SOLID SURFACE TRENDS IN 2022 – A GUIDE FOR ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS AND PROJECT MANAGERS

The Solid Surface Industry, much like any other industry, follows trends. But how do these trends emerge, is it purely organic or are there other drivers at play?

As a Solid Surface Fabricator, I feel it is important to have a good awareness of what is becoming popular, as this can enable us to assist our customers more effectively, as well as feeding any information we gather to our suppliers.

I am always curious about how the colour palettes evolve in the world of Solid Surface. How are they chosen, and why? There are always some colours that are a surprise to me. I wanted to dig deeper, to understand more about the trends in our industry…where does the vision come from?

This article is designed to investigate the current trends in the world of Solid Surface, determine if they are long time trends and identify what might happen over the course of the next year or so.

What influences trends in the Solid Surface Industry?

Firstly, it’s important to know what trends are and how they happen – where do they even come from?

According to Wikipedia:

“A trend happens when a large group of?people?begin liking an object, thing,?hobby?or a?person?in a short period of?time.”

I have read a number of interesting articles, with the realisation that trends have emerged over millennia and although often based around cultural preferences, they are also heavily influenced and impacted by economic, political and social factors.

The information available about where trends emanate in our Industry is pretty scarce, but from my own experiences and research, I believe that the trends in Solid Surface follow closely in the footsteps of architecture, interior design, and construction.

So, when I consider Solid Surface Trends, I look at what is currently influencing / impacting the Architecture, Interior Design and Construction Industries

Architects and designers will often visit websites such as pinterest, Instagram or archello to assist in creating their mood boards, so finding out who and what they follow can indicate what might be about to become a trend as well.

The list of potential influences on emerging Trends in these industries is almost limitless, but I am beginning to see how our emotions as consumers plays a huge part in it, and how that triggers a chain of events that results in the environment we choose to live and work in.

I found an article in Vogue especially interesting, as it discussed the importance of design on our overall feeling of well- being. For thousands of years, we have been trying to gain inner peace, and this article highlights the importance our home has on how we feel.

We all want to feel more emotionally at ease. This reflects in the way we design and decorate our homes, and workplaces.

This being the case, with the current movement towards more hybrid working (following on from the working from home orders during the pandemic) I feel there has been a definite progression towards bringing the home into the workplace.

This in itself seems to be colouring how designers are approaching interiors, and we are seeing the ‘trickle through’ effect in our orders. Over the last two years we have seen an increase in the specification of the concrete effect colours, a trend that was definitely emerging prior to 2020, but has gained quite a bit of traction.

Other softer colours such as the speckled creams and neutral veined finishes have also proved very popular.

How do we know what will become a trend in the Solid Surface Industry?

Unlike trends that we see in similar industries (like stone for instance) the Solid Surface Industry is based around just one material, so when we are speaking about trends in Solid Surface, we are referring to:

?‘A large number of clients requesting a certain Solid Surface specification within a short period of time, across the Solid Surface Industry”

This can be an increase of orders in a specific brand, a surge of interest in a particular colour, pattern, or even a consistent request for a specific thickness of material over a period of time.

As a fabricator we become aware of a new trend when we suddenly receive a number of enquiries for a particular colour, or requests to source something that looks like another product, such as Terrazzo, or a specific type of stone.

We often find trends have taken a foothold before they start impacting us.

Sometimes it can be frustrating when a trend emerges that is entirely different to anything we currently offer, such as the current trend we are seeing for Terrazzo colours. Sadly, it is not simple for our suppliers to simply introduce new colours (although the number of Terrazzo looking colours are increasing within each material)

Another way of monitoring upcoming trends is by reviewing the sample requests - especially from architects, designers and interior fit out companies. They give a pretty good indication of where trends are going and what to expect over the coming months.

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I think it’s also important to note that, what may appear to be popular in our order books is not always a nod to the latest trend in the industry.

For example, if a company has a particular colour that is their corporate colour and we then work with this, we may be the only fabricator using it in any form of volume. Just because we have had a run on that specific colour, this is not a trend, it is just our experience at a given moment in time.

This happened a few years ago, when we made several items for Tottenham Hotspur FC from a specific blue, which was selected as it was their brand colour. The fact we purchased a great deal of this colour at this time, did not make it a new trend. ?

