Kitchen Counters 101: Select Correctly for Practicality and Search

Every single week, Mansion Global tackles a subject matter with an elite group of designers from around the entire world who operate on luxury homes. This 7 days, we explored how to choose the suitable material for a kitchen countertop.  

Picking out the proper countertop materials can make or split a kitchen’s design—and operation. With an array of resources on the market––ranging from marble to butcher block to concrete––how does a single pick the ideal kitchen area countertop?

Mansion World wide questioned four kitchen area layout industry experts to weigh in on the professionals and negatives of the most typical countertop materials. Here’s what they claimed.

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Organic Stone

“Aesthetically, purely natural stone provides a distinctive and natural glimpse to kitchen area design that simply cannot be replicated by other materials. 

“Granite is exceptionally tough and strong and will come in a extensive array of hues and styles. It is also resistant to warmth, scratches and stains. However, it does call for frequent sealing to stop stains from setting in. 

“Marble is a basic and tasteful stone that also comes in a array of shades and veining designs. It does demand a lot more upkeep for the reason that it has a softer and extra porous floor. Marble is also susceptible to etching from acidic substances, which can produce uninteresting spots. However, if appropriately sealed and managed, it can be a attractive and timeless preference for a kitchen area countertop. 

“Limestone is a bit softer than granite and marble, which means it is additional susceptible to scratches and chips. It is a terrific alternative for a kitchen area countertop if you want a pure glance as it generally has fascinating styles and textures, but you have to dedicate to normal sealing to avoid stains and harm. 

“Soapstone has a distinctive, easy texture and matte end. It has come to be well known about the yrs due to the fact it is really low servicing, necessitating only standard oiling to sustain its appearance. A thing to notice is that it can scratch and chip in excess of time, but these can incorporate to the character and charm of the materials.”

—Sara Malek Barney, BANDD/Style and design in Austin, Texas

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Quartz and Good Floor

“Quartz and solid area products are person-produced, and they are nearly servicing-cost-free. They don’t involve standard sealing like purely natural stone, and they really don’t stain simply. 

“The main difference among quartz and good surface for kitchen counter tops is that quartz is the more tough product. Quartz is manufactured from purely natural stone which has been floor up. Resin is added, and the final result is a sturdy and non-porous materials that resists staining. 

“Quartz is viewed as eco-pleasant simply because it has a prolonged daily life and can be recycled. Strong surface materials can in some cases seem produced whereas quartz resembles organic stone. It need to be noted that vinegar and lemon juice, everything acidic, can etch the surface of quartz. Stable surface area elements are often softer than quartz and inclined to scratches, etching and cuts. Quartz is also warmth-resistant [a solid-stone] area is not.

“There are so a lot of quartz options that it’s quick to uncover one particular to match pretty much any aesthetic.”

—Designer Hannah Rasa, InSite Builders & Transforming in Bethesda, Maryland

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Concrete

“Concrete is a very sturdy content that resists scratches, chips and heat destruction as when compared with other supplies this kind of as granite, marble or quartzite.

“Given the unrestricted prospective for texturizing, concrete adds a warmth to a kitchen unlike any other material. It can be custom-made to in shape any layout aesthetic, owning the skill to combine to any colour, and exceptional form with personalised functions such as drainboards or prep sinks. You certainly can do an overall kitchen in concrete, specifically if the selected colour and attributes really don’t dominate the layout.

“A concrete countertop will continue to be unmarred and as wonderful for many years to arrive as it does the working day of installation. With extensive customization, a concrete countertop can take extended to manufacture than a pre-current slab material. Given that concrete is a made product, it is …  commonly far more cost-successful.”

—John Starck, president and CEO of Showcase Kitchens in Manhasset, New York

Wooden and Butcher Block

“Wood and butcher block countertops include texture and warmth to kitchens and are regarded a softer, a lot more organic surface area. Kitchens are filled with difficult surfaces and the heat of wooden counter tops can help to soften the total palette. 

“In kitchens, butcher block is favored for operating prep regions. It is extra tough and knives continue to be sharper performing on butcher block as you are reducing between wooden fibers somewhat than across them. Butcher block involves servicing, though. Surfaces need to be retained dry as prolonged exposure to drinking water will injury them and the tops will melt away so you need to use trivets.  

“We use wood or butcher block as a portion of the kitchen area counter tops. Any wood

countertop that we set up in a kitchen area has a marine-grade sealer accepted for kitchen use.”

—Nadia Subaran, principal/senior designer, Aidan Design and style in Silver Spring, Maryland

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