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 part 2: Choosing surfaces

This is the second part of our top tips on how to make your new luxury kitchen the heart of your home, this time focusing on the range of surfaces available for worktops, cabinets, quality appliances and flooring.  These important aspects can be properly designed and planned to make the kitchen the favourite family living and gathering place while, at the same time, making the necessary utilitarian functions of a kitchen a pleasure instead of a chore.
   
The worktop.  Worktops take all the wear and tear in your kitchen so if you want to keep that pristine look, think carefully about what worktop to choose.  These days there is a lot of choice from specialist worktops such as granite, quartz, Corian, glass and LG, and non-specialist worktops like laminate, maia, wood and bamboo.  

Cabinets: No single item affects the look, cost, and longevity of your kitchen as much as cabinetry so buy the very best that you can afford.  Think very carefully about the purpose of each unit from pullout drawers for pots and pans, oversized drawers for baking sheets and designated cabinets recycling. Accessories like lazy Susans, built-in spice racks, drawer organizers and other cabinet extras make the kitchen a much more efficient and enjoyable place to prepare and serve meals as well as the less enjoyable job of clearing up!

Quality appliances: Kitchen appliances, from refrigerators to dishwashers and ovens are constantly changing. New products, concepts and designs emerge into the marketplace every year so your choice of appliances is a very personal one. Kitchens are also becoming more environmentally friendly, using recycled materials, environmentally friendly products and incorporating “greener” lifestyles.

Flooring Materials: Your kitchen floor will help establish the style of the room but also take a lot of wear and tear so it’s very important to choose the right flooring for you.  There is a bewildering range of materials on offer but we felt this article could be very helpful in making the choice.  Find out more>

Wall materials:   Your kitchen will have a mixture of wall coverings for the different areas.  From wallpaper or painted surfaces in the sitting area to tiling and splash backs in the kitchen, it is important that these blend together to give a cohesive style.  The majority of surfaces will be regularly cleaned so you want to be sure that they keep their appearance over time.

For more inspiration have a look at some of the luxury kitchens on our website which Richmond Homes has created for our clients

Our final blog post on designing your luxury kitchen will be posted on October 24th - considering an often neglected aspect of lighting