Kitchens and bathrooms are expensive. As people resort to lightweight cabinets for affordability, heavier luxury stone worktops, like marble, are out of the question. Or are they?
“With so much innovation and design happening, there are many ways in which people are able to get the look that still works,” Ore Adesoye, an interior designer at Finchatton, says.
In our most recent episode of Tweed Talks, the Broke in Tweed podcast, Ore tells us about Honeycomb, a technique used to give marble lovers lightweight (and affordable) worktops.
What is Honeycomb?
“There’s this process called Honeycomb, where, for example, you actually do get the marble, but it’s a very thin layer. Then you just have the backing behind it, just so that it’s kind of like a veneer,” she explains. “You’re gonna have to have the honeycomb to support the stones, but you can still pull it.”
Honeycomb isn’t just for stone worktops. It is used in hallow doors, lightweight cabinetry and joinery and even soffit boards. For worktops, the backing is made of a lightweight metal (often aluminium). It’s arranged in a honeycomb pattern to maximise load bearing and minimise weight.
Ore explained that honeycomb works “even for vanities if the stone is really heavy” because of how the load is evenly distributed. Because the marble is much thinner, less area is used, making the materials cost much lower than standard slabs at 20 or 30 mm thickness.
Best Stone Worktops For A Luxe Look
All of the marble styles we discussed could be traced back to Tuscany, Italy. Between the options, Carrara marble (white base with grey veins) is the most affordable option. Conversely, if you have a bigger budget but are concerned about weight, Calacatta (white base with grey and gold veins) is a great works with most colour schemes.
Beyond marble, Ore talked about the opulence of onyx. A variety of quartz, it can come in black, white, grey, brown (sardonyx), and red. For the modern maximalist, onyx is a statement worktop and will complement the deep, moody colourways of Neo Deco homes. The details in the stone scream boho; it’s worth looking at it for the 70s revival home.
Leave a Reply