Quartz Countertops
The best design for your kitchen worktops.
Today, interior design has gained in importance. Following trends, and matching trending styles in your home has taken off. Likewise, the options that home decorators are presented with are much more diverse.
Special attention is paid to kitchen design in order to really achieve that stunning look which is often completed by the style of kitchen worktops you choose.Â
This piece of furniture has become more than just a a traditional surface for meal-preps. Choosing the perfect material for your kitchen worktops involves prioritising maintenance over style, and vice versa.
Quartz countertops have witnessed an increased demand by homeowners, mainly because of its strength and wide selection of designs.Â
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Quartz Kitchen Countertops
Quartz countertops, you hear about them all the time, and you see them everywhere; in your Pinterest feed, mood boards, design magazines, and so forth.
A common misconception that arises from considering this material is that quartz kitchen tops are solely meant for high-end homes. To the contrary, quartz countertops have become more common and a budget-friendly option, while appearing luxurious at the same time – which is just a plus.
What kind of material is quartz?
When we say quartz, we are referring to a type of engineered stone; engineered quartz. This one of the strongest countertop materials on the market.Â
With proper maintenance, it can last for decades and still appear brand new. These engineered stone kitchen countertops are made from 93% quartz and 7% binder combined with colour. The result is a strong and durable stone countertop surface.
Since this stone countertops material is man-made, it gives the buyer the opportunity to choose from a variety of different colours and patterns that fit into your kitchen design.Â
Quartz countertops differ from marble and granite countertops. The latter two are natural stones, while quartz is engineered.
Quartz vs. quartzite. What's the difference?
Primarily, quartz countertops offer more room for creativity than quartzite. This material is made from natural stone, i.e. a abundant metamorphic rock. Appearance-wise, it has a more glassy look, so it resembles marble in some cases.
Although they’re both praised as being durable in the kitchen, quartz countertops enhances the whole cooking experience.
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Pattern Consistency
The variety of patterns on quartz worktops are made in a factory, of course. The slabs that quartz worktops offer are truly unique.Â
Quartz countertop manufacturers have the ability to make thousands of different slabs that appeal to different tastes.
Manufacturers are producing stone countertops colours that resemble natural stone countertops, marble paper, and terrazzo.Â
So, it’s not necessary for the buyer to go and hand-pick the colour, like it is done with granite materials.
Quartz Countertops Price UK
Of course, you’re interested in finding out the price of quartz countertops.
Unlike other materials, quartz isn’t as expensive as one might imagine; depending on how much your budget allows you to spend on this type of material.
By and large, quartz kitchen tops prices range from £280 and £450/m2. The price range is a bit narrow compared to granite worktops, and the final price depends on the brand you’re going with.Â
Naturally, we would advise to spend more for quality – it’s a worthwhile investment.
Heat Resistance
Can you put your hot pan on quartz stone countertops and leave them to cool down?
The short answer is NO, but let’s elaborate on that.
Quartz worktops are man-made and they’re produced in factories where the resins used to hold the surfaces together are higher than 200 degrees, that doesn’t mean that you should leave your freshly-cooked pots and pans on the surface.Â
This will cause your quartz to crack, leaving you with scorch marks, and disappointed.
With that in mind, while a coffee pot might not cause you too much trouble, refrain from leaving waffle irons and crock pots on quartz and preventing heat damage.
Cleaning
In order to maintain quality of your new kitchen quartz countertops, a cloth with no bleach on it soaked in warm water will do the trick. This is all the cleaning supplies you need for everyday maintenance. You can also read our full cleaning guide to find out more.Â
In the long-run, it’s recommended that you use a stone cleaner, because you’re dealing with a stone surface.Â
Cleaning services also allow using disinfecting wipes that you surely have in your home, as well as multi-surface cleaners.
One thing you should remember, is that you should NEVER use solely bleach to wipe your counter. It’s to strong a substance, and it can seriously damage the resin.
All in all, quartz is low maintenance and that’s one of its key benefits, so there’s no fuss – you just have to be responsible.
Stain Resistance
So far, we can say that we’re feeling confident about quartz worktops. Still, there’s no point in beating around the bush and avoiding the ultimate question.
Is my quartz countertop stain resistant?
The idea here is to be aware of all the characteristics of your quartz countertop, and that means talking about the less-pretty occurrences as well.Â
One of them happens to be related to coming across stains on your countertop. Bear in mind that most quartz counter top owners won’t be bothered by this “issue”, but we’re here to mention it for your good!
