ZINC - Designed to be touched

Since moving into this medium, we have observed stainless steel becoming increasingly prominent in luxe interiors and something we have worked with a lot at Dust & Zeal. Valued for its sharp clarity and precision, it adds a lovely contrast when used in alongside more organic textures. But it can also feel cold, hard, and slightly untouchable to live with in reality.

Zinc offers something softer - and we’re obsessed.

It absorbs light rather than sharply reflecting it. It holds warmth, texture and subtle variation. Most importantly, it calls to be touched. And over time that interaction becomes part of the finish itself.

We’ve been exploring zinc not as an exterior cladding material, but as a tactile interior surface that develops character through use rather than resisting it.

At The Lavery Cafe in West London, we used zinc to wrap the reception desk, and other service stations within the space, creating something both robust and welcoming. Through daily interaction, the surface gradually develops a softer patina and depth that polished materials rarely achieve.

We also used zinc for the bespoke curved hair stations at Bluetit's new Blackheath salon, where its malleability allowed us to create softer, more sculptural forms that call to be touched. It’s a material that seems to become more appropriate as it ages within a space. In a salon environment things get touched exponentially and this was a deliberate decision. There’s something compelling about materials that don’t remain static. Surfaces that register use, evolve subtly, and become richer over time. To me right now, luxury interiors is not about perfection, but about materials that feel more human.