Worktops! Caesarstone, Silestone, Infinit Stone - which stone?!

7 years ago

Any suggestions or recommendations welcomed! We are due to agree on our work tops and kitchen colours this week and I'm still going around the houses! I never imagined the process being this hard. Kitchen colours on the final list are: Cornforth White, Purbeck Stone, Plummett and the rest of the grey family (yes I know, I lied when I said we'd narrowed it down but I had to say it to make me feel better being only a week away! Argh! )

It's a L shaped kitchen to the right with a bar coming out across dining area and with a bank of units to the left housing a larder and fridge freezer(no worktops on this side). Agreed on a white Belfast sink. For the worktops we want (we think) a white undertone and not too much veining - but not completely plain to avoid a clinical look in what is a more classical kitchen.

Our original choice was Silestone lagoon off the sample but was shocked by how the larger pieces were in some cases indistinguishable against the Lyra and how the veining is so prominent - the Yukon and organic white might be too white and clinical (going for a painted shaker kitchen) - I like the Frosty Carinna which I seems to be the compromise between some veining and plain - I liked the London Grey until one of the suppliers likened it's undertone to dirty dishwater!

Then thrown into the mix was Infiniti Stone which is thousands of pounds cheaper than the Caesarstone and Silestone brand - but the only two colours - Alcor - which is very veiny (akin to Lyra) and Bethan Grey which is the dirty dishwater dilemma.

As you can perhaps sense from this post panic is now setting in - if anyone has any experience with any of these products or can suggest how they were with any of the above colours I would be eternally grateful - and you will perhaps save the sanity of our kitchen maker! X

Featured Answer

Fiona Edwards

7 years ago

Hi - we had a modern shaker kitchen fitted last year. We opted for a Silestone Yukon worktop, Farrow and Ball Pavilion Grey wall units and a bespoke island colour. It works really well.

The silestone doesn't look white in real life and is so practical. Most marks can be removed by rubbing your thumb against it. Amazing!

Hope that helps

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (74)

Claire Nicholson
7 years ago
Hi Kate,

Not sure if this helps but thought it was worth sharing just in case!

I couldn't find the Unistone sample but I did find a few pics I took from when we were deciding a couple of months ago.

I hope you managed to make a decision and are feeling happy about it!
Claire Nicholson
7 years ago
Here you go
Related Discussions
WHICH: Kitchen Worktops Material
Q
Comments (7)
We would recommend using quartz worksurfaces as these are much more hardwearing and stain resistant and you get a much broader choice of finishes and colours. As quartz is manmade you can easily match tiles and splashbacks and you can also have matching quartz splashbacks as an option. Some quartz surfaces also include a built in anti-bacterial protection. We know Silestone have developed a formula for this.
...See More
Which kitchen worktop (colour and type)?
Q
Comments (14)
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.
...See More
Worktop woes - not sure which colour to choose!
Q
Comments (16)
I prefer Ariel with the vein, as the clean white will bend with the white cabinets with the veins complimenting the dark wood cabinets. But go with the one that you went 'OOH' first, you will find that if you love something, then all your 'loves' compliment each other! Plus its too expensive not to.... We are choosing Silestone Orion which is a mottled white-grey with plenty of veining to hide the dirt! Plus shop around as the Silestone quote we got from a local Gold Approved was nearly half that of other local Gold Approved Silestone suppliers.... Good luck!
...See More
Beltrami (Bianco Massa) or Silestone Lagoon worktops?
Q
Comments (3)
They are both quartz composites which are engineered stone quartz. In theory they should not differ. Most companies effectively use the same suppliers for quartz which is then imported and re-branded for different companies. We love using quartz and Silestone is a very good one, which we use on projects a lot of the time. Lagoon is available in either a polished suede finish. Prices cannot be directly compared as it rather depends on the quartz supplier and your chosen kitchen showroom and their markup (we never mark up worktops!). If the Silestone turns out to be too expensive your showroom should be able to source an unbranded equivalent. On a recent bathroom project we used Silestone just to cover the cistern for the WC and on a kitchen recently our customer chose Silestone Stella Blanco (see images).
...See More
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you Claire - gorgeous colour choices btw :)
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Btw what is the unit colour? X
Claire Nicholson
7 years ago
Hi Kate,

It's Como Blue from Zoffany. I looked at about a million different blues before deciding!

