Apartments
Kitchen Materials and Finishes for Apartments
Select materials by where they will be installed, how they are cleaned and what can be repaired when one part wears.
Explore the ideas
Compare the options
- Set the brief
- Mark high-touch, wet and impact-prone surfaces separately before picking finishes.
- Compare
- Ask suppliers for care instructions, repair options and a full sample with exposed edges and joints.
- Before buying
- Price installation, replaceable pieces and long-term maintenance alongside the initial material cost.
Worked example
A busy household wipes the counter repeatedly and often sets down hot cookware near the hob.
Compare samples for stain, heat and repair behavior, and use a replaceable backsplash panel where splashes concentrate.
How to test it
Put the sample beside its adjoining materials and test the agreed cleaning method on a spare piece.
Apply it to this space
- Layout
- Keep sink, hob and refrigerator on a workable run; place the dining edge outside the main prep aisle.
- Detail
- Use wipeable backsplash and task light over counters, with enclosed bins near cleanup.
- Trade-off
- More tall storage can reduce daylight and make a narrow galley feel closed.
- Measure shaft, appliance and door clearances
- Check counter light and exhaust path
The Elixir portfolio
Details worth a closer look
