Kitchen Remodel: Choosing the right countertops

Surviving a kitchen remodel is no small feat. The dream of a new functional space is sometimes all that will sustain you through what seems like endless disruption and frustration.

From concept to successful completion hundreds of decisions will be made. Cabinets, appliances, drawer handles, lighting, and wall colors may seem easy compared to choosing your countertop material. Just remember the process of choosing your countertop feels daunting because the average person knows very little about counter top surfaces. These are not decisions you make every day!

Start with Cabinets

If you are keeping your existing cabinets and love all the colors in your space you will need to find a countertop surface that works with all of those elements. One big decision and you’re done!

If you are starting from scratch the two most expensive components in your project will be cabinets and your countertop surface. Take your time getting these two major parts of your kitchen remodel right and everything else will follow naturally.

Starting your countertop list:

• Budget
• Natural Stone or Man-Made?
• Color and pattern
• Upkeep and maintenance
• Shiny surface or matte finish?

Next, Choose Countertops

Making the right countertop choice for your new kitchen involves serious thought and research. Choosing a natural stone or man-made product is the first step.

Professional countertop specialists understand this is overwhelming and intimidating. The professionals at Keystone Granitewerks can ease the process by helping you understand your choices while working to find a surface that fits the dream and your budget. The goal is to choose the type of surface you can love and easily live with for years to come.

Setting your heart on one type of look based on pretty pictures and colors may end up being more costly than you had ever considered. Creating a plan based on upkeep, care, and maintenance is a very good place to begin. There are no wrong choices when you take the time to understand your tastes compared with the realities of taking care of your new kitchen countertop.

A few useful tips:

• Granite occurs in hundreds of colors and design patterns
• Marble is timeless and classic but takes a bit more care
• Quartz has many colors and is designed to be uniform in color and pattern
• Solid surface is uniform in color and pattern, more forgiving and quiet

Visiting a countertop showroom and actually seeing and touching the various products will really help narrow the field. You may have a strong opinion that only Granite will do and then be surprised that what you love is actually a man-made surface. Be open minded, do your research on care and maintenance and then start shopping!

Make Decisions Once

Remember that you must allow plenty of time and consideration to your final choices. Changing your mind in the middle of a project will cost you in time and budget. Once your project begins there will be a timeline that works in a natural order determined by building codes, manufacturing time and contractor coordination.

As mentioned above, it is no small feat to survive a kitchen remodel. Researching your decisions, practicing patience and keeping sight of the end result makes it all worth the wait.