The top 4 things to consider when choosing a kitchen worktop
When you’re having a kitchen refurb, the first design choice you’ll probably make is the colour and style of your cabinets. But don’t underestimate the importance of choosing the right worktop. Being on a horizontal plane means it’s the first thing you’ll notice when you walk into your kitchen. So, it has a significant impact on the overall look.
But, remember, it’s not just there to look good. It also needs to be practical and stand up to the wear and tear a busy modern kitchen throws at it.
Follow our guide to discover the top 4 things you must consider when choosing a kitchen worktop.
Your lifestyle
Before choosing a kitchen worktop, consider how you use your kitchen. Do you cook from scratch most days? Or do you eat out a lot? What’s your food preparation style like – are you a messy cook or do you meticulously clean up as you go? Do you plan to entertain and impress guests? Do you have kids who will use the worksurface for arts and crafts?
The answers to these questions will impact your choice of worktop material. There are many types available – laminate, wood, sintered stone, quartz, granite, acrylic, marble, concrete, stainless steel – and they all have their own pros and cons. So, you must look at all the different factors, combined with your lifestyle, when you make your decision to ensure you get the best worktop material for you.
For example, a wooden worktop might look fabulous in your country style kitchen. But if you’re a messy cook who isn’t very careful with hot pans or cleaning up spills quickly, then it’s probably not the best option as it will soon get scorched and stained.
The good news is, you don’t have to give up on your dream worktop. If you love a particular material but are worried it’s not durable enough for your lifestyle, choose a ‘look-a-like’ instead. Sintered stone worktops are incredibly durable and come in colours and styles that are made to mimic other worktop materials such as wood, marble and concrete.
Use our handy guide to find out what is the best kitchen worktop material.
Your budget
When you’re deciding on a worktop material to suit your lifestyle, you’ll also need to consider what your budget can afford. Worktop materials vary in price quite considerably. They range from cheap laminates and woods to more expensive stones.
We always recommend you get the best kitchen worktop you can afford. Think of worktops at the high end of the price scale as an investment. So, while you’ll pay a lot more for a stone worktop as opposed to a laminate, they offer outstanding value because they won’t stain, scratch or get damaged. They often come with lengthy guarantees too and will look like new for many years.
But remember, while a higher-priced worktop generally means it’s better quality than a cheaper one, it doesn’t always follow that it performs better. For example, marble worktops are premium quality and come with a premium price tag, but they scratch and stain easily. Sintered stone worktops, on the other hand, are also premium quality, but they’re incredibly durable and usually cheaper than marble.
It’s always worth shopping around to find the most competitive price too. For example, if you get a quote for a sintered stone Dekton® worktop from your kitchen supplier, it may be out of your budget. But we’re able to sell our Dekton® worktops at up to 50% cheaper than most kitchen suppliers because we don’t have the expensive overheads that they do.
When you’re comparing prices, just be careful that you are looking at like for like worktop materials. Because some cheap worktops are cheap for a reason.
Your kitchen décor
For most people, the way your worktop looks will be the top priority. So, once you’ve decided on your material, the next choice to make when choosing a kitchen worktop is its colour and style. To ensure it fits in with your overall scheme, consider the décor in the rest of your kitchen.
The obvious first step is to choose a colour that works with your kitchen cabinets. But you also need to consider other factors, such as…
How big is the room? – too many dark components may make a small kitchen feel even smaller. How much natural light is there? – light worktops reflect more light into the room, while dark worktops absorb it. How are you going to decorate the walls? – your worktop needs to complement the décor. What colour floor will you have? – your worktop needs to work with the floor colour. Are you likely to change your décor often? – if so, a neutral coloured worktop will give you more flexibility in future.
Use this handy guide for more advice on how to choose the best worktop colour for your kitchen.
Once you’ve narrowed your choice down, we recommend you get worktop samples sent to your home. Then you can see how the colour looks in the light of your kitchen and compare it with colour swatches of your other décor choices.
Your kitchen layout
If your kitchen layout consists of just straight runs of cabinets, you can choose any type of worktop material you like. Straight runs are also easier to fit, and cheaper because there aren’t as many cuts.
But if you have an awkwardly shaped kitchen, would like a large island, undermount sink or a curved worktop, then you need to choose a material that allows for it.
Generally, sintered stone, quartz, acrylic, natural stone and concrete worktops can accommodate these types of design choices. But you do need to check each one’s capabilities carefully.
For example, if you want a large kitchen island, opt for a material that comes in large slabs, such as Silestone® quartz. It can be cut into the exact size as one seamless piece, without any joins.
Also, think about your pattern choice. If you opt for a worktop with a vein running through it, the vein will stop abruptly if the worktop is split to go around a corner. You may be OK with that, but if it’s something that will niggle you, then it’s best to avoid a vein pattern and go for a solid colour or something with a uniform pattern instead.
Do you need help choosing a kitchen worktop? SEH Interiors have over 10 years’ experience supplying and fitting premium-quality kitchen worktops at affordable prices across the UK. Browse our worktop range and contact us for advice.
