Remodel How-To: Choosing Countertops
Around here, we know nothing beats a kitchen or bathroom renovation to finally get the brand-new look and feel in your space – that let’s face it you’ve been dreaming of for a long while now... Trying to make sure you make all the ‘right’ decisions to make your home look perfect by yourself can feel overwhelming. And trust us, you’re not alone if you’re feeling under pressure.
To alleviate some selection stress, we’re sharing our best tips in a home remodeling series. Prepping for a remodel? You’ll want to get inspired by our first part > Selecting Hardware
In this part of the series, we talk about completing the design with new countertops. After all, they substantially impact the overall outcome of your remodel. Here our team explores popular types of countertops and how to coordinate the best material with your cabinets and new color palette.
Scroll to see more countertop inspiration then call/text us to make your dream come to life! We know some of the best countertop companies in Tampa Bay and work together to make your renovation a breeze.
1. Natural Stone
Natural stones are a popular choice to create a high-end look that feels grounding and natural. And there are several types to choose from to transform your space:
Granite
While granite was once out of the budget for many homeowners, it is undoubtedly the most popular natural-stone material today. It comes in a wide range of colors and is highly durable and heat resistant. It is an excellent choice for homeowners who love playing chef.
Marble
While less resilient and high maintenance compared to granite, marble is a stunning material to elevate your space. It is also regarded as the ideal surface for working with dough. Where are the bakers?
Pair marble with high reflective white cabinets for a clean, minimal look.
Slate
Slate offers an earthy and masculine essence to any kitchen or bathroom. It is complimentary to nearly any kind of décor and requires minimal maintenance.
2. Solid Surface
Solid surface countertops like porcelain are made from dense acrylic or polyester. These low-maintenance materials come in many colors, so you’ll have no problem customizing your space to fit your style.
3. Quartz Composite
Also known as engineered stone, quartz composite is another low-maintenance material that will last you many years. Tampa area homeowners love this beautiful material. It’s not only stunning but contains around 90% quartz and 10% binder to hold up to practically anything!
Quartz Composite has a beautiful depth and radiance
that can light up any kitchen or bathroom.
Be aware that the pros come at a cost, as this material tends to be more expensive.
4. Concrete
Concrete countertops are truly custom, as they can be pre-cast, cured, and finished to the dimensions of your home. Pigments can be added to achieve your desired look. Although concrete counters are scratch- and heat-resistant, they need heavy-duty sealing to prevent cracking.
We don’t recommend DIY’ing this project – especially if you’ve just invested in refinishing or replacing your cabinetry. Go with a professional company or contractor who has installed them before and can share examples of their work. When in doubt, we think it’s best to go for a ‘concrete’ looking granite or quartz so you know that the final design will suit your home perfectly.
5. Plastic Laminate
Plastic laminate like Corian brand is often an affordable countertop material, and it is incredibly durable.
It comes in hundreds of colors and patterns to complement your walls and cabinetry. These days most people will choose to put these in a laundry room or utility space that they want to function well, but also look stylish.
6. Ceramic Tile
While ceramic tile is higher maintenance and requires regular grout resealing, it can offer a beautiful, traditional design approach. Even if you don’t use tile for your countertops, it can serve as a stunning backsplash or a secondary work surface, such as:
Islands
Breakfast counters
Peninsulas
Wet bars
Butler’s pantries
We say pair ceramic tile with Sunset for a vibrant Spanish Mediterranean look.
7. Wood
Wood countertops like butcherblock are warm, durable, and more sustainable for the environment. Studies have even shown they are even possibly the cleanest work surfaces too (if sealed properly).
While beautiful against stark white cabinets, wood counters can also complement neutral tones like greys and blues too. Remember: this material does require slightly more maintenance to prevent cracking and warping.
Consider the Hardware > Our Guide to Selecting New Cabinet Hardware
Perfect Your Space with Bayshore Remodels
A kitchen or bathroom remodel is an exciting endeavor, but there are many moving parts to consider. Selecting the paint color to the cabinet hardware to the countertops, we’re here to make the selection process seamless.
Let Bayshore Remodels bring your vision to life and help you make the hard decisions! While we focus on making your cabinets look their best, we have some of the best partners in the business when it comes to new countertops too; we’d be happy to connect you. Contact our team today for your free quote!
