Lighting - pendants over the servery bench should be another feature that complements your chosen kitchen surfaces. So whilst I love the copper pendants in picture 1.. They could work depending on the rest of your decor and would be a highlight in a neutral white/timber kitchen = Good! If you choose copper you would complement it with a couple of copper bench top items. These are beautiful! (I collect copper because I love it, my kitchen pendants are silver, I renovated to sell in the next 3-5 years) You will see a picture starting to form in your mind and there is nothing wrong with making a statement with your lighting. I found that when I wasn't sure I would get a very strong sense of what was right and what was wrong for a space, then common sense or passion would determine the outcome! Here are another couple that might work, look her on Houzz under lighting, search pendants, then have fun looking!Timber tones with black or white to complement your cabinets... or Statement white pendants for a bit of quirky fun! Your personality can be reflected in your lighting and accessories creating that point of difference from the predictable white on timber look. Plus don't forget the power of greenery to punctuate the theme!

Hi Margaret, Kitchens have a lot of options so it's good to speak to your kitchen specialist about how you use your kitchen as drawer sizes tend to be influenced by type of item you are storing and which zone. DYNAMIC SPACE are Blum's ideas for practical kitchens, you can check out the zone planner, cabinet solutions and tips in our kitchen ideas section of our website. Think about the items you desire to store in your new kitchen in the following 5 zones and this will help you create a brief for your designer: Consumables, non-consumables, cleaning, preparation and cooking. Examples: 450 mm wide is a common width for a bench height rubbish bin solution with SERVO-DRIVE uno 600 mm is great width for a SPACE TOWER pantry 900 mm is a dream cutlery, utensil, plate or pot drawer Click for our NZ Kitchen Designer and Manufacturer Directory. All the best for your new kitchen. Regards, Sophie Blum NZ

There are specialist benchtop repair companies that do this type of work. Ask for a quote. These two have been recommended in various online forums by people who use them, but I have not personal experience with them. http://www.toprepairs.nz/ http://www.benchdoctors.co.nz/

Thanks Geoff, that’s a good point! We will paint the walls a white with slight grey to it, do you think a white splashback would work? We were thinking black to match the cooktop but also show off the benchtop. If anyone needs more info - the rest of the house is quite neutral, leaning towards a slight country theme but still keeping it modern.