Neolith

Neolith

A material that has seen a surge for kitchen Worktops is Neolith, replicating marble and stone. Neolith has a revolutionary manufacturing process using 100% natural materials, extreme heat and intense pressure. The end result is a porcelain material that is extremely durable.

 

Neolith kitchen worktops iron grey

Worktops & Fascia’s

 

This man made natural material has some desirable qualities including. Resistant to scratching, chemical cleaning agents and surface Colour fading to name a few. Offering a well thought-out range of finishes to suit the modern kitchen while also being very practical in a kitchen environment.

Neolith Iron Blue

Iron Blue

 

 

 

Finishes range from polished, to river washed. As this is a porcelain it can also be used in bathrooms, Interiors and even external facades. The surface adds another texture and interest in any Interior space and is one that as a Designer I get excited to use it within my schemes.

Neolith Flooring

Flooring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To get your dream kitchen featuring Neolith Contact us today to arrange your free design consultation.

Contact us Direct on +44 (0151) 9243665 or You Can Contact Us Through Our Contact Page or Social Media

The Kitchen Sink

The Kitchen Sink

The humble sink – A key part of a kitchen and not to be over looked.

It’s surprisingly around your kitchen sink area that you spend the most time so it is important to consider which sink works best for you. Unlike many integrated products within the kitchen that can be hidden behind closed doors the kitchen sink is always on show. So Style and sophistication to suit the room is paramount.

Different styles and finishes of sinks can enhance a design and set a tone for many other additions within the kitchen. Key features to look out for when choosing your sink and taps are; longevity, robustness, do they evoke ease & comfort of use? Both not only need to work effortlessly together but need to be well paired in design and function.

Your sink should suit the way you prefer to use your kitchen. What’s becoming more popular if your kitchen size and style permits, is a secondary prep sink. Ideally located near the prep and cooking area. This can be a great advantage when preparing fruit, vegetables, or when multiple people are cooking in the kitchen.

 

Stainless Steel Sinks

Practicality works hand in hand with good design, stainless steel is one of the leading styles due to its low maintenance properties.

Pros

  • Stainless Steel sinks have great durability giving your sink longevity
  • Resistant to corrosion
  • Resistant to chipping, cracking & premature wear
  • Easy to clean & does not harbour bacteria
  • Price, although some stainless sinks can be expensive in general a quality stylish stainless steel sinks are the most affordable option

Cons

  • There are not many cons to stainless steel sinks but cheaper options may be less aesthetically pleasing to the eye

 

Franke Kubus KBX 1.5 Stainless steel kitchen sink

Franke Kubus KBX 1.5 Stainless steel sink and cosmic black granite

Ceramic Sinks

Ceramic or porcelain sinks offer the wow factor and are available in porcelain, standard ceramic or fireclay with the latter being the most durable & expensive. A few points about fireclay ceramics.

Pros

  • Heat, impact, dirt & stain Resistant
  • Resistant to chemicals due to heavy duty glazed surface
    • The heavy duty glazed surface is also resilient to chips & scratches while also making the surface hypoallergenic.

Cons

  • Although white ceramic sinks can achieve the look within the kitchen it is worth considering that they will show more dirt and require a little more TLC when compared to stainless steel sinks.
  • The fireclay version is very resilient but if a chip or deep scratch does occur the coating will be compromised.

 

English Classic Kitchen Featuring Belfast ceramic kitchen sink

Belfast Ceramic Sink and Silestone Worktop

Corian Sinks (Acrylic)

Acrylic composites are becoming more popular allowing for seamless design where worktop & bowl are moulded as one.

Pros

  • Design flexibility allowing to be moulded into any shape
  • easily integrated into Corian worktops
  • No visible joints
  • Hygenic
  • If any damage does occur it can be easily repaired

Cons

  • Acrylic Sinks do not like excessive heat so boiling water taps and Corian sinks do not work well together
  • Corian can scratch easily and although it can be repaired this could be costly if you scratch the material on a regular basis
  • Sharp and heavy objects can damage Corian
  • needs to be cleaned everyday and be kept dry to avoid a surface haze as a result of water being left on the surface.

 

Shaped Corian Worktop & Kitchen Sink

Corian Sink and Shaped Corian Worktop

 

 

 

 

Kaelo Integrated Wine cooler

Kaelo LogoInnovative Design – Kaelo

The kitchen is fast becoming the home of all the latest gadgets amongst seamless design. There are many cutting edge luxury Gadgets making life easier in the home & some can take centre stage when entertaining. The latest to come to the market is the Kaelo. Inspired from a dripping wet bottle served from an Ice bucket. Kevin Jabou founder of the Kaelo, was determined to find a solution that would keep wine perfectly chilled. The Kaelo’s designed to be modern, fun & something that would spark conversation.

Whilst spending time perfecting your new kitchen design to suit your lifestyle, appliances can add that extra style and sophistication. Whether you’re entertaining friends, having a romantic night in or just wanting a family meal. Kaelo boasts pioneering design with Innovative technology.

Kaelo integrated wine cooler set in bar top

 

Pioneering design, lots of Fun

 

Their patented cooling system creates a jacket of cold air which wraps around the bottle allowing the bottle to stay completely dry and perfectly chilled. A simple touch on the crown activates the cooling system keeping your wine within 1-2c of perfect opening temperature. Minimum maintenance is required & Unlike an ice bucket there are no drips, refills or mess.

