If your kitchen is the star of your home, then your countertops are its clothes. Along with your cabinets, counters are the most visible element in your kitchen, and they’re the hardest working pieces in the space. They take a daily beating from food preparation, cleaning agents, scrubbing pads and spills.
When you select your countertops for your new home, it’s important to balance aesthetics and function. Some countertop materials look beautiful but are hard to maintain. Others are durable but do not offer the lasting appeal of more expensive materials. Craftmark Homes most often selects two fabulous all-around materials for its homes: quartz and granite.
Quartz and Granite: The Holy Grail of Countertops
Quartz isn’t mined from a quarry like other types of stone. It’s manufactured from engineered stone mixed with resins into a nearly indestructible and supremely hard surface, making for a durable addition to your gourmet kitchen. Your quartz countertop might even include pulverized bits of scrap metal and mirrors for an elegant shimmer.
One consideration with quartz is that it can potentially take damage from the direct application of heat. If you select a quartz countertop for your new Craftmark home, be sure to protect your counters by using a potholder or trivet – habits you’ve likely already formed.
Granite is a natural stone that is found in quarries around the world. It comes in a dazzling variety of colors and patterns. Like quartz, granite is dense and impervious to abuse, but it needs occasional cleaning and maintenance to look its absolute best – and it can potentially contain radioactive elements that devolve into radon, though the chance of it contributing to anything harmful is relatively slim.
Color-Coordination Is Key
Once you’ve chosen the material, it’s time to select the color of your countertop. After choosing from a basic palette of white, neutral or dark surfaces, you can then select the cabinets, lighting and appliances that match your unique style and bring the whole space together.
Whichever countertop shade you pick, the rest of your kitchen selections will fall into place rather easily. Here are two ideas to get you started:
Go with light neutrals for endless choices.
If you prefer white or neutral counters, look at your cabinets as providing a color pop for the kitchen and the countertops as a soothing neutral balance for the room. With an all-white or neutral selection, you can also pick dramatic fixtures and appliance colors to shift the focus of the room.
Make a dark countertop your centerpiece.
Going with a dark countertop is a bold choice but worth it for a dramatic impact. With a dark choice, you can add lighter or neutral color with cabinets and lighting to balance out the dark hues.
No matter what you select for your countertops, Craftmark Homes can help you choose the products and appliances to create your dream kitchen. Contact us today to see how we can help you move into your dream home.