Seamless Island Waterfall Ends: What is a Waterfall End on a Kitchen Island?
Seamless island waterfall ends are a design feature where the worksurface material doesn’t stop at the edge of the cabinets. Instead it vertically extends at a 90 degree angle to the floor creating that ‘waterfall’ effect. It turns the island into a strong architectural centre piece creating a modern feature for contemporary and open plan kitchens.
Waterfall ends are typically found on the end of Islands in the kitchen, they can be positioned on one end or both ends depending on the design. They can also be found on the end of a sink or hob run to finish the end of the units off beautifully while protecting the end unit panels.
Find out more about the manufacture and installation process of waterfall ends, the best materials for that striking aesthetic and the cost of adding this feature to your kitchen design.
The Evolution of the Modern Kitchen Aesthetic
Over the years kitchen islands have evolved from a place to chop and prepare food to multi-functional architectural centre pieces. They bridge the gap between cooking and entertaining to create a more casual dining space. Kitchen Islands usually house induction hobs or sinks, pop up extractors, wine coolers and smart appliances. Being the hub of the home with integrated breakfast bars, its the perfect space for dining with family and friends.
Sometimes smaller kitchens will include peninsula’s instead as there isn’t always enough space for an island feature. These peninsulas will include a bigger, wider space typically with a breakfast bar integrated into the design to allow for sociable dining.
Why a seamless look requires a Stonemason, not just a Fitter
Adding a waterfall end to your island requires expert cutting from a specific placement within the slab to ensure the material flows. This is very important with bold, big veined materials as you can see above in the CQ Calacatta Bronzite. The fitters install the worktops and ensure a seamless and invisible join between the worktop and the waterfall end. Once glued they polish the join to ensure there are no sharp edges, creating a seamless look.
The sawyer chooses the layout within the slabs and works out where to make the cuts to ensure the pattern flows throughout the worktop down to the floor. It is due to their expert knowledge, skills and keen eye for detail that we are able to create a seamless island waterfall end. On Installation day the fitters will ensure your cabinetry and worktops are level before securing the waterfall end to ensure there is no long term, unnecessary stress on this feature.
A few of our Stonemasons in the workshop manufacturing worktops.
A few of our team of fitters out installing kitchen worktops across Dorset.
How we Create the Flawless Flow
Our team cut the worktop and the waterfall end at 45 degrees so when they are glued together the worktop will flow seamlessly from surface to floor. This 45 degree angle is cut on the saw in the workshop during manufacture. Once cut the installation team will line up the edges and seams before glueing together on site.
It is possible to butt the two pieces together however you would loose the flow through the edge of the worktop and it wouldn’t have the same effect. Putting a mitred joint in is incredibly important for a seamless island waterfall end!
Top Tip! Consider your worktop thickness when including waterfall ends. 20mm thickness is modern, sleek and contemporary. 30mm is slightly chunkier, with a bit more character, often found in country homes.
Book Matching vs Vein Matching
Book Matching is the process of joining two slabs so they mirror each other. For example if you had two slabs from the same block and Slab 1 had a polished face and Slab 2 had a polished back when placed side by side the veins meet and branch out in opposite directions creating a symmetrical geometric pattern. The veins usually form a V or X shape.
Vein matching is when the veins are lined up between joints to ensure that there is continuous flow throughout. This is the most popular way to match the material veining as it is more common for fabricators to purchase identical slabs. They are then cut in a specific way to match in the veins.
The Best Materials for visual effect on Waterfall Ends
Looking to create a striking waterfall end? Calacatta style materials can provide just that! Materials such as the CQ Samana and BQS Canaletto are some good examples of Quartz featuring this style veining.
Classic Quartz Samana
Less dramatic veined material such as the CQ Mystery Gold Quartz provides a more subtle and contemporary aesthetic. You can still match the veining for the flow but it’s appearance is far more delicate on the waterfall ends.
CQ Mana Gold, CQ Mystery, CQ Mystery Gold
Top Tip! You don’t have to have big veined materials for waterfall ends to look good!
BQS Carrara Extra
Thickness is also a key thing to consider when designing your kitchen to feature waterfall ends. 20mm thickness is the perfect combination of strength and a modern aesthetic. 30mm can typically be found more in country homes with it’s chunkier and more character filled appearance. Some Quartz and Sintered Stone come with the option of 6mm and 12mm thickness’s which can be more brittle and prone to chipping along the mitred join. Therefore we would always recommend 20mm or 30mm for designs with these features.
Seamless Island Waterfall Ends: The true cost of a Waterfall End
The number of slabs required for your job depends on the size and layout of your kitchen design. If adding waterfall ends means adding an additional slab to your order, the cost will increase significantly. If the waterfall end(s) come out of the slabs required for your kitchen project then this would be a small additional cost and definately worth it! The material is already covered and you would simply have an extra cost for the cutting and polishing.
For example: If you have a standard size L shape kitchen with splashbacks and upstands this may require 2 slabs to complete the job. If there is room for the waterfall end(s) to come out of the second slab then this would be a small additional cost for cutting and polishing. If you require a third slab this would be a significant increase in cost.
This may also determine whether you have one or two waterfall ends for your kitchen. You may not be able to get them both out of the material without purchasing an additional slab, but there may be room for one! Other things to consider is that different Quartz suppliers have slightly different slab sizes. This could be a factor to think about when choosing your material.
Daily Maintenance of Quartz Waterfall Ends
Looking after the waterfall ends is the same as looking after your stone surfaces. Simply wipe down with warm, soapy water to clean any marks. For tougher stains we recommend CIF cream cleaner and a soft sponge, making sure to avoid harsher chemical cleaners. If you’re unsure please give us a call first to check before cleaning- we’ll be happy to help!
For our customers we offer an after care service where we will come and repair small chips, and re-do joints if they need a bit of TLC over time. Please just get in touch with us on 01929 550653.