Do I Regret Installing Matte Black Quartz Worktops in our Kitchen? My Honest Review of our Dark Counters Five Months in!

Five months ago we finished our kitchen renovation. We selected a black quartz worktop with a honed/natural finish for a matte look - going against web-wide advice that black worktops have a lot of drawbacks. Now that we have lived with these worktops for almost half a year, they have seen a lot of use, including continuous hosting over the holiday season. As I look back at some of the work we did in 2024, the start of 2025 is the perfect time to loop back with an honest review.

Why did we opt for matte black quartz worktops?

When I was gathering inspiration for our kitchen’s design, I gravitated towards the beauty of soapstone worktops. This naturally occurring material resembles a black marble so it is charcoal in colour with white veining. It has a matte or honed look to it, so it is not glossy or reflective. Soapstone is a metamorphic rock that is dense and heat resistant, but prone to scratches and chips. So as lovely as it looks, I knew it wouldn’t work for our home as I did not want that maintenance and risk. I set about finding alternatives with a similar look to soapstone but in a hardier, more conventional material like quartz or granite. I knew I needed to find something charcoal coloured with some lighter accents, featuring the same matte or leathery texture as soapstone.

I soon found out, black worktops get a bad rap.

In searching for soapstone look-a-likes in granite or quartz, I came upon repetitive advice cautioning against a dark counter, especially in a honed finish. Darker or black worktops are notorious for showing any mess, fingerprints, dust, or blemishes. The natural or matte finishes further accentuates those issues. I kept this advice in the back of my mind, but I was set on having black honed worktops so nothing could stop me.

How did I find the right worktop for our kitchen?

Granite and quartz worktops are my preference for a kitchen worktop material. I value their hardiness and low maintenance. There are a few differences between the two but they are both very functional and beautiful options. Granite is naturally occurring, whearas quartz is manmade. Granite is very heat-resistant, whereas quartz is not as much. Granite is more porous and prone to staining, whereas quartz is less-so and does not need to be sealed annually like granite does. Both granite and quartz are sold in a variety of finishes, some of them with a matte texture.

Granite with a matte finish is “honed”. The search for a honed dark granite in the UK proved difficult. Honed granite that mimics the veining in Soapstone is mainly mined in North America. Virginia Mist and Nero Mist are great alternatives to soapstone if that is easy to source, however it was impossible to find near where I am located.

I came to find out because darker worktops don’t sell as well or as often as lighter worktops, there aren’t as many choices. Lighter quartz or granite worktops are a classic and timeless choice, and currently the most popular worktop across the board. Granite and quartz yards are filled with slabs of white worktops- with only a few slabs of darker stone dotted amongst a sea of white and beige.

I soon stumbled upon a quartz worktop that mimicked many of the features of soapstone. I fell in love with it. The name of the material is Black Tempal by Caesarstone and it is a quartz material in a “natural” finish. This material is dark grey/black with mineral-like flecks of lighter colours. The finish is “natural” and gives a honed look which is slightly leathery to the touch.

Why did I persist with installing a worktop material many cautioned against?

Sample selection of materials including our Quartz worktops.

There were times where I did question why we were selecting a material that was not as common, more expensive, and not as ideal for resale due to the uniqueness of the material. The overwhelming negative advice on the internet was in the back of my mind as well.

Kitchen worktops are a huge investment and very difficult to rationalise changing if you dislike it. I often keep bigger pieces of furniture and decor very neutral for this same reason so I shocked even myself in my risky choice for a bolder worktop. However, I think it made me like it more that the darker worktops were a more unique and rebellious choice, adding some drama and flair to our kitchen area.

We were finally designing a home with ourselves in mind- not for a buyer or anyone else!

Do I have any regrets in our worktop choice?

In short, no!

I love our black worktops and find them beautiful. This love hasn’t faded! I love the uniqueness of the matte finish. The finish mutes the bold black so the material is harmonious with the rest of our earthy home. It also mimics the look of soapstone successfully, and adds that timeless and charming feel to our in-frame shaker kitchen. Paired with the vertical slat panelling and all of our finishes and cabinetry, the kitchen is timeless and just what we needed to add that old world charm in our new build home.

Our kitchen with black quartz worktops.

Honestly though- what the internet says in regards to black worktops showing mess is true!

Fingerprints and blemishes are easy to see, and on the matte surface they are possibly more pronounced than if the surface was glossy. I believe, however, that because some of the mess is easier to see, its easier to clean! We clean our kitchen often (multiple times daily) so some of these drawbacks with darker worktops did not phase us. If your kitchen is not in as much use or the idea of constantly cleaning grease and blemishes is daunting, black matte worktops may not be the right choice.

I believe all worktops have advantages and drawbacks. As mentioned, I have installed white quartz worktops in the past so now have experience with living with both lighter worktops and darker ones. I have determined that lighter worktops have nearly as many drawbacks as darker ones do, they are just different drawbacks. Our white worktops did not show as many fingerprints, but our black worktops do not show curry stains!

Are you thinking about installing darker worktops? Let me know any questions in the comments below, I’m happy to help!