Neolith Sintered Stone
Neolith®, a market leading brand of Sintered
Stone, was recently specified for a very
special project as part of the latest UK
primetime TV series, ‘George Clarke’s Old
House, New Home’, broadcast on Channel 4.
‘Old House, New Home’ is a series in which
celebrity architect George Clarke transforms
tired and tatty properties into achingly
cool dwellings which seamlessly blend the
old with the new, balancing nostalgia and
modernity.
The material was specifically chosen to
create an eye-catching kitchen island for a
Victorian terrace in Hove, East Sussex.
Game, Set and Book-Match...
Hove, East Sussex (UK) is a seaside town
popular with young professionals and
commuters to nearby Brighton and London.
Once a small fishing village on the South
Coast, it developed rapidly in the 19th
century, becoming a comfortable, middle
class residential area.
Alex and Andrea were living in a Victorian
four bedroom house, perfect for a growing
family. However, as is often the case with
these period properties, the kitchen was
small and cramped, squeezed into the back
of the building. With a new-born baby, they
felt that while there was plenty of area
upstairs, they needed to expand the living
space to accommodate for the necessities of
family life.
22 - www.refurbandrestore.co.uk
Focus was placed on extending the kitchen-
diner.
The original inspiration for the design was
a fusion of deconstructed Victoriana and a
clean modern aesthetic.
This would be achieved with an open plan,
extending the full width of the ground floor
rear into the garden. Unfortunately, planning
restrictions meant that this initial concept
needed to be revised to keep in line with the
period look and feel of the area.
Compromise often leads to creativity, and
this is nowhere truer than in architecture and
design. Having to scale back plans for their
kitchen extension really focused the minds of
Alex and Andrea, ultimately giving birth to a
more ambitious vision for the space.
An oversized island became the core feature
of the kitchen with a matching worktop
and splashback. Neolith’s Estatuario E01, a
faithful interpretation of the marble of the
same name, was chosen by the designers in
12mm thickness, with a silk finish.
The couple also requested that slabs be
book-matched to ensure a seamless spill-
over from the worktop to the cladding.
Careful and intuitive fabrication and
installation established the island as a focal
point in the kitchen without dominating it.
The subtle marble effect running throughout
created a crisp, elegant feel.
Other beautifully crafted details combined
to create a warm and welcoming space,
including hand-crafted parquet floors and
exposed brick walls, which offered a perfect
contrast to the Neolith surfaces.
This is an elegant, yet playful interior which
will stand the test of time and serve purpose
as a practical home for the new family of
three.
To find out more about Neolith visit:
www.neolith.com