Do you have any friends that could do a concrete bench top?

Or recycle someone else's timber bench, look in 2nd hand sites?

Good renters are hard to find so do minimal expense with laminate and pick whatever you like :))

Skylight? Heaps of natural light.

Laminex is a great product. Early Laminex was fantastic considering the era and technology. Our Laminex bench top in our Laundry is 10 years old and looks as good as the day we put it in. Laminex is really underrated.

Ikea have a solid oak bench top and a oak veneer version. If you're in Australia, check out Bunnings acacia bench tops also.

I fear concrete would make the space feel cold, but yes second hand sites might be worthwhile looking at Louise.

My only concern with the laminex benchtop is picking a colour - I'm so not good with colour especially when I can't seem to get past my timber idea!!

We have looked at Ikea online & originally were going to use their kitchens but we live regionally & not in a capital city so if something goes wrong then all kinds of additional stress is added to the problem when you can only deal with stuff over the phone. We might have to check out bunnings though :-)

Have a look at the Laminex website. They have some timber look stuff as well. Most kitchen places would have samples too. I believe Laminex is still made in Australia so thats a good start as other companies use Chinese manufactured products.

The acacia panels sort of have that butcher block look.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/interbuild-2200-x-600-x-26mm-acacia-solid-oiled-hardwood-project-panel_p8330032

We had a laminate bench top with timber edge (several years ago) which might be worth investigating. there is also a more modern version which is something like this...

Keperra House · More Info

Colours are hard to pick so try to get on the laminex website and see what they have in the way of look books. If you like industrial maybe there are second hand stainless benches in your area or an old shop counter in timber that could be incorporated.

Stirling Street · More Info

Garden St. Residence · More Info

Not sure if your extension is making the kitchen bigger, do you have a floor plan?

Yes that last one is definitely what we like & the kitchen will be u-shaped & making the kitchen wider by 700mm which will be awesome! A S/S top will probably make it cold as we have nowhere to add any timber then as we won't be having an island. The worry with the laminate benchtop is that the grain on the corners won't match as it goes into a u-shape. Does that make sense?

The timber will be like a trim piece so it can be mitred to suit the angles.

Enigma Interiors - Virginia Style Kitchen · More Info

Or this one might help you to visualise what I'm talking about, do you like the blue?

My Houzz: 38 Years of Renovations Help Artists Live Their Dream · More Info

I do like the blue but fear I will not like the blue in a few years. We really want to have a classic look colour wise so that we can add other colours with accessories so to speak. Going to Bunnings to have a look at their benchtops but fear the necessity of oiling will be the catch long term if we rent out the house. Oh the joys!

A timber bench top comes with the maintenance as you said. Not sure if you have seen Bunnings bench top brochure

Another option could be a solid raw edge from a timber yard and it should be kiln dried and most likely clear coated, ask for advise from an expert.

Is this diy or will you use a professional cabinetmaker, they would be the ones to ask. Research everything including reputation, warranty etc. before spending money.

What about trying a thick sheet of formply? Its laminated so easy to maintain, and really quite cheap. Its plywood, so easy to install. Comes in black, white and brown from memory. Its used for concrete formwork, so pretty cheap. You just sand and round the edges and oil it to seal.

I'm starting to lean back towards a laminate with miter edge & maybe get them to supply the laminated end grained & not run lenghtways. I found a colour I liked & have emailed the company. Fingers crossed I get a response as enthusiastic as all of yours :-)

Lovely! I'm wanting to use those panels in the future so this is good to know, jajlynn. Is that the satin finish?

Thanks!

That does look really good. I'm keeping it as an option for sure!

These are thermolaminated boards which look amazing and feel like real wood to name but a few advantages. I highy recommend CLEAF structured boards.

@how2girl did you have to sand the acacia back to put the polyurethane on it?

Hi Billy, yes I gave the Acacia a light sand but also wiped it with methylated spirits to remove any residual oil before doing the polyurethane coats. The marine grade polyurethane was oil based.

Awesome @how2girl, Thanks

Billy, just a little more info for you.

Pic below is the polyurethane I used. Went with marine grade as the benchtops are in wet areas. I applied it with a roller then brushed with long straight strokes immediately after to get as smooth as possible finish. Also did a light sand, with very fine sandpaper, between each coat. Because it’s oil based you need patience, so that it’s dry enough for sanding between each coat, but it’s worth the effort.

I’ve also done the beechwood panels with liming white, for a cabinet bench-top, & next up will be doing some panels with black japan stain then the polyurethane.

Thankyou so much for this, we just went down and bought our panels today after I posted. I didnt buy the polyurethane as I wanted to really know which sort to put on, so you read my mind. Did you get this from Bunnings too? How long does each coat take to dry roughly? You have to leave the join edges don’t you, so they can be glued? We are using them for kitchen benches and laundry.

Yes I must have ;-)). I planned to post earlier but had to hunt out the tin.

It says to leave for 24hrs between coats but that’s dependent on weather conditions/humidity. I managed to get 2 coats on in a day if I started early enough & did the 2nd late afternoon. Yes, it came from Bunnings. There are others brands such as Feast Watson but I found this one really good. Put it this way those benchtops of mine (in bathroom & laundry) have been in place for over 5 years & they still look great. Correct, if you’re joining the board, don’t coat the end grain but make sure you coat the grain of your sink cutouts & also silicone well around the sinks. Good luck with it!