Interior Design

Tips for mixing kitchen worktops

18.10.2019

The worktops are probably the most noticeable feature in a kitchen. They are the largest and most visible surfaces in the room, and as they see lots of culinary action, what they’re made from is a prime consideration. In addition to being visual elements, they’re tactile elements, so it’s important to consider how these surfaces feel as well as how they look. A current popular trend is to contrast worktops with other elements of the kitchen, whether in the form of different materials, colours, or textures. Read on for our guide to mixing and matching kitchen worktops.

Mix materials

A popular way of mixing kitchen worktops is to incorporate multiple materials into your kitchen design. There are a number of ways to do this. One way would be to have one worktop made from one material, and another worktop made from another. This is particularly powerful if your worktops are distinct from each other (i.e. not touching), perhaps they’re on opposite sides of the room or you have an island in your kitchen. One option is to combine a natural material, such as wood or granite, with an engineered material, such as porcelain or quartz. This creates an enticing contrast of cold and smooth with warm and textured.

A different take on ‘mixing’ worktops is to contrast them with the units upon which they sit. Wooden worktops with charcoal-coloured units or marble-style porcelain worktops with pale oak wood units create a clean contrasting style that is modern and sleek.

Another way of mixing your kitchen worktops is to have two materials within the same counter. For example, wood and marble are a tasteful combination that works together because they serve a practical function too. The wooden section is warmer to the touch, lacking the sometimes harsh cold feel of marble. The marble section, by virtue of it being inherently cooler to the touch, makes for a better baking surface since pastry behaves better under colder conditions. Woods such as teak are durable and water-resistant, making them ideal close to the sink. The mixture of these different elements allows you to elevate your cooking while adding a visual contrast into your kitchen.

Light and dark

Mixing bold, dark colours with bright, pale colours creates a striking image that never fails to demand attention, especially from guests. It’s a very bold option to use in your kitchen, so consider it carefully as the size and shape of your kitchen can significantly impact the aesthetic appeal of a light/dark theme.

Brilliant white marble and dark grey or charcoal work well together, and you may choose to have the room light with dark accents, or dark with light accents. The former creates a clean, minimalistic feel while the latter creates a more moody, atmospheric look to your kitchen. Choosing between these two colour palettes is where the size of your kitchen comes into play. Dark colours as the main theme may be overbearing in a smaller kitchen or one that receives limited natural light. As a rule, brighter and large kitchens can accommodate the intensity of dark worktops and units better than smaller or dimmer kitchens, which will benefit from light colours as the focus. Similarly, light colours help to make a room seem larger than it is.

If you’re set on having the primary colour be a dark grey or black, then a glossy finish could help with reflecting light and brightening the room more than a matte finish. It works in a similar way to how mirrors create the illusion of space.

A central feature

Another daring combination for worktops is to design your kitchen island as the main feature, central to the room both physically and metaphorically. Our pick would have to be a waterfall kitchen island, a particular style where the worktop runs over the edge and down the entire side of the island, giving it a smooth, complete finish.

By choosing a bold colour and design for your island and coupling it with a very neutral or monotone style throughout the rest of your kitchen, your island to be the standout feature. Having the worktop made from Tigerwood or Zebrawood (so-called for their bold stripes) for instance with off-white kitchen units would make for an excellent contrast that will draw the eye towards your central island.

Inspiration comes in many forms, and our recommendations in this blog post can only do so much. Get in touch with one of our experts to discuss more ideas for your new kitchen, or better yet, come and visit our showroom in Tonbridge, Kent. Here we can show you first-hand a wide variety of worktop samples and ideas, and you can literally get a feel for the ones you’d like. We’re always happy to help!

Why wait? Request your brochure today…