CREAM GRANITE WORKTOPS

Cream granite, such as Ivory Fantasy, can make a beautiful kitchen worktop. It offers a warmer, softer alternative to white, grey and black, and works particularly well with traditional kitchens, natural timber, painted cabinetry and contemporary designs where homeowners are looking for a more organic feel.

However, cream granite does have some particular characteristics worth considering before choosing it. It can be rather less forgiving in everyday use than darker varieties, needing a little more regular maintenance to go on looking its best.

For an article focussed on Ivory Fantasy specifically, see Re-introducing Ivory Fantasy granite.

A slab of Ivory Fantasy granite on our entry rack

Kashmir Gold granite worktops in West Sussex – it was when the Kashmir Gold quarries started delivering paler stone that Ivory Fantasy was born.

Cream granites bring you:

1. A warm, natural appearance

Cream granite brings warmth into a kitchen without the starkness of brilliant white. Ivory Fantasy typically has a mixture of creamy, beige and sometimes greyish tones, with natural movement and variation. This gives it considerably more character than a uniform manufactured surface.

2. Every slab is different

As with all natural granite, no two slabs are identical. There can be considerable variation in the pattern, veining, mineral deposits and overall colour. This is part of its appeal, although it does mean that choosing the actual slab is particularly important.

3. Excellent durability

Granite is a very hard natural stone and makes an excellent working surface. It is resistant to scratching, generally has good resistance to heat and will withstand the demands of a busy kitchen remarkably well.

4. Good design versatility

Cream granite is surprisingly versatile. It can complement:

• Traditional cream, ivory and taupe cabinetry.

• Contemporary white and warm-grey kitchens.

• Natural oak, walnut and other timber finishes.

• Bronze, brass and antique-style metallic fittings.

• Richer colours such as forest green, navy and burgundy.

5. A genuinely natural material

For customers who prefer natural stone to engineered alternatives, granite has a particular appeal. Its patterning and mineral structure are formed by nature rather than printed or manufactured to achieve a consistent appearance.

Colonial Cream Granite being delivered to our yard

Water penetration on Colonial White Granite

So what are the downsides of cream granites?

1. Light coloured natural stone worktops are generally more porous than darker granites

This is probably the most important practical consideration. Some lighter-coloured granites, including Ivory Fantasy, are relatively coarse-grained and more porous than many dark granites. Ivory Fantasy is a metamorphic sandstone, rather than a true igneous granite, and shows the characteristics of typical of the schist family of rocks. It can therefore be more susceptible to absorbing liquids and developing stains.

2. Requires periodic sealing

This is the knock-on of the last point: these stones generally need resealing. A good quality stone-impregnating sealer is important. Depending on the particular slab, its porosity and the sealer used, resealing might be appropriate every 9–12 months. The water-drop test is a useful way of checking whether the surface is still adequately protected – does it look darker if you leave clean water on it for a minute and then wipe it off? If it does … time to seal!

3. Staining can be more noticeable

The issue isn’t just porosity, either. It’s the light colour. A stain on a cream background can be more conspicuous than the same stain on a dark granite, and you may need to be careful with oil, red wine, coffee, tea and strongly coloured foods.

On the other hand, though, the pinkish and yellowish mineral tones in Ivory Fantasy do make it more forgiving than some other very pale granites and quartz. If you lean into that porosity and recognise that your granite worktops will change over time, then you will have nothing to worry about!

4. Natural variation can be quite pronounced

None of these cream granites is a quiet, uniform cream stone. They are natural materials, and no two slabs are the same. They can have quite dramatic movement, with pink, beige, grey, black and occasional garnet-coloured mineral deposits.

One implication of this: it is particularly important to inspect the actual slabs you are buying rather than relying on images or a small sample. That’s a reason for choosing Affordable Granite as your supplier – here you can choose your slabs and even select how the pattern is used in your kitchen.

Stunning Juparana Persa Granite

A classic, though not so easy to find these days – New Venetian Gold

My verdict: If you love the look of the cream granites, I wouldn’t be put off by slightly greater maintenance requirements. Granite remains a superb material for kitchen worktops, and a little extra care is a perfectly reasonable trade-off for the beauty and individuality of natural stone.

Ivory Fantasy in Guildford