Kitchen countertops are one of the most visually impactful and functional design elements of a kitchen remodel. They also take up a significant portion of your kitchen remodeling budget. Investing wisely in kitchen countertops will make all the difference.
With competitive price and timely delivery, ROMA sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
As your kitchen remodel unfolds, be sure to choose the best kitchen countertops for your design style and practical needs. There are endless options for countertop materials, styles, and price points. Choosing the perfect kitchen countertops to pull your design together is important to the overall aesthetic, so you&#;ll want to explore the pros and cons of each. Using this handy guide should make your kitchen countertop purchase a more rewarding one as your dream kitchen remodel takes shape.
Your Kitchen Countertop Checklist
Like any other aspect of your custom kitchen makeover, you&#;ll need to consider these factors before making your countertop decision:
Once you&#;ve answered these important questions, it&#;s time to find some stunning countertops to bring your look together. Explore the pros and cons of the different countertop styles below. Please note that countertop prices fluctuate, and the best way to get an accurate square foot price for your area is to contact your local supplier. We often partner with Five Star Granite for Seattle installs.
Quartz Countertops
$$ to $$$
As the most popular countertop material, quartz is known as manufactured stone, consists of ground-up natural quartz held together with resin and then formed into slabs. As a highly durable, easy-to-maintain material, quartz kitchen countertops support most design styles and are available in numerous colors and patterns. Depending upon your selection and installation, quartz ranges from $45 to $150 per square foot making it an economical, long-lasting countertop choice.
Pros
Cons
Quartzite Countertops
$$ to $$$
Often confused with quartz, quartzite is a quarried all-natural stone. Quartzite countertops are known for their unique patterns and exceptional hardness, making them a great choice in many different kitchen styles. Most professionally installed quartzite countertops will run you $75 to $150 per square foot, although exotic versions can be more.
Pros
Cons
Granite Countertops
$ to $$
Granite is another example of a quarried natural stone. It&#;s coarse-grained and comprised of a few different types of minerals, giving it a speckled look. In recent years granite has dropped to being the second-most-popular countertop material after quartz. Granite countertops come in a wide range of natural colors and patterns to support various kitchen decors and are quite durable&#;literally rock solid! The cost of installed granite ranges from $50 to $120 per square foot depending on the slab quality and complexity of the cuts. It is not recommended for DIY installation.
Pros
Cons
Marble Countertops
$$ to $$$
From traditional to modern kitchens, nothing says classic elegance quite like marble countertops. This quarried stone has been a popular kitchen countertop choice for centuries because its timeless look adds warmth and an essence of formality to any space. Marble comes in neutral colors that are easy to integrate into most designs, and can be found with varying amounts of veining depending on your desired look. Marble is a popular countertop material, but it does have major drawbacks. It&#;s not nearly as durable or stain-resistant as other surfaces, so it won&#;t retain its perfect sheen for long. Marble is not recommended as a DIY project. Installed marble typically has a per square foot cost between $75 and $200.
Pros
Cons
Concrete Countertops
$$
En vogue with homeowners desiring modern farmhouse, contemporary, or industrial motifs, concrete countertops introduce a sleek, minimalistic look when used in a kitchen. One of the major pluses of concrete is that it allows you to achieve a variety of looks while adding a personal touch to any space. Concrete countertops run between $50 and $100 per square foot for material and installation.
Pros
Cons
Soapstone Countertops
$$
When your goal is to introduce more warmth and beauty into a kitchen, soapstone is a great choice. Soapstone countertops come in colors that range from almost pristine white to charcoal gray, with marbling patterns to accommodate most any taste. Depending on factors like talc content, soapstone countertops cost $75 to $150 per installed square foot.
Pros
Cons
Butcher Block Countertops
$
As another timeless, very popular look, butcher block countertops never go out of style. Although natural wood instantly injects a sense of warmth and charm into a space like no other material, you also need to consider the limitations of butcher block countertops before adding them to your kitchen. As an inexpensive countertop option, the average per square foot cost of installed butcher block ranges between $50 and $150 depending on the type of wood. If you make the butcherblock yourself, or do the install, you could see even more savings.
Pros
Cons
Stainless Steel Countertops
$$
When used in modern or industrial themes, stainless steel delivers a high-end, polished commercial kitchen look. Installed in smaller or poorly lit kitchens, the reflective qualities of stainless-steel countertops will instantly brighten up a room. As an alternative to natural stone, the average cost of installed stainless countertops is $60 to $100 per square foot.
