Bonus List: 4 Important Countertop Details to Consider
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Countertop Finishes: Depending on the source and material, typically you can choose between honed (matte) or polished (shiny) countertop finishes. There are some other interesting finishes I’ve used such as leathered, which depending on the material you select, can be great looking. In my experience, honed and leathered finishes tend to wear better and show less scratches than polished finishes. Polished finishes lend a slightly more dressy and glamorous feel to the material. I determine the countertop finish based on the look, function, and style of the room design.
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Countertop Thickness: Most countertop materials are milled and stocked in the standard thicknesses of ¾” or 1 ¼” which are fairly thin. These are the standard sizes you’ll see in the majority of homes. However, you are not limited to just these two options! I’ve designed many countertops with 2”, 3”, and even 6” thicknesses! The thicker tops add a unique, dramatic, and modern feel to the room design. If you want to illuminate your countertop, you’ll definitely want to build up the thickness to have room to install the lighting underneath and see the edges of your beautiful stone more. This is a great effect for bars or kitchen islands. Also, if you have a stunning, unique stone you want to show off, what better way to show it off then on the side edge you’ll see as you walk into the room? Keep in mind as you create a thicker countertop edge, the trade off will be losing some cabinet/drawer space underneath. Therefore, I recommend a maximum thickness for the kitchen countertop to be no more than 2 ½”. It’s fun to mix it up….for example I’ve made a 2” thick countertop on a client’s kitchen island but kept the perimeter at standard thickness of 1 ¼”. This combo always looks fabulous!
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Countertop Edges: Back in the 90’s, the Ogee edge was all the rage. Some went all out and got a Double Ogee edge, which is a super fancy traditional design feature! This fancy edge detailing looks like a traditional crown molding. Nowadays the trend has been more modern and streamlined, so the edge I usually specify on my countertop designs today is a Straight edge. I personally really like the clean, simple lines of the Straight edge, some call it an Eased edge because although it’s straight, the corner is filed a bit so it’s not sharp. However, there are dozens of different countertop edge styles to choose from. You can usually see them all in person on real stone samples at your local marble yard or stone source. Take some time to consider your countertop’s edge detail based on the style of your kitchen. Your edging goes all around the perimeter of your countertops so it’s not as small a detail as you think.
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Overhangs: Did you ever think about your countertop’s overhang? Probably not! It’s the part where the countertop edge extends past the front of your cabinets. I’m very specific about this important detail in my designs and feel it makes an important impact in a kitchen design. I almost always buck the longtime tradition of big overhangs…I actually hate them! I think they make a kitchen or bath look very outdated. I always specify either a very small overhang of about ¼” – ½” or more commonly, a flush countertop with NO overhang, (or as close to no overhang as possible). My marble installers hate me when I do this because it means they have to be very exact with their measurements with less wiggle room for error. Since walls are never 100% straight, it’s nearly impossible to get an exact flush countertop with the cabinets, but I can usually get extremely close. The contractors will grumble about this, claiming any spills will run off the countertop and directly down your cabinets. My reply is, yeah so what? The cabinets won’t be harmed and spills get wiped up! I tend to think they use this excuse just because it makes their job a little harder, but good installers who know what they’re doing can make a flush countertop easily. I know, I do it all the time and it looks fab!
I hope you learned a lot from this post and enjoyed reading it! I’d love to hear your thoughts and what your experiences are like with your kitchen countertops, so please leave your comments below and remember to sign up for my newsletter to get more of my favs & expert tips!
3 Comments
I am definitely checking out shop the look! Can’t wait to purchase! Thanks!
I love the featured images of the countertops, really helps me get an idea of one I might like!
I think that it depends on the manufacturer. Each quartz countertop manufacturer has its designs and styles. I read from https://www.caesarstoneus.com/written-in-stone-blog/?q=Quartz%20Countertops&sort=latest that lighting and their reflective materials play a role as well. Some designs may look fake under unflattering lights. Coordinating everything will either make or break the whole look.