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6 Popular Countertops You Should Consider for Your Kitchen Remodel

6 Popular Countertops You Should Consider for Your Kitchen Remodel

Design tips, Kitchen remodeling

More than just the workhorse of the kitchen, countertops complete the design and style of your kitchen. They must be beautiful, functional and durable!

If you’re ready to match cabinetry and countertops, there are six popular countertops you should consider for your kitchen remodel. (Note: These are popular because of durability, function and style. Pricing will vary based on availability and fabrication costs.)

Traditional kitchen open shelves and glass subway tile in Hudson, Ohio

1. Quartz

Currently the most popular choice in kitchen countertops, homeowners choose quartz surfacing because of its many advantages. Quartz doesn’t need to be sealed, and its seams blend very well. It is easy to clean and is heat, scratch and stain resistant.  Because of its manufacturing process (binding quartz crystals with a resin-based product), quartz is durable and has a seemingly endless choice of colors and patterns available through brands such as Cambria, Silestone and many others.

2. Granite

Granite surfaces are slabs of stone cut from the earth, making each piece unique. It is more porous than quartz and does require a bit more maintenance. You can order granite countertops with a polished, shiny finish; a honed, matte finish; or a specialty finish such as flamed or leather. Because of the many choices in colors and finishes, design flexibility is a significant advantage in choosing granite.

3. Marble

This natural stone countertop is available in 2 cm (3/4”) and 3 cm (1-1/4”) thick slabs at a stone selection warehouse. As a counter surface, marble offers a beautiful, timeless look. It has been a preferred stone in architecture throughout the ages. However we must warn you: marble is softer and more porous than granite. It is susceptible to stains and scratches. You might say it is more of a “living” finish, but be sure you are willing to “live” with it. Even so, some of the most beautiful countertop installations are in marble.

quartzite island countertop

4. Quartzite

Those who love marble should also consider quartzite because it is a natural stone with similar beauty. Quartzite is a solid, crystalline mass of mineral stone cut from the earth in slabs.  It’s harder than most knife blades and is more resistant to etching than marble. The generally lighter, more subtle tones of quartzite give it design versatility.

5. Porcelain

Would you be surprised to hear that porcelains are on the rise? It is becoming a popular trend for kitchen countertops! Although not completely new, porcelain slab countertops have improved greatly. Porcelain is beautiful, durable, and low maintenance. In contrast to solid surface and engineered stone counters, porcelains are rated for exterior use.

wood island countertop

6. Wood

A durable surface for hard-working kitchens, wood countertops are more sanitary than you may think! Wood offers warmth both visually (the color) and tangibly (in contrast to cold stone surfaces).  Often we’ve designed a portion of a client’s kitchen countertops to be a wood species such as cherry, maple, hickory, walnut, teak, sapele or mahogany. If you use a wood countertop as a cutting or chopping surface, be willing to accept cuts and scratches in the surface and simply apply a food- safe oil to the wood.

While we haven’t discussed all the surfacing options that exist, these six countertop options are trending in kitchen design. The lasting beauty and durability make these countertops the most popular choices. There are other good quality surfaces you may want to consider researching as well, such as Durango, Soapstone, semi-precious stone and concrete.

Kitchen Design Trends that Will Never Go Out of Style

Kitchen Design Trends that Will Never Go Out of Style

Design tips, Kitchen remodeling, Projects

“We love that it’s timeless” is common to hear when remodeling a kitchen or bath. Many Ohio homeowners are asking for a timeless kitchen design. And while “classic” and “timeless” are in style, what can we say will never go out of style?

In this blog post, we’ll highlight five timeless kitchen design trends.

1. White Cabinetry

White kitchen cabinets are a well-established tradition dating back to New England and the Cape. Today, white cabinets are no longer just found in cottages along the coast but are implemented in traditional or contemporary design across the U.S. What makes them timeless is the 100+ years they’ve remained in style.

White and Gray kitchen remodel

2. Shaker Cabinet Doors

Shaker (or similar flat-paneled) cabinet doors are easily traced back to the Shaker communities of the early 1800s. In principle, Shaker design was guided by simplicity and utility; it was minimalistic, but ingenious.  With stile-and-rail cabinet doors and dovetail drawers, we continue to see their influence on design even today. The historical foundation gives us reason to think this cabinet door style may never go out of style.

3. Mixed Furniture Styles

When we talk about mixing furniture styles, we mean pieces that look like furniture—even freestanding furniture—that are incorporated into kitchen design. It’s timeless to have an unfitted look. Hoosier cabinets, pie safes, work tables, wash basins and other functional pieces were introduced years ago and are now buffet pieces and islands. It’s not cobbled together as it was historically, but now we design these mixed furniture styles to look evolved.

4. Marble

Marble is both ancient and truly trendy right now. Buildings still standing from ancient Greece and Rome have marble interior surfaces, exteriors, sculptures and art. The material itself has withstood the test of time. Today, is marble popular? You bet. Marble countertops are on trend. Trying to ride on the popularity of marble, many quartz and granite manufacturers—even laminate manufacturers—are trying to duplicate the look of marble.

5. Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring is a true classic. We can prove it. Many Colonial-era homes featured old-growth hardwood floors. And later around the late 1800’s, polished hardwood floors became mainstream in America (source: OldHouseOnline).

While the material itself is timeless, what trends is the color with which to stain the wood flooring. Also trending is floor tile that looks like wood. (With flooring manufacturers duplicating the look, that just proves what a timeless classic hardwood floors truly are!)

Conclusion

Consider the basics in a kitchen: cabinetry, countertops, flooring, and fixtures. If you are seeking to create a look that can better withstand the test of time, look for those foundations within historical design that speak to timelessness.  Be creative within those foundations and the end result will be simple but artistic; both timeless and current.