How to join timber panels to form L-benchtop on pantry cabinets?

[barydos]

Hi there!

I'm going to be installing some kitchen cabinets in our small pantry and need some advice about benchtops as it will need to fit an L-shape over the cabinets.

I'm thinking of a long bench top spanning across the wider pantry over the gap and onto the corner cabinet top. Then I'd complete the L-shape with a smaller panel over the remaining space over the cabinets (which will join to the high cabinet). The cabinets have a depth of 37mm. What's a recommended overhang for benchtops?

I was thinking of something like this panel (https://www.bunnings.com.au/specrite-1800-x-405mm-18mm-timber-panel-beech-fj-laminated_p8330198) with a couple coats of polyurethane. 

What's the best approach to making the L look nice? I think I'll leave a 5mm (or less) gap to the walls and high cabinet and caulk those gaps, but what's the approach to join the two bench tops together. They will all be secured to the cabinets from the underside, but not sure how to deal with the butt joint part.

Thanks!

[barydos]

Re-visiting this thread to close it off - thanks everyone for all the info!

I ended up using the Kaboodle kit and Acacia timber panels (2200 x 600 x 26) and butted them together on the cabinets, also butted the boards on some angle brackets for shelves above the cabinets.

I caulked the gaps the cabinet benchtops made with the wall, and just left the shelving boards as is because that's less visible. There were some/minimal gaps at the butt joints due to concerns of expansion (though I'm not sure how much of an issue that would be).

Here's the final look of the pantry: 

[MitchellMc]

Wonderful work, @barydos and many thanks for sharing your results!

Mitchell