With so many choices available, it's no wonder that choosing kitchen benchtops is one of the most difficult decisions when planning a kitchen. The budget will narrow down the options, but aesthetic preference and practicality are important factors to consider when choosing your kitchen benchtop. Let’s look at a few options.
From a visual perspective, nothing is quite as unique and impactful as natural stone. From classic veined options like Calacutta and Statuario marble to the subtleness of timeless Cararra. Some of the most popular options for kitchen benchtops at the moment include Super White Dolomite a white and grey infused marble from Brazil, and Tundra Grey, a limestone with cloud-like tones of grey. If you’re feeling a little more daring, check out the range at Artedomus and my personal favourite Smeraldo – a gorgeous, graphic green.
So, why then wouldn’t you choose a natural stone for your kitchen benchtop? Firstly, like any limited resource, it’s expensive… like, really expensive. Especially if you need a lot of it. It also needs to be regularly sealed for easier maintenance and even then, staining and etching is very likely. Red wine, tea and coffee, fruit and even water can leave their mark.
An alternative material for a kitchen benchtop is an engineered surface, with most made predominantly from quartz. There are countless options available from concrete look to replicas of natural stone with veining and texture. Smartstone’s Ibrido collection which launched earlier this year is worth viewing. It’s made from 56% recycled content and due to a new technology looks and feels close to the real thing. And the bonus? Like most engineered quartz, it’s virtually non-porous, stain, chip and heat resistant. Perfect for those of us with a young family or let’s call it a ‘passionate’ cooking style.
Similar practical benefits are also available from large-format porcelain such as Dekton with the added bonus of UV stability – making it perfect for a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor kitchen. It’s available in a few thicknesses including 8mm which gives a modern and sleek, slimline look. The major disadvantage is that it can chip (more) easily, and fabrication costs are high.
So, how do you choose? Really consider how much you can live with. By that, I mean – is a water mark part of the stone’s patina? Does it tell the story of your family’s life or remind you of a great party when too much red wine was had? Or, will you need to ‘strategically’ place a bowl or chopping board over it forevermore?!?
Either way, take the time to visit a natural stone showroom. In my opinion, there is nothing more inspiring than the patterns, colour combinations and beauty of natural stone. Even if you end up choosing, some may argue, a more practical option for your home.
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