Marble, granite, Caesarstone or Smartstone?
At Riviera Kitchens and Joinery, we design for every taste. Whether your preference for your kitchen leans towards French provincial, country style or sleek contemporary, we can advise you on the materials that will best suit the look you’re going for, for every budget.
Ready to kit out your forever home? To see you through kids, teenagers and grandchildren? Looking for something flexible that you can update as new trends emerge? We’ve got you covered.
When it comes to materials, the choice is yours. Grant and Mel, and their team of experienced design and building professionals, can certainly advise you along the way.
But ultimately, the final decision is yours.
Let’s start with the benchtops.
Benchtops can have a huge impact on the look and feel of your kitchen. But there are also pros and cons when it comes to functionality. For pastry chefs, it’s marble without a doubt – nothing beats that cool surface to roll out your shortcrust pastry.
But there are plenty of contemporary options as well.
Engineered stone: contemporary and durable
Advantages of engineered stone
Colour! Great consistency in colour, and a huge palette range to choose from. Choose flecks, ripples, veins, and even a bit of shimmer or sparkle.
Durability. Engineered stone is resistant to chipping, scratches, stains, heat, chemicals and mould.
Care and maintenance of your engineered stone benchtop
Engineered stone is easy to clean and maintain. A kitchen benchtop means no re-sealing or waxing is required.
Engineered stone brands
- Ceasarstone: Natural quartz, organic pigments and polymer resins based
- SmartStone: Natural quartz, pigments and resins based
- WK Stone and Quantum Quartz: Natural quartz, pigments and resins based
- Dekton: Porcelain, quartz and glass based.
Granite and marble: naturally beautiful stone
Natural stone has existed for thousands of years and is dug up out of the ground; each piece is entirely unique and a thing of great beauty. The colour and type of stone will depend on where it was found.
Nothing beats marble for timeless style – it never goes out of fashion and looks great in a wide range of kitchen styles. Granite has become popular in recent years and is also a beautiful natural option. In both cases, the colour, flecks, ripples and veins in the stone will vary from slab to slab. We encourage you to meet with the wholesaler at their warehouse and choose your unique slabs in person. That way, there’ll be no surprises when it comes to colour or natural pattern once the benchtops are installed.
Advantages of natural stone benchtops
Beautiful and unique. There’s no denying that natural stone has the wow factor.
Care and maintenance of your natural stone benchtop
Natural stone benchtops are porous and require regular re-sealing.
What about cost?
Well, it’s hard to say. The cost of your benchtop – whether it’s natural or engineered stone – will depend on size, shape and function. Your best bet is to have a chat with Grant and Mel at Riviera Kitchens and Joinery: they’ll help you narrow down your choices based on your goals and budget.
Get in touch to make an appointment for a one-one-one consultation in the Riviera showroom, right in the heart of Bowral in the Southern Highlands, NSW.
Your kitchen benchtop: your call
Whatever your taste and budget, Riviera Kitchens and Joinery can advise on the choice of materials that will best suit your needs.
Grant and Mel would love to hear about what you want to achieve in your new kitchen, talk through your ideas, and advise on the materials that will best suit your kitchen project and deliver on your design goals.
