CONCRETE WORKTOPS OXFORD

CONCRETE WORKTOPS 

ISLAND

A LARGE 4MTR CONCRETE WORKTOP CAST WITH A CHUNKY 100MM EDGE

This large 4-metre long concrete worktop has been cast with a chunky 100mm edge. As concrete has a naturally warm and earthy aesthetic, we left some of the inherent voids along the edges to compliment the rustic reclaimed oak units. The kitchen island and floating shelves were handmade by a local artisan called Jos Smith Winney using reclaimed oak from a 400-year-old church in High Wycombe. 

As the owners have slightly different interior design tastes a compromise and fusion of contemporary vs reclaimed was born. The painted ply kitchen units were topped off with stainless steel worktops for a nice streamline finish. Light coloured reclaimed wall tiles from Bert & May were chosen to balance out the charcoal faux finished walls. Modern steel wire bar stools have been chosen to sit beneath the concrete island which cantilevers along its length to form a generous breakfast bar for light dining and entertaining.

There is also a beautifully polished concrete floor with slightly exposed aggregate, this was installed during the initial build by Midland Polished Concrete. Due to the living space being a rather large area the company suggested using control joints to minimise cracking. The clients, however, decided that cracks are in fact a beautiful and natural feature of concrete which should be embraced, they also chose a natural densified finish rather than a coating. This allows the concrete to breathe and develop a rich patina. 

The use of bold and vibrant colours is another key aspect of what makes this living space quite special. The client had a keen eye for colour coordination. The zesty teal wall colour was something they had mixed up themselves as a custom colour using Hidey-Hole Earthborn clay paints. This highly luminescent effect really ‘pops’ in the room and is further complemented with the lime and green accents of the pots and other accessories. The reclaimed theme is continued with furniture such as the free-standing sideboard which was a builders bench from France and a 100-year-old pestle and mortar collection rescued from a chemist by Drew Pritchard. Some fantastic large house plants also adorn the room which along with the sliding glass doors and the green/blue colour scheme helps to bring in that fresh feeling of living in from the garden space.

 Let us know if you have any project ideas you have. Large concrete islands or kitchen counters. We’d love to have a chat.. info@fluidstonestudio.co.uk

Other companies involved in this project are:

Reclaimed Oak kitchen island – Jos Smith-Whinney Insta: smithwhinney
The dark grey ply kitchen cabinets – Uncommon Projects – Insta: uncommon_projects
Polished concrete floor – Insta: midland_flooring1
Reclaimed kitchen wall tiles – Bert and May insta: bertandmay
Pestle and mortar collection – Drew Pritchard Insta: drewprichardantiques
Hidey-Hole Earthborn clay paint – Insta: earthbornpaints
Sliding doors –  Kloeber Insta: kloeberuk