Our kitchens should be a thing of beauty, but they must also meet their practical requirements for the home. You’ll want a design that can survive any challenges and still be at the top of its style game.

Chopping, cleaning, holding pans fresh off the hob… these are the things a worktop should facilitate. As it turns out, natural stone is one of the best materials for doing so. It has a look to kill for, an easy-clean routine, and unmatched durability.

Like any other statement, thought, there’s much to think about when fitting a natural stone worktop.

Where can it slot into the design?

A good stonemason won’t take lax measurements for an answer. No: it’s far too important that every inch is carved with purpose, and a respect for what the environment around it needs. Assess the ideal height, width and curvature of the worktop before it’s commissioned.

This is important too for a major distinction – is it going to be an island unit, or running along one side/corner of the kitchen? Will cut-outs need to be included for sinks, plugs or other fixtures? Think carefully about measurements before you go ahead.

What visuals do you want?

Natural stone is so valued, in part, because it is impeccably unique. Every cut has its own veining, blemishes and colour gradations. But there are some firm, material categories that will decide how your stone worktop might look in its final role.

Cambria quartz, for instance, can add a seafoam aesthetic, in stark contrast to the ‘inner-rings-of-a-tree-trunk’ visuals from Roman Classic travertine. For a mottled effect, go for granite in shades of white or volcanic red. A stonemason can help you decide what’s going to ignite that style template for many years ahead.

How does it match the rest of your kitchen?

Following on from our last point, make an early decision on how the colour, finish and material qualities are going to be accentuated elsewhere. The snowy visuals of a Bianco Crystal granite worktop, for example, might suit a light grey floor, white cabinets and a black lighting fixture overhead.

There’s a lot to factor into this – consult your project team to get a sense of where visual elements can cohere or offset one another. However, remember too that a worktop has to bear stains, liquids and pernicious food waste. Sensa treatment may be useful for stones that don’t have natural anti-absorption qualities.

What’s your budget?

Finally, have an idea in mind of your budget for the project as a whole, and how much you’re willing to spend on the worktops. As a basic rule, leave 10% of your initial budget in reserve. That means you can implement more if it’s required, without digging too deeply into your bank account.

Kitchen worktops are one of our favourite pieces to design, cut and install. RC Coppin have generations’ worth of experience in the stonemason trade. Contact us to discuss your next worktop idea, and we’ll be more than happy to lend our hands to the beautiful DNA of your space…