While remodeling your kitchen you may feel overwhelmed. Everything these days comes in multiple options, including your choice of granite colors for kitchen countertops. All of them are beautiful and because granite is a natural material, each slab vary in pattern and color. So which color do you choose? Here we’ll go over a few design principles to keep in mind before you choose your kitchen countertop color.
The Principle of the Matter
1. Contrast keeps kitchen look more pleasing. If you study photos of designer kitchens or watch different home makeover shows on TV, you’ll notice almost all of them feature some contrast between light and dark. For example, if the kitchen cabinets are dark then the kitchen countertops are light and vice versa. Having light and dark elements in a room adds visual balance. Darker colors can serve as anchors and lighter colors take some weight off and can make a room feel more open and spacious. So consider using a contrasting color to your cabinets for your granite countertops.
2. Consider the style of your kitchen. Is your kitchen traditional or modern? That choice can help narrow down your granite color options. Look at ads or photos in magazines or on TV of similar kitchen styles. What color or shade countertops do they use overall? For example, some modern kitchens use monochromatic color schemes so the cabinets and countertops are in the same color family. Other kitchens feature high contrast between the cabinets and countertops (e.g. black and white), which also provides a sleek, modern appearance. Using softer or more muted colors, whether in contrast to each other or not, often makes for a more traditional look. So hold granite samples against your chosen cabinets to see what works together and will achieve the style you want.
3. Blend with the rest of the house. When choosing the color of your granite countertop, it may help to consider other rooms in the house. This is especially true when the kitchen is in open sight of other rooms or even directly connected. Having consistency in color throughout the home keeps it visually cohesive. That way your home will feel like one living space instead of just individual rooms connected by doors. Consider bringing a color or shade of color from another room into the kitchen to tie them together. For example, pick an accent color that pops up throughout the home. If you have a lot of brown in the house with off-white accents, try using the off-white for the countertops. By bringing that color into the kitchen, you’ll tie the rooms together.
To simplify the process of choosing a granite countertop color, remember to consider using a contrasting color to your cabinets, test colors against the style of your kitchen, and try choosing a color that will tie in with other colors in your home. Follow these three principles to take some of the confusion out of making a granite color choice.
The Granite Rainbow
Black is a classic and goes with any design taste and will coordinate with any color scheme. On the other hand, black granite is rarer than other varieties and may cost more because of that.
Brown has the advantage of warmth. So if your kitchen includes a lot of warmer undertones (present in reds, oranges, red purples, and pinks), brown may be the better neutral for you.
Green is not as versatile a color as black and brown but it will bring in some color and produce a calming effect. A deep, shimmering emerald green can be quite stunning against a neutral background.
Red. You won’t find any flat reds in granite but you will find rich, wine-colored reds and more orange-based reds. If you want your countertop to really take center-stage, then red is your color. This is especially true if the rest of the kitchen is white or beige.
Blue. The shades of blue range from light to dark, from very blue to more purple blue. It would work well in a cottage-style kitchen against all white, or coordinate in a modern kitchen against flat-front espresso cabinets. Like green, the cool tone of blue has a calming effect and will contrast well with warmer tones.
This is just a taste of the variety of granite colors available and all colors come in many shades.
Keep in mind that granite is a natural product and it will never just be a flat, solid color. So no matter what color or shade you choose, your kitchen countertops will surely be a favorite feature of yours and your guests.
