Kitchen worktops are required to deliver a lot of panache and practicality. While there are now many different types of countertop materials available, not every material is created equally. Some are more popular due to characteristics such as their durability and practicality; others are preferred for their beauty and user-friendliness. With this in mind, how would you select the best type of material for your project? It’s easy- just mix and match!
Pairing: The Next Best Thing
While mixing different materials for the cabinet doors in the kitchen is a major trend already, pairing worktop materials too is now getting very popular among architects and designers as well as with end clients. By pairing two different kitchen worktop materials, you get to achieve better functionality and create visual drama while still sticking to your budget.
Black and white is a rock-solid combination when it comes to kitchen worktop materials. But even when you know that you’d like to pair black and white, with so many different types of materials available, how will you identify the ones best for your kitchen? We have created a list of some handy tips as well as a few of our top recommendations to make things easier for you.
- Functionality Matters the Most
Before selecting your surface materials, try to think about the things that you’d prefer on the worktop. For example, if you love baking, an ideal worktop material for you would be marble. The material is not just popular for its visual appeal which is sure to add the oomph factor to your kitchen, but its relatively cooler surface is great to keep your baking dough soft. This also prevents the dough from sticking to the worktop surface and helps in reducing the need for flour.
If you are looking for a white and black combination of marble, you can go for the gorgeous Bianco Carrara marble and Negro Marquina marble. Just like marble aids baking, there are other materials which can help in a host of applications. For instance, now there are surfaces which are UV resistant, impact resistant, stain resistant, water resistant, fireproof, etc. to efficiently suit your requirements. Know your needs, and it’ll help you make the right decision.
- Think Practicality
You also need to understand your kitchen and your everyday activities in order to be able to pick the best worktop material. One of the most important considerations is the area where most of the spills occur. For most of the homeowners, the common surface spill location is next to a sink or a cooker. It is better to opt for materials that can handle stains, spills, and moisture at these places. Also, if the worktop would be enduring a lot of acids or heat, consider this factor too when selecting.
Quartz, ceramic and porcelain are very popular choices for homeowners looking for a durable worktop material. You can go for something like Unistone Bianco Assoluto & Unistone Java Black combination; use Unistone Bianco Assoluto as the main worktop material and team it with Unistone Java Black for areas around the sink and where spills usually occur. The pure white built of Bianco Assoluto quartz combined with the black and white beauty of Java Black is sure to make up for an interesting countertop for any kitchen with a modern appeal.
- Don’t Go Wrong with the Style
Apart from being the heart of your home, a kitchen is also a great place to display your personal style. You can design it in line with other rooms of your home or experiment with something different to create something unique. The worktop is one of the most important parts of any kitchen and can significantly influence the overall decor. No matter if you have a traditional setup or something more modern; the countertop too should effortlessly exude the same appeal.
If you are aiming for a fancy but sophisticated feel, you can opt for options like Carrara White marble or Calacatta Gold marble. If something more contemporary is what you want, a touch of quartz or granite on the countertop is sure to look impressive. Premium quartz surfaces like Caesarstone Vanilla Noir & Caesarstone Frosty Carrina are a picturesque option if you are aiming for something innovative in black and white.
- Even it Out
While mixing and matching worktop materials is an excellent idea, you should also make sure that you don’t overdo it. Also, apart from maintaining evenness between the countertop materials, you should ensure that there is a sense of balance between the countertop and other elements of the kitchen. For instance, you can achieve a composed and consistent look by selecting a focal point which can be decorated with subtle details around it.
For most of the kitchens, the kitchen island works as the perfect focal point. You can mix and match the countertop with the kitchen island to create something unique. For the countertop, you can choose Silestone Blanco Zeus Extreme & Silestone Eternal Marquina for the kitchen island. Raised bars on the kitchen island if available can also be experimented with to create a balanced appeal in accordance with the countertop.
- Edge Profile
Variation and contrast are very important when combining different materials for a kitchen worktop. However, it is completely alright to experiment with multiple countertop edge profiles. You can get a quartz island with a bullnose edge to add up to the beauty and practicality of quartz while also adding a traditional touch to a modern space. Similarly, an island made from marble can have a waterfall edge for a dynamic combination of classy and contemporary.
