Whether you are planning to change the kitchen in a newly purchased home or remodeling in your existing home with an eye to both the present and the future – in terms of added perceived value at sale time – a kitchen remodel can be both exciting and stressful, although not too many people are deterred by the stress it seems as kitchen makeovers are the number one home remodeling project undertaken in not just Canada but also most of the world.
New kitchen countertops make up a sizable part of any kitchen remodel, both in physical and budgetary terms. And because there are so many different options out there making a choice when it comes to the type of material chosen for a replacement kitchen countertop is one of the most difficult decisions the homeowner has to make. But do you really have to make a final decision at all, can’t you have a mixture of materials instead? In many cases the answer is a resounding yes.
The Design Case for Mixed Kitchen Countertop Materials
The vast majority of professional and commercial kitchens feature a mix of different countertop materials. They often have a marble work surface for pastry prep, a steel surface for ‘wet work’ and then a butcher block for chopping and knife work. This idea of combining countertop materials for both look and function is one that is becoming increasingly popular in residential kitchen design as well, and done correctly the end result can be a kitchen that has a unique character while still also being a great looking and very functional space as well.
The Financial Case for Mixed Kitchen Countertop Materials
Kitchen countertops usually gobble up about 15% of a kitchen remodeling budget and if the materials chosen are the really high end ones – granite or marble for instance – the that percentage will be even higher. Making use of mixed countertop materials can be helpful here too. For example, the keen pastry chef can get that elegant marble work surface they also dreamed of in one part of the kitchen space, as a kitchen island for example while making use of a less costly option such as a faux granite laminate (which is still a very durable choice) elsewhere.
Getting the Design Right
When planning to use mixed materials for your new kitchen countertops getting the design right is more important than ever. You cannot simply throw together the different choices haphazardly they have to be planned like a jigsaw puzzle, everything has to fit together perfectly.
This is where you will seriously benefit by choosing a kitchen remodeling professional who is also a kitchen design expert. They can listen to your ideas and design vision (and a good professional should always listen to your wishes and ideas) and then come up a plan that can actually be executed in real life.