When it comes to stone benchtops, the colourways can seem endless, but there are some ways you can narrow down your search when it comes to budget, design, and investment value.

What Are The Best Stone Benchtop Colours? [And How To Choose One For Your Home]

You may hear the same few types of stone mentioned when it comes to benchtops: granite, marble, quartz (to name a few). But that doesn’t mean that your options are limited to a handful of stone types. Each comes in a variety of patterns and colours that are enough to make any homeowner tackling a design project start to see (literal) spots.

In fact, at Granite Warehouse, we have over 200 types. Yes. TWO HUNDRED.

So if you are just getting started, it can help to know what the best stone benchtop colours to choose from. A lot can go into deciding this, and it is largely an individual choice which of the colourways or materials you choose from. But what we can do is provide insight into all of the different factors that affect the selection process to help guide you.

Stone benchtop colour categories

With so many colours, patterns, and shades to choose from, it can help to start your search by narrowing it down to a colour category. Do you like light or dark? Whirls or speckles? Are you matching existing décor or starting from a fresh colour palette? Keeping these in mind, here are some of the broader categories you can choose from to move forward.

Tone

This is the main way that benchtop stones are categorized. Rather than honing in on a specific colour, you will hear providers talk about dark, medium, and light tones. This makes it easier to group the slabs in a warehouse or direct customers to options that match their overall aesthetic. For example, someone just starting out with light cabinetry may want to explore options for dark stone without knowing if they prefer a black, brown, or something with a bit of both.

Colour

Tiling is one trade where experience absolutely matters. The right materials need to be handled the right way for an even and uniform looking final product. Experienced installers will be able to ensure even spacing, level application, seamless installation, and follow the grain or patterning to give you a designer look. What you absolutely DON’T want is an uneven floor, mismatched backsplash, or marbled grain going in different directions in your shower surround. Not only will they look subpar, but they’re nearly impossible to fix.

Material

The material you choose may start to dictate the colours you have to select from. For example, Stellastone is manufactured from natural quartz combined with sand and other resins, which expands the patterns and colours it can mimic including marble and granite look. Natural marble, on the other hand, may have more variegated patterning in it, making each slab truly one of a kind.

Budgeting for your new stone benchtop

Cash might be king when it comes to your kitchen, bathroom, or outdoor renovation. And when choosing the best stone benchtop colours, price is also a key factor in the decision-making process.

On the whole, different tones will cost different amounts, mainly based on their popularity, demand, and availability. For example, when it comes to granite, you can expect to pay between $400-550 for a dark colour compared to $650-800 for a light colour. And that’s for the same size slab measured in square metres. The only difference is that the lighter stones are in more demand and/or more difficult to source to meet that demand.

Curious about granite? Read our article: How Much Do Granite Benchtops Cost?

It also follows that rarer colours, such as those with blues or reds, are much more costly than more common colours like browns, blacks, or whites. Taking colour a step further, the amount of texture, pattern, or colour variation in a particular slab can drive up the cost of a benchtop, too. Generally speaking, the more unique the piece of stone is, the more you will pay. And this could factor in largely to your decision.

More tips for choosing the right colour benchtop for your space

Whether or not budget is the prevailing factor, you’ll want to make sure to consider these other details when deciding on a colour for your new stone benchtop.

Style: Which colours or patterns match your aesthetic? Does one feel more modern or traditional to you and your space?
Usage: Do you want something that can hide a mess or one that’s easy to spot spills and wipe clean?
Match: Is the benchtop the focal point of the space, or should you be matching it against existing or planned cabinetry and flooring?
Contrast: No one said your island has to match you back countertop, or vice versa. How would combining colours work in your space?
Resale: Neutral colours and patterns tend to be more attractive to homebuyers and help boost resale value in the future.

Explore Perth’s largest selection with Granite Warehouse

One essential thing to keep in mind is that no two stones are exactly the same. Even when you narrow down that you want a textured dark black with white specks, each slab will have a slightly different way of presenting these. That’s why retailers will talk about things in categories but recommend you ALWAYS see the slab in person before you make a purchase. Basing a colour selection off of an online swatch or single photo will give you a rough idea but not an exact picture of what you will ultimately have in your home.

For the best stone benchtop colour selection in Perth, turn to Granite Warehouse. With 200+ stones to choose from, you’ll be sure to find one that fits your design needs and your budget. We pride ourselves on helping our customers choose the best type of stone for their projects, no matter how big or how small your benchtop may be.

With over 40 years of experience, you’ll be in great hands here at Granite Warehouse. We also work our hardest to provide competitive rates and timely delivery for every project. To learn more or explore your own options, call us on 08 9209 2620 today!