Eco-Friendly Kitchen Worktop Trends for 2020 That You'll Love!
Whether starting from scratch or simply updating what you already have, a new kitchen is always exciting! We spend an astonishing amount of time in our kitchens, cooking, entertaining and of course cleaning up. With the ever-increasing popularity of open plan living the kitchen has a new role to perform, it must not only be practical, but its aesthetic qualities are now more important than ever.
When you step into a swanky kitchen showroom, surrounded by all the cabinetry and work surface options, It may seem simple to just dive in and pick colours and textures that work well and pull a scheme together nicely. Real woods are warming and bring a feeling of nature to your home. Laminates are inexpensive and modern technologies have dragged them out of the 80s and given them a new lease of life, meaning they are nice to look at as well as durable and cost effective.
Yes these two products are readily available and real wood work surfaces will forever be en vogue but it is 2020, we are bombarded by daily reports of climate catastrophe and our social media feeds are dotted with articles about hazardous materials we have been living with without realising. Perhaps we need to stop thinking about what’s the easiest or the cheapest option and start making
choices based on our knowledge of what these products are actually made from and what the environmental cost of their production really is.
At TINCTURE we are strong believers that you should be able to live without harmful chemicals as part of your everyday life. Our products are created with all-natural ingredients but perform as well as any harsh chemical filled alternative.
Eco-friendly kitchen habits do not need to stop with your cleaning products. Make the surface you are keeping spotless equally conscious of the environment and you'll know you're making a step in the right direction.
Recycled Glass
Super eco-friendly, recycled glass is a beautiful option when considering sustainable work surface. It is made by using fragments of everything from wine bottles to architectural glass and can be blended into an impressive spectrum of colour combinations. No sealant is necessary for these scratch, heat, stain resistant and anti-bacterial surfaces making them very durable and hygienic. They are also easier to get hold of than you may imagine with a number of well-known kitchen manufacturers now providing this as an option. The only drawback is if they are exposed to extreme pressure there is potential for cracks to appear.
Concrete
A trend over years for concrete work surfaces is not only good to look at but also good for the planet. For some this look is a little too utilitarian and cold but if you like a modern edge to your interior design concrete is an excellent choice. It can be mixed with eco-friendly pigments to create pretty much any colour or a marble style effect without the environmental impact as it can have a high percentage of recycled content. Concrete is tough. It will stand up to both scratches and high
temperatures if sealed correctly. However, it can be expensive and will need resealing every couple of years.