A benchtop is the hardest-working surface in your home. At Select Kitchens, we help you choose, template, fabricate and install the right benchtop for your custom kitchen, in stone, engineered stone, timber or laminate. Here’s what to know before you choose.
The benchtop sets the look of the kitchen and takes the hardest wear of any surface in it. Here’s why the choice is worth getting right.
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The benchtop is the single biggest horizontal surface in the kitchen. It sets the tone.
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Chopping, hot pans, spills, standing water. The benchtop takes it all.
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Quality benchtops lift a kitchen and lift the home.
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Some benchtops need sealing or resealing. Others are set-and-forget.
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Sink type, cooktop cut-outs and splashback junctions all depend on the benchtop choice.
A benchtop isn’t a last-minute decision. These are the things to weigh up early.
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Engineered stone, natural stone, porcelain, timber and laminate each behave differently.
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20mm, 40mm or chunky waterfall edges all change the look.
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Square, bullnose, mitred waterfall. The edge changes the feel of the room.
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Some materials handle hot pans, others don’t. Plan the cooktop accordingly.
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Big slabs minimise visible joins. Smaller slabs cost less but show more seams.
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Lighter benchtops open the room. Darker tones ground it. Veined stone draws the eye.
What Melbourne homeowners are choosing right now.
Dekton, Neolith and similar for heat-resistant, UV-stable surfaces.
Mitred edges that let the benchtop fall to the floor as one continuous surface.
Matte over polished, especially on stone with strong veining.
A section of timber on the island for warmth, against a stone main run.
Grooves cut into the stone next to the sink for dish drying.
The main benchtop options for Melbourne homes.
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Consistent colour, hard-wearing, low maintenance. The default for most Melbourne kitchens.
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Marble, granite, quartzite. Unique veining, a premium feel, needs sealing.
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Heat-resistant, scratch-resistant, UV-stable. Works indoors and out.
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Butcher block or solid timber slabs. Warm, honest, needs oiling.
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Budget-friendly, huge range of finishes, strong on cost-conscious kitchens.
Our team will help you choose the benchtop that suits your kitchen, your cooking and your budget.
From choice through to install, in-house.
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We visit your home, measure up and talk through how you cook.
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A full range of engineered stone, natural stone, porcelain, timber and laminate.
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We template on-site once the cabinetry is in, so the fit is exact.
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Cut and finished by our fabrication partners, to our specifications.
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Fitted by our team as part of the kitchen build, with seams and edges finished properly.
If the layout still works and the bones are good, a renovation is the fastest way to lift the whole room. We replace the cabinetry, benchtops, splashback and hardware in the existing footprint. Same plan, far better kitchen.
When the room no longer works, or you want to move the sink, add an island, or reconfigure the space, we design it from scratch. A bigger project, but the right call when the current layout is holding the house back.
Subtle refresh or full redesign, we guide you from the first visit to the final clean.
Good cabinetry is what makes a kitchen feel solid. With 40 years of experience, our team designs and builds custom kitchen cabinetry for Melbourne homes. Book a free in-home consultation to get started.
Rated 4.9 on Google, with most of our work coming from referrals and repeat clients.
Talk to a Select Kitchens designer in your own home. Share your vision and hear ideas from an experienced kitchen designer.
