and porcelain slabs, to achieve a seamless, artistic, and upscale design effect.
- Bookmatching, a technique often used in home-and-garden projects like kitchen design, is making a significant impact with its symmetrical aesthetic.
- With over five years of experience in the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom sectors, Matthew Weatherill at Wren Contracts offers a variety of color and finish options for quartz worktops, enhancing any home's lifestyle.
- Oli Webb, a stone industry expert with over 20 years of experience at Cullifords, suggests including ideas like waterfall worktops or split level kitchen islands for an eye-catching focal point in the home.
- Material choices for bookmatching in the kitchen and bathroom extend beyond natural stones like marble and granite; engineered materials such as quartz and large-format porcelain slabs are also suitable.
- While vein-matching and bookmatching share similarities, their differences are crucial: vein-matching marries up sections of veined material with continuous veins, while bookmatching creates mirrored butterfly-wing patterns.
- Although bookmatching costs may be higher due to the additional material required in certain cases, the result offers a low-maintenance, long-lasting, and luxurious design touch, ensuring that your home stays elegant and practical.
