The era of the one-finish kitchen is giving way to more layered, individual spaces. Homeowners are increasingly embracing mixed material kitchens, combining contrasting colours, textures and finishes to create designs that feel more personal, visually interesting and tailored to the way they live. Rather than relying on a single material throughout, combinations of colour ways, woodgrain finishes and textured worksurfaces introduce depth and character. The result is a kitchen

Businesses that continue to invest in innovation, people and market visibility during periods of economic uncertainty will emerge stronger than those that retreat, according to the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA). As organisations across the construction supply chain continue to navigate inflationary pressures, delayed investment decisions, skills shortages and evolving regulatory requirements, ADSA is encouraging the entrance systems sector to view challenging ma

For many hospitality businesses, accessible bathrooms have long been approached as a box-ticking exercise - designed to meet regulations rather than enhance the guest experience. Fitzroy of London believes this mindset is beginning to shift. Today, investing in well-designed accessible bathrooms is no longer simply about compliance; it’s a commercial opportunity. Hospitality venues that create beautiful, functional and inclusive washrooms are better positioned to welcome a br

Callum Jensen, Senior Commercial Manager at Haddonstone, explains what architects and developers should consider when specifying cast stone... Specifying cast stone is about far more than achieving an attractive finish. For architects, housebuilders and developers, the decisions made at specification stage can have a lasting impact on a building’s appearance, durability, and whole-life costs. While it may be tempting to focus on initial purchase prices and ambitious delivery

Niall Crosson, Group Technical Director at Ecological Building Systems, draws on 25 years’ industry experience to make the case for ‘Building Better’, learning from vernacular building traditions and applying those principles to contemporary design and specification. Niall Crosson, Group Technical Director at Ecological Building Systems “Long before UK Building Regulations, performance targets or embodied carbon metrics were introduced, buildings were designed around a simple

As urban living continues to shape modern home design, compact kitchens are becoming increasingly common. While smaller footprints can present design challenges, they also create opportunities for retailers, designers and installers to demonstrate the value of intelligent planning and innovative storage solutions. Paul Berryman, Head of Life Trade, says, “Creating a successful small kitchen is no longer simply about fitting everything into a limited space. Today’s consumers e

Simon Woods, European Sales, Marketing and Logistics Director, West Fraser, explains Embodied carbon is not yet a legal requirement for most UK housing, but it is fast becoming unavoidable. For housebuilders, it is shaping up as the next major structural challenge after energy efficiency, with implications for design standards, material supply, planning consent, and investor credibility. Many large housebuilders are already preparing because early movers, as always, will find

NASA’s first manned flight around the moon for 50 years has sparked fresh interest in space exploration while also reminding us of the tantalising properties to a vacuum: especially back here on earth. As the poster for the original Alien movie said: “In space no one can hear you scream.” There are many industrial applications for vacuum technology, and these continue to expand as technology advances. At the same time, falling costs are making it an increasingly practical s

The ever-tightening regulations and standards, along with the UK’s substantial population growth, mean architects and property designers must design urban spaces with energy efficiency and sustainability at the forefront. Through the integration of resilient and sustainable design strategies, landscape architecture plays a vital role, as Sol Russell, Specification Team Leader at Kinley, writes. While the UK’s decarbonisation journey continues apace, the frequent population ri