12 Rooms that Embrace the Trend for Slimline Kitchen Worktops
Worktops are getting thinner, so if you like the idea of a sleek surface check out these chic spaces
Minimalism isn’t going anywhere – it’s a classic look after all. So it’s only natural that worktops want to get in on the act by swapping a chunky style with an elegant slimline aesthetic. And going slim with your worktop means your units aren’t competing for attention. Take a look at these gorgeous kitchens – they feature beautiful, barely-there worktops which prove this is a trend that will last.
Keep a small space neat
Opting for a slim worktop (and preferably in a light shade) is also a smart choice for a compact room. The thin lines of this engineered stone work surface are subtle and match the cupboard doors. A chunkier top would have overpowered this space and made it feel fussy: as it is, the effect is one of lightness.
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Opting for a slim worktop (and preferably in a light shade) is also a smart choice for a compact room. The thin lines of this engineered stone work surface are subtle and match the cupboard doors. A chunkier top would have overpowered this space and made it feel fussy: as it is, the effect is one of lightness.
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Match the base and top
To deflect attention away from the worktop even further, designers are using colour matching – like here, where the kitchen peninsula is clad all over in the same sophisticated coffee shade. The slim depth of the Silestone work surface helps it to sit incognito alongside the drawer fronts, creating a unified piece of furniture.
To deflect attention away from the worktop even further, designers are using colour matching – like here, where the kitchen peninsula is clad all over in the same sophisticated coffee shade. The slim depth of the Silestone work surface helps it to sit incognito alongside the drawer fronts, creating a unified piece of furniture.
Try a ‘floating’ worktop
If you want to highlight the beauty of your slimline worktop, do what the owners of this kitchen have done. Here, the ‘hidden’ handles of the doors and drawers have been shaded in black, creating a thin strip that makes the marble worktop look like it is floating. Very clever.
Discover more insider tips for handleless kitchens
If you want to highlight the beauty of your slimline worktop, do what the owners of this kitchen have done. Here, the ‘hidden’ handles of the doors and drawers have been shaded in black, creating a thin strip that makes the marble worktop look like it is floating. Very clever.
Discover more insider tips for handleless kitchens
Apply creative edging
Most solid work surfaces can be finished with different styles of edging. For a slimline effect, have the edge of your worktop tapered to a triangular point. This is sometimes called Italian edging or shark’s nose. With this edging you can have a regular-sized worktop that gives a slimline impression.
Most solid work surfaces can be finished with different styles of edging. For a slimline effect, have the edge of your worktop tapered to a triangular point. This is sometimes called Italian edging or shark’s nose. With this edging you can have a regular-sized worktop that gives a slimline impression.
Say yes to stainless steel
Not the thick and uncompromising designs you find in industrial and professional kitchens, but a thin, pared-back version instead. Here, contrasted against the dark wood of the doors, this stainless-steel worktop is eye-catching in an altogether different way from its bold relations. And just look at how the LED strip lighting above creates striking shadows on the worktop.
Not the thick and uncompromising designs you find in industrial and professional kitchens, but a thin, pared-back version instead. Here, contrasted against the dark wood of the doors, this stainless-steel worktop is eye-catching in an altogether different way from its bold relations. And just look at how the LED strip lighting above creates striking shadows on the worktop.
Explore porcelain
You may think of delicate fine china when you hear the word porcelain, but the materials used for porcelain worktops (or ceramic, as they are also known) undergo an engineering process called ‘sintering’ that makes these worktops incredibly durable. They are scratch-, heat- and water-resistant, and lightweight as well. A porcelain worktop can comfortably be produced at just over 1cm in thickness, and even at such a slim size it performs admirably.
You may think of delicate fine china when you hear the word porcelain, but the materials used for porcelain worktops (or ceramic, as they are also known) undergo an engineering process called ‘sintering’ that makes these worktops incredibly durable. They are scratch-, heat- and water-resistant, and lightweight as well. A porcelain worktop can comfortably be produced at just over 1cm in thickness, and even at such a slim size it performs admirably.