The Kaelo wine cooler would look great on a bar, in a drinks cabinet or situated within a kitchen Island servicing an accompanying seating area. 7 premium crown colours are available to suit most situations while 27 colours of LED light help suit the mood. Furthermore there is a freestanding option available offering the versatility of being able to keep your beverage chilled. So whether your relaxing in the living room or entertaining in the garden on a summers evening.

In conclusion the Kaelo integrated wine cooler is A little bit of luxury, handmade in England and I’m looking forward to incorporating this into my next Design!

 

Sarah Gray – Interior and Kitchen Designer at Acanthus Design LTD

Pop Up Sockets

Pop Up Sockets Review & Information

 

Making the Right Choice:

With several pop up sockets on the market there is a variety to choose from offering a suitable solution to worktop power in the kitchen and other areas around the home. Acanthus have been installing pop up sockets for many years and they are far from a new invention. We have noticed that most on the market are cheap looking items made from thin plastic and are not so much pop up but more drag up manually.

As leaders in kitchen & furniture design we always seek out the best products on the market to use in our installations offering you the very best the market has to offer while still taking into account the cost of such items. One of our top items we highly recommend are these pop up sockets. 

An intelligent design offering not just a reliable durable product but a piece of kit that ticks all the boxes!

Pop Up Sockets

  • Reliable
  • Durable
  • Motorised
    • A Membrane switch included which hides neatly under the from edge of your worktop.
  • Available in 2 powder coated finishes (Black or White)
    • Custom colours available on request
  • Option of Additional Remote control
  • 1 double socket or 2 double sockets (1 front & 1 Back)
  • Matching Lid (Not included, to be made from the same worktop material as the work surface your mounting into)

Full range Of Pop Up Sockets Are Available with Most Furniture Purchase’s From Acanthus Design.

If you are interested in Purchasing A Pop up Socket As part Of A New Kitchen Or Furniture Installation. Please Contact Us For Your Free No Obligation Quotation.

Contact Us Today

Acanthus English Classic Kitchen Featuring Quooker Boiling Tap

Which Instant Boiling Tap To Choose?

Instant Boiling Taps

So What is an Instant Boiling Water Tap?

In essence the boiling water tap is not really a new invention. Most are based around commercial boiling water systems found in many restaurants, hotels and alike around the world.

The Boiling Water taps currently on offer are simply Water tanks to keep water hot and a faucet to dispense the boiling liquid. However Zip does offer a Tap that does everything! from boiling to sparkling water. Zip offers more versatility with just a single tap if you’re willing to spend a bit more.

What Taps Are Available?

There are several taps on the market now with some of the more well-known brands such as Quooker & Zip becoming common household names with programs like The British Bake Off featuring The Quooker Tap. Here is just a few of the instant hot water taps available at the moment worth considering:

 

Click The Image’s Above For Brochures & More Details

Why Buy A Boiling Water Tap?

There are many reasons to buy a boiling water tap & good reasons to consider keeping your kettle. Boiling water taps can save you money but in general the cost of these taps to buy and maintain will out weight the ability to ever save money!

Save Money?

Andy Smale, technical director at Expert Energy (a Group of independent energy consultants). Calculated that the difference in savings were in fact minimal. Mr Smale said that the amount of energy it would take to make six 250ml cups of tea/coffee on six occasions. With a kettle would cost 5.46p per 24 hrs. When compared to the Quooker Tap Mr Smale found that the same six cups. Would be equal to 5.27p per 24hrs. Showing very little if any savings when you consider the Initial cost of a Quooker tap.

Although his calculations show very little difference in savings. You have to consider very few of us boil just enough water for a cup of tea with our kettles. Quooker have estimated their tap gives you a saving of a hundred litres of water per year! With what would normally have been wasted in over filling kettles. Sounds good but the average 1.5litre Kettle costs around 2.5p per boil according to Npower. So that only equates to a waste saving of £25.00 per year.

Practicality

So if there are very little savings to be made once you have your boiling tap then why invest in buying one to begin with? For most people there are many reasons for having an instant hot water tap & top of the list has to be practicality! Once you have your tap fitted you have instant hot water 24-7 meaning no more standing around wasting time waiting for a kettle to boil whether your making a cup of tea or filling a pan to boil your veg for an evening meal. Having a Boiling Tap Also free’s up valuable worktop space & with most models having a child safety feature built in they can also offer a safer kitchen environment for your family.

Our Recommendation

We have installed a host of various boiling water taps over the years in our clients Kitchens & we always recommend Quooker & Zip with Quooker being our all-round favourite on Price, Size of Unit & Reliability.

The Quooker Tap for us offers good value compared to other taps on the market and the Quooker fusion offers both a high quality Tap and Great design incorporating a child safety feature for those of us with young children at home.

We would also recommend Checking how hard your water is? Although we have never had an issue with hardness of water in the area’s we have fitted these taps we have however heard many reports of taps failing after just a year due to hard water issues so bear this in mind.

Overview

In conclusion Buying a boiling water tap is not going to greatly reduce your electricity bill. However most boiling water tap owners will agree that these taps are almost life changing. A lot of technology is making life more complicated but a boiling tap simply saves time without complcation! Whether you choose the most expensive unit on the market or opt for the budget option having a boiling tap is for us a must have.

 

Click Here To Purchase Your Boiling Water Tap