If you’re doing over your kitchen and you have a color you really love and want to feature, I say go for it.

A lot of people come in and say they love green or gray or yellow – even purple – and, in the next breath, say they could never do those colors for the sake of their home’s resale. I’m very upfront about this: Forget resale; it’s your house. Don’t be afraid. You can introduce your favorite color in your cabinets, then move to your countertop. Your countertop pulls everything together in your kitchen. Quartz is a great choice because you have so many stones to choose from and you can always, always find your favorite color embedded in the slab.

My customers often ask me what I sell the most of and I tell them, 90 percent of the time it’s quartz for both the wide selection and the choices of darker and lighter shades. Scan The BGE Quartz Collection, comprised of four quartz lines, for some trendy and contemporary looks.

Want to design around your favorite color but don’t know how to go about picking your stone? See the Boston Granite Exchange’s Pro Search option. On the left-hand side of the page, check “Quartz,” and away you go. Gain your confidence here. Get inspired.

Another question I get is, “My appliances are all stainless steel. Do I need to match my cabinet hardware to my appliances?” The answer is no; pick the hardware finish that looks best on your cabinets.

Your kitchen should not be bland; don’t think everything needs to match perfectly. Hardware, faucets and lighting do not need to be in all of the same finish. Mix color, materials and textures to create just the right amount of warmth and interest. Stone, wood, stainless steel, glass, tin, brick – I love mixing things. That’s the fun. That’s the beauty.

Go ahead now. Work with your contractor and redo your kitchen with colors that reflect your family vibe.

Linda Cloutier, founder of Linda Cloutier Kitchens & Baths in southern New Hampshire, has worked for more than three decades as a kitchen design business owner, specializing in spending time with her clients, understanding their design preferences and designing every project as if it were in her own home. Linda won her first Houzz award in 2015, and it’s no surprise she’s received that honor every year since.