Another vote for Dekton and Sileston Quartz worktops, use them all the time in our projects as so much more forgiving and low maintenance than granite or marble. Agree that Corian is a good option if you have a large island to prevent visible joins, whilst it has other benefits you do need to be very careful when it comes to heat. Vast range of colours and textures in all types nowadays so the type of material shouldn't limit the effect you want to achieve - be that traditional or contemporary. I am always a big advocate that a worktop is an investment, there is no point spending a large sum on a beautiful quality kitchen and then finishing it off with a worktop that won't stand up to time as well as the rest of the room or cheapen the look - I always recommend to go for the best you can afford.

Hi, your kitchen looks beautiful! came across threads as we too are currently debating diy kitchens cashmere or light grey, we have ordered cashmere and started to have doubts that it would be too dark. Though looking at yours I'm reassured again! I just wondered what wood worktop/and poss stain you have chosen? We looked at a solid wood oak but i thought it looked a bit yellowy. (fab choice on floor too)

That’s a valid concern! It’s definitely a fine line with matte finishes since they can get too shiny if you're not careful. The ultra-fine Scotch-Brite pad is designed to be much gentler than something like a regular scourer, though, so it won’t have that same polishing effect. The key with soapy water is to keep the pressure light and work in small, controlled circle it's like "softening" the pad's effect while making sure it’s not too aggressive on the surface.

https://www.formica.com/en-gb/products/worktops Proper Formica is a brilliant product for stain resistance and durability. I had it in my last studio for seven years and taught art workshops weekly. When we sold it looked new. I also had Birch Ply Formica in my utility which had a nice striped wooden edge, more costly but still less than Quarz. I'm looking to have it againin my utitlity soon so need to download the brochures.