For many families, the kitchen is the heart of the home, as it is quite literally where you break bread, share stories, and nourish yourself and your loved ones. Making that space work well, then, can be extremely important (not to mention hard to get right). As a space that occupies plenty of time and energy, the wrong choice can leave you cringing every time you prepare food or check what’s in the fridge. One of the biggest elements that can change your space and set the tone? The kitchen benchtop. Here’s how to pick the right kitchen benchtop colour for your family and your home.

What to consider when selecting a kitchen benchtop

You want your kitchen benchtop to be beautiful, practical, and perfectly in sync with the rest of your kitchen space. To get this right, there are various factors to consider. Specifically, these include:

The desired look (and feel) of your kitchen
Your desired style
Your kitchen finishes
Your budget

Let’s unpack of each of these variables now.

Look and feel

Do you want the space to feel bright and airy? Cozy and comfortable? Dramatic and bold? Determine the overall feel you want to create will help you instantly narrow down your colour palette. If you want to brighten things up, for example, you should stick to a white or cream benchtop. Want a more dramatic or Victorian feel? A black or brown might be more appealing. Learn more about our benchtop options:

Style

Next, it’s important to consider both the style of your kitchen and the style of your home. Is it old-school and classic? Modern and sleek? Fashionable and interesting? The overall “feel” that you’re going for will help you narrow down both the stone type and the colour scheme you choose. Need a little design inspo? Check out the top kitchen benchtop ideas here

Kitchen finishes

Third, it’s important to take into consideration the other visual elements of your kitchen, including:

The splashback: This is often the focal point of a kitchen, and important to consider when choosing your benchtop colours.
Hardware and fittings: Is your hardware matte, polished, stainless steel, nickel, brass, bronze, gold, copper, white, or champagne? It will be important that your benchtops and your hardware go well together. For example, if you have gold or black hardware, a white countertop could present a wonderful contrast. If your hardware is bronze, maybe a cream stone would provide a better look and feel.
Floor coverings: Finally, it’s important to take into consideration the color and material of your flooring.

Budget

Finally, it’s important to establish a clear budget before you set your sights on a particular colour or type of stone. The overall price of your benchtop installation will vary based on many factors, including:

The difficulty of the job: Kitchen benchtops come in many shapes, but the most common is rectangular. If you are working on a different shape, like a circular or square countertop, this can factor into the overall costs of the benchtop. In the same vein, a difficult-to-access space can be a little more costly than a straightforward job.
Materials: Different benchtop materials generally fall into different price ranges. However they all have their own price brackets from low to high. Among the various types of stones, Stellastone low price range colours are generally less expensive than granite and marble. However once a client chooses from the medium price range of engineered stone, then there are some low price range granites which are cheaper per square meter. Sometimes the size of the larger slabs of granite can also work out cheaper due to being able to get the benchtops out of one large slabs rather than needing two slabs of Stellastone.
Your existing benchtop: If the team will have to replace an existing benchtop, it’s important to also consider the removal costs. This may include having to remove splashbacks in order to get the old benchtop out. Remember the splashback is sitting on top of the benchtop.
Custom work: Finally, if you have any custom cutouts or personalised features, that will incur additional material and labour costs. For example, even though you are not adding square meterage to your kitchen plan, adding waterfall ends will incur substantial cost increases. One because of the added material but also because mitred ends must be carried out on site once the top is in place, not in the warehouse.

In love with the idea of granite but worried about the price? Get our ‘Granite Benchtop Price Guide’ here

Best kitchen benchtop colour palettes

With all of these factors in mind, here are the top kitchen benchtop colours to choose from. #1 – Matching colour benchtops If you want your kitchen to have a more seamless and modern feel, you can have your benchtops match your cabinetry. For example, if you have white cabinets, you can match them to a wonderful white an d grey marble or a white StellaStone. This will not only give your kitchen a clean feel, but also open up your space and get rid of any sense of crowding or darkness. #2 – Neutral colour benchtops In the same vein, you can’t go wrong with a neutral coloured benchtop. Neutrals go well with everything, and you can offset the counters with a bold piece of furniture or a vibrant piece of art. #3 – Bold, dramatic colour benchtops Conversely, you can make a statement with a bold, vibrant, or dramatic granite or stone benchtop. A dark tone granite, for example, can provide bold contrast to the rest of your kitchen while offering the perfect material for heavy kitchen use. Similarly, a red marble can add an unexpected, luxurious pop of color to the space. #4 – Contrasting colour benchtops Finally, you can choose to have your countertops contrast directly with the cabinets, flooring, or paint colors. This can immediately draw the eye to the kitchen and break up the space in a visually stunning way.

How to find a reliable kitchen benchtop installer

Once you find the benchtop colour that’s perfect for your kitchen, the next step is to find the right team to install it. Be sure to ask any potential contractors:

How long they have been in business
How long they have been installing benchtops
If they have experience on projects like yours
If they have any current projects that you could take a look at
If they can provide a written estimate
If they can provide and references and examples of their work
If they are properly licensed and insured
How long they expect the project to take
What steps they will take to ensure there is no damage to the rest of the home

If the person that you’re speaking to cannot suitably answer some or all of these questions, then they may not be the right professional for you.

Final thoughts and what to do next…

When choosing a kitchen benchtop colour, it’s important to keep in mind various factors, including the overall look and feel you’re going for, your budget, and the vision you have for your kitchen and your home. If you have any questions about colour options or the installation process (or you’d simply like to get started) you can call us directly on 08 9209 2620. You can also fill out the form here and we’ll be happy to get back to you.

Tips to Select the Best Kitchen Benchtop Colours [Consumer Guide]