Why Your Kitchen Countertop Is So Important
One component of your kitchen is perhaps more important than any other. You probably don’t think of it that much, and you might even take what you currently have for granted, but if you think carefully and really put together what makes a great kitchen, you’ll have the answer – it’s your kitchen countertop.
The kitchen is a huge part of any home, and no matter what size it might be, you will use it a lot. If you really love to cook, you might even spend more time in that room than any other, and what do you use most during that time? It’s your kitchen countertop.
With all this in mind, perhaps you’re still wondering how the kitchen countertop is more important than your cabinets, flooring, lighting, or anything else. Read on to find out; here are some great reasons you need to think carefully about your kitchen countertop when you’re putting together your kitchen, whether you’re simply upgrading or installing a completely new one.
Kitchen Countertops Hold Your Kitchen Items
When you think about exactly why a kitchen countertop is so important, there is one reason that you might neglect altogether simply because it’s so obvious. Yet, although it might be obvious, it’s also important – the kitchen countertop is where all your kitchen items will be, assuming they can’t fit inside a cupboard and you don’t have any other storage available. Since storage is often a problem in kitchens, the fact is that your counter is storage in its own right. That’s why it’s so crucial to buy something that’s long-lasting and looks great – the eye will be drawn to it no matter what, whether you’re using your microwave, making a cup of coffee, preparing food, putting your groceries away, or anything else.
With that in mind, it’s crucial you seek advice when it comes to your kitchen countertop. Experts like those at Legacy Countertops understand just what a counter is needed for, and they’ll be able to give you the right advice. Bear in mind that your kitchen countertop is probably more important than you would ever give it credit for.
It’s Where You Eat
If you have a kitchen table, you’re certainly very lucky. Most homes aren’t large enough to incorporate one into the kitchen, or if there is one, it’s used as additional storage or perhaps a place to do homework. Maybe it’s even where you run your business from. Yet the kitchen is where many people like to gather when they visit someone’s home. It might even be the one place where the family can be together to talk about their day. So what do you do? Either you don’t have space for a table, or that table is being used for other things and would require a big disruption to your day if you were to move everything to make space for a meal. Do you sit in front of the TV in the living room to eat in that case? You could, but that’s not good for you – you’ll end up eating more than you would normally because you’re distracted. Plus, you won’t be able to bond as well with your family members.
The answer, then, has to be your kitchen countertop. This can be used as a table, particularly if you have stools you can use to sit on, creating an island effect. In this way, your workspace can remain untouched, and you don’t have to eat in front of a screen. The family can come together just as you want to, using the kitchen countertop as a base. Choosing an attractive one that people like will certainly make this a more pleasant experience.
It Makes The Kitchen Functional
There are so many benefits to a kitchen countertop – imagine where you would be without one. To begin with, with no countertop in place, there would be no way to use the kitchen in the way it was meant to be used. You wouldn’t be able to prepare food or eat. You wouldn’t even be able to place anything down, and your kitchen cabinet contents would be on display, making the kitchen look messy. It would also be harder to keep everything clean because of this.
Therefore, it’s clear that every kitchen needs to have a countertop. However, it shouldn’t be just any countertop – a piece of discarded wood from another project wouldn’t work, for example. It has to be something fit for purpose. Otherwise, your kitchen won’t be functional. The kitchen countertop you choose must be easy to maintain so the kitchen looks good at all times, and it must be sturdy to hold all the items you’ll keep on it. It should look attractive; otherwise, no matter what else you do in your kitchen, it will never look like you want it to.
In essence, it’s the countertop that ensures a kitchen can be used as a kitchen should be used. This is why it’s crucial to choose the right one. It not only has to look good, but it has to work well too.
They Can Look Beautiful
Kitchen countertops have been an integral part of kitchen design for centuries – you can see how even the Neanderthals used stone to create a surface to prepare food on. So it makes sense that people still want this in their kitchens today. Yet it’s not all about practicality and functionality – the looks are so crucial, and this is what many people will think about first.
The kitchen countertop you choose has a lot of power in terms of the rest of your kitchen. Choose well, and everything else will work in harmony, creating a cohesive and pleasing look. Choose poorly, and the opposite is true – that kitchen counter that doesn’t match anything and makes the kitchen too dark, too bright, or too out of place in some other way will detract from everything you’re trying to do.
There are so many options when it comes to your kitchen work surface that it can seem somewhat overwhelming. That’s why it’s always good to speak to experts. They will be able to talk you through the different ideas that might work for you and provide you with the ideal solution. You can try to go it alone, but is it really worth it when speaking to professionals will save you from making a mistake?
It Sets The Tone
The kitchen countertop you choose will effectively set the tone for the rest of the kitchen and perhaps even the rest of the house. It will make the kitchen a great place to be, the kind of place where visitors and family members want to spend time, or it will be a place to be avoided.
You might wonder why this is important. Surely you will use the kitchen no matter what it looks like because that’s what you have to do. You’ll need to cook food, make hot drinks, and, if it is a place with space, do work there or have your kids do their homework there.
That is true to some extent, but think of all the things you could do on top of the necessities. Perhaps you would want to experiment with fancier dishes or even bake something from time to time. Maybe you would want to teach your children or other friends and family members how to cook so that they can be more self-sufficient. Perhaps you don’t find the room very productive even though you have to do your work there, and time seems to drag, and deadlines are difficult to achieve.
The right kitchen countertop could change all this. If you switch an unattractive counter for a better one, suddenly the kitchen isn’t such an awful place, and everything changes. The children want to spend time there, so they learn to cook. You find that your work is easier to do because your surroundings are more to your liking since you’re not distracted and feel more comfortable. You could even start a new hobby when it comes to baking or creating beautiful dishes. It all comes down to the room you’re working in, and much of that comes down to the countertop you choose.
They Add Life
Some rooms feel lively and bright and happy. Some rooms don’t. It’s not necessarily what happens in those rooms or the people in them that cause this atmosphere; it’s the décor. In the kitchen, that usually means the kitchen countertop.
Not only does the right countertop bring a kitchen to life in terms of changing the way it looks, but if the only thing you add to a kitchen when you are making upgrades is a new countertop, you’ll still see a difference. Keep everything else the same, and your new kitchen countertop will make your kitchen look new nonetheless.
This is why it’s important to spend much – if not all – of your kitchen budget on a kitchen countertop. When you do this, you’ll find that it is worth every penny spent. Over time, you can upgrade other aspects, but as long as you ensure the countertop is modern, beautiful, and functional, you’ll have made a good choice.