12 Ways A Kitchen Countertop Changes Everything
Not (by default) a supporting player, the kitchen countertop takes a lead in determining how our kitchen designs will be perceived in terms of color, weight, balance, proportion, scale. The countertop is a player! 12 ways the countertop expresses itself in the kitchen are noted under each image.
The kitchen countertop has a personality all its own. It can lead or it can follow. It can speak strongly or softly.
As with other elements in the kitchen, it is important to look at the kitchen as a whole from the start, to have a vision of how the major elements will connect with one another...and for what reasons they will connect.
A countertop can "speak" to the kitchen as a whole via light or darkness, soft or bold color, contrast, style, texture, formality, and so on. What do you want your countertop to say? Why?
When visualizing your countertop, remember the "layer" of accessories that will be sitting on top of the countertop. Will those useful items and accessories be a color story? Will they tell a different story than the countertop does, e.g. a modern, bold, countertop with traditional/eclectic/other accessories?
There is certainly no wrong or right approach per se. What is important is that you visualize the "big picture" of the kitchen design, the role you wish your countertop to play, and the answers will reveal themselves to you!
The kitchen countertop has a personality all its own. It can lead or it can follow. It can speak strongly or softly.
As with other elements in the kitchen, it is important to look at the kitchen as a whole from the start, to have a vision of how the major elements will connect with one another...and for what reasons they will connect.
A countertop can "speak" to the kitchen as a whole via light or darkness, soft or bold color, contrast, style, texture, formality, and so on. What do you want your countertop to say? Why?
When visualizing your countertop, remember the "layer" of accessories that will be sitting on top of the countertop. Will those useful items and accessories be a color story? Will they tell a different story than the countertop does, e.g. a modern, bold, countertop with traditional/eclectic/other accessories?
There is certainly no wrong or right approach per se. What is important is that you visualize the "big picture" of the kitchen design, the role you wish your countertop to play, and the answers will reveal themselves to you!
A countertop in a strong color can be THE design statement, leaving all else neutral. It is a reflection of personal expression.
This works on several counts-the blue countertop and brown wood are complementary colors, the balance with light and medium tones are in a proportional sync, the dark top is perfect! A play in contrasts.
A cool/warm relationship is always a natural pairing. Especially in the company of neutrals, cool/warm tones separate elements effectively.
A neutral countertop enables color, in this case, in the turquoise wall cabinet, to stand out and be an important design element.
Simple, quiet, surrounding surfaces juxtaposed with a strong, but not too strong, flowing granite, offers a dose of wild texture, a countertop as focal point. Beware of too much countertop in this situation.
The big picture, perhaps planned in advance, consists of two parts, cabinetry and countertop, which share a connecting color. A nice balance of horizontal and vertical surfaces.
Contrast is always a winner. Black, on the countertops lays a mid height foundation at 1/3 the room height, a classic proportion.
Love the contrast of neutrals, especially how the countertop in a horizontal line supports the expansive white walls. A play in horizontal and vertical colors and shapes with two clear focal points.
A countertop appears understated and a unified part of the larger elements in the room. A flowing look, completely monochromatic.
The countertop is a natural connection to the foundation of the room, the floor, as well as the dining furniture. The countertop allows the island to connect more to the formal space.
An example of darker base cabinets and the upper shelves, walls, window trim and countertop, sharing the same shade of white. The darker section serving as a foundation, the larger white areas in perfect balance. A look that is gaining more recent attention as a "built-in" feeling. Very spacious look.
Colors in walls, countertops, cabinetry, tile are connected in tones that vary just a bit for added textural interest. This look allows larger elements to read as a smaller scale than if otherwise designed, especially if cabinets were dark/countertops were light.