Edd Kimber chose Caesarstone 4023 Topus Concrete worktop surfaces for his East London kitchen, creating a timeless space that balances everyday practicality with bold elegance
When baker and cookbook author, Edd Kimber, and his fiancé finally bought their Victorian terrace in East London, the kitchen was the first space they wanted to transform. After more than a decade of renting and working in kitchens of varying sizes and quality, Edd knew exactly what he needed: a kitchen that could handle the demands of daily baking while also serving as the heart of their home. At the centre of this dream kitchen is Caesarstone’s 4023 Topus Concrete, a surface that marries understated elegance with the resilience required for endless hours of baking.
Working with architects BAT Studio, the couple chose to position the kitchen in the middle room of the house, adding only a small side return extension to create a generous dining and cooking area. “We wanted the kitchen to be the literal heart of the house,” Edd explains. “When we looked at other renovated terraces, the original rooms often became glorified corridors. We wanted ours to feel alive, social and practical, but we also didn’t want to lose our precious garden space with a bigger extension.”
To bring their vision to life, they turned to Uncommon Projects, known for its beautifully made plywood kitchens. The design combines brick red Fenix laminate with maple-veneered plywood, resulting in a warm and welcoming backdrop. “We didn’t want a space that felt like we’d seen it a million times before,” says Edd. “But as this is our long-term home, we also wanted it to feel timeless.”
The layout was carefully planned around Edd’s way of working. One non-negotiable was that the hob couldn’t face a wall: “I didn’t want to spend my days cooking staring at a blank space,” he shares. This decision shaped the design of the central island, which now forms the focal point of the room. Its terracotta colour echoes the exposed steel beam above, while an integrated bookshelf for cookbooks nods to Edd’s profession. “We had hundreds of images saved in a shared folder from when we bought the house,” he adds. “It was amazing to see how all those inspirations translated into this space.”
The choice of worktop was one of the most important decisions. Edd initially considered solid concrete worktops, but the material’s impracticalities quickly ruled it out. The kitchen needed a surface tough enough to handle constant baking - rolling pastry, kneading dough, mixing batters - without compromising aesthetics. Recommended by Uncommon Projects, Caesarstone's Topus Concrete offered the perfect balance. After visiting the Caesarstone London studio and viewing full slabs, Edd and his fiancé settled on its warm greige tone, softened with pastel-pink undertones and a rugged patina. “I needed a worktop that could take a beating, and Caesarstone has been incredible,” Edd says. “Spills, knocks, and general baking chaos haven’t left a mark. It still looks as good as the day it was installed.”
Every Caesarstone surface is backed by a Lifetime Residential Warranty, giving homeowners complete peace of mind that their worktop will stand the test of time. It’s a commitment to enduring quality, ensuring that surfaces like Topus Concrete remain as beautiful and reliable as the day they were first installed, for years to come.
As well as its durability, Topus Concrete enhances the kitchen’s functionality in ways that matter for a baker. Its non-porous surface resists stains and bacteria, essential for a space where flour, sugar and butter are in constant rotation. Its smooth, matte finish provides the perfect canvas for rolling pastry or assembling delicate desserts. “For someone who bakes all day, having a surface you can trust is priceless,” Edd notes. “It allows me to focus on recipes rather than worrying about marks or scratches.”
The kitchen’s layout further complements the worktop’s practicality. Appliances, including a stacked double oven and venting hob from AEG, are integrated seamlessly, maintaining clean sightlines and maximising movement. A corner dining nook with a round table and bench seating transforms a previously overlooked area into a cosy social zone. Together with the brick red island, light timber cabinetry, and subtle open shelving, Topus Concrete ties the design together, creating a kitchen that is both visually striking and supremely functional.
From professional-level baking to everyday life, Caesarstone surfaces are designed to support every kitchen story. Browse our catalogue to discover the full range of surfaces, and order samples to experience the beauty and durability of Caesarstone in your own home.
Caesarstone available from £2,000 incl. VAT
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