Choosing the Right Finish for Your Kitchen Countertop
Choosing your kitchen countertop involves several decisions. The first is to choose the type of stone that will best suit your taste, lifestyle and budget. This can be natural stone, such as granite, quartzite, marble or soapstone; or it can be a manufactured stone like quartz or porcelain.
Once you’ve determined the type of stone that you prefer, you next need to choose a color or design. By one estimate there are 3,000 shades of granite available! And that’s only one of your choices.
As you seek the just-right stone for your kitchen countertop, you also need to decide which finish you think is best for your kitchen. Sometimes homeowners don’t realize the finish is a decision to be made until they are faced with it.
The three most common finishes for countertops are polished, honed or leathered.
- Polished is the most popular choice of finish among homeowners. It gives a shine to kitchen countertops and can brighten up a darker or smaller room.
- Honed finish gives a softer appearance with less shine. It helps avoid glare if your kitchen is a sunny space or very large.
- Leathered finish offers a rustic appearance that can be striking in a farmhouse style or contemporary kitchen. It offers a softer appearance and less shine, similar to honed. It also has a different, textured feel to the touch.
Some top designers have been vocal about their preferences. For example, the Property Brothers, Jonathan and Drew Scott, have expressed a preference for a honed finish because the surface of the stone is smooth and this along with the lack of shine adds texture to the room. They also like it because it is a pleasant and beautiful surprise as we are so used to seeing the polished finish.
The choice is, of course, up to each homeowner. Whatever your finish preference is, we invite you to visit one of our showrooms to explore our large inventory of natural stones, quartz and porcelain so you can see in person which finish appeals to you! We’d love to help you find the stone that is just right for your taste and budget and your new kitchen.
We look forward to seeing you.