If you're thinking about renovating your kitchen, but you can't afford a total renovation, you may be able to achieve a significant change in appearance by switching out your existing benchtop with a granite benchtop. Granite is sought after because it has a distinct look, it's durable and it offers design choices.

Distinct Appearance -- Granite is a natural stone that is mined from the earth, and one of the unique aspects of granite is that no two slabs are exactly the same. And even within a single slab of granite, you will often find variations in pattern, colour and shade that makes your benchtop stand out. And unlike vinyl or wood benchtops, you have a wide variety of colour options when you install a granite benchtop to renovate your kitchen. So instead of just choosing yellow, you can select amber yellow. Instead of choosing black, you can select Arabian black which has the appearance of tar. Instead of blue, you can select blue ice, which has the appearance of blue chips of ice. There are numerous other colour variations that are richer, bolder and more interesting than the solid colours available with other types of benchtops.

Durable -- Granite benchtops are dense, hard and long lasting. Granite is mined from the earth so it is subjected to extreme heat, which makes the stone resistant to breakage, cracking and stains. Unlike wooden benchtops, granite benchtops are moisture resistant, and they are able to withstand a high level of heat, which means that you don't even need to put down a hot pad when you move a pan, skillet or pot from the stove directly onto your benchtop. Placing hot pans on a wooden benchtop can damage the sealant and burn or crack the wood, and you can damage the grout joints in a ceramic benchtop with a hot pan. People often use granite benchtops as their cutting board because the material is harder than most knife blades.

Design Choices -- You can mount your granite benchtop with a matte or glossy finish, depending on your design aesthetic. A matte finish has a duller shine and won't look as polished, but if you have a bright kitchen that gets a lot of light, a matte finish may be ideal to tone things down a little. A glossy finish has a shiny appearance that makes your benchtop look as if it's always been freshly polished, and it can reflect more light, which can help brighten your kitchen. You can also install granite benchtops that are square-edged, rounded or curved, depending on the configuration of your kitchen.

Contact a local contractor, such as Kitchen Connection, for more information.