Beat the budget with compacted laminate
Porcelain doesn’t come cheap, but there are some more affordable materials that have similarly tough and kitchen-friendly properties. Various companies have developed their own versions of a compacted laminate – also known as solid phenolic. Unlike traditional laminate work surfaces, which contain chipboard at the core, compacted laminates have a solid core which means they can be treated like any other solid surface. They are around 12.5mm thick, scratch-resistant and impervious to water. The core is black and visible, which can look very striking against pale-coloured doors. Prices start at around double the cost of a normal laminate work surface.
Porcelain doesn’t come cheap, but there are some more affordable materials that have similarly tough and kitchen-friendly properties. Various companies have developed their own versions of a compacted laminate – also known as solid phenolic. Unlike traditional laminate work surfaces, which contain chipboard at the core, compacted laminates have a solid core which means they can be treated like any other solid surface. They are around 12.5mm thick, scratch-resistant and impervious to water. The core is black and visible, which can look very striking against pale-coloured doors. Prices start at around double the cost of a normal laminate work surface.
Marry two materials
There are clever ways to create a happy fusion of materials if you lean towards a more eclectic mix of styles in your home. Here, the kitchen designers have used lye-treated plywood for the cabinets and as the solid base of the worktops, with a dainty cladding of brushed stainless steel for a chef-standard finish. The thin lines of the stainless-steel worktops are matched by the splashback and upstands, which almost give the impression that they have been painted on.
There are clever ways to create a happy fusion of materials if you lean towards a more eclectic mix of styles in your home. Here, the kitchen designers have used lye-treated plywood for the cabinets and as the solid base of the worktops, with a dainty cladding of brushed stainless steel for a chef-standard finish. The thin lines of the stainless-steel worktops are matched by the splashback and upstands, which almost give the impression that they have been painted on.
Employ the slimline theme elsewhere
You don’t need to stop at worktops – wafer-thin shelves can complement the look, as they do in this kitchen. The delicate stone worktops are mirrored by the floating wall shelf, which follows a neat line at the same height as the top of the tall, three-door cabinet.
You don’t need to stop at worktops – wafer-thin shelves can complement the look, as they do in this kitchen. The delicate stone worktops are mirrored by the floating wall shelf, which follows a neat line at the same height as the top of the tall, three-door cabinet.
Contrast the chunky and the subtle
Of course, you may not want to dispense with blocky boldness altogether, and sometimes it’s good to employ a mixture of styles. Keep the lines sleek and delicate on the working area of the kitchen near the sink or stovetop, and go for a sizeable statement piece of wood for a social seating area.
Of course, you may not want to dispense with blocky boldness altogether, and sometimes it’s good to employ a mixture of styles. Keep the lines sleek and delicate on the working area of the kitchen near the sink or stovetop, and go for a sizeable statement piece of wood for a social seating area.
Boldly go
By minimising the worktop’s presence in a kitchen, the prominence of the units is conversely increased. None more so than in a design such as this one, where the bright blue unit doors create all the colour and the worktop almost melts into the background. Matching worktop colour to walls also emphasises this effect.
Are you a fan of slimline worktops? Have you installed them in your own kitchen? Share your thoughts and images in the Comments below.
By minimising the worktop’s presence in a kitchen, the prominence of the units is conversely increased. None more so than in a design such as this one, where the bright blue unit doors create all the colour and the worktop almost melts into the background. Matching worktop colour to walls also emphasises this effect.
Are you a fan of slimline worktops? Have you installed them in your own kitchen? Share your thoughts and images in the Comments below.
A kitchen in an open-plan living space will benefit from having thinner work surfaces, as they will help the units feel more like furniture than traditional cabinets. Matching the colour of the units and worktops also helps the cabinetry blend into the background. Here, the owners continued the engineered stone countertop on the island down the sides for a super-streamlined look.