Kitchen Countertop Ideas to Improve Your Kitchen

Kitchen Countertops are an Excellent Way to Improve the Look of Your Home

by Jana Torres

When you begin to consider making improvements to your home, one area that most likely could use a great deal of updating is the kitchen. In many ways, the kitchen is one of the areas that is most dated and is one of the areas that are most easily updated. If you have not begun the process of improving your home, then take the time to consider where your remodeling budget could best be used. One area to think about in the kitchen is the counter. You could choose to remodel with new options, like Sears kitchen countertops. 

Take a good look at your kitchen countertops. If your house is older, chances are, those countertops may have some wear and tear. Often, countertops that were made from materials fifteen or more years ago will show age badly. Between accidental burn marks, cracks, stains, and bubbles, countertops can age a kitchen badly.

If you decide to replace your countertops, you will need to understand that you are taking on a fairly large remodeling project. Unless you are experienced at such projects, then you may want to consider professional installation. Otherwise, your countertops could look like they were done in a roughshod fashion.

The good news is that there are a wide variety of options, like those available at Sears kitchen countertops. You are sure to find an option that best suits your sense of style and your kitchen best. Some of the options that you may want to conside4r include

If you want a natural but sleek option, you could consider quartz or granite. These two types of countertops include shiny, finished surfaces with a very natural style. Quartz and granite options of Sears kitchen countertops are available in a range of colors, including light options all the way to the darkest black. Since these options are made of natural stone, no two sets will look exactly alike. You will have one of a kind style in your kitchen.

If you prefer a modern and luxurious style for your kitchen, you could consider such options as Corian, which will give a sense of contemporary style while remaining useful in your kitchen.

No matter what material you choose for your Sears kitchen countertops, make sure you think about the plusses and minuses of each. Consider the color options available and how they will fit into your kitchen design. In addition, consider heat resistance, and their ability to resist germs.

When you want to make improvements to your home, the kitchen is a good place to start. You may choose to replace your appliances with updated ones, or you ma y decide to resurface the cabinets. In any event, make sure to not overlook your countertops. Options, like Sears kitchen countertops can vastly improve the look of your kitchen and your home. When you choose professional installation, you will be able to sit back and enjoy the results without having to worry if they are in place correctly. Your kitchen will feel like new when you replace the countertops.

Marble Kitchen Countertops Offer Sophistication and Elegance by Tippy Gremweld

Marble kitchen countertops are often praised for their elegance and beauty.  Marble represents luxury and sophistication, and anyone with a marble countertop in his or her kitchen is proud to show it off to anyone who enters the home.  There are so many colors to choose from when buying marble, which makes it easy to fit in with the rest of the kitchen.  Pink marble, black marble, white marble, and yellow marble are always excellent choices.  There are still plenty of other color marble kitchen countertops to choose from, as well.

Marble kitchen countertops and even tiles are become more and more popular considering the kitchen is the “most used” room in the home.  Not only does having a marble kitchen countertop give the kitchen a beautiful, welcoming appearance, but it can also increase the overall value of the home.  Whether a family wishes to install a marble countertop in their kitchen for their own comfort and enjoyment or in order to sell their home at a great price, they won’t be disappointed.

While marble kitchen countertops are known to be expensive, good deals can still be found for them.  The Internet, for instance, is a great place to look for deals on marble.  Online merchants dealing with kitchen accessories often have good bargains on marble.  Artificial, cultured marble is usually less than natural marble, and while it’s not exactly the “real thing”, nobody can really tell the difference anyway. 

In summary, marble countertops, whether natural or artificial, are the best choices for adding overall beauty, elegance, and sophistication to a kitchen.  More and more families are finding out just how enjoyable and warm their homes can be with marble kitchen countertops.  Marble can last for years, and investing in marble countertops is always a smart investment for any kitchen.

Choosing Kitchen Countertops

Tips For Choosing Kitchen Countertops

by Liz Wood

Kitchen countertops have two main functions. The first function includes providing a work surface for preparing food and handling other kitchen activities. The countertops second function is to provide an attractive appearance which will enhance the look of your kitchen. It's important to know how to select a kitchen countertop that satisfies your criteria for both.

Countertops are one of the first things you notice when you walk into a kitchen. Before you know it you are placing items on the countertop, preparing food on the countertop and resting your elbows on it as well. But not only do your countertops need to be functional; they also need to be attractive and easy to clean up. Great countertops bring beauty and style into your kitchen, as well as practicality.

