Kitchen Countertops
Remodeling your kitchen? Building from scratch? Nothing is more important to the tone of your kitchen than your choice of countertop. When you look at your kitchen, the countertop is the second largest surface next to the floor. It is the attention-grabbing feature of this favorite room, renowned for its' culinary pleasures.
The strength of the countertop material is one of the most important factors in making your decision about what type of surface to use. Granite is presently the material of choice. Although expensive, it is elegant and solid. Although high maintenance, it offers very beautiful colors. Engineered stone is also an excellent choice for strength. Pricey as well, it carries the advantage of more color choices and easier care.
Stain resistance is very important if you consider how you'd like your counter to look 5 years from now! A solid surface countertop is stain resistant, scratches can be sanded out, and it has the advantage of being only moderately expensive!
Try using more than one surface to create a balance between affordability and beauty.
For example, the wood countertop (butcher block style) can be inserted near the stove for convenient food prep and a warm ambiance. An all wood surfaced kitchen could otherwise be very costly.
Stainless steel is hip. Although durable and professional looking, it is expensive and noisy! You can't cut on it!
Ceramic tile is a good choice for you if you like to install things yourself. It's inexpensive, durable, and comes in a wide range of colors and textures. Unfortunately, the grout lines do stain over time.
Probably laminate is the most affordable. This durable, plastic-coated synthetic comes in lots of nice colors but, over time, it shows stains, scratches, and chips.
The key then, is finding the balance between budget and beauty, function and fancy! If money is no object you would probably be very happy with custom-made concrete countertops or, go for the gusto: marble is marvellous, dahling!
