The best alternatives to a marble worktop
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My dream kitchen would be fitted with dark grey units and feature a Carrara marble worktop, which would be really sophisticated looking. My issue is that we love to cook in our house and my husband particularly loves cooking Indian food. If you have ever looked into getting a marble worktop, you would have found that it stains so easily and you need to be completely on top of wiping away stains as soon as they appear. So the turmeric would leave ugly orange marks, as would the rim of the red wine bottle. We even ordered a sample and tested the turmeric and red wine….sadly it stained and would only get worse over time.
I do still dream of this kitchen in the future, but for now here are my top picks to create a similar look.
Granite
Granite is the obvious alternative to marble, in terms of being a 100% natural material. It is heat-resistant therefore you can leave hot pans on the surface without any damage. It is extremely hard-wearing, although you should make sure it is sealed before you use it as it is porous. The other plus with granite is as it is completely natural, your slab will be unique and have some lovely veins running through it. The only drawback I found when trying to achieve the look of marble is that it does tend to come in darker shades. However there are some colours which give a really light look, just not mimic marble. The Marble and Granite Centre have a good range of light granite and I particularly like River White, however be sure to ask for a picture of your actual slab as the colour can vary quite a bit.
River white granite from the Marble and Granite Centre Ltd
Corian
Corian is a blend of acrylic and natural minerals and can be moulded for a smooth and seamless finish. I have seen some gorgeous sinks made out of Corian and think this surface looks particularly good in a modern kitchen. It is heat-resistant and any scratches can be removed by a light abrasion, so really hard-wearing in a busy kitchen. A great option to give the marble look is Corian Rain Cloud.
Corian Rain Cloud
Engineered Quartz
Engineered quartz is a non-porous surface made mostly of quartz, making it highly stain resistant. The best thing about engineered quartz is that there is a huge range of colours and finishes to choose from whilst looking as strong and durable as marble or granite. The only thing I did find in my search is that although it is heat-resistant, it can be sensitive to extreme changes in temperature, therefore you would be best not to sit hot pans directly on the surface. To achieve the look of Carrara marble, Silestone in Lyra is a really good option which has a white base and a grey vein running through.
Silestone surface in Lyra
Laminate
Far cheaper in price, laminate is a great option for a lower budget. I am a firm believer that if you choose the right look and get a great installer, a kitchen can look more premium than it actually is. Laminate is heat-resistant and also does not scratch easily, so a good hard-wearing option. B&Q do a copy of marble called Marble Veneto which will give the look.
Veneto Laminate Surface from B&Q
In the end we opted for Granite and really pleased with our choice. We love it as it is completely natural and is hard-wearing - two years on it still is as good as new.
Which worktop would be your dream surface? We would love to hear from you!
Published: April 5, 2018
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