At Papilio Bespoke Kitchens, we get asked questions about kitchen worktops all the time. Which is the best material? Which will last the longest? Are natural materials better than artificial ones?
When choosing a kitchen worktop, based on years of experience designing bespoke kitchens, we are convinced that natural countertops often look more attractive than manufactured ones. However, engineered materials are far more durable, less volatile and can also look beautiful. NeoLith and Richlite are fantastic examples of innovative manufacturing created especially for bespoke kitchens. But, of course, we love marble and solid wood too, and on numerous projects, our design team have used a mix of natural and engineered countertops to create our handmade kitchens.
Below are some of our favourite examples of countertop materials that our design team has used over the years. Our advice, as always, is to talk to us! Get in touch here, and we’ll make your dream kitchen come true.
Worktop Material: Richlite
Incredibly, Richlite is made from resin-infused paper. As a result, it is very durable, versatile and is composed of approximately 65% FSC®-certified or recycled paper content and 35% phenolic resin.
Worktop Material: Limestone
Limestone is one of the most beautiful and widely available natural stones. We love its unique character and consider it ideal for a handmade contemporary kitchen.
We used Richlite and limestone for our Richlite Kitchen project, a perfect example of natural and engineered worktops working in unison. The kitchen island’s work surface was made from a single sheet of Richlite. The 3mm profile created a refined detail cut with extreme precision that only a master cabinet maker like ours can achieve.
Our team also produced a pair of bespoke Belgian Blue limestone sinks and sink runs for the Richlite Kitchen project. The black stone features naturally occurring visible fossils that date back millions of years, creating a one-of-a-kind finish.
Worktop Material: Elm
Elm is a beautiful natural timber that is strong and hardwearing, even though it is technically known as a ‘soft hardwood’. It is ideal for worktops, butcher’s blocks and cutting boards and doesn’t tend to split and absorbs any shock superbly.
Our Bruton Kitchen project in Somerset features a beautiful solid elmwood worktop. Our bespoke kitchen design team sourced the ancient elm timber for the countertop, and our talented cabinet makers finished it by hand to accentuate the grain.
Worktop Material: Copper
Copper is a wonderful material that is ideal for prolonged use in the kitchen. It is naturally antimicrobial, easily recyclable, and creates a stunning finish that changes with time.
Worktop Material: NeoLith
NeoLith is another engineered material ideal for countertops in the kitchen. The revolutionary material is manufactured by putting the raw materials found in glass, porcelain, and quartz, under extremely high heat and pressure to create a nearly indestructible material.
We used copper and NeoLith in our Copper Kitchen project, which was exciting because the finish was significant to our client. We selected two contrasting yet highly complementary materials – engineered Neolith and natural copper for the worktops. To speed up the ageing process of the copper, we applied heat, which resulted in an iridescent, almost oily appearance. At the same time, the black NeoLith countertops acted as an accent for the golden hues of the copper.
Worktop Material: Marble
Marble is an iconic natural stone that offers timeless elegance. It always remains below room temperature, which is ideal for baking. In addition, it’s is incredibly durable and heat resistant and creates an on-trend style in the kitchen.
Our Georgian Manor kitchen project features a stunning Calacatta Oro Marble worktop on the sink run. The creamy yet bright marble was sourced directly from Italy and featured subtle grey and gold accents that worked beautifully with the crisp, clean lines of the oak veneers and antiqued brass accessories.
