The surfaces to avoid if you hate cleaning

Looking for premium, luxurious but hardworking kitchen finishes? Thanks to the new generation of engineered stone, now you can have it all.

“The family kitchen has to be hard-wearing,” says architect Catherine Woodward from Archished. “It hosts hundreds of meals, suffers constant spillages, learner cooks, and parents too busy to be careful. Large, open expanses of low maintenance bench finishes are essential to easy care and less stress.”

Whilst finishes such as marble, cement and stainless steel are beautiful they do come with compromise.

“Stainless steel scratches easily and shows every mark and fingerprint, and you have to be careful not to dent it with heavy items as the damage will be permanent,” says interior stylist Bec Tougas.

Woodward agrees and says easily damaged surfaces not only means more time cleaning, but more worry as well.

“Stainless steel looks beautiful when it is first put in, but requires regular polishing to stay looking good,” she says. “Marble adds an extra level of stress when you see jam or red wine spilt on it. These regularly occurring spills need special products and close attention that take valuable time to address.”

Enter today’s generation of engineered stone that promises low maintenance,  without compromising on style and function.

“Natural stone looks beautiful but can be extremely porous, which makes it not functionable for high-traffic areas like the kitchen,” says Catherine Valente from Laminex. “Our engineered stone range – Essastone – includes our stunning marble-inspired, unique Calacatta, or our weathered Essastone Concrete Pezzato, with its concrete-like finish, and allows you to achieve the same luxury and finish but without all the issues associated with natural stone.”

Because engineered stone is less permeable, it is more robust and has the ability to withstand the impact of day-to-day living.

“The Essastone range by Laminex is manufactured in Europe and is engineered to guard against staining, scratching and citrus acid,” says Valente. “It is made from up to 95 per cent natural quartz so it is incredibly durable. Every slab is backed by an exceptional 15-year limited warranty.”

Woodward says when designing her home she opted for engineered over natural stone for her kitchen.

“It’s hugely popular because it’s affordable, durable and looks authentic,” she says. “I enjoy working with engineered stone because it makes a kitchen look sleek and is long lasting. In my kitchen I used engineered stone with grey marbling veins for the island bench and textured black laminate for the backbench and cupboards.  It functions beautifully and my stress levels have dropped because it is easy to clean, even after preparing kids’ breakfasts and lunches in the morning.

“If you have low-maintenance surfaces you can work hard in the kitchen, and then tidy away efficiently and quickly.”

Valente says engineered stone is designed to be maintained simply, no matter how busy the kitchen. 

“Kitchens today are generally open-plan, high-traffic areas,” she says. “The resilient surface of Essastone has been designed to withstand normal daily use. For routine cleaning, we recommend using a small quantity of non-bleach, non-abrasive cleaner together with warm water and a damp cloth or sponge. It’s that easy.”

While engineered stone is purposely manufactured to be robust, care should still be taken to ensure it has a long and happy life.  

“Whilst it is manufactured to resist staining and scratching, you should take care to protect it from the extreme temperatures that come with daily use,” says Tougas. “At the end of the day, engineered stone is a more durable and affordable option. Plus it looks luxurious, so maintaining a beautiful home is an easier and more achievable feat for busy families.”