Countertops Choices, what do you need to know.

Our homes tell the story of those who live there it’s our one chance to show who we really are and influence the way our families live. At the end of the day every material matters. I’m hoping to change some minds today moving you away from all the common countertop choices to some new ideas that might just change it up a bit whether it’s marble or quartzite limestone there’s definitely life after granite rule number one granite is the strongest when it comes to countertops but with the new sealers today almost any countertop can pass the factor rule number two just because we love it does not mean we need to have it on every surface it’s fun to mix it up a little bit and rule number three is countertops do contribute to the overall look of your kitchen or bath but instead of choosing ones with veins and salt and pepper let’s go for something a little more peaceful and subtle this is an example of a marble I just love the gray tones and warmth that this offers are just beautiful in this kitchen but it’s also an example of too much of a good thing so instead of putting the slab material as your backsplash throw in some interesting tile backsplashes and if you’re still worried about the durability factor go ahead and make a cutting board out of the same material and sit it in those hot spots to protect it now we’re looking at quartz countertops they’re extremely consistent you know where you’re going to get versus working with marble which of course is natural and of the earth however it is fairly unpredictable the other reason we love quartz is its affordability it’s about 50 percent less than the Calcutta or the Carrara it’s imitating and lastly you’ve got to love the durability it is made of 93% limestone mixed with a tough resin so that you just can’t beat the durability so if it’s granite or bust then you might want to consider reducing the polished shiny effect and honing the countertop that way it reduces the amount of drama in the granite itself and you could also consider river washing the top of your granite that way it gets more of an organic natural feel back to rule number three while the countertops could contribute to a room in some grand fashion when it comes to modern kitchens you want it to stay very quiet as you can see in this kitchen we’re counting on the architecture of the cabinetry the lines in the simplicity that’s also why the countertop does not have a large overhang letting the cabinet face and the countertop simply stay flush okay there’s one thing I want to warn you up please do not wait till the last minute to go pick out your countertops that’s the number one problem I find people think they can just walk down to the yard and find exactly what they’re looking for and in fact they don’t but they just pick one because it was easy countertops matter pick them out early put your name on it hold it and it’ll be ready for you when you are one of the first things we do when we meet up with our clients is show them some countertop options then we head to the slab yard to see what it really looks like this is gorgeous Calcutta gold marble I love the big veins and the white but one thing I don’t love about this particular piece
of it is all of the gray I’m used to seeing a little more green and warmth to the Calcutta gold so you can’t just pick it from the piece you have to come put your name on it find the one that works for you now just because it’s a marble doesn’t mean it’s perfect even some of the marvels have a
little too much going on in a kitchen it’d be hard to ever make this look clean and simple and fresh now this is also an example of Calcutta gold you can see the difference still from the sample that I have it has a lot more action and you have to be ready for it at most slab yards you are going to find the remnant pile that’s all the leftovers from larger pieces that didn’t get used so remember when you’re picking out large slabs to think of how you might use the other small pieces you get after it’s all been cut out or come to the yard and find remnants for yourself for those smaller areas now we’re looking at Carrara marble you see this all the time in old european restaurants and kitchens it must be fairly durable but with the sealers we have today this product can work in your kitchen you haven’t heard me mention travertine too much in this segment and that’s because generally people just don’t use them for countertops anymore and we had enough of them in the 80s and 90s however if you did choose to use a travertine it’s okay in your bathroom after all the sealers are so much better now I think it stands the durability factor alright now this is what I’m talking about this is a perfect example of gorgeous Calcutta gold looks a lot like the sample I’d have an easy time selling this to my client don’t you just love all the delicious yummy tones they’re very close in value and yet they do contribute a little colour to the room I absolutely love this one this is madre Perla the cool thing about this is it looks like a marble but it’s actually a quartzite which is way more durable I actually sold this to a client today and it was the perfect answer to that personality you want right on the kitchen island I got really lucky here first I talked my client into this very cool grey subtle countertop then we came down to the slab yard look what we found it is bold it is dramatic and it had these large dark areas conveniently we located the sink right where that goes so look for ways to cut out sections and use them differently so that the whole countertop is not a waste as you can see there is a lot to think about when it comes to picking your countertops let me know any questions you have
I hope the rules and tips have helped this is just one other episode of materials matter.

If you need more information to help you to choose the right material for your new countertop, just call us at (561) 305 5930