Here's a few pics of how it's planned to turn out, that our designer did for us. We're going Purbeck stone in the pantry with wooden tops for contrast.
Helen C
7 years ago
Gorgeous edwards28, love it!
Fiona Edwards
7 years ago
Thank you campo73
Katherine Hopkins
7 years ago
This may be too late and ignore it if it is but I went for a white Ultra quartz which is much more reasonable than Silestone and an amazing colour range. Have paired with grey/blue cupboards and grey oak porcelain floor tiles with white walls. Just being completed. Looks amazing. Your gut decisions are probably right. Its a scary process but sounds like you are nearly there.
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks so much everyone for your comments and pictures ! We've plumped for lagoon after much deliberation! Now to confirm cabinetry colour!
Helen C
7 years ago
Great choice! Another decision made, closer to the end goal of your beautiful kitchen. Good luck with cabinet colour choice.
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
As promised here's a mid installation update! We went for pavilion grey on the units and despite not sleeping for a week before installation it's the perfect pale grey - not baby blue! Hurrah! We simply painted all walls white (I couldn't bear anymore deliberations or decisions). Silestone lagoon to be templated this week - hopefully fit the week after - now to decide on flooring!!!!! Husband won't let me have flagstones or tiles as we had to discount underfloor heating and he didn't want it too cold. We are likely having LVT in either a mock tile (my choice) or possibly wood (which is his choice). Any suggestions welcome! Thanks for all your help - really over the moon with the style and colours so far! :)
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Just a few more (I'm a tad excited!) extractor and splashback hopefully being fitted today and dishwasher - then have to wait for flooring to go in before final touches and plinths etc - re any LVT floor suggestions - although it would be nice to match the dining table this isn't essential and may be replaced when we've further funds! X
Helen C
7 years ago
Hi Kate it all looks beautiful, love the pavilion grey, bet you can't wait to get the worktop in! I don't have experience of LVT but had a look on the kardean website. I probably wouldn't try and match the dining table, I'd be more inclined to go for a lighter floor like white washed oak. I see on the kardean website you can order free samples. Sorry to agree with your husband but I think a wooden floor would look great. Congrats again on getting to this stage, super exciting!
LTS
7 years ago
Looks lovely Kate. Where are the cabinets from?
Claire Nicholson
7 years ago
Hi Kate, Wow! Looks fab! Can't wait to see it with the worktop on!!

Flooring is super tough (I found that harder than the units and paint colours! Haha!)

We've just had wet UFH fitted under flagstones and it is super toasty and probably my favourite thing about the room! Can I ask why you've discounted UFH out of interest?

Great to hear you're so pleased with it after all the worry
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks Campo - you're advice was invaluable - as well as fellow houzzers - eternally grateful to you all for taking the time to reply. Claire Nicholson - haha - agreed! Flooring is so hard - here's me thinking all the decisions were behind me! We discounted UFH for a few reasons - one was cost - we've opted for bespoke solid wood cabinetry with solid wood drawer boxes and detailing and silestone tops - originally planned to have cheaper units and oak worktops so this increased our budget by a few thousand - also the two rooms where the flooring will be (the kitchen and dining room) lead into three other rooms - one being through a set of double doors into the carpeted lounge - when they're open it makes a real impact of open plan - and as we have solid concrete floors we understood that UFH would mean it would either grinding out the concrete to lay pipes (we didn't want this doing after the kitchen and had already committed to the installation time frame) or other option would be laying on top meaning it would be raised by not only the UFH but the depth of tiles as well which would mean a lip in the flooring betwee the rooms - this put us off. Disappointing as I love tiles and flags - I bet the feeling of these warming beneath you is lovely!!! I'd love to know whether this has been your experience? LFT - our kitchen has been handmade by a local company Kevin Roper Interiors based in Preston, Lancashire. Cannot recommend them enough - price was competitive especially as getting a bespoke product and Kevin has project managed all our building and electrical work and plumbing which has been a godsend! Apologies - further kitchen spam! Can you tell I'm excited?! ;)
Claire Nicholson
7 years ago
Hi Kate,

