Selecting the right color for your stone countertops is usually a hard task for many homeowners. Whether they choose engineered stone, marble or granite, it is a considerable investment. Granite is especially challenging, as it comes in such a variety of unique color combinations and designs that it is easy to be overwhelmed.
Of course, you may have an idea of what general color you want. Say you decide that blue would be your overall theme. How do you choose the right one when you are confronted with 20 different shades and designs of blue? You might know what you like when you see it installed, but it is altogether a different matter choosing it while it is still a slab. If you make a mistake, it is one you will have to live with for a long time.
In most cases, the staff at the warehouse can give you suggestions based on their experience in installing stone countertops. They have probably had their fair share of bewildered customers helplessly looking through slabs and slabs of stone, and not knowing which to choose. However, you have to give them some indication of what you need. If it is at all possible, bring a sample of the color of your cabinets and floor. If you are in the middle of a remodeling, you have probably chosen the colors for these from swatches. Bring those when you go to the warehouse, and you will find out why they are important.
Match or contrast?
All kitchens and bathrooms have cabinets, but the kitchen is where the color coordination is most important. Your countertops and cabinets go hand-in-hand, so they have to look good together. That doesn’t mean they have to be a color match all the time, however.
Matching cabinets and countertops are certainly the easiest way to go. For example, if you have blue cabinets, a mostly blue stone of the same hue would make it seem a continuous unit. However, if you chose strong colors for your cabinets, an equally strong color for your countertop can seem overwhelming. On the other hand, if you choose a soft color for both, they will look faded.
The solution would be to choose contrasting colors, but that doesn’t always work, either. Blue contrasts with orange. Can you imagine your kitchen with blue cabinets and orange countertops?
Instead of thinking in absolutes, think in terms of stone. Granite, for example, is seldom a solid color. It may be mostly solid, but it has veins and sports of color you can use to coordinate with your cabinets. For example, you can choose a mostly white or grey granite slab shot with veins of blue the same color as your cabinets. The countertop would be lighter colored, but it would still look well with your cabinets. The same goes for other types of stone, especially engineered quartz. You can also go the contrasting route by choosing a light colored stone with flecks or veins of orange.
Stone first
If you have not yet selected the color of your cabinets, then you have a freer hand. You can choose any slab in the warehouse that takes your fancy and choose a cabinet color that will match the veining or the background color. It is far easier to change the color of your cabinets than the color of your countertops.
Here are some good color pairings you may want to consider:
Black and white
Brown and cream
Maple and gray
Dark brown and green
Light oak with brown
Cherry with Blue green
Two colors
You might also want to consider two different colored stones for your countertops. You can use a light colored stone with the right veining for your kitchen countertops, and a dark colored one matching your cabinets for the center island. This two-color route can really tie in your kitchen together.
On the other hand, if your cabinets are two-toned, such as a light center with a dark perimeter, or vice versa, you should choose a stone that have the same hues as both. For example, if you have blue cabinets with a white center, you can choose a predominantly white stone with blue flecks, or vice versa.
Floored
Before you forget, you still have to tie in your floor. Most kitchens have a neutral colored floor such as white, cream, grey, or brown, in which case you can pretty much just go with the cabinets. However, if you chose black or a patterned floor color, you have to tie the stone in with it as well. It is likely that you have chosen cabinet and floor colors that go together, so your stone color should tie them in. The order of priority is cabinets, floors, and countertops. Your safest bet with non-coordinated cabinets and floors is to choose a slab that has color elements of both.
Other matters
You also have to consider the size of your kitchen when choosing the color of your stone countertops. If you have a small kitchen, you might want to choose a light colored stone. Dark stone tends to pull in the kitchen, making it look smaller. However, some dark stones with wide swathes of light veins can still work with small kitchens if it is in contrast with other color elements in the room.
Another consideration is the lighting. A small kitchen can look quite beautiful with dark countertops if the natural lighting in the room picks out the light veins. Recessed lighting can also enhance the look of your dark countertops, making the light veins glow at night.
Takeaway
Choosing the right color for stone kitchen countertops can be overwhelming, especially if you are considering granite or engineered stone. However, you can manage your choices on your own by using these color selection advice. You can also benefit from the suggestions by professionals that do this type of thing for a living.