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.
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.
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.
