While earthy tones and wooden shelves have been making a comeback lately, we think it is time to take it up a notch and allow more earthy brown tones and wooden touches to the typically sleek modern kitchen. Open shelving still has a lot of unexplored potential as more homeowners look to build unconventional kitchens where the utilisation of space is being reimagined.

The benchtop is an essential component of the kitchen, but it is often designed with a view towards functionality rather than aesthetics and interesting materials. In reality, this is where all the prep and cooking action will take place, but it is also the foundation on which the decor of the rest of the kitchen relies. When one surface has the power to set the tone of an entire room, take your time and consider some new ideas for benchtop colours and materials.

HONED AND LEATHERED STONE SURFACES:

Quartz is still the most popular kitchen benchtop material, but as different finishes have become more popular in home design, it’s time for the kitchen to benefit from this new design language.

Since we have been experiencing a design movement using more textured and tactile surfaces, why not consider it for benchtops too. A Honed surface has a matte finish look to it with little or no gloss, giving the kitchen a muted, understated and solid feel when combined with dark colours.

A style which is becoming increasingly popular in newer homes is a leathered finish which has a softer sheen with a less glossy look than a polished slab. This treatment also has the added advantage of a textured feel which really gives it something special in the kitchen. Leathered finishes are popular for their sophisticated look and are forgiving when it comes to fingerprints and water spots, making them perfect for homes with young children (or accident-prone adults!).