Caesarstone 5121 Layalite

From Caesarstone's Supernatural collection: a bright white ground crossed by broad bands of pigment in ochre-brown and speckled grey. These are not fine veins but strata that read from across the room, like layers in metamorphic rock — a surface that takes the lead in a space, and so sits best against quiet cabinetry and neutral tones.

Supplied in a matte finish only, in 1.3 and 2 cm, on a 320 × 160 cm slab. The quartz itself is non-porous — it will not absorb wine, lemon or oil, and never needs resealing — but a matte surface shows greasy marks more than a polished one and wants a regular wipe. Like all engineered quartz it is not heat-proof: a hot pan goes on a trivet, not on the worktop.