With the increasing number of kitchen surfaces, even the number of edge profiles has increased significantly. There are now many great options like Bevel Edge, pencil Edge, bullnose Edge, Shark Nose Edge, Double Chamfer Edge, Flat Edge, etc. which you can mix and match between different materials. Remember that the smallest of details can have biggest of impact on the overall look of your kitchen and selecting the right edge of the countertop material is as important as selecting the material itself.
- Combine Beauty with Functionality
The best thing about combining worktop materials is that you get the best both in terms of looks as well as functionality. A lot of homeowners love the aesthetic of a particular material and functionality or practicality of another. When you mix and match, you can have both the materials which you can use to separate the countertop in two completely different yet connected workspaces.
As an example, you might select Negro Marquina Marble for one part and Calacatta Ivory Marble for the other. The black tone of the Marquina Marble is ideal for busier areas of the countertop while the Ivory Marble would add up to the overall beauty of the countertop, making it an ideal combination of aesthetics and functionality. Similarly, you can team natural marble and granite worktops surfaces with the modern quartz surfaces like Caesarstone, Unistone, and Dekton.
Compac Unique Marquina worktops by My Kitchen Worktop in a property located in London, UK
- Choose the Right Colour
If you are picking worktop materials in different colours, have them visually connected to ensure that they do not look eccentric. While black and white is a classy combination and there are great visually appealing options like Compac Glaciar & Compac Ice Black, you can experiment with other colours too. For instance, Caesarstone Concetto Viola with its violet and deep purple tones is perfect for any modern kitchen. Team this with something warmer like a marble in grey or white for a well-balanced appeal.
Two bright colours would easily make your kitchen look crowded, and two warm ones would lack the flair. Combine bright with warm and you can rest assured that your kitchen countertop would look trendy. You can also go for materials in brighter tones but with warmer veins to maintain the right amount of balance. Also, if you have wooden furniture in your kitchen, you can go for a paint job in contrasting colour to match with the colour of your worktop. If at all you get tired of the decor in the future, you can simply go for furniture paint job again to add some freshness to the kitchen without the need to replace the worktop.
The above image shows Compac Ice White quartz worktops in an open plan living room connecting with the garden.
- Consider your Budget
Last but not the least; you also need to consider your budget when selecting countertop materials. There are now several materials available for every budget and need. There are expensive options like the above mentioned Concetto Viola, and then there are affordable options like Verde Guatemala Natural Marble, Steel Gray Granite or quartz stones in Price Groups 1 & 2 such as Silestone Cemento Spa, Compac Ceniza, Quarella Palladio or Caesarstone Misty Carrera quartz worktops.
If you’ll be choosing two different materials and have a limited budget, go for a budget option as the main worktop material and choose something aesthetic as the complementary material on a smaller section. The idea here is to achieve maximum appeal and functionality while still maintaining a reasonable budget. Shop smart and browse through the available options and you’ll definitely be able to get the desired outcome without breaking the bank. Just give some time to the whole selection process, and you’ll definitely come across many great options.
Worktops can easily make or break the design of your kitchen. Thus, it is important for you to pick something that is beautiful and functional. Fortunately, the modern world of kitchen designing is full of innovative experimentations and combining different materials for the countertop is one of the latest efforts to help homeowners add a unique touch to their home.
If you are aiming for black and white countertop materials, select the materials on the basis of the tips discussed above, and you are sure to make the right decision. If the options still prove to be confusing, it is better to hire professional help for the job rather than committing an expensive mistake.
As for the surface provider, you can look for a reliable company that offers the widest range of natural and man-made materials. This will ensure that you have several options to select countertop materials that perfectly select your requirement. Reputed surface providers also provide detailed information about their collection online to offer enhanced convenience to the customers. Such online portals are a quick and effective way to pick the right countertop material for your kitchen.
Published by Jesus Alberto Mouzo on February 5, 2018
