How to Choose Your Kitchen Worktop

Think about your kitchen space, what is the main focus? The centre-point of your kitchen is always going to be the worktop, and for that reason, you need to make sure that you pick the right material and colour for your kitchen. You also need to think about the future and make the right decision in terms of future decorating choices, to avoid making a costly mistake, both in terms of time and cold, hard cash.

Modern day worktops are extremely durable, but there are some stones which are more hard-wearing than others. As fashions change, trends come and go, so it’s important to not only be on trend but also choose something which is going to last the test of time.

This is a big decision to make, and it has to be the right one for your personal circumstances and for your kitchen space, both now and in the future.

Quartz

Two of the most popular stone worktop manufacturers on the market are SileStone and Caesarstone. These create quartz countertops, mainly quartz, which mix natural quartz with resin, to give a large range of different colours and patterns for customers to decorate their kitchen with for years to come. This form of worktop is scratch resistant, stain resistant, and heat resistant, and it also doesn’t require constant sealing from time to time, provided it is installed and sealed correctly at the start. Quartz is also available in high gloss, matt, various patterns, and textures too, which means there is a choice out there for every type of kitchen. For that reason alone, quartz is one of the overwhelmingly popular choices of material out there currently.

Granite

Natural stone doesn’t come more ever popular or hard-wearing than granite, and it is also available in many attractive colours and patterns too. The price varies depending on which type of colour and pattern you choose, so do shop around first in order to find the best deal for your available budget – it’s not worth overspending when you really don’t have to. Each granite stone has an individual vein running through it, so no one stone is the same as another, and this is a very attractive choice for your kitchen. The downside, however, is that granite is a little more susceptible to staining and they must always be sealed very well at installation, to prevent damage further along the line, with a costly replacement possible if the damage is too bad to fix.

Wood

Natural kitchen designs look fantastic when worked together with timber, with beech, oak and ash also very popular choices too. Wood isn’t the best in terms of being water resistant but provided the wood is treated correctly and cared for well, it will last the test of time and looks fantastic. Another plus point is that most other colours go with wood shades, but the actual light or dark shade will depend on the other equipment in your kitchen, such as the cabinets or the flooring.

The choice of which particular material you go for depends on how hard-wearing you need your surface to be. If you have children then quartz is a great choice because it is very hygienic and doesn’t absorb liquid, and therefore bacteria doesn’t dwell in the kitchen. On the other hand, granite is probably the stone which is going to stand up the most demand and wear and tear. For something a little different, wood could be for you, but if you want to go for something truly timeless, consider giving marble a go.

Think carefully about how much maintenance you are willing to put into your work surface, what changes you are likely to make to your décor in the future, and of course, your budget too. If you shop around you can easily find deals, although always make sure that good quality installation is included in the cost, to avoid problems in the future, and to ensure that the work surface is sealed well at the time. A good quality manufacturer will be able to advise you on the best options available to you, so don’t be afraid to ask questions, in order to make sure you get the best decision in the end for your investment.