What Makes a Great Kitchen Countertop?

A reader of ours lives in a Venice, CA bungalow and recently asked for help in selecting new kitchen countertops or possibly repairing the current ones. From the looks of these photos the tops are too damaged to repair and not of the best quality to retain. We do like the mustard green which lends a vintage appeal to the kitchen along with the old stove and range, even though the cabinets and dishwasher are thoroughly modern.

We often refer to our kitchen countertop guide for resources and ideas but we'd like to hear from you and what you think would look great but also be functional.

The homeowner enjoys entertaining but also spends time away from the house and would probably prefer a low-maintenance solution. We think concrete would look sharp here but it does require vigilant maintenance and can be costly. If you want to tackle installing concrete countertops yourself here's the best guide we've found.

A wood countertop would also be beautiful and the natural aging and marking that occurs would give a nice "lived in" look to the counter but again maintenance can be a chore. We think a stainless steel or recycled glass top may be the best bet here as there are many color and finish options to choose from and they are easier to maintain.

Help a fellow DIY homeowner and lend your advice in the comments about what countertop material you suggest and why.

Charles & Hudson | Comments () |

Lori Torres

There are certainly not many websites with information such as this man! Bookmarked!

Terrazzo Restoration Hollywood

We do like the mustard green which lends a vintage appeal to the kitchen

Terrazzo Floor Clean HOLLYWOOD

What Makes a Great Kitchen Countertop?! This site will really help out my friends and relatives! Thanks for the post!

J

White marble, so many beautiful choices. You don't need a lot, so it would be cost effective too!

beth

how about a nice tile with a very thin space between for grout? almost so it looks like one piece. i just saw them do that on a remodeling show on HGTV a few wks ago. it looked super sharp!

ConstructionDealcom

The glass countertop would be perfect here. It can hard to find someone who can do glass in every neighborhood, so I would also recommend the stainless.

Another option - also hard to find - would be a bamboo countertop. There's a company in North Hollywood (totally bamboo, I think it's called) that could help them out.

Katherine

With such a cool vintage stove and retro-colored cabinets, I would suggest going with something like a quartz solid countertop material (i.e. Silestone or Caesarstone - they both have some yummy colors that would really emphasize this retro kitchen). I also like recycled glass, such as EnvironGlas, which still has that retro vibe and is green. We recently redid a vintage kitchen that has a similar stove with this countertop material (http://goodhomeconstruction.bl.... Both are very low maintenance and highly durable.

If these countertops are out of your price range, I would suggest going back to the old-school tile (4" x 4" with a trim piece) that is more appropriate for the period your kitchen appears to be. A little bit more maintenance (with the grout and all) but definitely cheaper and will look like it belongs with your kitchen.

Susan

Good ideas! I'm thinking if it's a budget/DIY situation, perhaps 13x13 porcelain floor tiles could add an interesting texture. Fewer grout lines with a larger tile too. http://snurl.com/dgwe9

I am guilty as charged for really liking wood as a countertop. I know I will have it in my next kitchen. The maintenance is only a periodic resanding/oil application. However, water is not its friend, if unchecked, and hot dishes are not either, so one must be cautious.

One can keep costs low and keep the design simple by using 3/4 granite (as opposed to 1 1/2") in a very simple/uniform grain pattern, so it does not yell "granite." Look for a small fleck.

Charles & Hudson

Thanks Susan. Wood countertops done right are gorgeous but you're right, they do require care.