Countertops

These days countertops come in wide variety of materials such as Granite, Quartz, Cultured Marble, Fomica, Tile, Butcher Block & many others. These materials also come in large variety of colors from neutral colors, to dark colors with patterns or solid colors. The material and color should be chosen carefully to match the room, cabinets, flooring, etc. A few things to remember when picking out a color for any countertop is:

1. How much lighting does the room have? If the room has a lot of light/windows, you can go a little dark on the top. But if the room doesn’t you will need to go with a lighter color. Going with a lighter color in a room with less light will help you not feel as if you are in a small kitchen/bathroom when you enter the room. Doing a lighter color in a room with little light will help the room from feeling and looking so dark.
2. What type of countertop are you interested in? Are you looking for something with little to no maintenance like Formica? Formica wears really well, especially with their new finishes that they have developed. Formica stands up to a lot of wear with scooting dishes & pots over the surface and hides most stains (red koolaid, tea or coffee). Formica comes in a wide range of colors. With solid colors, simple patterns to the granite look. The possibilities with Formica is endless.
3. What about Granite? Granite comes in a wide range of colors and patterns. Granite is very nice to have in a kitchen and will be a conversation piece with your guests. But with granite, you will have maintenance with resealing and possible scratches. Most home bakers (moms, grandmothers, aunts) love granite for baking because granite stays cold. With granite you will just need to be sure that if you do purchase it, that you will be able to reseal the top when needed, which is every 6 – 12 months or so.
4. How good is a butcher block top? A butcher block top is nice to have, but like granite it does need to be kept up. More often than granite though. It will need to be oiled more often depending on how much it is used. Plus it holds stains from most things that are spilled on them. Usually its hard to get the stains out without having to do a heavy sanding and leaving a “dig” in the wood.
5. What about tile? Tile is good and it comes in a lot of different colors that you can match to your kitchen color scheme. When using tile, you need to be sure that the grout is sealed really good so it doesn’t absorb water and again stains. With tile you do need to be care with dropping heavy objects because it has the potential of breaking the tile. If the tile gets broke, then it needs to be replaced and that will be a mess. Tile does come in a lot of shapes, textures, colors and sizes. With those endless options you can do something simple to something with patterns for your back splashes.
6. Cultured Marble? Cultured marble is nice as well. Again like granite it may take a little maintenance on the up keep of this material. This can also match most any color scheme you are looking at. Some of these tops have the moulded bowl with the countertop that comes in white, bone or the same color as the top.

But whatever you decide in a top be sure its something that you will enjoy for a life time just like your cabinetry.