The kitchen is the heart of the home, so it’s only fitting that our custom home clients want the perfect space. The kitchen is where friends gather, holidays are celebrated, food is prepared, and memories are made. There are lots of decisions and details that go into designing a kitchen, but one major choice is the countertops.

 

Kitchen countertops are more than a cosmetic design choice. They take a lot of daily wear so it’s important that you pick the perfect ones, both in terms of aesthetic and practicality. There are tons of options these days though, which makes it so much harder.

 

Here are a few common mistakes people make when choosing their kitchen countertops that you should absolutely avoid.

 

Mistake 1: Not Researching Materials

When people think of kitchen countertops they often think of natural stone like granite, or the colorful linoleum from their grandma’s kitchen. These days there are TONS of options when it comes to countertop materials, each with their own pros and cons. It’s important to properly research the different materials to pick the one that will not only look good but work for your home and family.

 

Some of the most common kitchen countertop material these days are:

  • Granite
  • Quartz
  • Quartzite
  • Stainless Steel
  • Concrete
  • Linoleum/ Formica
  • Marble
  • Butcher Block (wood)

 

Mistake 2: Picking it in Isolation

One of the biggest mistakes people make when designing a kitchen is picking elements in isolation. Everything should build and play off one another. Nothing ruins a kitchen faster than when elements are competing for attention or clashing with one another. When picking your countertop make sure you keep in mind other elements in the room like the backsplash, flooring, and cabinets. A good tip is to have one star in the room. So if you have your heart set on a bold countertop keep the other elements simpler and quieter.

 

Mistake 3: Not Testing It

If you decide to go for a stone countertop like granite, marble, quartz, or quartzite, we recommend you take a sample of it home to run some tests. Stone countertops, both natural and manmade, may be prone to staining, scratching, or chipping. Nothing is worse than spending thousands installing beautiful white quartz only to have it stain the first time you cook pasta sauce. Once you select your stone, take home a sample chunk and run it through some tests to see how well it holds up.

 

Mistake 4: Not Picking the Slab

Here is a pro tip that not everyone knows- if you go for a stone countertop you should view and select the exact slab that will be going into your home. Stone countertops come in tons of variations, whether it’s color, veining, or quality. People often mistakenly think that all stones with the same name are the same. They’re then sorely disappointed when the white and grey marble they selected arrives and is actually warmer toned than they planned on. So when going with a stone countertop, always pick the exact slab that will be installed!

 

Mistake 5: Skipping Templating

Templating is the process of cutting the countertop to fit the specific measurements. Many custom homeowners think that they don’t need to be involved at this stage. After all, they’ve done their part selecting their stone. What they don’t realize is that templating is super important to the final look. If the countertop you’ve selected has strong veining you should make sure to approve the final templates. Otherwise, you might end up with obvious seams and disjointed veins.

 

Contact us if you need more tips or if you’re ready to start building your dream custom home!