BUYER’S GUIDE

A durable, stylish and practical worktop is an essential feature of any modern kitchen. Sander Tel investigates the options to help you choose the best countertop for your home and lifestyle

This delightful pea green Devol Shaker kitchen features reclaimed Iroko wood countertops – sourced by the client herself. They’ve been sanded and re-oiled, making a functional yet homely addition

For many, the kitchen is the heart of the home – and a space that serves multiple functions, from cooking to entertaining, relaxing and dining. Choosing a worktop that’ll both suit the space and last well over time is therefore vital to ensuring you’re able to make the most out of this zone for years to come.

A wealth of different considerations will influence your worktop choice, and it’s key to factor in aspects of day-today life. For instance, whether you have young children, your home’s overall interior style and the value you’re wanting to add to the kitchen space.

Budget will always play an important role in your worktop selection. Some affordable, DIY laminate or timber worktop materials start at £50 per m2, while bespoke marble or granite designs can reach over £300 per m 2 . There are plenty of options to suit every budget, however, with marbleeffect laminates and vinyl coverings being popular for those undertaking home improvements on a budget.

Deciding where to delegate your funds should be a first port of call – ask yourself how much you’re willing to spend on the worktop in relation to the rest of the kitchen. The likelihood is that the more expensive the worktop is, the higher the installation costs will be – but also the longer it’ll last. “Some people may prefer to fork out on big-budget appliances and spend less on their worktops, whereas others may want to create a quality statement piece, such as a kitchen island in a contrasting material, which calls for a more generous budget,” says Cerys Ford, brand category manager at Howdens.

Whether you’re upgrading your worktops as part of a kitchen renovation or fitting a bespoke design as part of your self build, start by noting down different ideas of what you like, whether you’re going to mix and match materials and the style of kitchen you’re creating – this could be a classic Shaker-style or sleek and handleless, for example. “Order different worktop samples to test out the colours and textures. This way you’ll see how they look with the other key elements of your kitchen such as the floor, cabinets and walls,” says Matt Rotherham, CEO & founder of Gemini Worktops.