Both stylish and affordable, granite countertops are the perfect finishing touch to any kitchen décor. Because granite countertops are available in so many styles and colors, there’s sure to be “the one” – the ideal countertop that will blend perfectly with your kitchen. Whether you choose a simple or intricate design, a neutral or brilliant color, your choice should depend on such existing kitchen features as the backsplash, flooring and cupboards.
Contemporary kitchen décor heavily relies on the simplicity of whites, blacks and neutral beiges and tans. Intricately-patterned or veined grays, deep blues, brilliant reds or browns look equally as elegant in a Mediterranean décor as they do in a country kitchen. Provided your kitchen cabinets, flooring and backsplash are already complementary, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a countertop with a style and color that matches the rest of your kitchen’s design.
Flooring
A general rule for designing your kitchen is to use no more than two basic colors and one accent color. One option is to coordinate the flooring and countertop with one basic color, then make the cabinets as the second basic color. Another option is to match the cabinets and countertop and use a contrasting color for the flooring.
A rust or beige floor will coordinate well with a brown countertop that’s accented with rust or beige. A pale orange tile floor effectively accents a black countertop speckled with bronze. Make a bold statement with a red-bordered white or off-white tile floor that complements a brilliant red countertop. For an attractive, subtle look, match a brown granite countertop with wood-grained tile or hardwood flooring.
Cabinets
The cabinets are usually among the first features you choose for your kitchen. They’re often a personal statement. You want to accentuate that statement with a coordinating countertop.
It’s rare to find a pure white granite countertop. Most white countertops feature black, gray, blue or red accents. These colors help to open up a small kitchen. They’re also a bold complement to cherry wood cupboards.
Modern kitchens that feature white or light wood cabinets look great with gray or black countertops. Beige, tan and brown countertops coordinate well with virtually any style or color of kitchen cabinet. Gradually gaining in popularity, blue and red countertops can be very expressive when coordinated with light-colored wood cabinets.
Backsplash
When you design your kitchen, choosing a backsplash usually isn’t your first priority. Once your backsplash choice is made and you’re contemplating which countertop to choose, however, you’ll definitely want to find the right combination.
Generally, a showy backsplash will coordinate better with a subtle countertop. This way, the countertop only complements the backsplash and doesn’t “steal the show.”
As for colors and patterns, it’s perfectly acceptable to mix them but remain with one basic color for both the backsplash and countertop.
If you want to draw special attention to your granite countertop, consider running it up the wall and use it as the backsplash. To save on your budget, break up the countertop material into tiles to use as the backsplash.
Professional Advice
If you’re still undecided about how to coordinate your granite countertop with your existing kitchen décor, why not visit your professional granite countertop installer? Bring along a smaller cabinet door and a few photos of the flooring. Your granite countertop installer will show you samples of granite, which you can compare with the door and photos. You could also take home granite samples or brochures to compare with your kitchen décor. In any event, an experienced granite countertop installer like us here at Elite Floors will be happy to help you make your choice!
Contact us today to get started on choosing your granite countertops!
