CEMENTING A NEW TREND

WORDS MORGAN TAIT

The historically exterior concrete is creeping indoors and cementing itself as one of 2020’s top interior architecture trends.

THE NEW WHITE As design thinking moves towards more natural aesthetics, the seemingly eternal trend of stark white kitchens may be coming to an end. And hand trowelledeffect concrete may well be taking its place. Described by Italian architect Andrea Maffei as “the material that best defines modern architecture”, concrete is rich in hue and texture and brings a sleek and contemporary feel to the home when paired with wood grains and solid monochromatic palettes.

BEYOND THE BENCHTOP Concrete benchtops are far from new, but how about concrete cabinetry and

rendered feature walls? You can find concretelook melamine products in New Zealand which can be used for everything from kitchen doors and bathroom cabinetry, to feature islands, wall panelling, bookcases, and desks

…and it can be done with paint! When using concrete or adhesive alternatives are out of the picture (or price range), a realistic concrete effect can be mimicked with paint. Look for lime-based paints which can achieve the coveted concrete finish when applied by block brush in random left-to-right strokes.