Selecting Your Stone Benchtop? Check these 6IX Points

When choosing natural stone benchtops, it is very important to consider the interaction between the stone and the cabinet design. This is necessary to achieve the kitchen or bathroom space you want. The stone in your benchtop and the material and design of your cabinets must work together. In fact, choosing the right stone material and design for your benchtop is an influential factor in the overall look, feel, and functionality of these two spaces. Here are some of the most vital things to keep in mind when making this choice:

Make Sure your Stone Benchtop is Compatible with your Cabinet Design

Your stone benchtop should complement the design, colour, and material of your cabinets. Anything less than a perfect match between cabinets and benchtop can lead to a not-so-great visual effect (frequently cited as the “bad kitchen design” look), especially if the two structures are side by side with little to no other design element that might visually break them up. Between incompatible colours or finishes, we’ve seen everything from kitchen spaces that look gaudy to ones that read as just plain unfriendly and uninviting.

Material Durability and Maintenance

The durability and demands for maintenance of various stone materials differ greatly. The popular materials granite and quartzite are extreme in their durability and very low in maintenance. Both of them, however, offer a very different look and come with very different price tags. On the other hand, while a marble kitchen benchtop can be both luxurious and beautiful, its maintenance list rivals that of the most high-maintenance indoor plant. When choosing your stone, think about not just aesthetics and your budget, but also the maintenance your choice will demand of you.

Stone Benchtop Cost

Stone benchtops can be made from numerous materials and come in a variety of thicknesses and installations. The best stone choices—quartzite and marble—tend to be on the pricier side. Even so, granite and Zero Silica stones offer a better price-performance ratio. Remember that any way you cut it (or chisel it), budgeting should encompass not just stones and services for building them into your space but also the ways you’ll keep them looking sharp.

Weight

When it comes to your kitchen benchtop, stone weight is a vital factor. The materials you choose for your top directly affect the heft of your kitchen. Heavy materials like granite and marble require strong, well-built cabinets and support structures. Your design must accommodate the made-for-stone supports, and it must do so without extensive modifications that might complicate the project and raise the price.

Aesthetic Appeal

There are too many choices when it comes to stone benchtops. They range in hue, pattern, and finish. If you want to keep it simple—and I recommend that you do—consider making your selection based on a limited number of stones, say three to five, that you truly love. You will not only find some that you adore but also others that you hate, and all such experiences will guide you toward your overall design vision for the space.

Stone Benchtop Installation and Fabrication

Your design’s complexity—how much it has, how it all works, and (especially) the shape it has in 3D space—will have a direct impact on both the cost and installation of your stone surface. The main reasons for these 2 are seen in items like “unusual” as well as “increased overall dimensions,” which commonly lead to higher amounts of 2 things: weight and difficulty in handling.

Choosing a stone benchtop for your space requires consideration of several factors: aesthetics, durability, cost, and environmental aspects, to name a few. Why is this balance important? Because the stone surface you select must not only harmonize with the cabinetry design but also fulfill the functional requirements of your space within the context of your lifestyle.