At Papilio, we love working with engineered, modern materials for our contemporary kitchen designs. As much as we enjoy utilising natural stone like marble, solid wood like oak, and other natural materials, engineered materials can yield to our every whim with greater ease and flexibility. Stone is tough but weighty, and natural wood is full of charm but unyielding; modern materials offer the bespoke kitchen designer greater flexibility.
Some of our favourite high-performance, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing materials are Fenix, Richlite, and Valchromat. The three heavy hitters are redefining the contemporary kitchen, enabling the bespoke kitchen designer to transform a space into the best room in the house.
Here are three modern kitchen projects utilising some of the best engineered materials on the market.
The Cowbridge Kitchen in Wales & Fenix
The Cowbridge Kitchen in Wales project is our most recent example of a stunning contemporary kitchen in an architect-designed home in the Vale of Glamorgan. At the heart of the Papilio design is the contemporary kitchen island with handmade oak cabinetry. Purposefully positioned as the focal point, against the rear wall finished in black Fenix. Deliberately understated, it recedes visually, allowing the island to take centre stage. Integrated into the ‘black wall’ are a Fisher & Paykel fridge-freezer, a discreet dishwasher, and two Miele ovens, all seamlessly built into the cabinetry. A black sink is paired with a black Zip water tap, maintaining a restrained palette while enhancing everyday functionality. Concealed within the rear wall is a hidden door that leads to the clutter-saving pantry, preserving clean lines and visual calm throughout the handmade kitchen design.
The beauty of Fenix is its extremely matte finish and very low light reflectivity. This gives it a deep, saturated colour that stays ultra-flat even under bright spotlights. It is also designed to be ‘anti-fingerprint’, which is perfect in a kitchen where a lot of magic happens.
The Alpine Ski Chalet Kitchen in France & Richlite
The Alpine Ski Chalet Kitchen in France is a delightful example of a contemporary kitchen within a historical barn chalet, celebrating natural timber. Our client envisioned a functional yet modern kitchen that pays homage to the barn’s rustic origins. We embraced the wooden beams and windows, the high ceilings, and the spectacular natural vistas, while introducing modern elements. The work surface is a masterpiece, fabricated in-house from 12mm diamond-black Richlite, offering a minimalist, contemporary look and practical benefits, including durability and cleanliness.
What we love about Richlite is that, if you want the soul of wood but the durability of stone, it’s the solution. Originally used in industrial aerospace and skatepark ramps, this material is made from recycled paper and phenolic resin. It has a warm, leather-like patina that develops over time. It is also highly dense and heat-resistant, and it performs better in a busy kitchen than almost any organic material. The best part is that Richlite is FSC-certified and Greenguard Gold-rated, making it a top choice for those who want a lower environmental impact.
The Frome Kitchen in Somerset & Valchromat
The Frome Kitchen in Somerset is a fine example of a bespoke kitchen project that celebrates mid-century interior design and Edwardian architecture while seamlessly integrating modern technology and materials.
The centre-piece of the design is the handmade kitchen island. The fluting detail on the side of the island is a key feature inspired by the newel post of the incredible winding staircase that runs up through the centre of the property. The substrate for the fluted side panels is made from a double-thickness Valchromat sheet, custom-made using a water jet. Sunken into this unit is the ultimate cook tool: the Bora Pro induction hob with built-in extraction. The island is finished with a solid brass trim, which will be left to patina along with the brass section, countersunk to the rear of the handle cutout. We thoroughly enjoyed using contrasting modern and traditional materials to create a beautiful kitchen for the homeowners.
Valchromat is a great engineered material because the fibres are individually coloured with organic dyes and bonded with specialised resins. Unlike painted boards, the colour goes all the way through. If you chip it or sand it, the colour remains. This enables intricate 3D carvings, routing, and exposed edges that resemble solid stone or dyed timber. It retains small visible wood fibres on the surface, giving it a natural texture that adds warmth to minimalist designs.
