Great Choices For Countertops and Cakes!

More decisions today are made in our kitchens than in any of the board rooms across this country. This is especially true as life becomes more digital.  How many times have you paid bills, planned trips, checked school assignments and synchronized calendars working off your kitchen counter?  We confess much of this blog gets written in this exact way.  Early mornings and very late nights, standing at a countertop, doing last-minute edits or notes for the next great idea we have.  With our kitchens being the command hubs, counters have to take on so many different functions.  Because this is a design blog…we say, darn it, those counters need to look good while doing all this!  So what better way than to make a counter look good than to have a cake on it?!

Friday Favorites- Cakes and Countertops!

Before we go further we need to give credit where it is due.  We are obsessed with the recipes and photos by Sarah of Broma Bakery.  We’ve followed her so long that almost all the photos in our library of baked goods that we chose to use for this post are hers.  Like we said above, what better way to make a countertop look good…put a cake on it!  If by chance you are one of the few that do not already know about this incredible blog…please subscribe and follow her!

Follow along with us and see how we’d pair these countertops and cakes!

The White Quartz Family Of Countertops

It is very hard, if not impossible, to get a solid white stone countertop.  The granites of nature just don’t like to play this way.  Stone fabricators offer quartz, which is a manmade product only to the extent that crushed stone is mixed with resins to allow these lighter overall countertops.  With the resin added, these tops are about as maintenance-free as you can get.  They look good in a lot of applications and really shine in the “all-white” kitchen.

When solid white is “too white” for your perfect LBD, you can choose from a variety of other quartz options that offer some pattern.
The pattern can be controlled for more consistency in quartz.

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Marble Countertops

We’ve only been touting marble in kitchens for 30+ years.  Rome has done it for centuries.  Marble has been the product most discouraged to use by many of the granite stone shops.  Designers have been pushing it for years and it’s coming back as viable options.  This post is not long enough for us to give you our entire view of this but we will be happy to chat for hours with you if you ask!

Honed Stone Countertops

Almost every natural stone, granite and marble, can have a honed or matte finish.  This process, which is the opposite of the shiny polished finish, will change each stones appearance dramatically.  There is something so soothing about the instant patina of a honed surface!

Stainless Steel Countertops

For a minute, forget our past post where we encouraged you to look outside the big stainless boxes of appliances.  Now we want you to consider using this dense metal as counters and splashes.  Stainless is the ultimate antibacterial material and lasts forever with minimal care.  Got a hidden urge to be on Top Chef….this counter is for you!

Maman

Granite Countertops

Granite counters will remain big players in the countertop market.  This material has gone from being the most costly to the most reasonable for a natural stone.  Yes, we are removing many of the granite tops installed in the last 15 years as builder selections.  Now the best stone shops look for unique pieces that can truly make a personal statement.

Concrete Countertops

Right off the bat we are going to say that there is reason trained professionals fabricate concrete counters.  9 of out 10 DIY attempts end in a mess.  If you are the one who got the perfect color and texture, and your counter dried perfectly level, then you get an A in concrete.  The rest of us can get this outstanding counter from a local supplier that has a passion for mixology.

Yum and wow to all of the above!  There is one more material that seldom gets mentioned today in design blogs, TV shows and on Pinterest.  This material can be so design-savvy and fits nearly every budget.  This material is ……………

Laminate-It’s not a nasty word!  In fact, we love to show clients the vast array of options available.

What counter top is perfect for your LBD?

Leave us a comment…we are anxious to hear your thoughts!

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