Top 5 Kitchen Benchtop Trends for 2026 in Sydney and Perth
The Australian stone and surfaces industry has changed more in the last year than in the last decade. Sydney and Perth designers, renovators, and builders are now looking for fresh ideas, safer materials, and benchtops that match the way we live today.
The old standard high crystalline silica benchtops are moving aside. In their place we are seeing more natural, sustainable, and long lasting surface options, with sintered stone leading the way in many new projects.
Here are five kitchen benchtop trends we see growing fast in 2025 across Sydney and Perth.
1. Bigger and bolder kitchen benchtop designs
Years ago, Calacatta and Carrara style stones ruled most Australian kitchens. Some were real marble. Many were early engineered stones that looked flat and did not age well. They still caught the eye, but often for the wrong reasons.
Now designers in Sydney and Perth are moving away from safe and simple choices. They are using stronger veining, richer colour, and more statement stone to create a real feature in the room.
When this is done with care, a bold benchtop can turn the kitchen into the hero of the home. One of the most popular ways to do this is to run the same stone from the benchtop up the splashback. This creates a clean, continuous look with a strong vertical surface that has instant impact as soon as someone walks into the space.
Bigger and bolder, done right. Featured: Marvel Gold
2. Warm, earthy kitchen benchtop tones
Warm, earthy stone tones grew in 2025 and will keep growing through 2026, especially in family homes across Sydney and Perth. Soft golds, browns, and sand tones sit well with timber floors and warm cabinet colours.
These palettes give a calm, relaxed feel instead of the cold, bright white kitchens that were common for many years. Think light oak floors, warm doors, and a stone benchtop that ties everything together rather than a stark white top that fights with the rest of the room.
The key is balance. When the stone, flooring, and joinery all sit in the same warm family, the kitchen feels like a soft welcome rather than a hard showpiece that no one wants to touch.
Featured: Breccia Brown
3. Making the splashback the hero
In many new kitchens, the splashback is now the main feature. The island bench still matters, but the splashback is what you see first when you walk into the room.
This is true in both Sydney apartments and Perth family homes. As soon as guests step into the living space, their eyes go straight to the back wall of the kitchen. A strong stone splashback, especially in sintered stone, turns that wall into a talking point.
Designers are using book matched patterns, full height slabs, and matching benchtop and splashback designs to create a single, joined story. Running the same sintered stone up the wall keeps cleaning simple and makes the whole room feel more thoughtful and finished.
Pictured: Quartzite
4. More sustainable kitchen benchtop choices
Sustainability is not just a buzz word. More people in Sydney and Perth are asking where their materials come from, how they are made, and what they bring into their homes.
Homeowners want surfaces that are natural, low in chemicals, and made with care for the environment. They also want products with a clear story, backed by real data and third party certifications, not vague claims.
Our sintered stone collection is produced with this in mind. It is built from natural minerals and made in Europe using strict quality control and strong sustainability measures.
Our sintered range is produced with:
- Up to 95 percent recyclable raw materials
- One hundred percent natural ingredients
- Production lines that use one hundred percent recycled water
- One hundred percent renewable energy since 2017
- Ethical material sourcing from selected European sites
- Greenguard certification
- Zero waste production targets
This makes sintered stone a strong choice for people who care about both design and the impact of what they bring into their homes.
Explore the full sintered stone range here: Techlam collection
5. Using more naturally sourced materials
The last year has shown how quickly the benchtop market in Australia can change. Many builders, designers, and architects are now looking back to materials with a clear, natural story and long track record.
Sintered stone fills this space well. It uses natural minerals and an advanced production process to create a surface that is very resistant to stains, scratches, heat, and outdoor weather. It also performs in both indoor kitchens and outdoor spaces, which is a big advantage in cities like Sydney and Perth where alfresco living is part of daily life.
Asetica sintered stone is built on a natural stone base and then refined on a modern line to improve performance. You get the look and feel of stone, with extra strength and stability.
Featured: Kalos Bianco
How these trends show up in Sydney and Perth
In Sydney, many of these trends are driven by tight inner city spaces, bright apartments, and homes that want a calm, refined feel. Bold stones, warm neutrals, and full height splashbacks help small kitchens feel more complete.
In Perth, the same trends often flow into outdoor areas. Sintered stone benchtops that run from the main kitchen to the alfresco let families cook inside and outside with the same surface. Heat resistance and UV stability matter more here, and sintered stone handles both.
Across both cities, the direction is clear. People want kitchen benchtops that look beautiful, last for many years, and are made with care. Sintered stone sits at the centre of this shift and is likely to be one of the strongest benchtop choices through 2025 and beyond.
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