Refurbishing the kitchen is probably the most expensive redecoration that any homeowner ever does. It is very easy to spend a lot of money on a kitchen refurb compared with other rooms.

Take the living room, for instance. Many people will carry out a DIY job, either painting the walls or using wallpaper. Some undercoat on the door and skirting boards, and picture rail if you have one. Leave that to dry and then next weekend paint the topcoat over it. For the carpet, you’ll probably want to have it fitted by the carpet shop from which you buy it, and you can spend a little or a lot on a carpet, but even so there are limits. Even if you buy expensive carpet and expensive wallpaper, you will probably be pushed to spend £1,000 and might well get away with £300 – £400 if you don’t go mad.

The kitchen is a totally different kettle of fish. If you decide to rip everything out and start from scratch, as some people do, you can spend thousands. The latest fridge freezer, top of the range cooker, new washing machine – these can all cost a lot of money. You may even decide to change the position of everything which means that you will have to take the floor up and change all the plumbing.

Some people want to make the kitchen much bigger and will have an extension built so that they have a lot more room. This gives all sorts of options such as island dining, or even doing the cooking on an island.

Of course, another consideration is the walls and flooring and worktops. When you look at these, there is the question of cleaning and maintenance, and if you think about a lot of commercial kitchens, they will often use stainless steel. It is very hygienic and so easy to keep clean, which is what you want in a commercial kitchen. However, for most people, stainless steel is just so drab-looking. Practical, certainly, but is that really what you want in your kitchen, or do you want it to look great? After all, you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so most people want a look that makes them feel good, yet at the same time is hygienic and easy to clean, and this leads them towards natural or man-made stone.

Stone surfaces are very low-maintenance and can come in a wide choice of colours and patterns. They are also extremely practical and hygienic. Not only that, but if you have a limited budget, simply changing the worktops can have a dramatic impact on the overall appearance of your kitchen.

One of the most popular choices for worktops is quartz. In one respect this can be a little confusing because quartz worktops are man-made. “But surely quartz is a natural stone?” we hear you ask.

Yes, it is, but quartz worktops are made from approximately 93% natural quartz which is mixed with polymers and pigments, and they are simply referred to as quartz worktops.

Using quartz worktops in Uxbridge – or anywhere else for that matter – is an excellent choice for your kitchen. To start with, it is totally impervious to stains because it is non-porous, so it doesn’t ever need sealing as do natural stones such as granite or marble. If you spill red wine, vinegar, lemon juice, cooking oil, and more on quartz, it won’t have any effect: just wipe it off with a cloth or kitchen towel.

As with other stones, while quartz worktops are extremely tough, you should not chop foods directly on them: always use a chopping board. Neither should you place hot pans directly off the hob or from the oven on quartz because the polymers in it can burn. Simply use a trivet as with any other worktop.

Quartz worktops are available in a wide choice of colours and patterns. There are many that are self-coloured and produced by a number of different manufacturers such as Caesarstone, Silestone, Compac, Arenastone, and more. There are also many quartz slabs that are created to look like natural stones such as granite and marble and have veining and swirls within them. To find out more about quartz worktops for your Uxbridge kitchen, call us on 01992 535 038 or email info@marbleandgranite.co.uk.