There are some new laminate worktops around which are causing quite a stir ... they sparkle in the light. Up until recently, if you wanted sparkle in your kitchen, you had to go for one of the mirrored quartz surfaces ... which can work out even more pricey than granite.

These new worktops are made by Bushboard in their Omega range and they have called them Strass Blanc and Strass Noir. They're more expensive than standard - or high gloss - laminate worktops ... but not excessively so. The two outside pictures above, are Bushboard's marketing pictures. The black looks good - but you can't tell from their picture, that the white one sparkles - so the inset is a picture I took of one of their samples. It is fiendishly difficult to get the sparkling to show up in the photos!

I think Bushboard probably also make these worktops for some kitchen manufacturers to use in their own worktop ranges. Look out for "Gloss Metallics" or "White Sparkle Gloss" and "Black Sparkle Gloss".

They look as if the surface is speckled grey - until you get light shining on them - and then they glint in blues, pinks and yellows. It's not perhaps something you'd want all over a really big kitchen ... but in a small kitchen they could look stunning ... or you could perhaps mix a stretch of one of these tops with something plainer, in a larger kitchen.

I don't usually recommend gloss worktops - because of their tendency to show up little scratches when the light shines on them. It doesn't affect their function - and you can't feel any scratches - it's just that you can see them when the light catches them ... so, if you wouldn't be happy with that it's usually best to steer clear of high gloss. With these new tops, though, I reckon I could make an exception. You'd be too busy admiring the sparkles to notice the scratches!