Picking out the countertop that will work best in your kitchen involves your personal preference, as well as a deep look into the unique features that each countertop material has to offer. Important features include durability, ease of cleaning, safety and style. The idea is to find a countertop that will add beauty and practicality to your kitchen for many years to come and also be easy to work with. But keep in mind; countertops are a very large investment so it's critical that you get the right ones.

Durability is one of the first features you need to pay attention to when shopping for countertops. A resilient surface is important because countertops take a great deal of beatings over their life span. Certain materials will crack, burn and stain when exposed to the elements within the kitchen, such as sharp knifes, hot pans and standing water. Durable countertops may cost more, but they are well worth the money spent because they will provide longer lasting beauty and functionality.

In addition to durability, countertops must also be easy to clean up because getting dirty is one of Mr. Countertop's favorite things to do. You will appreciate a countertop that cleans up easily because it is so common for drinks to be spilled, food to get splattered all over, water to leak from the sink area, and for dressings and toppings to fall off everywhere. You want to choose a material that makes cleaning these messes up easier on you. Keep in mind, the more porous the material is, the easier it will be to stain.

Safety is another concern that you should have with new countertops, especially if you have small children. You want to make sure that the corners of your new countertops are rounded because sharp edges may cause serious injuries. You should also consider buying countertops that are specially treated to lower the amount of bacteria build up on the surface of the countertop. Too much bacteria on the surface may cause food poisoning.

The last thing you want to put thought into is the style of your countertops. You want your kitchen countertops to complement the design of your kitchen. The color and texture of the material you choose will play a major roll in the way the countertop looks. You must also consider how the material fits into your current kitchen design. Kitchen showrooms are a great place to visit to get an idea of how different countertop materials fit into kitchen designs.

Every process begins somewhere. In selecting the right countertops, a great place to start is to think first of how you plan to use your new countertop. Do cook a lot? Steel is very easy to clean and is the perfect choice for serious cooks. Do you like to bake a lot? Granite offers a smooth surface for rolling out dough. Butcher block tops are also great for both of these tasks. Are low maintenance and easy cleanup most important features? If so, consider plastic laminate tops. Is cost a major concern? Tile offers an inexpensive and durable surface.

Countertop Options:

Plastic Laminates
Butcher Block

Recycled Paper

Recycled Glass

Ceramic Tile

Steel

Concrete

Stone

Kitchen Countertops

Kitchen Countertops

It has been argued by kitchen design experts that kitchen countertops take more beatings from users than even the kitchen floor. While the kitchen floor takes abuse from stomping feet, pointy high heels, and occasional food spillovers, kitchen countertop are battered by sizzling hot pots, harsh cleaning solutions, abrasive hard scrubbing, and cold scratching from bottom of kitchen countertop appliances. As one of the largest single areas of kitchen décor, the look and feel of the kitchen countertop material also has a dramatic effect on kitchen aesthetics. Moreover, replacing the kitchen countertop is no easy task, even when compared to replacement of kitchen floors. There are much heavy lifting, in addition to proper cutting, setting, and support. Thus, the best value in kitchen countertop material must consider not only the price, but also durability, aesthetics, and installation/maintenance.

There are many available different countertop materials available:

Granite, marble, and soapstone are all extremely durable and have the beauty of natural stones. They also come in a variety of colors and patterns to match well with most kitchens. However, they tend to be expensive and require proper sealing to prevent discoloration over time.

On the other end of the scale, laminates and ceramic tiles are much more affordable. However, they have a decidedly more modest look and feel, when compared to the upscale granite, marble, and soapstone countertops. Furthermore, while they are fairly easy to clean, they tend to chip, scratch, and stain very easily.

There are also countertop materials for specialized applications, such as stainless steel and concrete countertops. Stainless steel is extremely durable and easy to clean. However, because it has an emphatically industrial look, it is most suitable for contemporary-looking kitchens. Stainless Steel also suffers from susceptibility to inadvertent dents and that occasional irritating metal-scratching noise. High cost is also an issue for stainless steel countertops. Concrete countertops are typically custom cast right in the kitchen, so they are especially good for creating custom-shaped countertops. Concrete are mostly heat- and scratch-resistant, but some cracking is possible. In terms of style, it has a distinctly exotic and unusual look, but the need for custom-casting put it beyond most people’s budget.

And, finally, there is the best value in kitchen countertop material -- the engineered stone. Not only is the engineered stone just as stain-, scratch-, and heat-resistant as the expensive granite and marble counters, it also requires minimal maintenance and comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and textures to match well with virtually any kitchen style. Yet, it is considerably more affordable than either granite or marble.