Hi mikaelamaya, I'm getting porcelain benchtops for my new kitchen, so like you, I'm interested in how other people go with them. I was listening to a radio segment the other morning ('Homies' with Simon Marney) and they said the new porcelain benchtops were more more stain resistant than composite stone benchtops, and suggested that a caller replace her stained benchtop with a porcelain one. That gave me hope! I've been testing a sample of Arte Domus (Sydney) porcelain and so far its resisted red wine, beetroot, turmeric, oil and tea. My only concern with it is whether it will chip easily. I guess I'll just sand back a chipped edge and call it 'patina'. I'm going for porcelain because of its matt finish and slim edge, and because I can get a whole slab for an island bench without joins. I'm also putting it on the bathroom vanities, so I hope I'll be happy with it. Anybody else out there with experience of this product?

I've noticed a recent trend of the vertical color on the island matching the vertical color on the splashback. Liking that trend. So I would say go with the turquoise glass splash back color. Deepen it a little so the hue is closer to that of the floor. Cant tell from pic whether island cupboards are the same color as cupboards above the splashback. If they are, all the better. That then brings the turquoise/white combo forward into the room and gives some unity.

Hi I just thought I would leave a comment about the visibility of joins in reconstituted stone such as Caesarstone tops on islands longer than 3 metres. From a patern point of view; by selecting a style that has a fine grain certainly helps with reducing the visibility of a join. As for the join itself, the technology and tooling used to make such joints has come a long way in the last 10 years; therefore if you use a Kitchen Manufacturer who uses up-to-date stone fabrication methods, then such joins can be next to near invisible. Below is a kitchen we made with an Island that is over 4.3 metres long and has a join through the centre; where the join actually has to be pointed out to be seen. We have seen Kitchen Manufactures use the two height method but you really don't have to do this to achieve a long island. If you would like a long island, then you should not be put off by having to have a join; careful selection of your material, manufacturer and planning can achieve great results. Hope this helps anyone reading this article and the comments above.

It really depends on the style of pool you are after. No.5 is a great look for a formal pool with full width steps leading in. This can be a stunning look when connected to an alresco or formal outdoor dining area, like this (by Natural Pools): Or even this one: The steps then become multi level seating for all ages. Children can sit on the top step, while adults can sit lower down and rest their elbows back on the higher step. This can be annoying, however, if you want to be swimming laps (short laps in a 9.0m pool) and would prefer to touch to the wall. Another detail to keep in mind is the exposed points on your steps. For a tiled pool, these can be quite sharp and a higher potential for scraped feet or legs. No. 4 has three exposed points, No.1 has one and No.5 does not have any. So if you didn't want the full width steps, I would go for No.1. It has a clean line of a continuous ledge across the pool and then the one step below that for access. All the best with your project!