Hi Joaney & Lainy I also use only windex on all my bench tops. The granite I had before was a white with a few burgundy streaks and gorgeous highlights through it. Can't remember the name, might have been River White but not sure and I found nothing stained it at all. The marble in my bathrooms I have now look very expensive and impressive but I know every single mark on them even though a visitor mightn't pick them out. In my kitchen I now have Caeser stone and if you want a virtually indestructible bench top this would be it. I have blackbutt timber floors and as they have a lot of color, I chose all white in the kitchen with just a tiny fleck. I just love granite because of the beautiful grains you get running through it.

just viewed your imagined dilemma - the jade colour of doors - are they a laminate - if they aren't - yes if you desperately need a change - have white laminate (like the whole neighbourhood). but if the jade cupboards are definitely laminated I would not replace - for the jade is stunning. Furthermore, you would make a good move to extend the black high-gloss laminate to those floor-level cupboard doors which currently have a wood strip (which the previous owner did (I presume)I would suggest you have a single black strip definitely 2inches high inserted as a line in that area. (this job must be done by an experienced laminator - to perfection (this will eliminate the eye-sore strips of wood.( but it must be applied as a continuous band (from a to b) - not bits - Furthermore, the high-gloss black floor-boards will look good so close - meeting each other. I NOTE YOU WOULD DO WELL WITH A LARGISH SLEEK KITCHEN SINK ( YOU SEE BY DOING THESE SMALL CHANGES YOU ARE GETTING A WHOW KITCHEN. Am I imagining the green which seems to extend to the ceiling line is not cupboards up there if that is so do not take the green up to the cornice - the cupboards are the feature not the walls - the cornice in that room should be taken out - having the plastered wall reaching the ceiling without cornice. Your kitchen cupboards are the feature.(it would be good to paint upper walls and ceiling. Just "off white" I am reluctant to tell you the kitchen window should be wider as the kitchen has a message but the window is like a poor relative. If you carry-out these changes - the kitchen should be free of everything else - no utensils on the stove, nothing on benches or on top of other areas - the colour and impact - that is all that is needed (plus it has become modernised) - despite your belief that white is in - maybe in hospitals. Good Luck

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!

won't get rusty meh?