A kitchen renovation is a daunting task no matter how you approach it. Using IKEA furniture, many of the homeowners in the UK try to make this colossal project a little bit simpler whilst keeping to a budget. Starting with the different type of designs, availability, to the final price, IKEA kitchens efficiently fulfil all the important factors that one has to look into when renovating the kitchen.
But while the furniture part can be handled by IKEA, what about the worktop materials that you’ll use for all the different installations in the kitchen? IKEA offers mostly laminate and wood plus a very limited selection of stone, so you may prefer to get your worktops supplied by a specialist stone supplier who will offer similar prices and a very high quality finished product.
We’ve created a list of some top recommendations to make your IKEA kitchen look like a million dollars (or British Pounds!)
1. Marble
If a premium feel and look is what you are looking for, marble is a great option. While marble may be a little bit more expensive than decent wood, or cost a bit more when compared to cheaper materials such as laminate, it can easily last for many decades with proper care and maintenance. In the long run, it is marble the material that offers real value for money as it won’t need to be replaced every few years and it helps the house add value at all times.
Apart from this, the material is available in a very wide range of patterns, hues and colours, is highly heat-resistant, and is also resistant to potential cracks and cold conditions.
Some of the most popular marble options include Carrara Marble, Calacatta Marble, Crema Marfil, Dark Emperador, and Volakas marble from Greece.
2. Granite
Granite is another popular natural stone ideal for kitchens. It is beautiful, stylish, and is very commonly used in rooms and spaces with a luxurious theme. The material is antibacterial, easy to clean, heat resistant and hard wearing. However, when compared to the modern counterparts such as quartz or porcelain, granite is heavier, denser, and generally more difficult to transport and work with.
Angola Black, Kashmir Lime, Cosmic White, Macaubas White, Taj Mahal and Indian Black granite are some of the top granite colour options when it comes to trends in 2018.
3. Sintered Porcelain
Sintered porcelain is made with the help of feldspar, silica, and clay which makes the sturdy surfaces highly durable and temperature-resistant. They also contains elements of quartz which is the thirds strongest mineral on earth and glass particles which provides an incredible sheen on the polished finish surfaces.
A major benefit of sintered porcelain is the fact that it is available in larger slab sizes than the standard 3000x1400mm, offering higher project efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Sometimes two slabs of marble may be required to supply a kitchen worktop and a kitchen island but the need may be satisfied with a single slab of porcelain. This may depend on the size of the room but a reputable stone supplier will work this out for you in a matter of minutes.
The material is also environment-friendly, easy to clean, UV resistant, scratch resistant, hygienic, and light in weight which is ideal when it comes to installations in reduced spaces.
Neolith Estatuario, Neolith Calacatta, Neolith Iron Grey and Neolith Aspen Grey are some of the best recommendations for both classic and contemporary kitchens.
4. Ultra Compact
The ultra-compact is a new type of material that has received widespread popularity in the UK in the past few years. As compared to many other materials, ultra-compact is more durable due to its extreme manufacturing process. It is made from a process known as ‘particle sintering’ which involves pressing, drying and heating of refined powders up to a temperature just below their melting point for fusing the particles together.
The material is heat proof, UV resistant, scratch resistant, highly abrasion resistant, has a consistent thickness and is available in several designs. Dekton Kelya, Dekton Vienna, Dekton Glacier, and Dekton Spectra are some great options for your IKEA kitchen.
5. Quartz
Engineered stone, from brands such as Silestone Quartz, are also a popular choice among homeowners due to the huge variety of colours, thicknesses and finishes that these materials are available in. Quartz is extremely hard, non-porous, chip and scratch resistant, easy to maintain and clean whilst offering uniform feel and look. While natural stones are popular too, man-made materials such as engineered quartz, porcelain and ceramics are becoming increasingly popular due to the benefits and value they offer.
Caesarstone Quartz is one of the most popular brands of quartz surfaces across the globe.
Caesarstone was the first Company to successfully create engineered quartz back in the 80’s. Since then, the Israeli Company has maintained their position as a leader in the production of quartz surfaces with a continuous launch of new and original colours. Their latest colours for 2018 include the super-popular Caesarstone Rugged Concrete, as well as the Supernatural quartz colours in White Attica, Mont Blanc and Turbine Grey amongst many others.
If you’ve purchased an IKEA kitchen and wanted to further enhance its beauty and functionality, these are some of the best materials that you can consider.