Ok, so we don't need engineered stone in our kitchen, as we have it there already, but we just had more of the same stone installed in our new powder room & ensuite to match the kitchen's earthy colour scheme. We do, however, need to choose a natural granite for our alfresco kitchen as engineered stones are not covered by manufactures' warranty in our situation. So, I stick with engineered and natural stones for the long term bench top of choice.

Hi Angela. If your existing kitchen works for you, then replacing your benchtop and splashback will definitely work, as well as save you money. Whilst the Caesarstone's Linen is nice, I would recommend Smartstone Amara - it has a marble look, and is one of the more reasonably priced marble-look engineered stones. I have seen it installed and it looks fantastic. With the money saved, I recommend that you invest in some really beautiful tiles for the splashback (even if they are subway style, get really nice ones), some gorgeous new handles, as well as change the colour of your blinds to match as closely as possible the window architraves. A nice new sink and tap (think carefully about undermounted) will also help. Finally, if you can match your existing fronts exactly, then it may also be a good time to change the dishwasher to a fully integrated model. You could also replace the freestanding canopy, etc., as Design Fusion recommends, but that will cost you a quite bit more (it will require not only the new cabinet, but also redoing part of the bulkhead and cornice work), and you may have an issue with the new fronts matching the existing. All the best!

Quantum Quartz is one of the engineered stone kitchen benchtop materials. I have read of engineered stone being used in place of bathroom tiles, which is why I was wondering what you meant. But it appears that the manufacturer of Quantum Quartz is diversifying and that product is indeed porcelain. (Or maybe I just never knew they made other things?) http://www.wk.com.au/pages/QuantumSix-Plus It's great to see an expanding range of grout-free choices. I wonder how they compare in price and warranty.

Hi Kylie, We have put together several dedicated pages on our website for each of these materials where we discuss their Pros and Cons. We not only have individual pages for each of these face material types but also have pages for different kitchen benchtop materials and splashbacks. (Follow this Link) or just go to our Compass Kitchens Materials main page. Hope this helps, Malcolm