Ah yes! The joys of different flooring levels! Haha! We went for the over floor system as we already had concrete floors. Our limestone flags (excuse the building site of a kitchen as still being installed) are 2cm thick and the UFH adds 2.5cm too. We got around this by fitting wooden floors in our connecting rooms (hallway and living room) and had them secured on wooden battons with sound deadening insulation below, so they're now all the same level. The only thing we did need to do was trim the doors by 5cm off the bottom

The cost was surprisingly reasonable for a wet system- £2300 for 40sq meters and the thing we've really noticed is how efficient the system is. We run our central heating and new UFH off Hive and the heat is retained so much better with the UFH in comparison to the central heating and radiators. If you have both at exactly the same temperature on the thermostat and turn them off at exactly the same time, the UFH retains its heat by over 2 degrees more per hour it's switched off. It's going to be quite a saving.

It sounds like you're probably a little too far on to change your decision now and I know there's some beautiful LVT out there (we looked at lots). My advice on the LVT of wood flooring would be to go for as wide a plank as you can afford as the wider the planks the more refined and 'premium' the flooring seems to look having looked at a lot of them!!

I'm sure whatever you pick will look beautiful- the rest of the space certainly looks gorgeous already! Looking forward to seeing more pics as you get the other bits in!
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Oh wow Claire serious flagstone floor envy!!!!
Helen C
7 years ago
Gorgeous kitchen Claire and fabulous flooring too! What colour are your cabinets again?
Claire Nicholson
7 years ago
Hi Campo,

Thank you! Hopefully it will be when it's done! Seems like a long slog now!!

They are Como Blue by Zoffany- looked at so many blues before deciding as didn't want anything with any green / teal undertone and didn't want too dark either.
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Claire - re the floor thanks for your advice it seems as though you're far more throughly researched than we are!
Claire Nicholson
7 years ago
Haha! Thank you but I have totally cheated- I've had an amazing designer from start to finish! I would have lost my mind over decisions and ended up with a right pickle of a house if I hadn't had someone making all the decisions for me.

I am totally in awe of anyone who does a complete redesign on their own- you're spending a fortune and it's SO easy to get it wrong (well it is if you're me! Haha)