The solid surfaces of your quartz countertops are indeed non porous, and stain resistant, but they are not 100% stain-proof.Â
Everyday use includes wiping your countertops, and cleaning up spills and food that ended up there.
Coffee spills, ketchup, red wine and other ingredients that have been left uncleaned for hours can leave an unfavourable stain on your perfectly white quartz countertops, and that’s not something you’d want to look at ever time you cook something.Â
Direct sunlight can make them even more obvious.
Most Popular Colours for Your Quartz Kitchen Countertop
The list below features some of the most popular quartz countertops for your home.
Blue Quartz Countertops
Blue quartz stone counters are a bold choice.Â
Fitting this worktop colour into your interior means taking into account other factors, mainly color-coding. The richness of this bright colour will definitely bring out the “wow” effect in your cooking area.
You’re entitled to a few choices here, in terms of shade. You can either go with a slightly light tone and choose greyish/blue, sparkling blue, or light ocean blue.
Most quartz countertops of this colour go best with a pure white kitchen cabinet. However, overwhelming the entirety of your kitchen with white accents would be too much, and so the blue quartz worktop wouldn’t make the “splash” that it’s supposed to.
Another helpful tip for modern homes looking to incorporate blue work surfaces into their kitchen suggests back splashing it with light blue, white or even yellow tiles.Â
All together, it enforces a breath of fresh style air and brings different designs together. If you’re looking to make a statement and bring your kitchen back to life, this is your sign.
Brown Quartz Countertops
If you want to stay on the safe side of choosing the right material for your kitchen worktop, you should go with the classic brown quartz worktop.
These worktops are a never-passing classic, they’re very eye-pleasing, and they create a sense of cleanness and tidiness to the room.
Their simplicity is what makes them so popular.Â
Brown quartz countertops come in all shades of brown. You can choose a milky light brown if you want your worktop to blend in with the rest of the design, or you can choose a strong cappuccino brown that will make your kitchen pop.
A lot of contemporary designs are making praising a darker brown shade to make a statement.Â
Cream Quartz Countertops
Cream quartz engineered stone countertops are a close-second to brown.
If the accent in your home is on classic, neutral, and elegant, than opting for stylish cream quartz countertops should be on your to-do list.Â
Bear in mind, that you’re not limited to only one shade of cream.Â
You can opt for a pleasing combination of grey, white and beige. These worktops are perfect for farmhouses, and they go well with a white splashback.
Although initially tied to a traditional design, you can incorporate this soothing shade into your modern kitchen and make it look lovely and attractive for guests who step into your home.
Sparkle Quartz Countertops
Next on the list for design options, we have sparkle quartz countertops.
With these countertops, thee emphasis is on the icy speckles and the white reflection that brings a creates a soothing look.
Sparkle quartz kitchen worktops are considered premium, and they’re not solely meant for your kitchen design.
This style of quartz also works well as bathroom or toilet flooring or accent walls that can be found in many commercial properties.
White Quartz Countertops
Next, we have the classic white storm quartz kitchen worktops. The name comes from the ivory white look that brings out the so-called snowstorm look.
White quartz kitchen countertops have become “a must” in modern homes.Â
Once you go into more detail and start researching the maintenance process of this quartz, you might come across information stating that this is a lot of work for nothing.
On the contrary, there’s a certain dose of exaggeration to this quartz, primarily because of its colour, but we can tell you one thing – it’s low maintenance, and you don’t have to seal it, ever.
And just like other natural stone, quartz is non porous. White quartz kitchen worktops will survive lemon juice, coffee spills and even syrup – nothing a cleaning supply can’t take care of.
Black Quartz Countertops
Lastly, we’re down to black quartz countertops.
Choosing black for your kitchen design means choosing “style.” Although people might think that black quartz doesn’t leave much space for creativity, that’s far from the truth.Â
Black quartz kitchen countertops offer the original owner a wide range of possibilities, designs and patterns.
But most importantly, these worktops provide a pleasant work environment and no worries when it comes to stains.
However, black quartz will probably cost you a bit more, but for a good reason.Â
Silestone Negro Tebas, high-quality black quartz with fine grains is currently trending.
Pros & Cons of Quartz Countertops UK
Pros
Durable
A wide variety of options and patterns to choose from
Non porous (stain resistant)
Not affected by bacteria
Cons
Top brands might be pricey
Not 100% heat resistant
Not meant for outdoor use
Things You Didn't Know
About Quartz Countertops
While we’re on the topic of quartz countertops, here are a couple of note-worthy facts you might have missed.
