Retail sales of kitchen furniture have seen growth of 4. 5% in the last two years, representing a value of £2,225 million (excluding appliances). This growth is in spite of a 22% decline in the number of consumers purchasing over the same period. Although the amount of time people spend preparing food is decreasing the amount of time people are spending in the kitchen is increasing. Entertainment is now entering the kitchen, with flip-down TV screens, in-built DVDs, integrated coffee machines and wine cooling units. People want gadgets that make life in the kitchen easier as life-styles become more hectic. The kitchen is fast becoming a bit of a haven for people and people increasingly entertain guests in their kitchens. Also taking into account 11. 9 million people under 16 in the UK it is important that your kitchen gives you all the functions which you need; hygiene and aesthetical appeal. The amount of time spent in the kitchen means that there is more daily wear and tear and with children it is imperative that kitchen worktops have superior hygiene is imperative. In the past, unless you had a lot of money, kitchen worktops were constructed from wood such as chip board that is laminated or veneered with a plastic coating which can resemble anything you like from wood finish to granite. Although a very cost effective way of designing your kitchen this type of surface has a poor life cycle and questionable hygiene. It is worth investing in a material which you know is going to last and one which possess brilliant aesthetical qualities and this material is Corian. Introduced in 1967 and a registered trademark of DuPont, Corian is composed of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate. Corian is a durable and versatile material. Due to the nature of the kitchen environment which frequent a lot of daily wear and tear Corian is an ideal material as it resists impacts and so has a long life-cycle. Corian is also a non-toxic and very hygienic material, again making it ideal for kitchen and bathroom environments, this is due to the material being non-porous and so bacteria and mould have nowhere to hide. The look and feel of your kitchen is extremely important as it is a room in which you will spend a lot of your time. Using Corian for your kitchen worktops is very beneficial as they come in many colours and patterns and due to the colour and patterns running through the entire thickness of the material it cannot wear away. This is massive contrast to veneered wooden worktops which nine times out of ten will become chipped or burnt. Perhaps one of the best properties of Corian is that the worktops can be easily maintained and fully restored with an ordinary non-abrasive cleaner. In fact the material is so easy to maintain that burns from hot pans or burnt on food to the worktops can be effortlessly cleaned off. Any damage to the surface caused by wear and tear can be easily repaired making Corian eco-compatible. In kitchen applications Corain is very easy to work with is easily fabricated just like hardwood using similar tools. Joining is also easy and can be glued inconspicuously making virtually unlimited worktops possible. Remember you spend a lot of time in the kitchen along with your family. You want the luxury of easily maintaining your kitchen as well as having an aesthetically pleasing environment to surround yourself in. Corian worktops are a very sound investment and one which you will be pleased with for years to come.