Wednesday 3 June 2009

How To .....CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORKTOP

Yesterday we helped a client choose the right worktop for her stylish new kitchen. It made us realise how daunting such a task can be.

Firstly, the vast array of worktop materials available can be totally overwhelming. Do you select granite, quartz, corian, laminate, wood …the list goes on?

As with any purchase, budget constraints, personal choice and suitability of materials are the main factors that determine the final decision.

Can you afford Granite or is a granite substitute more appropriate for your budget? Would you prefer a traditional wooden worktop or a more contemporary high gloss laminate? These are just some of the questions you could ask yourself to narrow down the selection.

Once you know your budget and preference material(s) then you can start to drill down on the individual selections.

Maybe you prefer a particular colour (grey, black, white, green, blue…) or finish (matt, gloss or sparkly). Discard anything outside the boundaries of your preferences.

All the time you’re going through a process of elimination until you’re left with three or four options.

Take samples of the worktops to your property and review each option in situe. Please note that the lighting in your property is generally different to the lighting in shops so your selections could look totally different in situe.

By this stage you should have a much better idea of which selections are more suitable to your needs and which are now being ruled out.

If you‘re still a little confused or uncertain then you need to go back to your basic dream or concept for the kitchen. Gather your thoughts on how you want it to look and feel ultimately. Maybe you put together a mood board that can give you inspiration.

For example: our client’s kitchen is Scandinavian chic – beautifully simple lines and quality materials. One of our selections yesterday was a black, granite, sparkly worktop that looked fabulous in the shop, but when we took it back to her home it was far too tacky for the ultimate design we were trying to achieve.

Of course, if you still can’t make up your mind then just call us and we’ll pop over to give you the best of our help and advice. We can even create that mood board for you:

GWENDOLINE ALDERTON
CREATIVE INTERIOR DESIGNER (RESIDENTIAL)
Tel: 07841 519802
gwendoline@ga-interiors.co.uk

CHRISTINA GEORGALLA
CREATIVE INTERIOR DESIGNER (COMMERCIAL)
Tel: 07950 401722
christina@ga-interiors.co.uk

Web Links:
www.ga-interiors.co.uk