Pros
Cons
Zinc Countertops
$$$
As another metal option, zinc countertops used in a theme like Bohemian or industrial chic look hip, trendy, and cool. Unlike some other countertop choices, zinc is a material with unique characteristics, including the fact it develops a beautiful dark gray patina with age that many homeowners really like. As one of the priciest countertop materials, zinc will run you between $125 and $200 per square foot &#; even with a DIY install.
Pros
Cons
Terrazzo-Style Recycled Glass Countertops
$$ to $$$
Although recycled glass countertops offer a very distinctive look that&#;s hard to duplicate with other materials, they also come with downsides that make them impractical in some homes. As a trending design element in many eco-friendly kitchens, recycled glass countertops feature a colorful mosaic of shards that produces a terrazzo tile look.
There are also homogeneous recycled glass countertops that are manufactured by melting down the glass from various sources to create a slab. As a higher-end countertop material, terrazzo-style recycled glass will run you between $75 and $150 per square foot with a professional install.
Pros
Cons
The Pros of Choosing the Right Kitchen Contractor in Seattle
The company is the world’s best Classic Countertops Manufacturer supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Finding the best contractor for your kitchen remodeling project is important. Whether you want a high-end, luxury kitchen, or simple, minimalistic space, find a contractor that specializes in the style you&#;re looking for. Make sure they have experience with the counters, cabinets, flooring, lighting and other materials you&#;d like to use. Do your research, ask for references, get written estimates, and check online reviews posted on Yelp, Google or Houzz.
At Model Remodel, we are design-build contractors who&#;ve built a solid reputation in the Seattle area by transforming outdated homes into highly functional, luxurious living spaces with our conception-to-completion home remodeling solutions. To get started bringing your next home improvement project to life, tell us more about your objectives today through our online form!
shares
If you&#;re thinking about replacing your kitchen countertops, it&#;s important to pick the best option based on budget and preference. Here are the differences between each kitchen countertop material, including pros and cons and price. Use this guide to help you choose the right kitchen countertops for your home!
After successfully completing not just one, but four kitchen remodels over the past seven years, it&#;s safe to say that I&#;ve learned a thing or two through research, trial and error, and sheer luck. &#;
My favorite part of any kitchen is choosing the countertop materials. This process is fun and also is one of the most important design elements in residential kitchens. It signifies one very important thing &#; you&#;re almost done and back to having a working kitchen!
This post is a lonnnngggg one but I&#;ve done my best to show you all the types of countertop materials as well as their cost. Yes, this includes inexpensive countertop material options too!
But, if you don&#;t have time to scroll through this whole thing, I got you! Just jump ahead using the links below.
Choosing kitchen countertops is a personal choice that needs to take a lot into consideration, including the following:
At the end of the day, this is 100% up to you. Personally, I&#;ve had counters made from tile, laminate, granite, concrete, and quartz.
Hands down, my favorite is quartz! I love that it&#;s extremely durable, requires little maintenance, and has an almost limitless selection of finishes and looks.
Both tile countertops and laminate are affordable options. However, tile countertops can have some additional fees like labor and extra supplies (ex: grout). Additionally, you might be able to find a killer deal on a remnant piece of granite or quartz at a discount store.
If you want to find the cheapest countertop possible, remember to consider installation, labor, and materials costs when calculating the all-in price.
Let&#;s go through each of the types of countertop materials and evaluate the pros and cons, as well as take a look at prices.
A solid surface countertop (often called by the brand name Corian), is acrylic-based and made of pigments mixed with resin and minerals. In short, it&#;s a custom fabricated mix between granite and laminate. Check out this great information about solid surface countertops.
While costs will vary depending on complexity and finishes, the cost is about $40-$150 per sq ft installed.
Quartz countertops via With Heart by Jennifer Stag
Engineered stone countertops (commonly known as quartz) are made from crushed quartz stones and resin. In my opinion, it&#;s one of the best material options for counters in modern kitchens. Here&#;s why:
Check out this post from Liz Marie Blog for more pros & cons and her review of quartz countertops.
The cost will vary based on the pattern and finish you select, but on average the cost of these countertop materials is around $70-$100 per sq ft installed.
Crushed glass counters (also known as recycled glass counters) are made from recycled glass bound with cement or resin. They can also be a solid piece of glass with no binders. The glass often comes from curbside recycling and post-consumer materials, making them the most eco-friendly countertop option.
Depending on the finish, basic crushed glass countertops cost between $50-$105 per sq ft installed.
via Artisan Signature Homes
Granite stone is a natural material found in mountains (typically in India, Italy, or Brazil). The granite is removed from the mountain in large blocks, then sliced into countertop-sized blocks. Mining and cutting the granite takes place at the quarry before it&#;s shipped to the United States.
