Your perfect kitchen needs to be beautiful, functional and durable. The kitchen countertop is one of the hardest working surfaces in your home, and needs to stand up to cooking, cleaning and entertaining. Spills on your counter are inevitable, and you want a counter that resists stains and odors, and is also easy to clean. Your counters can brighten your space with a crisp white or light gray, or can give moody color with a darker shade. You will want to coordinate your counters with your kitchen cabinets, flooring, and appliances to create a beautiful, seamlessly designed space. There are many countertop choices today to choose from, and you are sure to find something that will bring your kitchen together. If you are in the Manhattan area, Veneta Cucine would love to help you design a custom kitchen that you will enjoy for years to come.

We have so many choices today when it comes to counter-tops. From natural materials such as stone and wood, to laminate and solid surfacing, the range of styles, colors and textures is almost limitless. Take time to make a choice that will stand up to your cooking and entertaining style, and bring a whole new look to your kitchen with a new counter in your custom kitchen!

Marble

Timeless and classic, marble is a beautiful choice in the kitchen. Marble is a rock that contains crystallized limestone, and comes in a range of great colors with veining and variations. Marble stays cool and provides a great surface for bakers to work on. Every piece of marble is different, and this gives each counter a unique and individual look. Certain oils and acids can stain marble, and you have to be a little more careful about spills than with other materials. If you are okay with the maintenance required, marble will give your kitchen a rich look that just can’t be matched by other surfaces. If you don’t want to have to worry about stains, another one of these fabulous countertop choices might be better suited for you.

Quartz

Quartz is mainly natural quartz, and can have the same beautiful variations as marble, but it is mixed with plastic resin to give durability. This process renders quartz almost indestructible, and a quartz counter can resist knife cuts, stains, and chips. There is no sealing or maintenance required with quartz counters, and if you would like a counter that you don’t have to worry about, quartz is a great choice! The only real enemy of quartz is heat, and hot pans or pots can burn the surface. While quartz comes in every color imaginable, and in many pattern choices, it does lack some of the warmth and depth of natural stone. If your kitchen is very traditional, you may want to consider a completely natural counter material.

Granite

Granite has been a hot countertop material for years, and for good reason. Granite is an incredibly tough surface, and resists chips, cracks and heat. Granite is a natural stone that comes in a wide variety of colors, and the surface can have large variations. If you appreciate a unique counter that has interesting veining and texture, granite could be a great choice.

Wood

From classic butcher block, to offerings in maple, mahogany, and cherry, wood can really add warmth to a kitchen. Wood is forgiving, and any damages on the surface can be repaired with sanding. Wood absorbs noise and is gentle on dishes. Combined with more modern cabinet choices, wood can add great organic contrast in any kitchen. However, wood is more high-maintenance than other countertop choices, and needs to be sealed either with a polyurethane coating, or some sort of oil or wax. Because wood will absorb water, it needs a layer of protection when being used in a kitchen. If it is not properly sealed, water marks, dark spots and stains from foods can occur. If you are willing to keep up with sealing your wood counters, they can add beautiful warmth to a kitchen.

Solid Surface

The idea behind solid surface countertops was to create a surface that looks like stone, but is much more durable. Solid surface countertops are nonporous, durable and scratches and cuts can be sanded out. Sinks can be seamlessly integrated into a solid surface countertop, offering a great solution to seams and caulk lines around the sink area. Solid surface comes in a large range of colors and styles, and you are sure to find a counter that perfectly blends with your kitchen. Solid surface counters are incredibly durable, but don’t have some of the same warmth and variation as more natural options.

Laminate

The most inexpensive of the options, laminate can mimic many natural materials. Laminate can provide a new look for your kitchen, but is not as durable as other options. If laminate is scratched or chipped, it cannot be repaired. Laminate is not heat resistant, and will discolor and melt if hot pans are set on it. Laminate is good at resisting stains. If you want a large variety of colors and styles, laminate may be for you.

With so many options for your kitchen countertop, you can really create the perfect custom kitchen that can stand up to all of your cooking and entertaining. Whether you want to brighten and modernize your space with a sleek quartz or granite counter, or warm up your kitchen with wood, there are many kitchen counters to choose from. Contact Veneta Cucine if you are in the Manhattan area and ready to start designing your custom kitchen!