OWNERS Astrid and Göran Trapp
LOCATION New Malden, Surrey
BUDGET £35,000, including utility room
DESIGNER Crabtree Kitchens

THE BRIEF
A family-friendly design with extra “wow” factor.

MATERIALS AND FINISHES
Bespoke concrete worktops by Quality Marble, mixed to order with pebbles, seashells, cobalt and clear glass, cast with integral sinks and shaped to incorporate a hob.

DESIGN TIPS
“If you don't want to tile the walls, a 150 mm high upstand in the same material as your worktop will provide the essential wall protection and look extremely stylish,” says Andrew Stone of Crabtree Kitchens.

The worktop is the key design feature of Astrid and Göran Trapp's kitchen and it took them nearly five months to get it right. Their 1930s home originally had a beech worktop, which Astrid found nice to look at but hard to maintain. With two young children, a robust surface was a must, but Astrid wanted a material that would be a real talking point, too.

When kitchen designer Andrew Stone of Crabtree Kitchens showed the couple Quality Marble's concrete surfaces, which can be mixed with a variety of materials, it was love at first sight. “Natural stone is the most common aggregate added, but you can use anything, from pebbles and glass to metals. The design capabilities are endless,” says Andrew.

Deciding on the exact combination of aggregates was a painstaking process and Andrew created ten samples before Göran and Astrid were satisfied. At first, Astrid considered incorporating vibrant pink glass to indulge her love of the colour, but Andrew came up with the idea of using it as a splashback and on the unit doors instead – an option that will be less costly to change should the couple tire of such a dominant shade. Their chosen worktop mix includes pebbles, shells, cobalt and clear glass, which provides amazing sparkle. The concrete that binds it all together was tinted to a pale shade, so there would be no hint of grey.

Besides the unusual design, Astrid and Göran are thrilled with the flexibility of the worktops, which were cast to incorporate sinks that are as tough as the surface itself. “I particularly like the integral sinks – they're so easy to keep clean,” says Astrid.

“The project has been a great success. Everyone who visits admires the worktop. You can cut on it and set down hot pans without fear of marking it. It's great not to have to think about it.”

SOURCEBOOK
Design, fitting and units, Crabtree Kitchens, (020) 8392 6955; www.crabtreekitchens.co.uk.
Worktops, Quality Marble, (020) 8805 6600; www.quality-marble.co.uk. Splashbacks, Deco Glaze, (020) 8569 8585; www.decoglaze.co.uk.
Oven, Gaggenau, 08701 254500; www.gaggenauappliances.co.uk.

WORDS LINDA GRABHAM
APRIL 2006