Not sure about your kitchen worktops? Check out the latest trends and find out what’ll work best in your kitchen.
Kitchen worktops are one of the hardest working elements in your kitchen design. We hope you’ll be using them for food preparation, cooking and even perching on for many years to come. Choosing the right material for your kitchen worktops will ensure that they fit with both your needs and budget, creating the perfect space for your home. However, you shouldn’t restrict yourself to a single material – sometimes a mix and match approach to kitchen work surfaces can yield the best results.
Hardwood worktops
Rustic or refined, hardwood worktops offer a natural warmth that only improves as the wood ages. Wood worktops to do require a certain degree of upkeep, with regular oiling to prevent warping and cracking. Woods with a high oil content such as teak work well around sinks as they’re water-resistant, but oak and walnut make great all-rounders. Just remember to use a chopping board on solid wood worktops and not to scorch them with hot pans!
Granite worktops
The beauty and character of natural stone worktops make granite a very popular choice in many styles of kitchen. They can withstand high temperatures, are water-resistant and impervious to most stains, however, they are often accompanied with a generous price tag. We love granite for a statement kitchen island, especially as it is reasonably low maintenance and more than capable of surviving a busy family kitchen.
Laminate worktops
Laminate worktops are widely regarded as the best budget option, but we feel this betrays the quality of the offerings that are now available. Laminate can mimic a range of other materials and is incredibly low maintenance as well. They are suitable for almost every area of your kitchen but aren’t resistant to heat or steam. Laminate surfaces are also an excellent choice for utility rooms.
Composite worktops
Quartz worktops are crafted from roughly 90% natural quartz crystals mixed with a small percentage of binders, and also known as ‘engineered stone’. They are increasingly popular as people like the consistency you can achieve with a quartz worktop, as well as getting the look of a marble effect which simply would not be durable enough as a natural product for a kitchen. Some composite worktops come in a form of Corian which is a resin product, this is often loved as it allows engineers to create seamless worktop runs that might not be possible in other materials. We predict that lighter coloured quartz worktops will only get more popular this year, as they provide an airier finish than darker stone alternatives.
Stainless steel worktops
Stainless steel worktops are the perennial choice for professional kitchens, thanks to being durable, heat resistant, hygienic and impervious to water. It’s most at home in industrial-style kitchens and although it will pick up scratches over time, this does not affect its antibacterial properties – just keep it polished to keep it looking its best!
Need expert advice on choosing your new kitchen worktop?
Email us a rough plan of your space along with any ideas and we can discuss your requirements. Give us a call on 01280 822749 or contact us via email using the link below.