Choosing the right, nice kitchen countertops can be tricky and maybe expensive. Before starting to make a big update, check out what Luxcess Home did for their customers or read What Stone is the Best Choice for Me? It may help you select the right one for your space. 

There are numerous types of countertops available in the market. All of these countertops have different qualities that make them unique. One of the biggest mistakes people make when buying quartz countertops is that they often make the wrong choice when buying these countertops. You should keep in mind that not all countertops would go well with the theme of your kitchen or your bathroom. You should consider many things before buying a countertop for your luxurious home.

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Most people do not know this, but countertops can have a considerable affect anywhere you install them. Therefore, you should be patient whenever you go out to buy them. Your cooking proclivities and your sense of style are a couple of things you should consider before buying countertops. Mentioned below is a guide that will help you decide which countertop would best suit your needs.

Photo Credit | Luxcess Home By SOD Builders

Granite countertops are not expensive when you compare them to other countertops. Additionally, the range of colors and designs in granite countertops is minimal. If you are looking for funky designs and fancy colors, going for granite countertops would not be a good idea.

However, the limited range of designs and colors go exceptionally well with almost all pairings which makes granite countertops a good option for your luxurious home.

Photo Credit | Luxcess Home By SOD Builders

MARBLE COUNTERTOPS

If you are looking to add a gleaming and polished look to your house, marble countertops are a great idea. One of the best things about marble countertops is the fact that they offer great flexibility as they can easily go along with almost every décor.

Keep in mind that marble countertops require a lot of maintenance as they can stain and chip easily. You should keep your cooking style in mind before going for marble countertops.

Photo Credit | Luxcess Home By SOD Builders

QUARTZ COUNTERTOPS

Contrary to popular belief, these countertops are not mined. Quartz countertops are carefully engineered in factories. This engineered stone has a significant advantage over other countertop materials.

One of the most significant advantages it has is the fact that it is extremely low maintenance and durable. It is stain resistant and non-porous which makes it ideal for use in kitchens. You can easily clean stains by using warm water, a towel, and a dry cloth. Quartz countertops have excellent value because of their stylish looks and durability.

Photo Credit | Luxcess Home By SOD Builders

Although quartz countertops are an excellent option for anyone, they do have a few cons. First, you will require professional help if these countertops get scratches and chips, which is extremely rare. Secondly, you have to avoid putting extremely hot objects directly over these countertops. Doing so can cause discoloration. You can prevent discoloration by placing a towel or a tray below the hot object.

Quartz Countertop

This kitchen is as classy as they come! The simple, geometric design and neutral color of the cabinets allows the light, subtly-veined Calacatta Vincenza Quartz Countertop to be the star of the show, and it’s beautiful both as countertop and full-height backsplash, even extending around the range hood to turn this often-overlooked feature into an eye-catching accent. The stainless-steel six-burner gas stove and oven is a beautiful and practical choice fit for even the most finicky chef, and it’s even equipped with yet another unusual and useful detail. An extra spigot included in the backsplash makes it easy to fill pots or add a bit of water without ever leaving the stove—not only does it look great, but it’s also one of those features that will make you wonder how you ever cooked without it.

Quartz Kitchen Countertop Ideas

It’s easy to imagine enjoying the natural light in this kitchen while working at the big farmhouse-style white porcelain sink with plenty of counterspace on either side. In a kitchen with as much countertop area as this one, the choice of a light, subtly-veined stone helps keep the space from feeling too busy, creating instead a clean and airy atmosphere.

Countertops are always a main focal point in any kitchen, but when you find a stone you love, you’ll want a design that maximizes its potential. This kitchen’s waterfall island and full-height backsplash do just that. The gorgeous white Calacatta Vincenza Quartz is especially stunning as it spills down the sides of the island to meet the dark wood floor, reflecting the natural light. Its color and veining are exquisitely delicate, but the engineered stone itself is not—quartz is highly durable and maintenance free, making it the perfect choice to keep your kitchen looking like a showpiece despite daily use. And whether Calacatta Vincenza Quartz seems just right for your own kitchen or whether you have something else in mind, SKY Marble and Granite can help you find the stone that speaks to you—you can even pick out the individual slab!