A honed granite countertop will appear matte or satin in appearance. A polished granite countertop is finished with polishing pads, giving it a glossy look. A polished finish is ideal for daily use since it is non-porous. Honed counters require frequent re-sealing and are more susceptible to staining.
The price of granite countertops varies greatly depending on the thickness, type, and finish selected. On average, you can expect to spend anywhere between $50-$200 per sq ft to have granite counters installed.
These are natural stone counters made of marble. Similar to granite (another natural stone), marble is mined in mountains and cut off into chunks. Chunks are then sliced into countertop-sized pieces on-site before shipping.
Marble kitchen counters via Sarah Sherman Samuel
Honed marble counters have a matte finish that won&#;t show scratches as easily. On the downside, they&#;re more porous, making them more susceptible to staining.
Alternatively, polished marble counters are polished to a shiny finish. While they won&#;t stain as easily, they do show scratches more than their honed counterparts.
Believe it or not, marble counters are one of the most affordable options at $40-$100 per sq ft and can be one of the best kitchen countertops for many homes.
Tile countertops via Apartment Therapy
Just like they sound, tile counters are created by piecing tiles together on a piece of plywood topped with a backer board.
If you&#;re willing to tackle this project on your own as a DIY project, costs can be kept as low as $2 per sq ft, depending on the type of tile you select. However, if you would rather use a professional and a higher-end tile, costs can rise up to $150 per sq ft.
Butcher block counters via Jessica Ann Kirby
These are made from wood rails that are laid parallel to each other and glued. In general, these counters are made from hardwoods like oak, maple, walnut or cherry. They can be stained or left in their natural state and treated with oil.
Butcher block counters don&#;t have as much variance as some other counters. In general, you can expect to pay between $40-$60 installed per square foot. Custom-made wood counters, however, can cost closer to $75-$100 per sq ft.
DIY concrete countertops via Run to Radiance
Concrete countertops have risen in popularity due to their ability to be fully customized with beautiful finishes and even decorative edges. They can be created in a variety of ways.
A professional will come out and create molds for your counters, either off-site or right in place on top of your cabinets. The counters are made of a special concrete mix &#; it&#;s different than what you see on the sidewalk!
Additives can be added if you choose. Items like concrete pigment, seashells, or even a built-in wooden cutting board are popular choices. The concrete will need to be stabilized and reinforced with mesh, steel, or fiberglass as well.
We did DIY concrete countertops from start to finish in our last home. They were inexpensive &#; we spent about $400 on our kitchen counters. It also was a ton of work, but worth it in the end. Here&#;s my post on how to DIY concrete counters.
If building a cast and pouring your own concrete countertops sounds intimidating, you can also try to put concrete on top of your current countertops.
The average cost for professionally poured concrete countertops ranges from $65-$135 per sq ft. The average cost of DIY concrete countertops can vary, but ours cost about $400 total.
via Apartment Therapy
Stainless steel counters are made out of a mix of elements that include iron, carbon, and aluminum along with many other elements. Manufacturers custom design each countertop to fit the size and style that the consumer wants.
Stainless steel counters are often used in kitchens since they are easy to clean and anti-bacterial.
Stainless steel counters range from $67/ foot to $96/foot installed. These numbers can vary depending on the grade of stainless steel and the customizations of your kitchen layout.
Soapstone countertops via Traditional Home
These are natural stones similar to granite but is generally considered extremely durable for a kitchen environment. It comes from metamorphic rock and is composed mostly of the mineral talc.
Soapstone counters are one of the more expensive countertop options. It can cost you anywhere from $70/foot &#; $120/foot installed.
Yes, these are laminate countertops! Via Sarah Sarna.
Laminate sheets (or counters) are made of plastic, particleboard, and kraft paper compressed together to give the appearance of a more natural countertop. They come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.
Laminate countertops generally will cost you around $10/foot to $20/foot for materials plus installation, making them one of the best countertops for your kitchen if the main concern is affordability.
It really depends on your cooking and lifestyle preferences. I personally think that granite and quartz are two of the best for most homes.
In my opinion, solid surface counters, granite, quartz, and stainless steel all fall in this category.
Consider how much cost and care you want to put into your counters. Then factor in appearance options to come up with your final choice.
Granite, quartz and sometimes butcher block are the best kitchen countertops for high resale value.
Concrete counters have been taking off in popularity lately. However, granite and quartz remain very popular due to their high resale value and low maintenance requirements.
So can you tell which countertop material is the best? No? That&#;s because there are many different options to fit different lifestyles and budgets. However, I hope this guide helps you pick the best countertop materials for your home!
shares