Have you had a look at quartz (silestone, compac, cimstone etc)? They offer a lot of white coloured stone and it has the features of granite worktops with the look, feel and touch but they come without the added maintenance of granite worktops. Wood worktops compliment light coloured kitchens but they do come with extra maintenance that if not kept up to scratch will make the wood look nasty after a while. Corian is a solid surface material that comes with various white/grey/light colourways and a key thing that makes it popular is that the joins are invisible, so it looks like one giant piece. Personal preference and a lot of pictures will get you an idea of what it is you want. There are quite a lot of options out there so make sure you take some time to research each worktop material and brand.

Hi Charlotte, I'd echo everyone's thoughts and say go for accessories. It's really easy to mix it up that way, and things like tea and coffee caddies and tea towels are fairly inexpensive to do so. At the window, a made-to-measure blind would really help too. Practical solutions for kitchens include Roller and Vertical blinds, as well as Fauxwood options. Good luck with your new project, Zoe

Hi Rowen, I can't quite identify the knobs/handles in Claire's images (and there are quite a few others in this thread!), but we may be able to help source what you are looking for. We have a variety of hadle suppliers, but one of our favourite for "cup & knob" in a variety of lovely finishes is Crofts & Assinder - crofts.co.uk - a really great, British company with some lovely designs and finishes. Have a browse of the website and see if any are close to what you seek. If you give me an idea of which is the style you particularly like, happy to try and help. Handles are so crucial for the final look of a kitchen - we do tend to get a bit obsessive about them ourselves! John Caldicot Kitchens

Hi Bry R! Choosing a kitchen worktop is a very personal choice where a couple of factors come into play. You will need to consider and prioritise: budget, look/feel, durability, usage/sensitivity. Leaving budget out for a second we reviewed your 3 materials Quartz, laminate and concrete for you: Quartz - Beautiful stone that can be used anywhere, even near the hob and sink. On the durability side, it is a very tough stone ( especially in composite form) that is more durable than many other natural stones. Also potential scratches can be sanded out if needed! Very easy to maintain. Concrete - It looks amazing. But in our opinion, a kitchen is more practical than just an aesthetic feature… but this is very personal! Concrete is more sensitive to staining of food and water. So either you need to use a food-grade sealer, get out the chopping board, or order takeaway! Concrete can also be sensitive to scratching. Last but not least given that it is heavy, you might need to rethink about your cabinetry for reinforcement. Laminate - Very flexible and can be used for all surfaces. Can also mimic any natural materials you like ( even concrete!). It is very sensitive to heat and you cannot test your vegetable cutting on it! But apart from that it is pretty resistant to stains and chemicals. Its cost even allows you to change the look of your kitchen with just changing the worktop in couple of years time, without breaking the bank. If your budget stretches it, we would advise the quartz unless you love the look of concrete and you don’t mind giving a bit more care and love to this stunning beauty in your home! If you want more tips and tricks for Home Improvements, check out our blog blog.opun.co.uk Kind regards, Opun