Stone worktops in Colindale

A century ago the fields north of Colindale became Hendon Aerodrome, and the area filled with aircraft makers and other factories; Frigidaire sold its first fridges in England from a shed on Aerodrome Road in 1923. The RAF Museum now sits beside the old airfield. Since 2010, more than 6,000 homes have been built in Colindale, including on the former Hendon Police College, and plans around the station allow for over 10,000. The station itself, first opened in August 1924, has been rebuilt with step-free access.

Many new-build kitchens come with laminate or compact worktops chosen by the developer. Swapping them for stone while keeping the units is a straightforward way to upgrade.

• Check your lease: many need the freeholder's or managing agent's consent before kitchen works.
• Ask the building about deliveries: loading bays, lift bookings, lift sizes and permitted working hours.
• If your home is still covered by a new-home warranty, check whether changing the kitchen affects it.
• Stone is usually a different thickness from the old worktop, so plan an upstand or new tiling along the wall.

By 1939, much of Colindale was semi-detached housing. Barnet Council's history notes the Colin Park Estate around Colindeep Lane, built in 1927, with several houses by the architect E. G. Trobridge. Kitchens in these houses have usually been extended or reworked over the years, and a stone worktop on existing units, or a new L-shaped run with a breakfast bar, suits them well.

In a smaller flat kitchen, a 20 mm quartz or slim porcelain worktop keeps the room light and is easy to carry up in a lift. Both are non-porous and need no sealing, which suits busy, compact kitchens.