Granite Kitchen Countertops Done Right

From Margaret on July 9th, 2010 in Kitchen Remodel

Though the convenience of granite countertops in the kitchen will never change (the cutting right on the counter! The freshly-baked cookies sitting without a hot pad!), keeping granite looking up to date can be a challenge. The granite look can often suggest a ’90s vibe, from when the use of the material in the kitchen exploded into popularity. Here are some hints for keeping granite around, and keeping it aesthetically modern.

#1 – Keep to a Simple, Unifying Color

With white and touches of gray to tie in the gray granite, this traditional kitchen looks sleek and updated while still getting the functional benefits of granite. Take a look at your countertops and consider what the kitchen would look like if you repainted the cabinetry to more closely match the countertops—a feasible project for a long weekend.

#2 – Create a High Contrast

Or: Forget what you just read and do the opposite—create a high contrast between the countertops and cabinetry, like this modernized kitchen in a 19th-century Victorian home. If your granite is darker, consider going with white cabinetry to create a similar stark effect.

#3 – Embrace the Rustic Side of Granite

It is, after all, a rock milled out of the ground. While original granite counters were meant to look sleek and finished, update the material by overtly embracing a more pastoral kitchen, unfinished edges, and the color variance that is natural to the material. Enjoy the bucolic feel of an old French countryside kitchen—without sacrificing your modern conveniences.

Photo Credit: Flickr, CountryHome & HGTV