It’s time to boost the look of your countertops. From kitchen islands to bar tops, there are so many styles and colours to choose from. “Create your own space, and make it you,” says Kristopher Orchard, Team Member at OC Emporium in Orillia.
The process of choosing the right countertop can be daunting, but that’s why countertop and design specialists are in the business.
“We make sure to educate our customers about all the different types of surfaces. Your choice should be made based on the product you like best from an aesthetic perspective with always keeping functionality in mind,” says Jeremy Buck, President of Di Pietra Design in Barrie.
Countertop choices have come a long way since laminate, which is still a common preference. Laminate is available in an assortment of colours, textures and patterns that can be made to look like granite, marble, or wood.
“Quartz is the number one seller because it’s maintenance free, heat resistant, and bacteria resistant. It’s hard, durable and doesn’t need to be sealed like granite. A lot of people are doing a full-height, or what’s called a book-matched back splash,” says Kyle Scott, Owner of Countertops By Design in Barrie.
Quartz is a manufactured stone with a mixture of ground quartz. The most popular colour choice is white with grey veins known as Calacatta, says Buck.
“The manufacturers of quartz are getting better at making it look more like natural stone. It’s a very versatile material,” says Dennis Miner, Sales Manager for Uniform Custom Countertops in Barrie.
Perhaps you’d like to invest in a more elaborate countertop that’s made from wood. “The biggest countertop trend right now is wood and resin. This is mostly used in islands to create an art feature,” says Orchard.
“With wood, you’re not limited. When people want something spectacular, they’ll do an island with a live edge river top. A river top is a slab that’s cut in the centre, put into a form, and then we pour in a tinted resin. Resins can be back lit with LED lighting, so it has a glow through the resin,” says David Shaw, Owner of The Northern Joinery in Orillia.
Butcher block style countertops are also exceptional. You don’t have to pull out a cutting board, and it can be refinished and sanded down again. “We use 100% graded beeswax and vegetables oils, so it’s 100% food grade. It does a beautiful job sealing the wood,” says Shaw.
You can’t go wrong investing in a quality countertop. It’ll be well worth it. “Some countertops are very expensive because it takes a lot to produce it. Quartz is about 20-25% more in cost than granite,” says Miner.
Shaw says the cost for a wood countertop is similar to granite, but it can have many variables depending on the size and artistry of the design. Waterfall countertops – the countertop continues down the sides of an island – are popular and can be done
with wood.
Make your countertop a show stopper!
LOCAL LINKS
Countertops By Design
countertopsbydesign.net
The Northern Joinery
705-259-7700
Uniform Custom Countertops
uniformcustom.com
OC Emporium
ocemporium.ca
Di Pietra Design
dpd360.com
