Kitchen benchtop options include a vast and impressive variety of stylish choices. Each option will offer its own specific range of benefits and potential drawbacks which is why it is so important to properly explore your options when designing your new kitchen in order to ensure that your selection will meet your needs and expectations. From luxurious natural stone and porcelain benchtops to stunning modern laminate solutions, this post explores the many different options available to you when creating your new kitchen design scheme.

Laminate benchtops for the kitchen are an incredibly popular choice, offering a cost effective solution in a vast range of colours and textures. Laminate benchtops can be sourced in an endless array of stylish options from luxurious marble inspired pieces complete with a smooth and glossy or a lush honed finish, to more industrial themed textured concrete look options that will create a rich and tactile experience in your new kitchen design scheme. You will even find realistic timber grain options available, complete with a textured surface finish that is excellent at warding off fingerprints!

Being a cost effective option, laminate benchtops are always on trend, offering a modern aesthetic in an accessible price point. When choosing a laminate kitchen benchtop, it is important to note that the material is made up of plasticised layers of paper and as such, it can be prone to burning or scratching if not used with care. When using your laminate kitchen benchtop, always make sure to have a chopping board or trivet handy to place hot items onto the surface to avoid causing damage to the product's finish.

Pros:
• Laminate kitchen benchtops offer a cost effective yet stylish option
• A large range of options available to choose from including varieties inspired by stone, concrete and timber
• Hard wearing and durable

Cons:
• Laminate benchtops can be prone to scratching, staining or discolouration with misuse
• There are limited options available in laminate benchtops however, selections are still broad enough to ensure there is am option to suit every taste and style!

In Victoria, traditional engineered stone benchtops with high levels of silica were recently banned from the market due to the silica dust leading to serious and even life threatening health issues in people who worked with the material on an ongoing regular basis. If your home has an engineered stone benchtop already installed, you can rest assured that this is safe to use however, should you decide to replace the benchtop, safety precautions must be taken in order to prevent the inhalation of silica dust from the product as it is broken up and removed.

Following this decision, popular manufacturers and brands of engineered stones have since created new formulas that contain little to no silica, making them much safer to work with. These new alternative options offer the same benefits we were accustomed to with the original iteration of engineered stone materials, offering a surface finish for the kitchen that is more resistant to scratching and staining than classic natural stone options and will not require sealing. These new engineered stone surfaces continue to be available in a wide selection of trending and timeless colours from lux natural stone inspired options to trendy concrete look styles, terrazzo and travertine styles and plenty more, ensuring a stylish benchtop solution to suit every home.

When choosing an engineered stone benchtop for your kitchen renovation, you will notice that each different brand will include a variety of price tiers within their collections. While some engineered stone benchtop options will fall into a more cost effective price point, some of the more decadent styles will fetch a much higher price tag. It is important to note these variations in pricing in order to ensure your selected option fits well within your home renovation budget when planning a new kitchen.

Pros:

• Engineered Stone benchtops are immensely durable, offering significantly more protection against staining in comparison to other options
• Unlike Natural Stone or Concrete benchtops, engineered stone options will not require regular sealing
• Available in a wide selection of modern and classic colours and patterns
• Options are available in a range of different price tiers

Cons:

• Engineered Stone benchtops can be scratched, chipped or stained with misuse
• As each different brand of engineered stone includes a range of different price tiers within their collections, certain options can be quite pricey
• Engineered Stone benchtops can be prone to temperature shock if not used correctly. When using heat emitting small appliances, it is always recommended that these be placed on a chopping board in order to prevent targeted heat from reaching the benchtop itself.

Natural stone benchtops have long been associated with luxury home design, bringing a sophisticated finishing touch to any style of interior. From luxurious marble benchtops to elegant granite benchtops for the home, these stunning options will create a refined look in your new kitchen! As with all natural products, a certain level of care and maintenance is often involved in looking after natural stone benchtops. These materials are porous which means that they have tiny holes across their surface that can be susceptible to absorbing liquids which may then lead to staining or discolouration. In order to combat this issue, natural stone benchtops must always be sealed. A quality sealant is applied to the stone immediately after installation and then every year or two afterwards in order to ensure the material is adequately protected.