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Continue readingChoosing The Right Natural Stone Benchtop
When it comes to turning your kitchen into a functional and stylish room of your home, nothing beats natural stone kitchen benchtops.
However, there are a variety of fantastic and beautiful options of natural stone.
Choosing the right natural stone benchtop for your kitchen involves balancing aesthetics, functionality, and maintenance – but ultimately it comes down to personal preference and priorities.Â
With various options available here at Euro Marble, let’s take the time to discover the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of each type of natural stone that can help you make an informed decision.
What to Consider When Choosing a Benchtop
When selecting a natural stone benchtop, there are a number of factors to bear in mind.
1. How do you use your benchtop?
Everyone cooks, lives and entertains differently. Kitchens are always busy areas of the home, but if you frequently cook and often entertain you might want to consider prioritises durability when considering different stone types. Some natural stones are more resistant to heat and scratches than others.
2. What is your interior design aesthetic?
Fortunately, natural stone comes in as wide a range of colours, shades and styles as you could hope for. Consider the rest of your home and the type of style you want to bring out in your kitchen. Whether you want a bold statement piece for your natural stone benchtop or something more subtle and minimalistic, that is all up to you.
3. What ongoing maintenance requirements suit you?
Different types of stone require different levels of care. Some types of natural stone, such as marble, may need regular sealing or specific cleaning products, while others are a little hardier in that department.
4. What is your budget?
Natural stone is generally more expensive than some other kitchen benchtop material options. But when it comes to durability and longevity, the investment in your home is worth it. Nevertheless, it is still important to consider what your budget is for your natural stone benchtop, as different stone types attract different price tags.
Breaking Down the Different Options for your Stone Kitchen Benchtop
Marble
Marble is one of the most luxurious looking materials available – with iconic off-white shading and unique veining. On the functional side of things, marble is highly heat resistant which is a good quality for the kitchen.
However, compared with other types of natural stone, marble is relatively porous. This means it can be more prone to staining, require regular resealing, be softer and more susceptible to scratches, and require a little more maintenance than other options.
Granite
Granite is a unique looking stone with its granular aesthetic bringing a highly intricate texture to any kitchen. This natural stone is extremely durable, scratch and heat resistant, and only requires minimal ongoing maintenance.
However, like marble, granite is relatively porous, so using it for your natural stone benchtop may mean you need to periodically seal it and protect it from spilled liquid stains.
Limestone
Limestone is a fantastic stone kitchen benchtop option thanks to its warm and rustic look. If you are looking for a stone to complement a traditional design, this durable natural stone is a great option.
Limestone is, however, softer than granite and can therefore be more prone to scratches, damage and chipping – especially if subjected to high levels of activity. It is also best practice to regularly reseal your limestone kitchen benchtop to prevent staining.
Travertine
Travertine, like limestone, brings a unique texture and visual character to a kitchen space. It is quite a durable material with the proper care, but can be susceptible to staining – especially without regular professional resealing.
Again, like limestone, travertine is one of the softer types of natural stone and therefore can be prone to scratches if not properly cared for.
Onyx
Onyx is a fantastic option of natural stone kitchen benchtop for anyone wanting a bold, striking visual appeal – thanks to its colouring and striking patterns. It is particularly well suited for anyone wanting to create a backlit effect.
Onyx is quite a soft stone and can be prone to scratches, so kitchens subjected to a high level of activity may not be suited to it. This natural stone also requires significant maintenance and care to keep it looking a treat.
Quartzite
Quartzite functions as amazingly as it looks. With similar aesthetics to marble, this stone is highly popular for use in kitchen stone benchtops. However, unlike marble, it is among the more hardy and durable types of stone and is very resistant to scratches and heat.
Quartzite is among the more expensive of stones though, thanks to its rarity and the difficulty of extracting the stone. Additionally, for best functionality and appearance, it is still recommended that you regularly reseal it.Â
Find the Perfect Natural Stone Benchtop at Euro Marble
Our team of natural stone experts and enthusiasts at Euro Marble are always here to help.
