I HAVE DARK COLOURED KITCHEN UNITS BUT WOULD LIKE VERY LIGHT COLOURED WORKTOPS - SHOULD I USE GRANITE OR QUARTZ?

QUARTZ FOR LIGHT SURFACES

There are some beautiful dark coloured kitchen units and doors available at the moment but not everyone who goes for a dark kitchen unit colour wants a dark worktop so there is a significant trend to use light, or even white, worktops.

If white purity is what you are after then quartz worktops will be a good option for you.

Quartz is a man-made material that is predominantly crushed stone with a small amount of resin added (about 8%).  As quartz is man-made, a greater purity of colour and vibrancy of colour can be achieved by adding colour to the resin.  Other elements can also be added such as mirror flecks or pieces of of glass and shell etc.

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With dark grey or black units you may wish to go for a white or off-white stone.  For a really pure white Silestone White Storm or Compac’s Absolut Blanc are two of the whitest but most of the quartz companies produce something pretty pure white or nearly pure white e.g Bianco Puro by Arenastone.   The purer whites tend to work out more expensive but it does depend on your individual requirements so it is worth contacting us as we can find the best product for your particular circumstances and budget.

If you choose a stone worktop with a little bit more fleck then the price will come down but the overall impression of the worktops will still be pretty white and you will gain consistency and uniformity of pattern to keep that really sleek contemporary look.  Try looking at Luna by Compac, Arcadia by Cimstone, Asti Bianco by Arenastone or Divinity white by Diresco.

If you want a bit of “bling” then try Bianco Stelline by Arenastone, Bianco Stella by Silestone, and Lactea by Compac.  Nearly all manufacturers have sparkly quartz within their range in Black, Dark Blue, Red, Cream and White but there are out there also Light Blue, Citrine, Rose, Brown  and probably others too!

Cream coloured quartzes are also very popular with dark wood effect doors and stripy dark work doors.  There is a huge choice from off-white/cream through buttermilk and cappucino colours to deep honey beige and sandy colours.

There are also some fairly plain stone worktops with the barest hint of a sparkle like Coco by Compac or those with much more pattern such as Crema Sasso from Arenastone.   Cimstone do a good value cream called Oasis.   It is worth remembering that is is the more sparkly options that are more expensive.

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LIGHT COLOURED GRANITE WORKTOP OPTIONS

If uniformity is not your thing and you are looking for something completely unique – a piece of worktop that you literally won’t see anywhere else – then a granite would be the right choice for you.   As granite is a completely natural stone, no piece is the same.     However, light coloured granites are generally very variable so it is always best to try and view the actual batch or block that you are interested in first.

Kashmir White granite is absolutely stunning with large rivers of colour running through it in shades of grey/black where the background colour is predominantly a winter white (this can vary through cream or even slightly greenish white).  It has small red/brown spots that look fabulous with wine, burgundy and ruby coloured doors and with the dark reddish woods like cherry and walnut. The greys in Kashmir White mean that it also goes beautifully with dark or dove grey units and black doors.

There are other white granites that are plainer than Kashmir White e.g Panna Fragola but even the plainest white granites will be a lot more flecky than the purer quartz materials.  It is also worth noting that granites will require greater maintenance than quartz as. depending on the stone you choose, you will need to reseal the granite with stain impregnator every now and then.  Larger patterns and worktops with striated patterns are also more likely to show joins.

If you would like a lighter granite but not a white then there are lots available.    A good supplier will be able to give you advice and point you in the right direction to ensure that you choose the best solution for your needs.

A lot of the darker woodgrain effect doors go well with creamy goldy colours – a good granite to go with these is Kashmir Gold which is much warmer in tone to the Kashmir White and can vary from subtle honey hues through to a deep rich golden yellow which will brighten the darkest kitchen units!

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