Kitchen Countertops

Kitchen countertops are one of the most important surfaces in your kitchen. It is the surface that catches your eye, and at the same time, it has to be very practical as food cooking and prepping takes its toll even on the toughest surfaces. When you design your kitchen – countertop material usually is the most debated design element.

What to consider when you are choosing your kitchen countertop?

Scratch & stain resistance.

When thinking about countertop surface – for many clients resistance to scratches it is a priority. Even if you are not indeed cutting your food on the countertop directly, there is still a lot of activity around it with kitchen appliances, pots, and pans. With so much going on on the surface you want your countertop to look new as long as possible.

Color and pattern options.

Although there are natural stone options that tick all the points in terms of function, sometimes they are falling out of favor because of busy grain pattern, or lack of color options that work with your kitchen design.

Maintenance.

You do clean your kitchen a lot as is…Many clients want their kitchen counter surface to be virtually maintenance free. Just wipe and go… And with some materials it is possible! The truth is, there are beautiful natural materials, such as marble that can be sealed for extra protection, but you do have to remove everything that is sitting on the top of the counters and cleaning it thoroughly before applying the sealant. There is also a range of finishes that are available with different types of natural stone that require higher and lower maintenance – just one more point to consider.

Available width of slabs.

Man-made materials, such as quartz come in the limited width of slabs, for example, Caesarstone is 3050 mm x 1440 mm. That will determine the price of your countertop. Also if you are planning on an extra wide kitchen island or end counter you might discover that you will be able to use only natural stone that is available in wider slabs. Or mix and match?

UVB resistance.

You always wanted the light and airy kitchen with large windows, but with light, there comes a tradeoff – the direct sunlight might discolor the counters – of course depending on what they are made of. Colorfastness is an important factor to consider when you are choosing the right material for your kitchen countertop.

We have been working with natural stone for over 10 years and make sure we ask our clients all the right questions to choose the material that will work the best for their lifestyle and kitchen design. There is a lot of material options for countertops ranging from natural stone to wood and steel, but with all available options

The most frequently used materials for kitchen countertops:

Quartz kitchen countertops

Quartz has become a true winner when it comes to countertops due to its nonporous structure. The beautiful natural looking designs are also a great bonus. The downside is the limited width and length of slabs, that might be limiting some design possibilities, and its colorfastness – the resins, used in its composition tend to change color when exposed to direct sunlight too often. More about Quartz countertops.

Granite kitchen countertops

Granite is simply great for kitchen countertops –  it is very durable and scratch resistant and requires virtually no regular maintenance. It has become so popular that it’s lower-end varieties were overused in the kitchen design along with its distinctive coloring and grain pattern. But the higher end varieties of granite offer a range of beautiful grain patterns and color options that are still trending in the countertop material market. More about granite countertops.

Marble kitchen countertops

We tend to recommend marble less for the kitchen countertops – along with its sophisticated high end design comes its fragility. It is prone to scratching and staining, and over the years acquires that warm patina, that could truly be appreciated only in a rustic or old world inspired interiors. More about marble countertops.

If you are thinking about changing your countertop or planning a brand new kitchen – give us a call and book an appointment to see the material samples in person to find out what will work best for you.