Every wonder what your kitchen would look like if it wasn’t for that ugly laminate counters that don’t match the aesthetic of your home? I know I do! Every time I “window shop/ browse” for new homes for ideas, I always look for what type of counter the new home includes. But in most cases, if I did ever need to purchase, I’ve always wonder what the process would entail?
As an interior designer, I’ve always had the pleasure working with different design niches of the industry which brought me to learn more about kitchen and bath design. Here’s what what I learned.
Stone Education
If you are looking for an authentic piece for your counter, then you are given three options: Granite, Quartzite, and Marble. Granite is the most durable stone out there. You can place hot plates on it and never have to worry of resealing it often. The downside–you will not find a white granite with clean lines. It does not exist. All granite slabs come in grays, beiges, browns, and black while some variations will have red garnets.
Next, Quartzite is your next tier into something close to a white colored family stone, but it is merely heat resistant, so a trivet is always suggested. Most colorations can be veiny like a marble, but not entirely in color. Since this material contains calcite properties, it will have weak areas that can be similar to marbles.
Marble is the most requested and popular item as it is the most exquisite stone in the industry. The most popular color seen in most kitchen Pinterest boards are Calacatta, Calacatta Gold, and Carrara marble counters. (See below)
In order to shop, you will need to visit slab yards. Slab yards will allow you to specifically select a slab of your choosing. Since natural stone has many variations, you are able to pick your own piece. However, these places will not give you prices so make sure you’ve selected a stone fabricator ahead of time. Only fabricators can provide pricing regarding the stone slabs you would like. Since they are part of the trade, they are able to acquire wholesale cost for mark up cost that includes installation and fabrication fees for the end-user.
Faux as Quartz
If you do not want the maintenance of natural stone counters, then you may want to go with quartz. Quartz counters are engineered materials that have quartz and resin material made specifically to be absorbent free and stain free. The down side of the quartz is that you are not able to put hot pots like granites; you would still need to have a trivet. However, you are given an array of color patterns and makes it very exciting during the color selection process. The best part–you do not have to select the specific lot of the material. Each piece is consistent so there’s no need to worry. Just like the slab yards, you will not get pricing directly from the distributor but only the fabricator.
Last but not least, there is Ultracompact surfaces or porcelain counters. Porcelain counters are becoming very popular in the industry as they are heat resistant, water resistant, stain proof etc. They are durable for outdoor and indoor applications such as kitchens, baths, and outdoor grill spaces. These products are upcoming design trends that architects and designers feel would beneficial to the modern world.
Best way to shop for porcelain counters is to work with a fabricator that solely has an exclusive contract with a local distributor. Best companies to search are spaniard companies as they are the pioneers of the slab industry.