Sometimes there are other factors in our industry that affect trends – such as new innovations like the Deep Colour Technology from Corian and Intense Ultra from Hi Macs, both of which now ensure that the darker colours show scratches less conspicuously than before, encouraging more interest and orders.?

The manufacturers may also work on the composition, to see if they can make any innovative strides such as with the ability to thermoform into tight radii. This can relate to trends as interior designers will potentially love the new concept and be excited to translate it into their designs.

Does the Stone Industry have a direct impact on Solid Surface Trends?

In short, yes, I think it does.

Marble, granite and quartz will often have colours that are popular, that will then be emulated by the manufacturers of Solid Surface, as we can sometimes bring the appearance of these products, with the attributes of Solid Surface.

I spoke with my stone counterpart at Rockford, Joanna Davila, to see what she thought was happening in the stone world at the moment and she said that she is seeing more of a trend towards matt and suede finishes, with a wider variety of colours being looked at than before.

She considers the white with a dark vein trend to be on the way out, which may well transpose to the Solid Surface market in due course.

Solid Surface Trends- A Supplier’s Perspective

In order to gain proper insight and clarity into the trends of the Solid Surface Industry, I spoke with some of the major UK Suppliers, who each gave me their insight into how their colour palettes are selected, as they are at the forefront of these decisions.

Andy Noble -

Managing Director CD UK Ltd -

UK & Ireland Distributors of

Corian? Solid Surface , Paperstone? and Montelli? Surfaces.

“CDUK review our colour palette every two years, with an interim review somewhere in the middle if there appears to be a larger shift in any particular direction. Last year, 2021, was our last big review where working with Corian? Solid Surface we removed twenty colours from the range and introduced 9 new colours including the Carrara and Artista ranges. We also reviewed the Montelli? Surfaces range and introduced Paperstone? to the UK & Ireland in 13 colours and 3 thicknesses. It was a busy year but trends have changed quickly.

We have seen, for some time, more of a lean towards more natural and neutral calming colours post-Covid, this is possibly only a short-term trend as things settle but is likely to be a strong trend in considering wellbeing and natural spaces, particularly in the workplace. The new Corian? Solid Surface colours and many colours on the Paperstone? and Montelli? Surfaces ranges complement this trend.

We have also noticed that a white with a dark vein has always been strong towards the domestic market, we brought out our new Carrara and Artisa colours in response to this.

We wondered if grey was going out of style a bit, so have been pleasantly surprised by the response to Artista Grey in particular. It’s been very well received.

The refined industrial trend has been around some time and still appears to be going strong, which we have addressed with the Concrete and Aggregate range of Corian? Solid Surface.”

Martin Saxby –

Northern European Country Manager LX Hausys-

Manufacturers of ?Hi Macs

“We do keep an eye on the trends for the UK, we are always looking and feeding back, as spotting a trend at an early stage is always a good thing.?

We do a lot of research into the colours we choose for our colour palette, we have colourist trend consultants who are based in a design centre in Seoul. We employ key, high end furniture designers, fashion designers, colourists who are based in the UK and also in New York, all of whom work on predictions for the next two years.

There will always be timeless colours which never go out of fashion, which never gets old. But some colours are more short-lived. Some have remained very stable, the greys/ concretes and whites with a vein appear to be sticking around.

We feel that fashion starts the trend, influenced by social activities. The pandemic has seen a lot more natural looking colours emerge as favourites.

It is important to identify if something is a trend or a fad, this can be hard and is definitely a skill.”

Jake Naylor –

Managing Director

at Hanex UK Ltd

“We are constantly keeping an eye on trends and providing feedback to Hyundai L&C to make sure we work way ahead before a trend becomes majorly popular.?

I think it would be very short sighted to only base our research solely on UK trends as we have seen in the past few years trends filter over from different regions across the globe, so there is an open line of communication between ourselves and other Hanex distributors across the global network on new, upcoming and existing trends.

There are some trends we have seen that we expect to stick around but they haven’t and then on the other foot thought “that will never stick around” but is still going strong. We do tend to see that there is a core trend that will be around forever and that consists of your classic colours that can adapt to any design be it modern or contemporary.

