the choice of countertop

countertops

possibly the hardest choice in kitchen design is the countertops: with such variety of materials, colors, designs and trends, the task can easily become an overwhelming one. one way to simplify this quest would be to pick the material first. below you will find an overview of the most common materials used for countertops: from natural to man-made to outright exotic:

natural stone countertops

natural stone is possibly the most common material used for countertops, it looks stunning in any kitchen, has incredible variety of colors, maintainable and eco-friendly. no two slabs of stone are the same, so choosing the stone from slabs, rather than swatches would be a good idea.

granite

the king of countertops, the one and only, depending on color can be the cheapest of one of the expensive ones. has all of the advantages of the natural stone and is low maintenance, compared to the other. it does need to be sealed once a year to keep up the shine and to stop moisture seeping into the stone. sealing usually takes about 2 minutes and does not require special skills, would not make a hole in your budget and sealing solutions are sold commonly. there are several different types of finishes that you can get on the granite: polished (the shiny one), honed (smooth semi-matte finish) and leather finish (texturized, matte finish) are the most common ones. depending on the look that you would like to achieve in your kitchen, any of those finishes can provide incredible results,completely changing the granite look. below are the pictures of side-by-side comparison of honed and polished (left) and leather and polished (right), polished being the right side of the picture

polished granite	polished granite	polished granite
polished granite	honed granite	honed granite
honed granite	honed granite	leather granite
leather granite	leather granite	leather granite

marble

breathtaking beauty of this stone is tainted by high maintenance. granite countertop would be a perfect choice for someothe who either barely cooks or someone who is fanatical about cleaning. marble countertops, especially polished ones, are very sensitive to acids, like cutrus juice, vinegards, etc, they are prone to absorbing colors of spills, and require sealing 2-3 times a year. however, a marble countertop is by far the most beautiful and classy stone, and it is breathtakingly beautiful. it can be polished to a mirror shine, or can be honed, and, while polished marble does not absorb liquids as well as honed does, honed does not etch as much.

polished marble	polished marble	polished marble
polished marble	honed marble	honed marble
honed marble	honed marble

soapstone

one of the most durable stone, it is like no other. with proper maintenance soapstone countertop can last generations. this one is on pricier side, but there are good reasons for it. soapstone does not: etch, does not absorb liquids, does not get damaged by the heat and does not need to be sealed. it does dent and scratch easier than the rest, but those can be fixed with sandpaper and mineral oil. also, the choice of colors is very limited. as mentioned above, sandstone does not need to be sealed, but can be oiled, purely for aesthetic reasons

soapstone	soapstone	soapstone
soapstone	soapstone

quartzite

quartzite is formed from when soapstone is subjected to extream heat and pressure of tectonic compressions, hence the simmilarity in pattern. this stone is known for its hardness, being harder than quartz, beauty and comparatively low maintenance and heat resistance. it does need to be sealed once or twice a year, unlike soapstopne, but it also offers unique look of the countertop, transofming your kitchen into a work of art.

	quartzite	quartzite
quartzite	quartzite	quartzite

man-made countertops

by man-made, we mean fabricated: from laminate, the most affordible countertop, to stainless steel to quartz and quartzite, man made-countertops offer consistent colors and designs, durability, low maintenance, and, in some cases, the beauty of natural stone

laminate

being the cheapest option for a countertop, it is also least durable one. essentially, laminate countertop is a piece of particle board covered with formica. it is very easy to install, very easy to clean but it does not age well. from the benefints, you get wide choice of colors and designs, low cost and easy replacement.

quartz

this fabricated material is among one of the hardest coutertops, with color consistency and virtually no maintenance, quartz is a perfect choice for many. it is also non-porous and does not need to be sealed. and with many choices of different colors and designs, you can get quartz in almost any color, from blinding orange to marble looking. however, quartz is not heat resistant and does cost more than granite.

stainless steel

would seem a strange choice for some, but perfect for others. those countertops are virtually indestructable, all small scratches polish off easily, the countertop does not absorb anything, is heat resistant and cleaning it is as simple as it gets. usually combined with other types of countertops, stainless steel is very convinient and live-proof. it is also far from cheap and... different colors? not this time

butcher block countertops

butcher blocks are the olders countertops there are. wood has been used in kitchens for centuries. one of the most beautiful countertops, wood generally ages well, and can be sanded down and re-sealed to give it brand-new look years after it has been installed. it does requres the most maintenance, though. general recommendation is to keep water away from wood, to make sure that moisture does not penetrate and separate the wood, to minimize the harmful effect of water, oiling is recommended every 1-3 month. for those reasons, butcher blocks are usually used along other materials, loke granite or countertop. butcher block can be a beautiful and cozy addition to your kitchen, giving it character and warmth. there is also an option of using reclaimed wood for butcher block for a more vintage look and to save a couple of trees

not-so-obvious countertop materials

nowadays countertops can be made from virtually any material: concrete, glass, tile, recycled glass, resin, porcelain and many more. we will not go into details on all of those, but the choice is out there. whatever material you choose, the main thing is to love the way your kitchen looks.

tile	tile	tile
tile	resin	resin
resin	resin	porcelain
porcelain	porcelain	porcelain
recycled glass	recycled glass	recycled glass
recycled glass	concrete	concrete
concrete	concrete	concrete
recycled glass