Your design and finish looks fab!!!
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
No that's not cheating at all that's sensible - you realise once you're in it how expensive mistakes are - we tried to work out costings of everything and worked in a contingency but things have slowly spiralled - the building works and appliances came in under budget which was a godsend as electrics and plumbing went over
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Thankfully happy with the big things so far so if I can hit home on the flooring I'll breathe a huge sigh of relief - sorry for the random short posts - they don't seem to be loading in full! X
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Mini Update! Lagoon went on today - I LOVE it! Doesn't photograph well at all pictures do not do it justice but conpliments the pavilion grey so wonderfully well! Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment and help us along the way - flooring this weekend and we are there! Woo! Now for the exciting part - putting our lives back into cupboards and accessorising!
LTS
7 years ago
It is gorgeous!
Claire Nicholson
7 years ago
Looks beautiful!!
Helen C
7 years ago
Oh my, it's beautiful, I'm sure you are in new kitchen heaven! Love the pavilion grey and lagoon together. Did you decide on flooring?
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Campo73 - we'reto decide this weekend - narrowed down to three - trying not to be swayed by the fact that one is double cost of the other! I really like a light Amtico tile but fearful we are looking a bit too light and bright in there x might go for a concrete mock tile with white or light grey grout!
Helen C
7 years ago
Light and bright sounds good! This is one of my favourite kitchens on Houzz, pavilion grey units with a nice light tile.
tracey_raynor
7 years ago
Hi have you looked at Camaro flooring. They are cheaper than Amtico etc but recommend by my floor fitter and we are going for a wood effect in herringbone which is only £1-2 more per sq mar than straight planks. They do some lovely stone flooring too.
tracey_raynor
7 years ago
Lots to choose from and many ways to have it laid.
Currently doing what you have been doing trying to make decisions on kitchen colours worktops and for, as yet the walls aren't down. Looking forward to it all and worries at the same time!
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Hi Tracey! Yes! Our flooring guy brought samples of the Camaro - is it by polyflor? He really recommends it. He also suggested a massimo one which is an industrial grade wear lay but much cheaper than karndean and amtico - but they won't send us a sample bigger than 2 inch :/ on the camaro we've singled out the burnished concrete as a potential - I must've dismissed the others but now looking at your samples love those lighter white/grey ones too! Might have a second look! My only reason for amtico is choice and cut as ideally wanted square cut tiles - but cost may be a determining factor! Thanks for contributing - flooring is tough. I know what you mean about the process being nerve wrecking and exciting all at the same time.
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Oh campo it's one of my faves too
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Update! (Hope that's ok I just hate it when posts are left unfinished myself!) Tracey - thanks for the advice - absolutely fell in love with the burnished concrete from Camaro - ordered samples and loved it still - got a huge slab from our supplier and it wasn't for me - utterly gutted! But agree - Polyflor have some lovely floors and fitter agrees they have an excellent wear layer and recommends wholeheartedly! Back to the drawing board for us tho - Campo73 my hubby won me over and I had to admit the woods were coming up strong and we then fell head over heels for Amtico Nordic Oak - lovely warm grey brown tones it was a perfect contract - we put our order in to then realise with horror we have an oak worktop in the utility which we did to save on quartz costs because at that time I was absolutely sure I would not be having a wooden look floor (!) I shed a few tears as it was either have it and live with the horrific mis match in the utility which we've just paid good money to have re fitted or choose another floor so this has been cancelled! :( However we have just ordered karndean opus grano which is a grey wood due to be laid next week - photos to follow! If you're offended by grey you may wish to avert your eyes - hoping I'll bring in some colours with accessories
Helen C
7 years ago
Hi Kate love love love your flooring choice, it will look fantastic! It's quite a journey isn't it to get all the elements right...and just so wonderfully gratifying when it all comes together. Would love to see photos when floor is in if you get a chance. Thanks for the update.
PRO
Solid Furniture Design
7 years ago
Hi Mary,

Please send us an e-mail if you need any help.

We specialize in designing and making bespoke kitchens.

Our kitchens can be made from any material and finished in any colour.

Kind Regards,

A&S Kitchen Wardrobe

www.kitchenwardrobe.com
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Flooring is down! We are very happy and never want to do any renovations ever again (although I've bought tiles for the WC just ssssh don't tell hubster!)
PRO
Create Perfect
7 years ago
That's beautiful!! Well done you. It's a great job!
Claire Nicholson
7 years ago
That looks stunning Kate- I bet you're absolutely delighted!
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
7 years ago
Lovely kitchen - really beautiful design with an elegant, understated palette!
Helen C
7 years ago
Beautiful Kate, love all the elements you've chosen, they go together perfectly! Great choice for the flooring. Love the fact you've bought bathroom tiles in secret! Onto the next project and spending spree :)
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Ah thank you everyone we are made up! And that's what it's all about isn't it? Creating your own space that you want to be in! Just the final lick of paint and kick boards and we are done! (Would've been completed so much quicker if I'd been able to make decisions!
Helen C
7 years ago
Makes your home more homely when you've put your heart and soul into it. Although the decisions took longer than you expected the result is a carefully planned and successful project. Must be lovely coming down in the morning to sit in your kitchen with a cuppa and enjoy the fruits of your labour!
Kate Bibby
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks Campo - and Claire keep us updated on that gorgeous blue hub of yours. Still dreaming about that colour and those handles
Rowen Douglas
3 years ago
Claire Nicholson, I know this thread was some time ago but I love the kitchen cabinet knobs/ handles that are in one of your pictures.
PLEASE could you tell me where you ordered them from and what colour / style they are? I need to order mine soon and yours look perfect!!!!
Thank you
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
3 years ago
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
PRO
Create Perfect
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Hi Rowen and Kate,

Here is Claire's finished kitchen.

https://www.createperfect.co.uk/bramley-house

Hope you like it 🙂

https://www.armacmartin.co.uk/collections/cotswold

Thanks
Rowen Douglas
3 years ago
Thank you so much for this. What a beautiful kitchen you created together. Well done.