Say good-bye to your basic, solid-colored white and beige countertops. While most apartment developers continue to play it safe with neutral colors, they are stepping out of the box a bit to experiment with natural-looking textures and patterns.
“I have seen, in the last 10 years, solid colors drop off the face of the countertop market,” says Renee Hytry, senior vice president of global design for the Formica Corp., a manufacturer of surfacing products. “People have a tendency to go for a pattern because it hides a lot of wear and tear, plus toast crumbs.”
While real stone and granite are a must for high-end apartments and condos, developers can offer the patterned, speckled look of these natural materials in mid-priced units as well. Manufacturers continue to perfect the look of stone, marble and granite in laminate and solid surface materials. For instance, Formica's newly expanded Etchings Finish laminate collection offers a softly polished and etched surface, dappled with highlights from tiny fractures and fissures like those found in real granite and stone.
These neutral colors aren't the norm everywhere. In urban markets, multifamily developers are becoming more adventurous with their color selections. At the Element, a condominium being built in the Atlantic Station live/work/play community in Atlanta, developer Lane Co. is offering residents a Blue Eyes granite, which combines gray tones with pops of vibrant cobalt blue. “Purchasers were looking for something different in their homes,” says Quinn Lindsay, marketing and project coordination manager at Lane Investment and Development.
Palladium (USA) International is investigating bolder colored counter-tops, like bright reds and blues, to use at Canal Side Lofts, a loft community the company is developing in Las Colinas, Texas.
“We feel that [a loft project] gives us more license to be a little more aggressive on color selection,” says Richard Brownjohn, Palladium's senior vice president of development. “We may not do it in every single unit, but certainly a percentage of our units will have something that is not as conventional as what we are seeing in the marketplace.”
NATURE'S CALL: Get the look of natural marble and woodgrain, but with the durability of a solid surface. Transolid's new natural selections collection come in eight colors, from mystic river to sand mountain. The product is made from a durable, non-porous solid surface composition that offers consistent colors and veining, plus ease of fabrication and installation, the company says.
ASIAN INFLUENCE: Corian's 2005 color lineup is inspired by the Japanese design concept Wabi-Sabi, which celebrates the randomness and unpredictability of nature. These subdued, neutral hues include canvas, dove, green tea, raffia, rice paper, and white jasmine. The soft, muted look was created by blending a sparse scattering of large translucent particles with a powdery base of multicolored fine particles.
STYLE WITH TILE: Bring back the look of handcrafted, glazed wall tile with Savoy. Lighter shades offer an opaque glaze, while the darker ones have a transparent glaze that adds depth and luminosity. The product can be used in bathrooms and showers, kitchen backsplashes, accent walls, and light-duty countertops.
PERFECT IMMITATION Get the look of nature for less with Wilsonart's three new series. The Roca Series replicates the naturally honed look of tumbled stone, complete with the aging and irregularities that occur over time. The Fusion Series mimics the veining and pearlescent effects of marble with a smooth stone-like texture and appearance of depth. And the Oasis Series offers the look of natural crystallization and leaf composition, resembling stained glass or tile mosaics. All series are available in a variety of colors.
POWER OF QUARTZ: Formica introduces stone natural quartz surfacing with 12 patterns and two stock thicknesses. Colors include breccia crème, travertine sand, and Dakota copper. Made of 93 percent quartz, Formica stone is highly durable, resistant to scratching and cracking, and virtually maintenance free, the company says.
Q: What strategies and products do you use to soundproof condo or condo conversion projects?
A: Soundproofing is a key issue for those of us active in the condo market. Among the products and strategies we've incorporated into our own product line:
- The introduction of cast iron piping, particularly cast iron ductile pipe systems, to significantly abate plumbing noises.
- The installation of STC-rated windows to dramatically reduce the impact from road noise or other environmental sounds.
- The separation of residential units with not one, but two, physically freestanding walls, each separately insulated.
- The addition of sound-retentive mats in addition to a thicker, 1 ½-inch gypcrete floor. In hard surface kitchens and bathrooms, we often install an underlayer of cork; in hardwood areas, we've used a sound-retentive mat as a sub-product between the hardwood or tile and the subfloor itself in addition to the “standard” sound-retentive mat and gypcrete.
— Chuck Covell is president of Bozzuto Homes in Greenbelt, Md.
— To participate in future Q&As, contact Rachel Z. Azoff at razoff@hanleywood.com.
HOT Product of the Month
LIGHT MY FIRE: Give your clubhouse a funky, edgy look with the Illuma-Flex Flexible Track Lighting System, which features a variety of colorful geometric-shaped glass mini-pendants and adjustable track head styles. Customers can mix and match shapes and colors to achieve the desired look. The low-voltage lighting system, available in six- and 12-foot lengths, offers general, accent, spotlight, or illumination lighting.
- For more information, call Progress Lighting at 864-599-6000 or visit www.progresslighting.com.