Surface Standoff: Wood vs. Stone

   

Few elements of your kitchen will have such a large overall effect as the work surface you choose. Many other features in your kitchen will be affected by this key decision. Cabinet style and material, appliance and utility locations, flooring, lighting, furniture and a host of other design elements will all hinge on your choice of worktop surface. Balancing all these elements together will allow you to create a kitchen that is as much a delight to just be in, as it is a delight to use.

The two major contenders for the choice of kitchen worktop are inevitably going to be stone and wood. Here we look at each and consider the factors that you might want to think about as you plan your kitchen.

Cost
All well-planned home improvement projects will have a budget and the kitchen is no exception. In both materials, there are scales of price. It will come as no surprise that more common timbers such as ash or oak are less expensive than more luxurious woods like walnut or mahogany. Likewise, some granites will come with a much higher price tag than others.

In general and for the sake of planning ahead, you can assume that most wooden worktops will come in less expensive than most stone worktops.

Practicality
Your particular situation will define, to a large degree, which of these two surfaces will prove to be the most practical. Both can be designed to nearly any template and shaping requirements you have. There is a growing trend in mixing and matching these two surfaces to get the best of both worlds, with stone around the hob and sink to protect from heat or water damage (something wood is prone to) and wood in the food preparation area to take advantage of the softer nature of a timber worktop.

Longevity and Maintenance
Both will last a lifetime but will need maintenance to stay looking, and performing, at their best.
Expect to be oiling your wooden worktop every day for the first week and then at least once a month after that.  With wood, scratches and dents will often be repairable but you’ll be sanding and oiling the affected area of the worktop again.

A granite worktop will come sealed and you’ll need to seal it again at least once a year. Granite is porous and can be stained or etched by fats or dyes but applying specific chemicals for the stain type can often resolve the issue.

Design Considerations
There are some words you’ll often hear linked with a wooden worktop; “warm”, “classic” and “country”. Likewise with stone be ready for “elegant”, “timeless” and “luxurious”. In truth, much of what a worktop surface brings to your kitchen is in how other elements are combined to form the
finished look and style. A farmhouse style kitchen with a Belfast sink has a wooden worktop as one of its main features. A modern contrasting colour scheme kitchen, with bold cabinet colours, will look great with a neutral colour and a polish finished stone worktop.

And the Winner is…
If you’re looking for a clear winner, we’ll have to disappoint you. These two fantastic surfaces offer up two distinctly differing kitchen experiences. That’s not to say a hybrid of the two cannot work well together as we’ve already mentioned, giving you the best of both worlds.
When planning your kitchen you will need to take the time to evaluate the positives and negatives of each surface to get a kitchen that works for you and your home.

Contact me today for free Home Value Report or with any real estate questions.