RENOVATE | 5 kitchen bench materials
5 kitchen bench materials
For those of you making selections for your kitchen you will know just how many products are out there and how tricky it can be to make these choices.
The kitchen bench needs to be one of the strongest and functional material choices in your home, all while looking good! So with that in mind here are five materials that you can use in your kitchen (many of which can also be used as a splash back too).
Engineered stone - engineered stone like Caesarstone, Quantum Quartz or Essastone are materials that are made from quartz aggregate mixed with pigments and polymers to create a solid surface that is extremely strong, mostly heat resistant and comes in a variety of colours that mimic natural stone. While this will mostly be a cheaper option that natural stone, engineered stone will be more expensive the most laminates.
Natural stone - marbles, granite or limestone are all natural stone options for your bench. This is a very luxurious product that will come with a price tag to match but sometimes there is no substitute for the real deal. Consider how porous stone is and therefore it may stain when substances like oil or red wine spills. You will need to pick out your specific slab from the supplier to make sure you are getting exactly what you expect. You will mostly see natural stone in high end projects or your “forever home” due to the price tag and maintenance required.
Solid timber - your option for solid timber bench tops will range from a Bunnings timber bench to a more custom, high end finish. Aesthetically timber will give texture and warmth to your space and will fit many different interior styles from coastal to Scandinavian. The bench will need to be sealed when it is installed (and resealed in the future). Being a natural product, timber benches can mark or be marked by placing hot saucepans or pans on it. The general wear and tear will add to the aesthetic over time but if you are not a fan of this kind of patina, perhaps consider more regular products like engineered stone or laminate.
Tiles - After becoming big in the 1970s tiled benches are not seen as often at the moment (yet!). I do think there are ways to bring back this style of bench in a contemporary way. Make sure you consider what type of grout you are using. Epoxy grout is more hygienic than regular grout. See also porcelain panels below. Also note that depending on the tile format you choose there will be a lot of grout lines which will add to the overall look and cleaning process.
Laminate - the term laminate relates to the process this material goes through to get to the finished product which is adhering (or laminating) the decorative finish to a composite timber product like MDF or chipboard. This produces a very versatile and mostly cost effective product to use in your kitchen. One of the main disadvantages of using laminate is that it can’t withstand the same level of heat as say natural stone. The technology for laminate is always improving and as such you can get a range of textures and colours, some that even have the look and feel of timber without the expense or upkeep. Laminex and Polytec are the two main suppliers you will be looking at for these products.
Ok, maybe I need a few more to fully outline this….. a few bonus materials below!
6. Stainless steel - while this might feel like a really clinical material to use in your kitchen, it is one of the sturdiest and easy to clean bench top you can have. A stainless steel bench can either be used with sleek clean lines of a white kitchen or paired with warm textures like timber to create a more rustic, chefs kitchen feel. While it is easy to clean you also need to make sure you are happy to see scratches appear on the surface over time as it is used. You may also want to have it polished every 5-10 years.
7. Porcelain panels - essentially these are very large tiles but because of the big format you can use a single piece for a bench top and waterfall detail without having the joins you would find with a tiled bench. Artedomus is a large supplier of these large format panels and they come in a range of colours.
8. Corian - Corian is a man made product made from quartz and plastic polymers. It has a smooth texture that can be formed in large, continuous surfaces and comes in a variety of colours. Like concrete, you can essentially create any size or shape you want.
9. Concrete - The beauty of using a concrete bench is that you can essentially have any size or shape and can vary the level of polish and aggregate that is exposed to create a really unique look. These types of benches are usually poured on site and will be quite heavy so you need to make sure the house structure has enough to support it.
Your kitchen bench choice should go well beyond just being aesthetically pleasing and should take into account your budget, how much the space is used (ie. how durable the product needs to be) and you long term plan for your home (forever home, short term etc). In terms of how much each of these products will cost that will be determined by your specific space as all kitchen benches are essentially custom. The more cuts (for sinks etc) and pieces required the more expensive the labour will be. For a good overview on the costs of the raw materials, Home Beautiful has outlined it really well here.
For more kitchen inspiration, head over to my Pinterest board where I collect together different styles and details that might help with your project.