What to Consider When Buying an Oak Worktop
Last Updated on May 18, 2021
From the handles on your kitchen cupboard to the colour of the utensils you buy, when it comes to designing a kitchen, every element counts.
However, one of the more important areas to think about is the type of material to choose for your kitchen worktops.
After all, the worktops you choose will often act as the centrepiece of the kitchen, drawing the eye and, ultimately, setting the standard for the rest of the kitchen’s design to follow.
Therefore, it’s important for your worktops to look good, which is why many people opt for solid oak as their preferred choice – a stunning sustainable material that offers a high quality and stylish finish.
But, before you dive in and settle on oak for your worktops as well, there are some questions you need to ask yourself in advance. Join us as we run through a few of these below.
What type of design are you looking to achieve?
Depending on how you want your kitchen to look, oak worktops could be the entirely right or wrong option.
If you’re looking to create a kitchen with more of a farmhouse design, for example, oak worktops make an ideal choice, blending seamlessly with both cream or white cupboard doors.
However, if you’d rather have a kitchen that’s more contemporary or modern in feel, you may be better off choosing an alternative material, such as laminate, marble or Quartz composite.
What colour worktops would you prefer?
While it may be easy to think that solid wooden countertops and oak worktops are effectively the same thing, you’d be mistaken.
Wooden worktops come in all shapes and sizes – from beech to walnut to ash to everything in between.
As such, just because you’ve decided that you want a wooden worktop, that doesn’t necessarily mean oak is the right choice of wood for you.
Each type of wood is different, after all, in terms of both colour and structure. Therefore, it could be worth seeing samples of each wood in person before making a final decision on the one that’s right for you and your kitchen.
Are you prepared to properly maintain them?
Oak worktops can look beautiful for years and years – but only when properly looked after. Therefore, you need to ask yourself whether you’re prepared to put in the work to ensure they’re kept in tip-top condition.
To do this effectively, you will need to re-oil your wooden worktops a minimum of twice a year. However, this should ideally be done at least once every three months, in order to keep the surfaces looking sleek, shiny and able to deal with any accidental spillages.
You should also think about investing in a few trivets and chopping boards. That way, you’ll be able to prevent any stains, burn marks or scratches from appearing more easily.
For further advice on whether an oak worktop is right for you, contact our team here at House of Worktops today. As worktop design specialists, we will be more than happy to answer any queries you might have.