Worktop Dilemmas. Wood? Granite? Laminate?

There are a wide variety of kitchen worktops; they vary hugely in their cost and properties.  A few ideas to consider:  

• Maintenance.  If you have a young family stay away from surfaces that mark easily, like glass and steel.
• Heat resistance. Using materials such as granite, you can put a hot saucepan directly onto the surface.
• Look. What colour and texture do you like, and what will compliment your choice of kitchen cabinets.
• Hygiene. Some materials such as Corian and Stainless Steel have anti-bacterial properties.
• Speed. Some worktops need to be templated, so can only be measured for their fitting once your kitchen units are in place. Others can be measured in advance, so tend to be the quicker and cheaper options.

Hardwood

Wood gives a natural warmth to any kitchen.  Traditional style kitchens will suit oak, maple and beech. Wenge and Iroko will give a modern feel but may be harder to source. The wood will require higher maintenance than other materials and you will normally need to oil it every 3 months.

Granite

This natural stone is a popular choice for keen cooks. It’s strong and durable and comes in a variety of colours. Each work surface is unique with its own individual colours and markings, so it will vary from any samples you've seen in the showrooms.

Corian

Corian is a man-made acrylic material which can provide a seamless finish to your kitchen. It also comes in many colours and can be bent and moulded to fit most shapes. It’s a very hygienic surface as there are no gaps or joins to collect crumbs and other nasties.

Laminate

A durable and affordable worktop that's easy to clean.  Available in a large range of colours and finishes that can accurately mimic other worktop materials (such as granite, slate and wood) so will suit modern and traditional schemes.

And a couple of other things to think about:

Mix and Match

Add interest and texture by mixing materials.  It can also help reduce the cost; a mix of granite and wood will be much more affordable than using granite on every surface.

Height

Try varying the height of your worktops; you’ll need to keep to the standard height for cooking and preparation, but why not break things up with a higher level surface with bar stools, or a lower level breakfasting area.

The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home: 5 top tips for planning and designing your luxury kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home; properly designed it can be the favourite family living place while, at the same time, making the necessary utilitarian functions of a kitchen a pleasure instead of a chore.

Here are five of our top tips in planning and designing your luxury kitchen.

Size matters: the size and layout of your kitchen space will depend on your lifestyle.  The current trend for home life is to be more casual in dining and entertaining with the kitchen often the informal gathering place for family and friends.  If this is your taste in living you will want to be sure your kitchen is big enough to accommodate a cooking area, a dining area and a sitting area so that everyone can socialise together.  Open plan has been popular for many years, but families sometimes find that a layout which is suitable for a young family may not work so well for noisy or studying teenagers.  Having the option of partitions may be something to consider for all stages in a growing family.

Circulation and movement: If you have the luxury of designing your kitchen from scratch, why not size everything just as you like it to make movement around your kitchen as easy and efficient as possible? The kitchen work triangle is a design concept that can help create efficient use of kitchen work spaces. The idea is that a line drawn to the refrigerator, sink, and range should create a relatively even-sided triangle within which the major kitchen activities take place. The triangle layout can reduce unnecessary movement in the kitchen, making your use of the space more efficient. You can also look at counter height, counter depth and the clearance of upper cabinets and shelving to suit your particular needs. Having a kitchen island can be a great way to make use of extra space in your kitchen, as well as provide you with an accessible and comfortable place to prepare meals. Many kitchen islands also double as a place to have a quick bite to eat.

Ventilation system: Cooking produces heat, smells, grease, smoke and steam.  So while you are focusing on the enjoyment of designing the appearance of your kitchen, remember it is vital to incorporate top quality ventilation systems so that cooking does not have an undesirable impact on the pleasure of the kitchen as a gathering place for friends and family.  A major facet of ventilation is a hood to absorb all cooking smells and vapours. With so many options on offer you can choose to minimize the hood’s presence or make it the focal point of the room, whichever suits your taste and style.

The designated cooking space: Your kitchen may be the hub of the home but there is no getting away from the fact that its main purpose is as a working environment to produce meals for the family.  Therefore the ease-of-use of the cooking and clearing-up area of the kitchen and the way it relates to the social areas of dining and family relaxation requires careful planning. 

Your kitchen as a workhorse: You want your kitchen to keep its lovely new look and yet it takes such a lot of punishment on a daily basis it is worth thinking through which surfaces will keep their appearance.   

Dont miss our next article, published on October 15th which will focus on the range of surfaces available for worktops, cabinets, quality appliances and flooring. Have a look at some of the luxury kitchens on our website which Richmond Homes has created for their clients