Engineered surfaces are touted for their durability, low-maintenance qualities and ability to mimic the look of a wide variety of real stone and other materials. Many new styles, colors and features of engineered countertops and other surfaces drew attention at the recent 2024 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). Here we highlight five emerging trends you can expect to see more of in the coming months.
“It’s evident that homes, especially kitchens, are undergoing a transformation, shifting away from the starkness of cool whites toward a palette imbued with color and warmth, evident in both remodels and new construction projects,” Summer Kath, executive vice president of design at Cambria, said in a news release. The quartz surface company launched several warm neutral styles, including Annaleigh, shown here. The new products are available for preorder now.
A look at Caesarstone’s display of new slabs at the 2024 KBIS trade show highlights the growing focus on warm neutrals.
10 Design Trends for New Kitchen and Bath Products in 2024
10 Design Trends for New Kitchen and Bath Products in 2024
Laminam, a porcelain surface manufacturer, debuted several warm styles. Here’s Cristallo Gold in the new Diamond series, which is available now.
Cambria’s new MonTaaj style mimics the look of Taj Mahal quartzite with layers of beige, taupe and gold. It’s available for preorder now.
Neolith, a sintered stone company, debuted its creamy Calacatta Roma style, used here for the walls, flooring and countertop.
10 Trends for New Kitchen and Bath Faucets and Fixtures in 2024
10 Trends for New Kitchen and Bath Faucets and Fixtures in 2024
2. Metallic Veining
Another notable shift in engineered surfaces is a deeper focus on veining that can complement the metal finishes used in a room, such as on appliances, lighting and faucets. Think warm gold veining to coordinate with brass cabinet knobs and faucets or, as in Caesarstone’s new Celestial Sky quartz shown here on the countertops and backsplash, silvery wisps that nod to pewter and stainless steel.
Another notable shift in engineered surfaces is a deeper focus on veining that can complement the metal finishes used in a room, such as on appliances, lighting and faucets. Think warm gold veining to coordinate with brass cabinet knobs and faucets or, as in Caesarstone’s new Celestial Sky quartz shown here on the countertops and backsplash, silvery wisps that nod to pewter and stainless steel.
A closer look at Caesarstone’s new Celestial Sky quartz.
Caesarstone’s new Calacatta Scoria style features dramatic strokes of black and gold that can coordinate with similar finishes used for appliances and faucets, as in this kitchen.
Metallic gold and silver scatter across Laminam’s new porcelain Arabescato Gold style from its I Naturali collection, which mimics the looks of natural marbles found in Italy, Brazil and Spain. The collection is available now.
10 Top Kitchen Design Trends for Cabinets, Countertops and More
10 Top Kitchen Design Trends for Cabinets, Countertops and More
3. Green
In addition to warm neutrals and metallic veining, green is asserting its presence in many new engineered surfaces. The trend goes hand in hand with the popularity of green cabinets and tile in kitchens and bathrooms. Silestone’s new Le Chic Boheme collection features the rich, stately green-hued Jardin Emerald style shown here on the island and backsplash.
In addition to warm neutrals and metallic veining, green is asserting its presence in many new engineered surfaces. The trend goes hand in hand with the popularity of green cabinets and tile in kitchens and bathrooms. Silestone’s new Le Chic Boheme collection features the rich, stately green-hued Jardin Emerald style shown here on the island and backsplash.
Cambria’s new Avalene style features captivating green veins running through a creamy background.
4. Silica-Free and Low-Silica Options
Silica, and how to reduce it in engineered countertops, was an important topic among counter and surface manufacturers at KBIS. Silica is a mineral common in quartz, and when not safely handled by workers during the cutting of countertops, breathing in its dust can lead to health problems. Wearing a mask and cutting quartz surfaces with water can help mitigate the problems, but companies are quickly shifting to processes that drastically reduce the silica content in the slab surfaces before they reach fabricators.