White Quartz Countertop with Gray Cabinet

Imagine the culinary possibilities in this kitchen, with its extra built-in ovens, island sink, and other great features—any chef would be well-equipped here! Family and friends are sure to feel at home, too, with the comfy island seating area. As you think about designing your own aesthetically-pleasing yet practical kitchen space, this design offers lots of ideas to think about. And of course, it never hurts to consult a professional like SKY Marble and Granite in Sterling, VA! We’re always ready to help you with your design ideas, down to the smallest detail.

Scituate, MA — A 300-sq.-ft. addition not only tripled the footprint of this kitchen, but also laid the groundwork for its transformation. The small, awkward room with too many angles and too little countertop and storage space was recreated as an open, well-functioning kitchen with dual islands, updated appliances, coffee station, bar area and bonus breakfast nook.

Find the perfect kitchen countertop material and give your kitchen a new look. Granite, Marble, Quartz are the best selections for kitchen countertops.

“My clients bought the home about four years ago and recently finished working with an interior designer to update other rooms,” says Marlene MacDonald Ketchen, owner/designer, The Cabinetry Kitchen & Bath Design Studio, in Hingham, MA, and president of the Bath & Kitchen Buying Group. She collaborated with Meyer & Meyer Architects for the addition.

“It is a beautiful home, but it needed a new kitchen…a place where my clients could cook, entertain and be comfortable,” she states.

However, simply adding square footage wasn’t the be-all, end-all solution, notes Ketchen, who indicates the potentially cavernous space was further complicated by an abundance of windows and openings that left little in the way of wall space for upper cabinet storage. The clients also had an extensive list of appliances they wanted incorporated into the space, creating another challenge.

“We had to get very creative to find enough storage and fit all the appliances,” she explains, noting the end result is a kitchen with sophisticated efficiency…a place where the cooking process is well thought out and where aesthetics are well appointed.

Foundational cooking island

Given their specific parameters, positioning the 48″ Wolf range and its associated ventilation hood became top priority, with their final destination incorporating an existing column that supports the second floor and an additional faux column to offer symmetry.

“[Due to] the range’s size, downdraft ventilation wasn’t possible,” she says. “Plus, my clients wanted a traditional wood hood that matched the cabinetry. Because of the way the addition was done, and because of the way we needed to vent the range, there was really only one place for the range and hood.”

Ketchen built upon the cooking island’s functionality by adding additional appliances, including a Wolf microwave and paneled warming drawer. A pull-out cabinet for spices and cooking oils on one side of the range is balanced by a bank of drawers on the other. Additional storage via shallow cabinets with touch latches is located on the back side of the island, which faces into the breakfast nook. This side of the island also features a gracefully curved raised bar top.

“It gives a nice aesthetic,” the designer notes. “When my clients are entertaining, guests who are standing can also use it as place to set their drinks.”

Ketchen enhanced the island’s visual appeal with the addition of wainscoting and cabinet details, such as corbels and bands of spherical trim, from Omega Cabinetry’s Infinity Collection.

“My clients really loved the circles and wanted to work them into the design,” she explains.

Oversized seating island

With the focal-point cooking island located, Ketchen turned her attention to the second island, which serves as home to the sink and paneled Miele dishwasher. Its oversized dimensions offer plenty of storage – including large drawers for pots and pans – and a place for in-kitchen seating.

“This island needed to be chunkier and ‘heavier’ than a standard 36″ island,” she says, noting it reaches to 60″ at the broadest point along its curved top. “I wanted to use that width to provide more storage and to tighten up the walkways so they weren’t too wide.”

The island’s Omega Cabinetry Dynasty Series base echoes the same Pumice stain as the cooking island. The designer also included Infinity Collection details, such as turned support legs. Additional details include a pair of custom Hubbardton Forge pendant lights that hover above the island and complement the chandelier in the breakfast nook.

Ketchen also tied both islands together visually via their Copenhagen granite tops.

“They fell in love with the stone,” she says. “It’s beautiful and has a lot of movement.”

