Best wooden-look laminate kitchen worktop

[MrsJamin]

I love love love wood but DH is put off by stories of them quickly going horrid with water marks etc after a while. I'm reticent to agree with him that the maintenance is too much. I'm keen for our two DSs to use the kitchen to help themselves to food and drink in the coming years and I can't imagine they will be quick to mop up spills so for peace of mind I think we'll have to go with laminate.

The howdens designer didn't convince me that she thought their iroko-look laminate was that good so I am trying to research other options. Duropal seem good - which is their best look wooden-look laminate? I don't want one too matt and smooth as it won't look like wood at all. Any other opinions welcome, it doesn't have to be the cheapest out there.

[christinarossetti]

I'm also interested in this so marking place.

[yomellamoHelly]

Came on to suggest square edged wood effect from Howdens. Ho hum! (So marking place to hear the alternatives. Kitchen due in first week August. Nothing like changing mind at last minute!)

[MrsJamin]

This www.laminatekitchenworktops.co.uk/tagged/wood-effects/ lists a load of different types - Prima, Omega, Axiom, Oasis and Duropal - it's so hard to tell what any of them are like from the pictures though.

[MrsJamin]

This place www.plasman.co.uk/no-shop/portfolio_pflip/portfolio.html seems to do a huge range. But still I don't know how they look!

[atonofwashing]

Our kitchen that was taken out this week was an old MFI one. We had a wooden work surface. I didn't fuss over it too much, and it lasted for 11 years. It probably only needed a sand down and re oil. It lasted really well and I loved it. Was a bit marked round the back of the sink but nothing that a sand down couldn't have fixed.

Our new kitchen is from Howden's and I've ordered a wood effect laminate. my brother and SIL have the same counter top and it's lovely.
We are moving and renting out our house so opted for the laminate. Had we been staying I would have bought myself a new wooden top. No question.
Good luck.

[MrsJamin]

Oh don't atonofwashing, I'm still utterly dithering. I want to believe we'd look after wood but I just don't know and there are such conflicting opinions out there!

[mandy214]

Do you have a local timber merchant? Ours stocked sample pieces of all the high end laminates (Bushboard, Prima, Durable, Axiom plus more) so you could see the various options. We had oak worktops previously and it did mark around the sink.

[atonofwashing]

Its a tough one, I know, but I love the wood top. I just love the real thing. And am willing to take good care of it. Even though I didn't really look after the MFI one, I did find myself wiping down round the sink more often. Am slightly dreading the laminate one arriving, but I know it will be best for tenants. Plan on replacing it when we return, too.

xx

[annalouiseh]

This is an oak natural block n059 from bushboard omega my dh did before christmas.
It is the best laminate oak we have seen

[MrsJamin]

Ooh thanks annalouiseh, I will look that up! Going through old threads and I still can''t see a pattern of why some wooden worktops get ruined and some are fine. I would go for iroko and osmo oil as they seem the best options.

[MrsJamin]

I went to look at some laminates and Axiom Bali Wood was my favourite as it was grainy. However DH turned his nose up and I think we're going to risk the Iroko real wood as everything else is too expensive or we don't like it!