yep, stunning. I been drawing something similar for a while and it's awesome to see your ab fab results after your OP. I got interested in some ikea solid timber benchtops, not nearly as nice as yours, and thought I'd combo them with black cabinets, white stone and white walls (just a "what if" design). so I totally love your kitchen. it's great how well the tiles look now compared to when you first posted, they really excite me! and the lightshades against the black wall. and what's that dining area I see? that smoked glass table top with timber trestles and black chairs and that black and white rug? where you get those?! I want to see more! congratulations, it's hard not to gush! big ups to Mldesign too.

I am about to renovate my old bathroom and it has a timber bench top. It has rotted away but it is over 30 years old. It would depend on how long you will stay in the house, probably not 30 years. My new bathroom will have stone bench.

They are the cheap version of benchtops. We have one in our current kitchen and, for now, it is totally fine. Not beautiful but functional and looks pretty good. In a world of stone benchtops (seemingly) they don't stand up to comparison however. But, if you go with it and you are happy with it it doesn't really matter what everyone else has! If you want to compare go to a shop like Laminex and look at all the different types they have. Other people can advise more on colour...

Because we are obsessed with all things interiors, we thought we’d share with you some of our favourite ways to update your kitchen. While you may want to renovate your entire kitchen, there are a few things that you can change that will instantly transform it. If you’ve got a spare weekend, we can show you how to get the most out of a few simple changes! Paint or Replace Cabinetry If you want huge results fast, then our first tip is to update the kitchen cabinetry. We find that one of the easiest things to do is to paint the cabinetry! There are some amazing new paints on the market now that are specifically designed for the kitchen area. And if applied following the manufacturer’s instructions, your friends and family will never guess that it’s paint – they are seriously that good! But if you have more room in the budget and your kitchen structure is in good condition, you can have a cabinetmaker replace the doors and surrounds. Once they have measured and you have chosen a finish, the cabinetmaker will build the new doors offsite and return to install them. So there is basically only a few hours of downtime. Winner!! Create a New Benchtop So if you are going to the trouble of replacing or painting your cabinetry, it makes sense to replace the kitchen benchtop as well. Again, updating this will have a huge impact on the overall look, and can be done at the same time as the cabinetry update. With similar options to the cabinetry, you can now buy specific kitchen benchtop paint. Giving you the option to completely update your kitchen in a weekend. Or again, if you have a more generous budget, replacing it with a new one will give you an entirely new kitchen. Design Tip – Think about things like maintenance, longevity and style when choosing your benchtop. If you’re a busy family, something like a high-maintenance marble may not be optimal. Maybe try engineered stone instead. Or if you love a more organic or rustic vibe, go for a solid timber benchtop to add interest. Just make sure your style doesn’t override day-to-day practicality.