Upgrading our curtains

Two Factors to Consider When Deciding What Colour Your Kitchen Benchtops Should Be

3 September 2021 by Felecia Banks

Here are some factors to take into consideration when deciding what colour your kitchen benchtops should be.

What effect you'd like the benchtops to have on the perceived size of the kitchen

The colour of your new benchtops will have an effect on how large or small the kitchen appears to be, and so you'll need to consider whether you want them to make the kitchen appear more spacious or more compact.

For example, if you have white kitchen cabinets and you choose a white benchtop that matches them, this will make the kitchen look larger and airier. You might like this if it's a modest size and usually looks cramped; however, if the kitchen is already very large and seems empty and excessively big, then this might not be the right benchtop colour. Instead, you might want to add, for example, a black or dark brown benchtop to your white cabinets, as the contrast between the two and the dark hue will help to make the kitchen seem a bit smaller and cosier.

If you want to create the illusion of a roomy kitchen but are concerned that white benchtops with white cabinets might give this part of your home a sterile appearance, you could opt for a pale ash or oak benchtop, either of which will be almost as effective as a white benchtop at giving your kitchen an airy feel but will add a bit more warmth to the space.

What approach you prefer to take to food prep and cooking

When choosing the benchtops' colour, you'll also have to think about what approach you (and anyone else who lives in your home) takes to food prep and cooking. If you're enthusiastic but messy when preparing meals and tend to splatter, spill and drop food items whilst you're cooking, and if it takes you a while to get around to cleaning up after you've eaten (meaning that the stains caused by spillages have lots of time to set and become permanent) then a dark-coloured benchtop would be best. The reason for this is that whilst many benchtops are stain-resistant, most are not stain-proof, and if you're spilling things on the benchtop virtually every day, it's bound to develop a few irremovable stains over time. If you have a black, brown or dark grey benchtop, these stains won't be easy to see.

You should opt for a white or pale-coloured benchtop if you usually clean as you go, don't spill foods too often and are quick to mop up any foods or liquids that land on your benchtops when you're preparing meals.

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