End of competition with Granite
Quartz and granite have often been compared in terms of efficiency and maintenance. However, the “feud” between these two popular kitchen worktops has reached the end.
For decades now, quartz has tried to maintain a “natural stone look”. It’s definitely taken the spotlight in the design world.Â
And although the granite-quartz countertops still exist in the market, and are sold in big numbers, quartz alone takes the win.
Is quartz a natural stone?
Quartz, as a raw material alone is a natural stone, and it’s present in natural. Quartz countertops, on the other hand, are a modern man-made artificial surface.
We walk on Quartz
Besides the already-mentioned misconception regarding the connection to luxury, there’s another one that related to the presence of quartz in your home.
Although the most popular spot for this material is the kitchen, people seem to be forgetting the fact that we also walk on quartz.
Yes – quartz is can be placed in your bathroom as well. It’s actually a newly-accepted design tip that is prevailing more and more in modern home designs. Another quartz application is present in large shopping centres and airports as floor material.
There’s no doubt that you’ve walked and quartz, but didn’t acknowledge it until now.
More Quartz means less Granite
Quartz is solely taking granite out of the game. As the versatility and new patterns of quartz start appearing on the market, granite is starting to get overshadowed.
This leads to a direct connection with prices and demand. As quartz takes over, prices for installing granite countertops and purchasing the material is a lot cheaper than before.Â
This goes out to anyone looking for durable and low-budget kitchen worktops.
All Quartz Countertops Have The Same Source
For more than 50 years now, all quartz countertops can be traced back to one source – the Breton company in northeast Italy.
This Italian company has sustained in the manufacturing process of this countertop material since 1963.Â
This stone-making company is licensed to more than 50 companies worldwide, so you can imagine the span of their coordination.
If you’ve purchased your quartz countertops from Silestone, Cambria or Ceasarstone, you can probably connect it to the renowned Italian company.
Currently, the production process is experimenting with new designs that include glass and brass metal fillings, so all who are interested in this choice will have even more freedom of choice.
Further Considerations
Before considering of installing this material in your home, you should be familiar with its origin and characteristics. Quartz, as an isolated material, is a natural stone. Quartz countertops, on the other hand are a man-made surface, that is, engineered stone.
Nowadays, the most popular colours for quartz kitchen countertops are blue, brown, cream, sparkle, white and black.
Each one carries unique beauty and appeal to your specific wishes.
Quartz is extremely durable, owners are provided with a wide variety of options and patterns to choose from, and most importantly, you don’t have to seal it. On the other hand, you ought to be careful with leaving hot pans on your countertop.
These countertops are slowly, but surely taking over other materials, and moving their way up the list for the most popular and efficient kitchen countertop idea.
Quartz Countertop Price Calculator
It’s important to highlight that this is only an approximate price of these countertop materials. The average cost for these countertops is £225 to £900+ per square metre. The price is generally calculated based on the size of your kitchen worktop area.
Small Kitchens
3m² of worktops
For small kitchen countertops up to 3m, the price varies from £675 to £2,700.
Medium Kitchens
6m² of worktops
For medium kitchen countertops up to 6m, the price varies from £1,350 to £5,400.
Large Kitchens
9m² of worktops
For large kitchen countertops for +9m, the price varies from £2,025 to £8,100.
We advise you measure the dimensions of your required countertops in detail before buying and then calculate the average price using the price calculations above to get a rough idea of expected costs and prices.Â
It’s worth noting that for any project a minimum of one countertop slab will be require which are typically 6m²
How much are Quartz Countertops?
The price depends on several factors, but the approximate price of a kitchen quartz countertop for a small to medium sized kitchen ranges between £1,350 and £5,400 depending on several factors such as kitchen size, countertop thickness and brand / style of countertop material. These indicative costs typically include material, templating, fabrication, cut outs and installationÂ
Based on the above factors, the total cost for quartz countertops can be anywhere from £1,350 to £5,400+.
Our Process
Quote
We offer a broad range of high-quality worktops at affordable prices. Simply choose your material and style and get in touch for a tailored quote.Â
Survey
For the best results, a member of our team will carry out an on-site survey to template your chosen worktop before the fabrication process begins.
Manufacture
We’ll then manufacture your bespoke worktop, made from the highest quality materials, for a professional and long-lasting result to enhance your home.Â
Install
Our highly skilled installers will fit your custom-made granite, marble or quartz worktop, ensuring a fantastic finish you can be proud of.
