Personalizing the Bedroom

The bedroom is a personal haven and when decorating, take cues from your personality, your preferences and everyday life to make it a space that's entirely your own. Whether it's that teddy bear from your childhood or the bedding set you have got from a flea market in Chinatown, it's all these little things that tell stories about who you are. So use them as decorating accents in your bedroom.

Mixing and Matching Countertops

Why limit your kitchen worktops to just one type of surface when it's visually pleasing to combine different types of materials?

It is highly recommended to have a mixture of the various countertop surfaces instead of just having one type throughout the kitchen. Although installing a single type of surface may be more cost-efficient, the kitchen would be more work-efficient with different types of surfaces for different activity.

However, if you have a limited budget constraints, all is not lost. use the highest quality material for the counter areas that will sustain the greatest amount of use, specifying other materials to less often used areas.Here are some ideas:

• For areas near the cooker range, install Some form of stone material like granite for placement of hot pots and pans.
  
• Plastic laminate and solid surfaces are ideal around the sink and in the remaining areas for easy cleaning and good looks.
  
• To distinguish your island from the rest of the kitchen try combining a rich walnut butcher block and stone surface like granite.
  
• Use a laminate countertop in a stone-like pattern on the perimeter cabinets, but splurge on granite, quartz or solid surface material on the island.
  
• An easier technique is to use the same material throughout the kitchen, but alter the colour or pattern on the island. For example, when using ceramic tiles, go for a darker colour on the perimeter cabinets, then on the island, use a white or cream shade instead.

The 6 Best Kitchen Countertop Surfaces

When it comes to the kitchen worktop, it has to be something that looks good, works hard and last long.

Your kitchen worktop or countertop is one of the elements that will be subjected to consistent wear and tear depending on the type and style of cooking that goes on in your kitchen. It’s therefore a good idea to always select the best worktop surface your budget can afford in order to have a worktop that will last, be hygienic and look good.

1 PLASTIC LAMINATES
The versatile material is probably the most widely used countertop material.

Pros:
Inexpensive
Wide range of colours, patterns and textures
Easy maintenance and resists stains
Choice of round or right-angled edging
Conceal scratches well

Cons
Susceptible to damage from sharp knives and hot pans
Dark lines (the laminate’s under-layer) may show around its edges
Damaged areas are difficult to fix

2 CERAMIC TILE
Ceramic is a pretty good choice, particularly if you are going for the country-style kitchen look. Made from natural clay, these tiles come in an almost endless range of decorative patters and designs.

Pros
Inexpensive
Heat, stain and scratch-proof
Damaged tiles easy and affordable to repair
Available in many colours, patterns, shapes and sizes

Cons
Grout between tiles is difficult to keep clean
Tiles can crack or chip
Can dull knife blades
Abrasion more noticeable on high-gloss finishes

3 GRANITE
A high-end choice for serious cooks, granite gives a stylish finish and is a popular choice in many kitchens

Pros
Scratch-proof
Won’t crack
Resistant to hot pots and pans
Cleans easily with warm water
Elegant and durable
Well-suited to baking centres for rolling out dough
Impervious to stains (when sealed), and knife cuts

Cons
Expensive, heavy and often difficult to cut
Brittle, so thick slabs are often required
Expensive to repair
Demands regular waxing and polishing to maintain sheen

4 SOLID SURFACE
Solid surface materials are typically comprised of acrylic or acrylic blended with other materials.

Pros
Available in a huge variety of colours, patterns and textures including simulated stone
Easy to clean
Non-toxic
Can be formed to have round or right-angled edges
Certain substances will stain it but this can be repaired
Durable and forgiving of scratches and blemishes (which can be sanded out because the colour is solid throughout)
Self-supporting – needs no underlay
Non-porous – resists mildew and stains
Can be ordered custom-formed to hide seams; custom designs possible with contrasting inlays

Cons
No match for sharp knives
Can discolour if hot pots and pans are left in place

5 STAINLESS STEEL
Perfect for a high-tech look, stainless steel tends to be a specialty kitchen worktop surface that works well near ovens and ranges or where a lot of water is used.

Pros
Tough: impervious to stains and high temperatures
Contemporary high-tech appearance

Cons
Shows nicks and scratches easily – avoid scouring powders
Needs a solid firm underlay or will dent

6 BUTCHER BLOCK
Usually made from maple or beech wood, butcher blocks are made of hardwood strips, glued together. If you do plenty of slicing and dicing, it is the ideal kitchen countertop to go for.

Pros
One of the most sanitary surfaces available
Nicks, cuts and scratches give it character instead of wearing it out
Can be sanded down to remove blemishes and bacteria
Relatively simple to install and repair

Cons
Does not take well to prolonged exposure to water
Requires periodic treatment with mineral oil if its unsealed
Demands thorough prompt cleaning after food preparation and exposure to moisture
Humidity sensitive (so place is away from sinks or over the dishwasher)

Torn between two surfaces? Here's how to have both in the kitchen >> MIXING AND MATCHING COUNTERTOPS