Come on in to our showroom or give our team a call and we can step you through all the different considerations and options to find the right natural stone for your kitchen, your needs, budgets and priorities.Â
Bronte Residence III
RESIDENTIAL
Bronte Residence III
Everything that its name suggests it would be, blue dreams marble delivers. The brilliant hues of a golden sunset and an azure ocean entwined and wonderfully captured in a single breathtaking natural stone make for a great addition in this kitchen. This marble has a multicolored exterior that features veining in a variety of colors, including blue, gold, and white, set against a background of earthy creams and browns.
As each slab of Blue Dreams marble possesses its own magnificent uniqueness, the blue dreams marble splashback incorporated in this kitchen is entirely one of a kind. To accomplish the look of an elegant but exotic ambiance in the kitchen, the countertops also feature the blue dreams marble.
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The contrast between the wall and base cabinets, splashback, countertops and kitchen island creates an interesting visual aesthetic. Blue dream marble is a stunning stone that is simple to work with, and it was previously considered to be the pinnacle of wealth.Â
Marble is nature's gift to capture...
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Hunters Hill Residence
RESIDENTIAL
Hunters Hill Residence
The Calacatta Borghini Marble in this bathroom reflects classic elegance in appearance and texture. This stone comes from one of the oldest and most renowned quarries in the Carrara area of Italy and is considered one of the most classic white marbles available. The pattern of strong grey and honey-accented veining gives this bathroom a classic sophisticated aesthetic. The captivating spectrum of movement in Borghini slabs lends refinement, opulence, and allure to this bathroom.
Due to the fact that manufacturing and mining of this statement-making marble has become extremely restricted in recent years, Calacatta Borghini has earned a reputation as a particularly rare and opulent material for private houses.
This project also featured a Calacatta Manhattan vanity in the bathroom. The display of gleaming alabaster white marble interwoven with sensuous ash grey, subtle green, and ivory hues make a great addition to this bathroom. The complex multi-toned threads swirl over the stone’s surface in a dramatic composition – a captivating storm of color and depth that gives this bathroom a calming effect.
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The designers also included a Calacatta Manhattan console that adds an interesting visual appeal to the space
Marble is nature's gift to capture...
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Whale Beach Residence
RESIDENTIAL
Whale Beach Residence
The designers went with the Super White Dolomite for this project, and with good cause. While it shares a comparable look with marble, it offers several extra durability advantages that made the designers gravitate to it for this project.
The ideal combination of bright and dark tones of Super White offer depth and personality to the bathroom and kitchen walls. While the beauty of the Super White Dolomite made it a top choice for this project, it is also currently quite fashionable. The light, relaxing, grey tones give the kitchen and bathroom walls a pleasant, serene atmosphere. The veining in pure white is remarkable, but not too dense.
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While sealing the stone prior to installing it is necessary, the minimal maintenance requirements of the Super White Dolomite are another reason why this stone was chosen for the bathroom and kitchen walls in this project.
Marble is nature's gift to capture...
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Vaucluse Residence IV
RESIDENTIAL
Vaucluse Residence
The designers chose the Wild Onyx for the vanity and splashback in this bathroom. This stone adds a touch of vigor and energy to this bathroom, which can be seen emanating from its lavish exterior of golden honey, latte, and touches of pearly white. The golden glow that it exudes makes for an excellent feel in this bathroom.
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The Wild Onyx lends itself wonderfully to this space, allowing for the creation of an opulent and palatial style that elevates the degree of exclusivity of this house to the highest possible level. The Wild Onyx is in fact a kind of marble, making it a great choice for the vanity and splashback in this bathroom.
Marble is nature's gift to capture...
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Bondi Penthouse
RESIDENTIAL
Bondi Residence
The designers chose the Calacatta Manhattan for the vanity in this bathroom. The complex multi-toned threads swirl over the stone’s surface in a dramatic composition to make for an interesting visual appeal. The captivating storm of color and depth creates an aesthetically pleasing and calming effect in this bathroom.
The Calacatta Manhattan Marble in this bathroom showcases Mother Nature’s abilities exquisitely, and adds wonderful accents to this bathroom.
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The Calacatta Manhattan marble vanity and splashback brings this bathroom to life. Calacatta, which is obtained from the Apuan Mountains near Carrara, Italy, is a unique form of marble compared to others making it one of the finest marbles in the world. This rarity, paired with the brilliant white and dramatic veining, elevates the luxurious feel in this bathroom
Marble is nature's gift to capture...
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Rozelle Residence
RESIDENTIAL
Rozelle Residence
