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.

Hello Patricia, They are very easy to maintain - however they do scratch, as does any kitchen work surface. "To help maintain your minerva worksurface, a care kit is available from your retailer. This kit contains all you need to make minor repairs to the surface and a special cleaner that helps to maintain, protect and build up lustre, particularly on darker colours. Any minor scratches can easily be removed using a red abrasive pad and other items from the Care Kit. Please refer to the care and maintenance guide." There really isn't a huge price difference between Minerva and Granite/Silestone/Quartz - and I would choose the latter purely as you have more choice with finishes/colours and I find they look better quality. I hope this helps! Holly @ MillChris Developments

Hello, I think solid wood worktops look stunning. I had them in my old house and for the 2 years I was there I did not have to re-oil them at all because I looked after them well. I did not put anything hot straight on to them and I made sure all water and splash marks were wiped down straight away. One good thing about wooden tops is that if you do mark them you know it will come out by sanding and re-oiling them. You already know that wooden worktops are not as practical as quartz but they do bring warmth to an interior and look really striking when paired with the right colours. If this is what you have your heart set on then go for it but I would advise taking extra care with having children. You may decide that you want to have a quartz top in the areas where you have got your sink and hob and then keep the wooden tops to an area you do not use so much. I use wooden overhangs a lot in my designs where I have got casual seating such as on an island or breakfast bar. This works really well and does look really effective especially if you have got other bits of oak or walnut within your kitchen.

No, not all quartzes are made equal. There can be a big difference in the overall quality, the resins used and the amount of "stone" content. When it comes to Carrara styles, thee "realism" of Silestone (our "go to") & Caesarstone is generally much better and the whites whiter. Backup support is also much better. As to the recommendation of any fabricator - at the end of the day, their margin is in the labour & machining costs and they will protect that and view the "slab" cost as just that - a cost. They will protect their margin by "down-selling" you to a lower grade product to keep the overall sale. At the end of the day it is, of course, your choice - do you save £1000 today and opt for the cheaper, lower quality product or view it as a 20 year investment of just £50 a year. If it is your "forever" home, go quality. If you only intend to be there a year or two and just want the look, take the saving. As for replacing the granite - usually straightforward, only slight risk if there are tiles down to the granite and awkward "pinch" points but I've yet to see any major issues arising.