Deciding which countertop fits the most is not a trivial matter. It is a choice that must be made with extreme care – in all kitchen configurations the countertop matters! Not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also in terms of maintenance, functionality and durability. The invasion of new technologies and materials brought innovations and novelties even in the kitchen design, making the choice wide and even more difficult to choose the perfect kitchen top. Regardless of that ,this time I have chosen to refer to a well-known material known for its elegance and timeless beauty. The warmth, beauty and character of a natural stone gets me every time. Do you already assume what I am talking about? Nowadays the use of marble in kitchen countertops still resists the invasion of new technologies precisely because of its ability to give the kitchen a classic yet modern look, bringing elegance and sophisitication to your kitchen.
Through years of practice and researches in design, I i follow these few general principles in choosing the countertop:
- Considering that countertops can occupy between one-fifth and one-third of the total floor plan of the kitchen, beside the material, the choice of colors should play an important role;
- High quality will increase the visual and practical value of the whole kitchen, while low quality will make it look cheap;
- The surface of the counter should be as resistant as possible. Although all countertops will be useful, not all will remain beautiful with little or no effort.
What Is the Difference Between a Marble & Cultured Marble countertop?
Marble is a natural stone material composed mostly of calcite. As a natural product, it varies widely in color, shades and veining. But not only in colors – also finishes are an other attribute of this stone offering different looks like polished, honed, antiqued, leathered and so on. Other materials attempt to reproduce its beauty, but nothing comes close to the depth, elegance and veining of real stone. As for a work surface, Its heat resistance and durability are really important.
The marble countertops blend perfectly with wide range of materials especially with natural ones, for example with wood.
Among the disadventages are its porosity and vulnerability to scratches. To its reproductions and usually requires more maintenance. A marble countertop may be a demanding choice but able to enhance your kitchen in a unique way.
Faux marble is a man-made product that contains polyester resins and crushed , powdered marble dust. Then the finished product gets sealed with a gel coat. Therefore, the faux marble has glossy finish with subtle, uniform veins and color.
As it is a solid surface, there are no joints as they would be if using marble tiles or plates. The price is often an advantage, compared to marble. Faux marble is not porous. It can still stain, but it is far less likely to happen.
Beside its non-porosity, it can scratch and it even a harder challenge to remove its scratches. What I personally don’t like it is its “plastic” appearance. As most of man-made materials it lacks the texture, depth and durability of natural marble.
