Popular Kitchen Worktop Materials

The kitchen is, for many homeowners, the heart of the home – offering somewhere to relax, to entertain, and to catch up with family members. The aesthetic of your kitchen will depend on your lifestyle and the functionality of the space as a whole, including not just the layout but the materials used as well. 

The best kitchen worktop material looks great, is functional and practical, and compliments the look of your kitchen and your home as a whole – taking into account the amount of natural light in the room and the various ways in which the worktop is used on a daily basis. And that’s not all. As we consider materials for your kitchen design, we must also look at budget and which materials are affordable and long lasting, so that your kitchen remodel can be classed as an investment for years of your future. 

Without further ado, here are some of the most popular kitchen worktop materials, their advantages and things to consider. 

Quartz kitchen worktops

Quartz is a manmade material which is made from a combination of different materials – usually resin with quartz elements. Because of its manmade structure, Quartz is super long lasting and strong, and presents the look of stone but with more consistency and an easy-clean surface.

When compared with other materials, Quartz is a more affordable version of Granite – popular for the range of colours and finishes that you can get. However, it is a very heavy material so requires the right foundational structure to hold it safely in place, and it is not the cheapest option on the list.  

Wooden kitchen worktops

Super stylish and very on-trend in line with the affinity for natural interiors and decorative choices. Wooden worktops work well in a neutral and modern home and offer a warm finish which compliments other materials. To keep a wooden worktop looking its best it will need regular treatment and maintenance, sealing the surface to keep it smooth and stain and waterproof. 

Granite kitchen worktops

One of the most expensive worktop materials on the market, granite is hardwearing and presents naturally anti-bacterial properties, making it ideal for an active family kitchen. The type of granite you opt for will determine whether or not it needs sealing, however a hard-wearing granite stone will be scratch and water resistant on its own. 

Like quartz, granite is a very heavy material and so requires the right foundational structure to hold it in place. 

Marble kitchen worktops

Marble is the epitome of luxury when it comes to the kitchen worktop market, using a natural stone which is heat resistant and can be cost effective depending on how it is used. Be aware that marble can scratch very easily and so needs to be maintained if you want to keep it in perfect condition.

Marble is especially popular with bakers for its cool surface, while its decorative and unique look makes every marble worktop different. 

Laminate kitchen worktops

Easy to clean and maintain, and friendly for your budget – laminate worktops used a wooden particleboard core and are then coated with the laminate sheet to present your chosen finished appearance. That means that laminate could in fact appear to be wood, granite, marble, or another other material you choose for the aesthetic appearance of your kitchen. 

Considered one of the more lightweight and easy to cut options, laminate kitchen worktops are an ideal solution if you want to DIY your own renovation, however take note that laminate is quite easy to damage if it is constantly susceptible to water spillage around the sink or hot pans from the oven. 

How to decide which is best for you?

The process of selecting the best worktop for your kitchen should start with a breakdown of what you need from your kitchen and how it can and should support your lifestyle. 

This starts by asking yourself how big your kitchen is, how much worktop space you have available, and how you want to optimise that space both visually and literally. For example, if the space is limited then a lighter worktop will create the illusion of more space, supported by well positioned lights which illuminate the space and preventing it from appearing dark and small. 

From there, you can start to break down budgets and understand which materials fall within your budget while supporting your ideal aesthetic – with our team able to help and guide you through these choices. For more, get in touch with us and let us help you create your dream kitchen.