Do you ever feel overwhelmed by too many choices? If so, don’t try to pick new countertops alone — or at least make sure you have a partner who’s done thorough online research. (If you don’t, back off — this one’s mine.)
Here’s what I learned from a quick crash course with an expert. Laminate and Carrera marble were immediately ruled out. We already had laminate and wanted a more natural, less plastic look. Carrera marble, while beautiful, was too expensive (around $100 per square foot) and not as durable or stain-resistant as other options. We also discovered that some granites can be problematic with staining, which led us to explore solid surface materials we hadn’t considered before, such as quartz, Silestone, and Corian.
Some manufactured surfaces do offer attractive benefits. For example, products like DuPont Zodiaq provide consistent color and durability and can mimic natural stone. But when we saw samples in person, many of the light-colored options looked synthetic and plastic-like — more like laminate than a real stone slab. Darker samples sometimes appeared closer to natural stone, but we needed a light surface to keep our small kitchen feeling open. None of the solid-surface options convincingly matched the white-and-gray look of Carrera marble.
What finally worked for us was Stonemark Granite’s “Blanc Noir.” It’s light without being all white — an important distinction, since white cabinets paired with white countertops can feel flat. Our kitchen designer, Nancy, reassured us about granite concerns: Stonemark Granite uses technology that resists stains for 15 years and doesn’t require annual resealing like some other granites. That meant less maintenance and fewer unexpected costs. Best of all, Blanc Noir fell into one of the more affordable granite categories, making it comparable in price to many solid-surface alternatives.
We fell in love with it and purchased the slabs two weeks ago. Now we’re just waiting for the cabinets to be delivered and installed so the project can move forward.
Note: Stonemark Granite is sold at Home Depot, and if you’re researching materials on your own, retailer websites can offer helpful comparison lists for countertop types — useful if you don’t have a designer to guide you.
Image courtesy of Stonemark