Choosing the perfect kitchen worktop
14th October 2019
There are lots of things to consider when designing your new kitchen and sometimes it can be hard to know what to go for, there are so many good options out there!! We like to make things simple, we know what looks good with our furniture and a lot of our customers like the support and advice and recommendations we offer. One thing that is super important to spend a bit of time deciding on is the worktop. It’s a huge part of a kitchen, you see and use it every single day, it tops every single base cupboard – what would be more disappointing than a lovely handmade cupboard finished with a not so lovely worktop!!
If you are in the midst of a kitchen renovation project and looking for some information on worktops then you might find this blog very helpful! I’m going to run through the different worktops we supply and explain a little about each – the really charming features and the parts that are definitely worth knowing before making a final decision.
BESPOKE HAND-AGED COPPER
I have to start with our copper worktops, they’re beautiful and so full of character, a personal favourite of mine!! Each one is aged by hand by our wonderful metal team at Cotes Mill, we only ever use natural products so there won’t ever be any nasty chemicals on the surface. The aged finish gives the copper the most beautiful mottled and weathered look. If you have stepped into our St. John’s Square Townhouse Kitchen or the Potting Shed in Manhattan, you’ll know just how beautiful this worktop looks and feels. It’s full of personality! The aging process slows down the naturally occurring tarnishing of copper so you don’t need to worry about it turning dark and dull, but we do leave this surface unlacquered, so it will very slowly gain more of a patina over time in such a beautiful way.
Copper is quite a soft metal so you do need to be aware that it will pick up a few scratches but we promise this doesn’t detract from the look, if anything it just adds to it! One of the best things about copper is how easy it is to look after, all it needs is hot soapy water and a soft cloth. It’s naturally antimicrobial and antibacterial so it really is great in a kitchen.
If you are after something a little different then you should consider this beautiful worktop, you won’t be disappointed.
CARRARA MARBLE
We love Carrara marble here at deVOL. Its beauty is undeniable, it’s timeless and authentic and will age in a way that manmade really just can’t replicate. If you love the look then take the plunge, it will be worth it!!
The thing to remember with marble is that it is a fairly soft stone, so it’s important to understand that it may change a little over time. We do treat all our marble with a sealer to help ease any marking, but it’s likely to get a few stains from things like red wine and turmeric and it may get a couple of scratches and a few little etches from acidic things. However, these are never as bad as they seem and they really don’t need to be the nightmare you imagine, it’s just a natural stone gaining more character and should be welcomed as patina, rather than faults. Every loved and well-used kitchen shows a little wear and tear over time, it’s normal and actually quite lovely.
We offer Carrara marble in a polished or honed finish and always buy the very best quality slabs with the loveliest veining.
Our ‘Should I have real marble in my kitchen?’ blog goes into a little more detail about this particular work surface, click here to check it out.
WOOD
When it comes to wooden worktops, we supply oak and sapele, a type of mahogany. Wood is a lovely choice for lots of kitchens, it’s less expensive than stone or copper and adds so much warmth and character to a space. If you do decide on a wooden worktop for your deVOL Kitchen, you have the option of wide planks of wood or staved. Staved means the worktop is made up of smaller blocks, it’s great for anybody on a tighter budget but still looks really lovely.
Wood does require a little bit of looking after, you will need to re-oil it every few months for the first year or so and then every six months after that should do it. This will keep it protected from any water damage and just means it will stay looking lovely for a very long time! Re-sealing wooden worktops really doesn’t take too long and we’re always very happy to recommend the best oil for your wood. We also always recommend going for a tap insert with a wooden worktop. This is a small piece of stone that your taps are installed into rather than the wood, and means you never have to worry about water damage around your taps.
NERO ABSOLUTO GRANITE
If you love the idea of having natural worktops in your kitchen but don’t want to deal with the worry of a porous and easy to scratch stone, definitely have a think about dark granite. We supply Nero Absoluto, it’s super dark with little white specks. It’s the most durable natural worktop, and although it may pick up a few marks over the years, it’s much more resilient than other natural stones out there… and it looks totally authentic unlike other manmade alternatives. Another bonus is that it also tends to be less expensive than marble so if you are trying to stick within a particular budget, it could be a good option.
We supply polished or honed versions, but I particularly love the honed finish that we have on display at Cotes Mill, as well as our St. John’s Square and New York showrooms. It looks a little more natural than polished and has a beautifully tactile finish. You can also go for a leathered finish which is similar to honed just with a slightly rougher feel, and we recently introduced an Ogee edging which has a wonderfully glamorous feel.
Honed Nero Absoluto Granite with an Ogee edge, sitting happily in our St. John’s Square showroom.
SAN SIMONE QUARTZITE
For something really bold, take a look at San Simone quartzite. This lovely natural stone is sourced from Brazil and has such a beautiful and striking pattern and an ever so slight shimmer to it. The veining can vary dramatically between each slab so it’s perfect for anyone wanting to have something that feels really one-of-a-kind and unique in their home.
Another great thing about San Simone is that it’s tougher than a lot of other natural stones, so it’s less likely to stain and scratch. It really doesn’t require much maintenance at all!
BELGIAN BLUE LIMESTONE
Belgian Blue limestone is very special, it’s dark and interesting and so full of character. This natural stone is formed in shallow seas, you can even make out tiny little fossils within it – I just think that’s such a cool addition to any kitchen.
The stone we supply is honed, this gives it a lovely matt finish that feels totally natural, and we finish it with a sealer to help protect from markings. But, as with all limestones, Belgian Blue is fairly soft, so it will pick up scratches with time and regular use… but staining isn’t too much of an issue because it’s so lovely and dark.
SILESTONE
Not everybody is a fan of using a natural material for their worktop, they prefer the idea of something more hard-wearing and resilient, and it makes sense! If this sounds like you and you’re after a worry-free and trouble-free worktop, Silestone could be perfect.
Silestone is a quartz that we supply. It’s a manmade stone and is made up of 94% natural quartz, one of the hardest minerals found in the Earth!! Its interpretation of marble is great and it’s totally durable, you really don’t need to be anxious about scratches and marks with this one. Our customers tend to go for the Lagoon finish, it’s lovely and pale with subtle veining, but we are able to supply all Silestone finishes.
All these worktops are great in their own right, everybody has different styles and needs and wants and we have worked very hard to create a small but varied and interesting collection of worktops that we think work well with our furniture and can withstand lots of use in the kitchen. The worktops I have mentioned above are available with all our ranges of furniture, but please note that we do not supply them separately.
Remember you can always pop into one of our showrooms to discuss your options or ask any questions, we’re always very happy to help. We also have samples of all the worktops we supply so it might be worth dropping in to get a feel of a particular one, there’s nothing quite like seeing something in person to know if you like it or not!!
And remember you can always check out our Instagram for lots of lovely worktop inspiration!
