15 kitchen worktop ideas

From eco options to hi-tech wonders, find the right worksurface solution for your project

By Paula Woods | 5 January 2022

There are three main factors to consider when choosing your kitchen worktops. Can the practical benefits of a surface’s material suit your needs? Will it look great as part of the project? Will the design you like fit within your budget? Keep reading for expert advice and plenty of kitchen worktop ideas from the top retailers.

1. Reuse and revamp

Scour salvage yards for stone, marble or timber that can be made into characterful kitchen worktops. Look out for school laboratory workbenches, which are often made from quality hardwood, as well as reclaimed floorboards and cost-effective scaffolding planks. Extension project with bespoke kitchen painted in Black Blue from Farrow & Ball, and island worksurface made from reclaimed parquet flooring, sealed with raw oil. Design and project management by All & Nxthing.

Kitchen worktops in navy blue with wooden worktop in modern kitchen

Photo: All & Nxthing

2. Slim or chunky?

Surface depth is a factor to consider – options range from super-shallow 4mm to a standard 20-30mm up to more than 50mm, depending on the type of material. Malton kitchen in Seal Grey with Cosentino Eternal Calacatta Gold quartz worksurface, available in thicknesses of 20mm or 30mm, from Kitchen Makers.

White kitchen worktop with panelled walls in contemporary kitchen

Photo: Kitchen Makers

3. Chips off the old block

Resin-based terrazzo is durable and can include recycled waste stone or glass chippings. The random pattern of the embedded material makes each piece unique. TE081 resin terrazzo worksurface from Diespieker & Co.

Terrazzo stone wall and worktop in kitchen

Photo: Diespieker & Co

4. Go for a greener option

Eco-friendly solid surface and quartz composites include the carbon-offset Sunlit Day quartz range from Silestone, and Durat, which is made with recycled post-industrial plastic waste. Durat worksurface with integrated Block II sinks from Surface Matter.

Eco friendly solid surface in stripped back kitchen space

Photo: Surface Matter

5. Practically perfect

Sintered stone, also known as porcelain, is made from natural minerals bonded together under extreme heat and pressure. Durable and resistant to stains and chipping, it can be used to clad cabinets, walls and floors, or to wrap around an island. Calacatta Light Ceramic SapienStone worksurface from Cullifords.

Porcelain kitchen worksurface with gold built-in tap

Photo: Cullifords

6. Pick a finish

The appearance of a natural stone will be affected by the finish. Polished is bright and glossy, honed is more matt, and brushed is smooth, matt, and looks slightly paler than a polished treatment. Antique Anorthosite stone kitchen worktops from Lundhs.