Solid as ever, kitchen countertops remain a durable force. We’ve scoured the world wide web for the current trends of 2017 and decided to do a series on them, including kitchen colors, styles, countertops, appliances, flooring, and sinks. This is the third installment; find the first installment here and the second installment here.
Kitchen Countertops Trend You Must Watch Out For
The world of countertops seems to be as durable as they are – strong and silent, showing little change. Outside of some minor preference growths or declines, it’s primarily been the same ballgame for over a decade, and that’s not a bad thing. The following is a list of where countertops stand in order of current popularity…
1. Quartz
Durable and attractive, quartz features consistent color traits, although no two slabs are alike. It is the in-demand countertop material used in kitchens, and its appeal seems to be on an upswing. Despite reports indicating that the market share of quartz has been diminishing in new homes, its overall use has been on the rise – indisputably so.
2. Granite
As trendy as ever, granite maintains its highly desirable stature. Obviously, it’s been a mainstay for years. Of particular relevance, white granite has become a staple among those who have been decorating their kitchens in white, black, or grays.
Granite was used in over half of the new homes built in 2015. In fact, the home-building and home-buying markets continue to purchase the material regardless of questionable reports that its market share is decreasing.
3. Butcher Block
Despite commanding a relatively minor share of the market percentage, interest in wood countertops is actually growing. Those with a strong interest in the culinary arts prefer them, as wood makes great food prep surfaces.
Natural stone countertop materials may be used throughout many kitchens, but wood composes the food prep area. Of all the species, the American black walnut is the current favorite among the varieties. Also common are oak, blond maple, and exotics. Additional materials may be used in the same countertop to create unique compositional patterns.
4. Concrete
With the rise in popularity of industrial-style kitchens, it’s only natural that concrete countertops would be along for the ride. They’re not close to owning a substantial piece of the market share, but they have been utilized more than ever in remodels intent on reflecting mountain modern, contemporary, and industrial-style kitchens.
Cheap and reasonably easy to realize, an increase in the number of do-it-yourselfers is taking on these concrete projects.
5. Marble
Marble’s unique crystalline structure never goes out of style. It is a popular consensus that marble countertop surfaces are timeless, elegant, beautiful, and can last for years.
Homeowners have learned to make the most of marble’s naturally cool temperature by incorporating it into their cooking routines. Marble is also believed to keep a workspace’s temperature stable. Of note, marble was considered preferable to granite only a few years ago.
6. Mixed Materials
We live in a crazy, mixed-up world more than ever, and there seems to be a trend reflecting such wild disarray in the kitchen. Yet when tastefully masterminded, kitchen madness can be cohesive and stable.
Currently, the standard for ‘mixing it up’ is to use a different surface on your kitchen island than that on the countertops. You can take the concept further by mixing multiple materials and colors, thereby creating something truly unique and tasteful.
Though those were the most popular options in 2017, many are still fan favorites of remodelers within the US. Take a look at our other related articles for more countertop knowledge:
