We have been a supplier of OSMO Hardwax Oils for a while now and have found that they have been great in all applications. They have an Oil specifically designed for Kitchen benchtops. OSMO Top Oil which is foodsafe and contains linseed, carnauba wax, candelilla wax, sunflower oil, soybean oil & thistle oil. You can buy it from VCS Products in Perth or Natural Timber Oils in Melbourne.

Hi, I would paint it with chalk paint, no sanding ( I use Annie Sloan - not available at Bunnings ) have a look at purple lady painting tip page, the best I have read. I use the soft clear wax to seal. I really like the depth of the paint. You could leave the bench wood or replace, I wouldn't use chalk paint on bench top, or any other paint. Chalk paint is expensive but saves priming and sanding so maybe more comparable when you do that sum. Changing the knobs will give a revamp as well. If you do choose an Annie Sloan paint and want white use the antique white, it has much better coverage than the pure white. I buy the paint on line as my nearest stockist is 160 kms from where I live. I use correct brushes as well, very expensive but I do take very good care of them, I was them out in softly and gently scrub down the bristles with a soft scrubbing brush

Hi Andrea, You’ll find that chrome is more traditional in styling with a Hamptons vibe however black tapware is a more modern approach to the design style. It would look quite good when matched with the black cupboard fixtures against the dark floors and marble bench top. Black tapware continuously remains a popular choice both because of its aesthetics but also because of its maintenance as you won’t see fingerprints scattered over your tapware. We definitely agree with the above comment and recommended you stay clear of powder coated tapware. Fontaine Industries offers various styles of black kitchen tapware that you can find here.

Thanks all for your advice ☺️ Much appreciated! We are still debating whether to keep or remove the shelf unit. The idea of having a small shelf unit with a small pot plant on top (hiding the router as the back of it!🤭) sounds nice as well. If we were to keep a small shelf unit there, as recommended I'd find the one with table height and narrow in depth. As for the colour/material of the side table if we decided to have one, what would you recommend? We have white walls and dark grey carpet. Most pieces of furniture are light beige/white/black, and the dining table (near the wall which is the topic of discussion) has a glass top. I am wondering if something like a tray stand or a narrow (in depth) hall table will suit there. Also as for the colour, while white will brend in with the background wall, black/dark grey aligns with the colour of the carpet - but it may be overpowering.. Would love to hear your thoughts ☺️ And it does seem to be difficult to find a piece of shelf unit for this particular wall and @Jennier, it's amazing that you can build your own piece of furniture! Thanks all for sharing your inspirations.