Hi Daman For it to work well the Oak should be in two block areas, if you just have one small area it doesn't work as well as you don't get the continuity that creates visual harmony Hope this helps. Avril designer kitchenmaker

Hi Susan , thanks for your reply and update . It sounds amazing !!! I too have ditched all marbel whatsoever in our home. In the end I chose all black cabinetry ( polytechnic black Wenge) it was slightly warmer and has a grain. My bench tops are all Caesar stone osprey , including the kitchen island , scullery and benchtops. I have a large window splash back that runs along the oven etc . but also quite a lot of walls which I have tiled in an offshore herringbone .The colour of all painted walls throughout solver white delight . We have concrete slate tiling and the white warms this space. It sounds as though we have headed in a similar direction ! We are at the stage of build where the cabinets are getting installed / I'll take a pic and send - I'd love to see yours also ! Here is a pic of a kitchen that has the same elements and colours that I chose .

While i have no opinion on which is better product, can i warn against textured surfaces in a kitchen. They are very difficult to clean particularly on kitchen cabinets. Our old house had texture, very challenging, new house has ultra smooth glossy doors. Love them. Also they were perfect for our very dull, dingy kitchen as they reflect the light instead of absorbing it. Good luck with your project.

We've also used the Polytec Ravine in Sepia Oak in our kitchen and in our bathrooms. I prefer the grain running horizontal, to be honest it wasn't as much as I thought it would be, maybe ask your builder what the difference in price would be? I'm so glad I paid the extra because I think it would have bugged me in the long run. If this is your forever home, I would try and budget for this and if money is tight, cut cost in another area that you can replace in the future when money allows. Good luck!