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Six generations of knowledge and an unbroken commitment to doing things properly. That is what every client inherits when they work with AFJONES.

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Oxfordshire Stone Surfaces

Stone worktops in contrasting Silestone quartz quietly define and connect an open-plan kitchen, practicality and timeless feel, working in collaboration with Griggs and MacKay.

Project Details

Location

Near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

Expertise

Architectural & Interior

Stone

Silestone Charcoal Soapstone & White Carrara

Scope

Kitchen, Utility, Boot Room Worktops

Project Type

Private Residence

Located near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, this project uses stone worktops to quietly define and connect an open-plan kitchen, utility and boot room.

Working in collaboration with Griggs and MacKay, AFJONES developed a surface design in contrasting Silestone quartz that balances practicality with a welcoming, timeless feel.

Open-Plan Kitchen  ·  Contrasting Quartz

Contrasting Zones
in One Space

The kitchen and adjoining spaces are arranged around two complementary quartz finishes: dark Silestone Charcoal Soapstone for the breakfast surface and Silestone White Carrara for the surrounding worktops.

The contrast in tone and texture helps to define different functions within the open-plan layout while keeping the overall scheme calm and coherent.

Feature Worktop

Circular Breakfast
Surface

The breakfast top is a 50mm-thick circular installation in Charcoal Soapstone, cut to wrap a structural steel column at the centre of the space. What could have been an intrusive element is absorbed into the design and turned into a feature.

The curved stone providing a soft counterpoint to the otherwise clean, linear geometry of the kitchen, a considered solution to a structural constraint.

AFJONES provided a complete service from early material selection and surface design through to templating, fabrication and installation. Detailed mark-ups of the stone cuts were prepared for review and sign-off.

Complete Service

Design to
Installation

This gave the client and design team clarity from the outset and ensured the finished worktops matched the agreed intent, no surprises on site.

This gave the client and design team clarity from the outset and ensured the finished worktops matched the agreed intent, no surprises on site.

Material Selection

Precise Templating
and Fabrication

A key focus of the project was choosing materials that would work practically over time, stain-resistant, easy to maintain, and suited to the demands of a busy family kitchen.

Silestone quartz, with its consistent quality and durability, was the right choice, and the contrasting finishes give the open plan a sense of purpose and organisation that serves the life of the home.

Two quartz finishes, one coherent scheme — stone surfaces that define an open plan without dividing it.

Working with Griggs and MacKay, AFJONES delivered a complete stone service, from material selection through to the installation of a bespoke circular breakfast surface that turns a structural column into a feature.

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