New Colors, New Aesthetics, New Design Landscape from DuPont Surfaces



New Colors, New Aesthetics, New Design Landscape from DuPont Surfaces

How the latest colors from DuPont™ Surfaces are changing the commercial and residential design landscape.

Call me a Corian® guy, and I won’t deny it.  Corian® is one of the most fantastic raw materials available to the building supply market.  But beyond a raw material, the last few years have seen a resurgence of incredibly innovative and inspirational colors from the DuPont Surfaces team - being capped off this year with the launch of new, unmatched, patented aesthetics for both Corian® solid surfaces and Zodiaq® quartz surfaces.

I have spent my 25+ year tenure as a CKD traveling the globe to seek out the latest design trends and bring them to the North American design community.  The bulk of my best-received, “ah-ha!” ideas tend to come from Europe.  Whether it’s moving countertops, ornate furnishings, or entirely new building materials, Europeans seem to have a looking glass into the future of design.  This year’s new colors of Corian® and Zodiaq® have that European flare that fills a gap in certain design aesthetics that were missing from the North American (and global) surfaces market.

My take on how these colors hit the mark:

Reason 1: Veining.  Movement.  Intricate patterns.
The new Prima Collection of Corian® colors offer patented, never-before-seen aesthetics that many probably thought were not possible with solid surface materials.  The pronounced veining offers the dramatic appeal of marble all the while maintaining the benefits of being a workable, renewable material.

Corian® Limestone Prima Tabletops
Corian® Smoke Drift Prima Countertops

Reason 2: Urban inspiration. 
Corian® Carbon Concrete
The Concrete Collection of Corian® colors provides a raw, neutral palette while still capturing touches of movement, texture and visual intrigue.

Reason 3: “White hot” colors and a nuanced neutrals. 
What more can I say?  Neutrals will always win for those who want a one-and-done approach to selecting their countertop color.  Neutral colors do not fade in and out of color trends; they are a permanent fixture and always have a place in the residential and commercial surfaces market.

Backlit Corian® Gray Onyx
Reason 4: Playing with light.

The 1/2" thickness of Corian® allows for unique back-lighting options that are not possible with other opaque surfacing materials.  The new Onyx Collection not only hits the mark with all previously mentioned attributes, but offers an incredible depth with its swirling patterns and varying levels of opacity.  In my opinion, these colors are a huge win for the commercial segment.

Reason 5: Pick no bone with stone.
Quartz surfaces are sky-rocketing in popularity, especially in the residential market.  Homeowners seem to be veering away from the robotic-granite-buying experience – all the while maintaining a strong appreciation for stone surfaces.  While perhaps nothing can capture the unique colors and patterns that come with a natural stone surface, the quartz color palette is evolving at a rapid pace, offering more and more unique, natural-stone-like aesthetics.  The entire Pietra Collection of Zodiaq® colors – six of which are new for 2017 – provide a fantastic variety of options that take these aesthetics to the next level with unique veining and patterns.

Zodiaq® Valente Pearl
Of course, this is just my take on one of the most exciting DuPont Surfaces color palettes that I’ve seen after 30 years in the building supply industry.  I invite you to explore the new colors for yourself and see how these colors can bring a differentiated design to your world.

New Colors of Corian® and Zodiaq® for 2017

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kitchen Mega-Trends Uncovered

Image
If you’ve been to one of my Evenings of Inspiration (EOI), you know that it’s my passion to seek out the latest and greatest mega-trends in kitchen design.   I’m always looking for the next big design idea. I recently found an interesting article that hit the nail on the head in terms of designs that I’ve highlighted in my EOI presentations ( click here to view the full article).   Do you agree that these trends will show up more and more in the kitchens of the future? Technology-Centered Kitchen Concept: Placing a heavy focus on staying connected with the use of technology.   My thoughts: Incorporating technology into design can be a risky move.   Technology moves at a rapid pace and quickly becomes out-dated. Movement Concept: Using movement in design to maximize the function of a space. My thoughts: This will be the biggest trend in the kitchen of the future.   Forms Follows Function. Visually-Minimized Design Concept: “Hiding” a v...
Read more

Myth: “Knowledge is Power”

Many people are familiar with the old adage “knowledge is power”.   People believe that acquiring new information can, in some way, prove to be of benefit.   But the question becomes: what makes knowledge powerful if you don’t use it? I would challenge the assumption that knowledge is power - because without action, knowledge is only interesting.   Think about modern education.   We have changed the knowledge base of society but people are less likely to act on what they know. My belief is that knowledge in conjunction with action is real power.   In this day of information, we all have access to a wealth of knowledge.   It is easy for us to acquire new information and ideas, but we frequently fail to apply the information and mobilize.   If we do not act upon our ideas, we remain stagnant. I believe it is important to make a strategic effort to mobilize our ideas and knowledge, for when we do, great results can occur.   This is where the r...
Read more

Willis President & CEO Joins K + BB Editorial Advisory Board

Willis CEO Mike Hetherman to Join Esteemed Panel of Industry Experts Burlington, Ontario, April 25, 2014 —Willis President & CEO, Mike Hetherman, has recently joined the Editorial Advisory Board for Kitchen & Bath Business Magazine. As a CKD for over 20 years and a prominent figure in the building supply industry, Mike will be working closely with the other members of the board to contribute industry expertise to the many outlets provided by K+BB Magazine. With his acquisition of a role on the K+BB Editorial Advisory Board, Mike will be providing his insights on trends, ideas and evaluation on industry issues.   Said Mike, “Connecting people to information is the key to ensuring that our industry stays relevant.   My new role with K+BB is sure to be a great outlet for further connecting and sharing such information.” In addition to his ongoing contributions to the board, Mike will be participating in exclusive events in which are geared towards unearthing rele...
Read more