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.
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. Plus then with the natural stones you have different finishes to choose from whether its polished, honed or brushed. 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 are. A lot can go into deciding this, and it is largely an individual choice which of the colours 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. 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
Another way that you can choose a slab is to concentrate on colour palette. For instance you may wish to view all slabs with golden or grey palettes. if this will completement the aesthetics of your house. The sales people at Granite Warehouse can assist you with this.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. This is why we label all of our slabs as low, mid, high and exotic price range. That way, if price is your most important factor you can concentrate on only the cheapest options. Low range shows the bottom dozen colours. From low to high range you could add an extra $2000-$3000 on the overall kitchen price depending on how many slabs you need. The easiest way to determine the difference is to pick your favourite colours and get them costed by your stone mason. It doesn’t cost to get a quote. Curious about granite? Read our article: How Much Do Granite Benchtops Cost? Pricing of marble and granite are not determined by colour or shade but with rarity of the material, how many quarries in the world have that specific material and how many owners are within one quarry. If there is more than one company selling the blocks then competition takes over. There is also a variation of cost of exporting those blocks depending on how close the quarries are from the ports.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.