The easiest way to tell when a colour is on trend is when one colour that was being regularly ordered slows down and then another picks up.”

Duncan McLeod –

Sales Director Blackheath Products- UK Distributor of Staron and Mirostone

“We look at trends on an ongoing basis, as we have other decorative products (laminates/ worktops for example) we are always looking at trends.?We would look at a relaunch of any range about every two and half to three years.

It’s often interesting to see what trends are arriving from around the world but although considering it we do tend to stick to European trends. We find that trends move every two-three years, although I think the basic black/white/greys have extra longevity.

We are always surprised that some of the dated creams and beiges sell, but we have to consider that solid surface is a consideration for the older generation due to disposable cash, as well as the younger generations that are influenced by social media and fashion.

White with a vein is still very popular, but veins in general do seem to still be holding their own.”

Steven Fisher –

Product Director at International Decorative Surfaces-

Distributor of Durasein

“In Solid Surface our sales are definitely becoming a bigger mix of products rather than just the usual 60-70% of material sold being plain White.?We have a lot of veined material being sold, the Knight White in our Durasein is a perfect example and sits in our top 5 selling decors even though its in our highest price band.?

However, we do still see a lot of sales on the decors that have remained constant within our offer for possible 10-15 years now!?Examples of which are the Triarctic and Triostone, again they sit in our top 5 selling decors, along with the Glacier White still sitting at the top of the tree.

The Domestic market for kitchens again is seeing a lot of bold colours whether be dark greens and blues or lighter option in things like blush pink, people often mixing the two.

Trends specifically for worktops whether that be laminate or other material is definitely for a real effect stone/marble look.?This trend is also seen in the Wall Panelling market at well with people going for really striking patterns.

On the commercial side of things were getting a lot of requests for environmentally focused products”

So, what Solid Surface Trends can we expect to see in 2022?

Looking at the industry over the last twenty years, it is clear that there are a number of obvious influences.?When I reviewed back over 2021, I could clearly see that a number of trends in interior design have taken a bit of root, which has transferred to the Solid Surface Industry, such as the concrete, stone, Terrazzo and neutrals, coupled with a splash of colour.

In the last year, we have seen a definite increase in requests for Terrazzo colours and pinks of which there are relatively few in Solid Surface.?

I believe that we are moving towards a more neutral, calming trend IN 2022, where some of the more concrete colours slot perfectly.

We have also seen a lot of speckled white, concrete colours, white with a vein, as well as other veined colours. We have been asked for Terrazzo looking colours, off-whites with an almost moonlike crater look and neutrals.

Interestingly the colour that normally dominates for us, white, is not as popular, for us, at this time. But white is always a staple and there will always be projects that require white. White works incredibly well as a statement piece.?

On my social media feeds I am seeing a lot more of the biophillic designs coupled with neutral colours and bright flashes of colour. A noticeable shift is that although bold colours are being used, there are less instances of them being used as the main focus. Instead, there are more navy and green walls, Terrazzo colours, veins and neutral, calming tones.

At the moment it is becoming hard to predicts trends due to the current political climate, as we are seeing ongoing issues with suppliers, around the world.

This can be attributed to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the global shipping crisis, the pandemic, rising costs of energy and fuel as well as the increasing prices of raw materials.

My fear and thoughts are that currently we are blessed with a wide range of colours in every brand we work with. Over time, I think there is a high chance that these colour offerings will be reduced down to save on costs, limiting the choice we all have.

It may become less about what is trendy, and more about what is available at any given moment.

If you have any queries or comments, or would like to have a chat, just get in touch

All the best

Nicola

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Nicola Barden is the Managing Director of her family business, BSF Solid Surfaces Ltd, offering high end, bespoke counter surfaces from Solid Surface, a high end man made stone, for both commercial and residential projects, website?www.bsfsolidsurfaces.com

She can be contacted on?[email protected]?or give her a call on 01277 263603 if you want to chat about anything, or nothing in particular.

In her spare time she can be found with her husband, son, two cats and crazy dog. They enjoy going to the zoo, the park, the rides and anything that allows their energetic son to expend his endless amounts of energy!