With that in mind, porcelain, a naturally silica-free material, is emerging as a popular countertop and surface choice. It’s heat- and stain-resistant and can be used outdoors. It also can be cut thin enough to be used as flooring. Caesarstone added seven new looks to its porcelain Ooak (one-of-a-kind) collection, including Marenstone, shown here. It will be available in spring 2024.
Silica, and how to reduce it in engineered countertops, was an important topic among counter and surface manufacturers at KBIS. Silica is a mineral common in quartz, and when not safely handled by workers during the cutting of countertops, breathing in its dust can lead to health problems. Wearing a mask and cutting quartz surfaces with water can help mitigate the problems, but companies are quickly shifting to processes that drastically reduce the silica content in the slab surfaces before they reach fabricators.
With that in mind, porcelain, a naturally silica-free material, is emerging as a popular countertop and surface choice. It’s heat- and stain-resistant and can be used outdoors. It also can be cut thin enough to be used as flooring. Caesarstone added seven new looks to its porcelain Ooak (one-of-a-kind) collection, including Marenstone, shown here. It will be available in spring 2024.
As mentioned, a major advantage of silica-free porcelain is that it can be used outdoors. Here’s Caesarstone’s new Silvax style of porcelain used as cladding for an outdoor swim-up bar and kitchen. Notice the cooktops integrated directly into the countertop material, another advantage of porcelain because the material can be cut very thin and remain durable and heat-resistant. This style will be available in spring 2024.
All of Laminam’s surfaces are porcelain and therefore silica-free. Here’s its new stone-look Onice Grigio style in its Diamond series. It’s available now.
Neolith, the sintered stone manufacturer, announced a silica-free line coming in June 2024. It will launch with two styles, Arctic White and Abu Dhabi White, both shown here.
Silestone launched its XM line, which will have no more than 10% silica. Its first collection is the Parisian-inspired Le Chic Boheme. The Blanc Élysée style is shown here on the island, countertop and backsplash.
5. Integrated Surface Features
Perhaps one of the coolest new features emerging in engineered surfaces is the ability to integrate things like electronics and cooking burners right into the slabs. One of the buzziest booths at KBIS was that of small but mighty FreePower. The company creates a wireless charging device that can be integrated into any countertop material. It says that if a fabricator can cut a hole for a sink, it can precisely fit a FreePower system in the surface. The system can charge up to three devices at once; it shows a lighted box through the surface when charging and disappears when not in use. It can go into a kitchen countertop, as shown here, a bathroom countertop, a nightstand, a home office or any stone or engineered surface in a home. The system won the Best in Show award during the Best of KBIS awards and is available now.
Perhaps one of the coolest new features emerging in engineered surfaces is the ability to integrate things like electronics and cooking burners right into the slabs. One of the buzziest booths at KBIS was that of small but mighty FreePower. The company creates a wireless charging device that can be integrated into any countertop material. It says that if a fabricator can cut a hole for a sink, it can precisely fit a FreePower system in the surface. The system can charge up to three devices at once; it shows a lighted box through the surface when charging and disappears when not in use. It can go into a kitchen countertop, as shown here, a bathroom countertop, a nightstand, a home office or any stone or engineered surface in a home. The system won the Best in Show award during the Best of KBIS awards and is available now.
As mentioned, porcelain can be cut thin enough to accommodate integrated gas burners, like those from PITT Cooking, which also had a buzzy booth at KBIS. Shown here is Caesarstone’s new Isobellia porcelain style with integrated gas burners.
But going a step further, porcelain can also be cut thin enough to completely cover an induction cooktop, creating an invisible cooking surface that heats up only when paired with induction-compatible cookware. Here’s an example of someone cooking on a Caesarstone porcelain countertop using an Invisacook induction cooktop hidden below the surface.
As we noted earlier this year in our 2024 design predictions, homeowners are craving warm neutral colors in their rooms rather than the stark whites and cool grays that have dominated in recent years. This shift is also evident in many new countertop and surface styles launched at KBIS. Instead of surfaces with crisp white backgrounds, there were lots of warm creams and taupes. Caesarstone’s new Goldfinch quartz, used here for the countertops and backsplash, is a good example of a surface with a warm white background.