‘Quiet’ perimeters

To keep the kitchen from becoming too busy, Ketchen suggested a ‘quieter’ stone for the perimeter countertops, including those on each side of the paneled Sub-Zero refrigerator as well as at the coffee station and bar area.

“I often recommend quartz for perimeter countertops, usually something solid if a ‘wild’ grain stone is used on the island,” she notes. “But these clients really wanted natural stone. I helped them search for something complementary and we found this Calacatta quartzite. It really complements the granite and keeps the busy stone from overpowering the space.”

Ketchen also set the perimeters apart from the islands by choosing a creamy white Magnolia paint finish for the maple cabinetry to differentiate it from the Pumice-colored alder islands.

Additional elements in the refrigerator surround include glass upper cabinets with curved mullion details and drawer base cabinets with organized storage accessories, including cutlery dividers and a peg system for dishes. To pull the refrigerator into the space and closer to the islands, Ketchen deepened the wall by adding a tall, narrow pantry with rollouts behind each cabinet that flanks the refrigerator.

“These cabinets bump the refrigerator further into the work triangle,” she says, noting they also offer additional storage. “Without them, the refrigerator would have been too far away from the islands.”

Entertaining extras

The kitchen’s addition gave Ketchen enough space to include a bar area as well as a coffee station. The bar, set at an angle, repeats the curved mullion glass doors and features dual refrigerator drawers and a pass-through that offers a view into the living room. The Calacatta quartzite countertop, which overhangs into the adjoining space, coordinates quietly with elements on both sides.

Ketchen’s clients also wanted to include a tall wine refrigerator. Since the bar couldn’t accommodate the appliance, she incorporated a Sub-Zero unit into the adjacent coffee station, adding an undercabinet ice maker beside it. On the opposite end of the coffee station, Ketchen complemented the wine refrigerator with storage cubes for champagne. In between, the designer added more storage, including dual lift-up garage doors to conceal the couple’s coffee maker as well as their blender and mixer.

“They really wanted a coffee station for entertaining and for when they have overnight guests,” she says, noting that they wanted to give visitors easy access, yet close off the area when not in use.

“My clients were very involved with every inch of their new kitchen,” she continues. “I love customizing a design to get a space just the way a client wants it. And this kitchen really is customized for the way they live…and they love it!”

Source | Kitchen & Bath Design News

Elegant Kitchen Design Ideas

This design takes advantage of natural sunlight by pairing a large window with a light color scheme that makes the space bright and airy.No detail has been overlooked, as evidenced by the glass hexagon backsplash that serves as an accent.The interlocking glass tiles create a lovely pattern of varying neutral tones that gives just the right amount of energy to the space. The cabinets are equally as tasteful, finished with an elegant crown molding.The gray cabinet island with white cabinets creates a stylish two-tone look and adds a splash of contrast, and the spacious island includes both an impressive cooktop and a bar—adding more seating and extra workspace.

Quarzt Countertops for Large Work Surface

Of course, the countertop is an essential part of any kitchen, but it’s especially important to choose the right one in a design that includes such a large work surface. The kitchen countertop has to look good—after all, it’s the element that ties the rest of the design together—but it also needs to be a functional surface that can handle the tomato sauce or red wine spill, whatever might be on the kids’ sticky fingers, and the wear and tear of everyday use. A quartz kitchen countertop, like this one, doesn’t have to sacrifice its looks to be practical. This luxurious white quartz countertop with delicate, swirling gray veins ties the color palette together and glitters in the sun—but it’s also a durable workspace.

Calacatta Verona Quartz Color is Adorable

The engineered stone used here is a Calacatta Verona Quartz, one of many choices that Sky Marble offers as part of our extensive quartz selection. Calacatta Verona Quartz has all the classic beauty of marble, doesn’t require ongoing maintenance, and can stand up to many, many years of family dinners or cocktail parties. And it’s an excellent choice for this kitchen’s color scheme, maximizing the natural lighting and seamlessly uniting the gray of the island and the white of the other cabinets. Altogether, this contemporary kitchen style strikes the perfect balance between elegance and warmth.At Sky Marble in Sterling, VA, we can help you find just the right look to make your kitchen ideas for make your new build or renovation project a similar success.