Choosing the right Kitchen Worktops for your dream kitchen

While choosing your cabinetry may be the most exciting part of bringing your kitchen dream to life, never underestimate the impact your worktops will have on the overall look and feel of the space.

As they sit on the horizontal plane, your eye is drawn to them as you enter the room - and seeing as they will take the biggest battering from food spills, water marks and heat, they need to be fit for the job.

Worktops can often be overlooked, but as they can make or break the overall style, feel and use of a kitchen, don’t leave them as an after-thought. 

Here’s some things to consider:

Budget

Replacing your kitchen is a big investment, but from cheaper laminates to expensive granite, you can find kitchen worktops that satisfy all price points - the choice really comes down to how much you have to spend.

But, as with everything, you get what you pay for. While laminates can look just as stunning as their more expensive and hard wearing counterparts at the offset, it could be a counter effective saving if you find yourself having to replace them much sooner.

If you’re really tight on budget though, consider maybe placing more durable worktops in ‘harder working’ areas such as near to the cooker, and then mix and match with more affordable worktops in other areas.

Any extra costs?

Another consideration when it comes to worktops is any additional costs that could arise during installation. With stone composites, granite and some woods, you will need experts to cut grooves to fit appliances such as the sink and hob. Keep this in mind when you’re drawing up your budget so you’re not caught out at a later date.

Layout

Your kitchen layout will be a deciding factor in the worktop you choose. Although straight runs of material are cheaper and easier to fit, if your kitchen is an awkward shape with lots of curved edges or corners, or a large kitchen unit that requires one large piece of worktop, then it makes more sense to opt for seamless worktops such as stone.

Maintenance

If you don’t have the time or know-how to keep up a rigorous maintenance routine to ensure your worktops stay in top shape, then going for a material that requires the smallest upkeep is important. Real wood surfaces, for example, require regular sanding, oiling or staining to keep them looking great and resistant to stains and bacteria.

Thickness

Many people don’t consider the depth of the worktop when deciding which one to purchase, but this is something which can alter the look of your whole kitchen.

The standard worktop thickness is 30mm, but thinner profiles of 10mm and 20mm are also popular, while thicker worktops of up to50mm and 60mm - created by adding a strip of composite or stone to the front of the work surface - are also enjoying a resurgence. Explore all options before settling on your final decision as some are much more aesthetically pleasing than others.

Look and practicality

The most popular materials for kitchen worktops -laminate, granite, solid wood, Quartz, glass, composite stone and stainless steel - all have their advantages so it’s important to factor in their natural qualities to see if they suit the needs of your kitchen. A solid timber worktop looks organic and is naturally durable, for example, but if you’re looking to add sparkle with a material that will also stand the test of time then Quartz worktops - which are also easy to clean and scratch resistant - could be abetter choice for your home.

Colour

When choosing the colour of your worktops, consider contrasting colours to your cabinets (ie/ dark worktops with light cabinets). Not only is this aesthetically pleasing, it’s a timeless look and not a fad trend so you won’t have to worry about it becoming outdated.

Never underestimate the impact your worktop choice will have on your overall kitchen. It’s important to give it due consideration to ensure your kitchen achieves the look and feel you are seeking - whilst staying within your budget.

Our expert team of kitchen designers are available to advise you on your kitchen transformation journey.

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