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Design Guide: Matching Your Stone Countertop to the Rest of Your Room
Choosing a stone countertop for your home can be a fun but daunting process. If you are remodeling your entire kitchen or bathroom, you will be making several design choices at the same time. If you are just replacing the countertops, you will have to do a little work to make sure you choose the right color and pattern of stone to match your cabinets, flooring, and other permanent elements in the room.
Order of Operations
In a full remodel, the cabinets will be installed before the countertops and the countertops will be installed before the backsplash. In a partial remodel, the old countertop will be torn out, along with the backsplash. While it is possible to replace the countertop without damaging the backsplash, it is more common to replace both at the same time. Existing cabinets may remain and will most likely not be damaged in the tear out and install process of the countertops. At New Stone Age, we do the cutting of the countertops in our shop after a thorough measuring process to minimize mess, damage, and time onsite.
Methods for Choosing
Rooms are typically designed with two main colors and one accent color. The stone you choose should contain one or both of the main colors, or it can be used as the accent feature in the room. As for texture, there should be a sense of balance in the designed elements in the space. If your cabinets or backsplash are heavily textured, the stone should have less movement. If the cabinets and backsplash are neutral or low contrast, your countertop may contain some bold patterns. While an all-minimalist design works well without an accent element, too many bold colors or patterns may make a room too busy.
We provide you with samples at New Stone Age to help you choose the stone that works for your design. These samples are useful in putting side to side with your cabinets, paint and trim colors, and the backsplashes you are considering to inform your choice. We also have a tool marked See Our Products in Your Space on our website that will allow you to see materials virtually in the room you are remodeling using your camera or digital photo gallery.
The Backsplash
It is important to have a backsplash around cooking areas in a kitchen or in areas close to water in the kitchen or bathroom. The backsplash can be an extension of the same materials used on the countertop, creating a seamless flow from the horizontal surfaces to the vertical surfaces. It can conversely be a different material that either compliments the countertop in a neutral way or serves as an accent in the room using contrasting features.
The Kitchen Island, Using Two Surfaces in the Same Room
Most commonly, the kitchen island surface will be made from the same stone as the other countertops in the room. It is acceptable to use a different stone or material, but one should be much more subdued than the other in some way. Materials that are too similar in texture or color, but not exactly the same may look unintentionally mismatched. If one is very light, the other should be very dark. If they are both light or both dark, one should have a high contrast in texture while the other should have barely any. If one is a color, the other should be a neutral. For two different surfaces to exist harmoniously in a space, they should balance each other’s attributes.
We Can Help
The color, texture, durability, upkeep, and feel of a stone are all things to consider in the decision making process of a countertop renovation. When you visit New Stone Age, we are able to provide you with samples and expertise to guide you through the selection and install process. The quality materials we use to fabricate countertops last many, many years, and it is important for you to choose the right one for your space. Use our See Our Products in Your Space Tool to get an idea of what changes may be possible for your kitchen or bathroom surfaces, and then give us a visit to see the materials up close in the showroom.