As a Design-Build firm that specializes in kitchen renovations, we get a lot of questions about countertop material options here at Hogan Design & Construction:
"We want a kitchen countertop that's just as durable as it is beautiful, what are our choices?"
"We cook and entertain a lot. Which kitchen countertop materials age well with heavy use?"
"What's the best natural material for kitchen countertops?"
"How do engineered quartz countertops compare to natural stone surfaces like granite?"
To help you make sense of your options, we’ve been exploring the pros and cons of several sought-after kitchen countertop materials in our weekly blog. Today, we’ll wrap up the series with a quick, bullet-point guide that covers the benefits and drawbacks of every major option:
As one of the hardest minerals on earth, quartz is one of the most durable, hard-wearing kitchen countertop materials available. Although quartz is a natural substance, quartz countertops are an engineered stone product made of quartz particles and other minerals bound together by resins and shaped into custom-fabricated slabs.
With its light or dark grey color, subtle veining, milky finish, and ever-evolving patina, soapstone offers the best of both worlds: dramatic beauty and exceptional durability. While it’s relatively soft, it’s also very dense; soapstone particles are so compact that they form a non-porous surface that’s virtually impervious to stains.
As a countertop material, “gold-standard” granite offers the perfect blend of form and function. But that’s not the only reason homeowners continue to choose it for their kitchens time and time again — granite also possesses a rare duality that makes it feel just as elegant and luxurious as it is natural and earthy.
Few natural materials exude as much opulence as marble — this refined, high-end countertop surface brings instant luxury to any kitchen. Distinguished by its sublime, characteristic veining, marble comes in a wide array of hues and dramatic color combinations: stunning white marble may have cream, grey, or black veining, while dramatic black marble may have eye-catching white or gold veining.
Warm and charming wood and butcher block countertops are full of natural character. Traditional wood surfaces are usually allocated to lower traffic uses, like islands and peninsulas that double as eating areas. Butcher block countertops, which consist of strips of wood that are pressed and bonded together to form a slab, serve as proper work surfaces.
Far from the cold, impersonal grey slabs, you might expect if you equate this foundational building material with sidewalks, concrete makes a warm, gleaming, and remarkably stylish work surface suitable for almost any kitchen. From its shape, edging, and thickness to its color, texture, and finish, every aspect of this ultra-strong, functional beauty can be crafted to your vision.
It makes sense that stainless steel is the countertop material of choice in professional kitchens: it’s heat resistant, extremely durable, easy to maintain, and even easier to keep clean. With their crisp lines and modern feel, stainless steel countertops are seamless and fabricated to your specifications.
Made from materials gathered through curbside recycling and demolished buildings, recycled glass is combined with resin or cement binders and formed into a countertop slab. A recycled glass countertop may be translucent, opaque, or colored; it may also be smooth or embedded with texture. Many feature a terrazzo-style mosaic of joyful flecks and shards across the surface.
Yes, the very same material that makes such a wonderful kitchen backsplash also makes for a statement-making countertop surface. Durable and easy to clean, ceramic and porcelain tiles come in an exceptionally wide array of colors, styles, and design options — you can even get tiles that look like marble, wood, or cork.
First manufactured half a century ago, solid surface countertops are made of a dense blend of acrylic particles and resins that are pressed into sheets and joined together with undetectable seams. Once regarded as a premium, ultra-modern alternative to the natural stone surfaces they sought to mimic, solid surface countertops are an ideal choice for mid-range kitchens.
As a popular element of retro kitchen design — especially mid-century modern — laminate countertops are plastic-coated synthetic sheets bonded to a particleboard (MDF) core. With its smooth, easy-to-clean surface, laminate can be custom fabricated or purchased in pre-formed segments. Laminate surfaces are available in thousands of colors, styles, and patterns.
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