Stones have been around us for millions of years. The stories of stone date back to the stone age when these pieces of naturally occurring materials were used for survival- for fire, to hunt, and to safeguard the family. With time, humans learnt the different usages and explored the various available natural stones. This is evident from the stone statues and structures found in ancient world history. Since then, people were able to understand the utility and found out ways that were possible to make the best use of these pieces.
Natural stones are explicit and incomparable. It has become a favourite when it comes to utility in modern houses and offices. Right from stone benchtops in kitchens to stone floors of bathrooms, these naturally occurring pieces have been a great value addition- right from ensuring aesthetic beauty to functionality. These stones have become one of the costliest investments that houses are often seen to do. The following are some of the reasons why investing in stone benchtops is a great move—
- Durability
As far as durability is concerned, nothing can beat the stones. Therefore, we still have some of the exclusively crafted stone statues in great museums across the world. If you are looking for some ‘one-time’ investment that would last long, then this is the perfect solution. The natural process of the formation of stones makes them incomparable when it comes to strength and durability. Thus, even in the toughest usage conditions, the stone benchtops are going to remain the same.
- Scratch Resistant
A kitchen is a place where numerous utensils and knives are being used. If the right material for surface finishing is not used then it is possible that with time, the surface gets scratches. Such a flawed glaze due to scratches is never going to look beautiful and hence is unacceptable. This is one of the reasons why naturally occurring beautiful stones are carved out explicitly to be used as kitchen benchtops. For example, granite. The surface is meant to be used for rough and tough applications.
- Quality & Aesthetics
One of the reasons why people are seen going gaga over the natural stone benchtop is because of the aesthetic beauty that it provides. The stones are available in different colours and textures. Artistically using these colourful and uniquely textured stones can yield a kitchen with luxury appeal and timeless prettiness. The wide range of colours and styles available makes it to be an item worthy of an investment. according to the experts, often people are seen in a catch-22 situation in thinking ‘what Colour should I choose for my kitchen benchtop’. Yes, the right selection is an added advantage is meant to complement your kitchen.
Apart from the timeless aesthetic timeless beauty provided by the stone benchtops, what comes along with it is quality. Though these are a bit expensive, yet if taken with quality, these are all set to be for life long, improving the overall value of the kitchen space.
- Easy to Install & Maintain
Many purchases of a common household are dependent on how easily it can be installed and the effort and time that one needs to invest in to maintain it. Thankfully, the surface finish of the natural stones makes them not only easy to install as benchtops but also easy to clean regularly without hassles.
Stone benchtops for your kitchen, irrespective of the variant of the stone, are available on a made-to-order type. Meaning, the reputed companies that are into the services, have a qualified team of experienced and well-trained professionals, who with their advanced technology measure the dimensions of the stones that would be required for installation. This ensures precise installation by reducing wastages. All you need to do is select the colour, texture, and type of the stone and sit back and see the transformation happening in the kitchen.
Another aspect that comes automatically with stone benchtops for the kitchen is the ease of maintenance. Since the entire piece is carved out from a single large piece of stone, therefore, the surface is going to be smooth without any crack or crevices, or indents. This surface finish makes it easy to clean and no matter what and how tough the spillage or stain is, cleaning remains feather smooth.
Choosing the Right Benchtops for your Kitchen
One of the challenging tasks has been to choose the right benchtops, rather than the stone for them. With the availability of so many beautiful options, the heart says to go for all. However, the professionals from the field recommend the following parameters to assess what should be the right benchtop for the kitchen—
- First Thing First: Shortlisting
The first and foremost thing that one needs to do is to narrow down the choices. The market would offer numerous options, but your mind should always spotlight on: benchtops to fall in love with at the first go. Thus, streamlining the options would help get to the right number of choices that would perfectly go with your kitchen ambience.
- Stick to the Budget
The amount of money you are going to invest plays a crucial role in deciding the kind and type of stone benchtops you should look for. In order to arrive at the final decision, you need to ask for a quote of the shortlisted options from the stone dealers. A comparative study of the quotation will help choose the best option.
- Mark out the Functionality
Though the type and choice of stones and the kind of cooking has a little relationship, yet you need to figure out this. For example, a kitchen that is made to be used exclusively during parties must not have marble benchtops because of the porous nature of the marble that becomes a bit tough to clean.
- Decide on the Slab Size and Thickness
Natural stones for residential and commercial usages are available in different sizes and thicknesses. You need to decide on what type of slab size you want to have in your kitchen. If you want stone benchtops of a single piece, then you need to look for oversized pieces. This decision is dependent on what is going to suit your requirements.
What’s Cooking in the Stone Benchtop’s Market?
Human beings are never satisfied with the options given and why should they be when there are hundreds of choices available. Some people love to give their kitchen a trendy modern look without compromising with the utility while there is a certain section of people who put stress on having a theme-based kitchen. For each of these two sections of people, there are available stone benchtops options. In this section, we would see the 5 perfect benchtops for your kitchen that remains always hot in the market—
- Granite Stone
It is one of the most popular stones used as benchtops in several commercial as well as residential kitchens. Its anti-scratch properties, resistant to staining and availability in different price slot (low to high) has made it to the kitchen. Granite as benchtop is perfect in terms of looks and quality.
- Marbles
If you want to give your kitchen a luxury look, then marbles can be the best option for kitchen benchtops. Available in different textures and colour, the best part is that it can go with any kitchen design or theme.
- Corian Stone
Another name in the list of popular stones used as benchtops is Corian. It is engineered stone and is famous for its super hygienic, low-maintenance, stain-resistant properties. The proper installation of the pieces and sealing renders a seamless finish. Since it is available in different patterns and colours, therefore stands as a great option to be used as stone benchtops. It is a great way of adding value to the kitchen.
- Quartzite
Like granite, quartzite is also a naturally occurring stone and popularly used as kitchen benchtops in various residential and commercial kitchens. It is durable, beautiful, and offers a surface that is not only smooth but also glossy in finish. It is resistant to scratches and stains and offers a luxurious feel to the kitchen area.
- Dolomite
One of the underdogs, dolomite as stones for kitchen benchtops is gaining popularity because of the durability, stain, and scratch-resistant surface. However, not available in too many colour options, this variant is a great way to add beauty to the kitchen.
Create a Kitchen of Luxury & Utility with Natural Stones
With numerous available options, it is easy for a person to create a luxurious kitchen with the help of exclusive and exquisite quality natural stones. Undoubtedly, kitchen benchtops add beauty to the ambience, and no matter whether you are choosing one of the perfect benchtop options or thinking of buying one amidst the 5 cheap stone benchtops that still look great, all you need to go for is what you want to achieve. Stress should always be on choosing the viable options, both during installation and remodelling, to achieve a kitchen that would look modern, trendy, stylish, and popular.
Conclusion
Any investment in the segment needs to be done based on a thorough assessment of what is required. It should be specific and well-defined. A little luxury to the kitchen with the installation of stone benchtops is a durable and practical investment that one can do.