20 Kitchen Countertop Ideas for Any Design Style

From marble to butcher block, discover the best material for your kitchen aesthetic and cooking style.

Kitchen countertops provide far more than aesthetics: They are hardworking surfaces that should reflect your cooking and entertaining style just as much as your design preferences. When renovating a kitchen, choosing the countertop may seem like a small decision compared to details like cabinetry and appliances. However, counters can infuse the space with serious style and make clean-up and maintenance a breeze. Use the following kitchen countertop ideas to choose the perfect option for your kitchen.

Related: The Pros and Cons of Common Kitchen Countertop Materials

Classic Countertops with Colorful Cabinets

This glossy gray and white marble countertop is gorgeous on its own. But it’s still simplistic enough to allow the teal green cabinets and gleaming gold hardware to take center stage. The counter displays a little extra character thanks to the decorative ogee edges.

Related: Teal Blue Paint Colors

Butcher Block Kitchen Countertops

Butcher block is durable and easier to maintain than luxury materials like marble. So, if you do a lot of meal prepping and are harsh on your counters, install the wood slabs throughout your kitchen. Pair them with a white beadboard backsplash and mint cabinets for a bright, cheerful space.

Related: 14 Wood Countertop Ideas for a Naturally Beautiful Kitchen

Soapstone Kitchen Countertop Ideas

A black soapstone countertop with faint veining breaks up this otherwise all-white, sun-drenched kitchen. It also gives the rustic room a contemporary touch, and from a functionality standpoint, the dense material deters damage from hot dishes, spills, and splatters.

Related: Black Countertops Are Making a Comeback—Here’s How to Get the Look

Farmhouse-Inspired Marble Countertops

This gorgeous kitchen is decidedly farmhouse. The vertical shiplap walls, weathered wood floors, and Shaker cabinets with brass cup hardware are the ideal backdrop for both sets of counters: The rustic butcher block on the island and the sophisticated stone throughout the rest of the room.

Mix Matte and Glossy

Can’t decide between countertop materials? Incorporate both! Stick to a similar color palette, such as the combination displayed here: Shiny stainless steel perfectly contrasts the flat, leathered granite. Stainless steel is antibacterial, and leathered granite repels liquids, so decide where you plan to prep food and play bartender before having them installed.

Related: The Pros, Cons, and Cost of Stainless-Steel Countertops

Understated Kitchen Countertops

Your kitchen color scheme may not be bold, but perhaps it has other eye-catching details, such as horizontal wood grain island siding, geometric marble backsplash, and an oversized angled range hood. Sticking to sleek counters made of white quartz, with slight gray veining, is one way to let all the scene-stealers shine.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Quartz Kitchen Countertops

Granite Kitchen Countertop Ideas

Practically any type of countertop would have blended beautifully with the rich blue hue that envelopes this kitchen, but this shade of granite makes a gorgeous statement. The dominant gray tone complements the cabinet’s silver hardware and dual over-island pendant lights.

Related: 21 Granite Kitchen Countertop Ideas for a Perfect Cooking Space

Waterfall Kitchen Countertop

If you’re craving a contemporary look for your kitchen or, perhaps, some added drama, look into a waterfall style. Whether you add it to the ends of the base cabinets or just the island, it will give the space a streamlined appearance. However, consider the material carefully, as it may be difficult to upkeep—especially if you have active kids or pets who can easily bump into the vertical sections.

Related: What Is a Waterfall Countertop and Is It Right for Your Kitchen?

Matching Countertops and Backsplash

Pairing kitchen countertops with a backsplash isn’t necessarily a novel idea. However, teaming white and gray marble with matte black cabinets and brass accents can be a striking style statement. Note that marble counters come with a cost, as they are one of the more expensive types and require more maintenance than others.

Related: How to Clean Marble

Laminate Kitchen Countertop Ideas

Laminate countertops are one of (if not the) most inexpensive options on the market. Replacing your kitchen counters is a relatively budget-friendly way to upgrade the space. So, if the budget is tight but the counters are overdue for a refresh, shoot for a simple surface. Reserve a small amount for a can of paint in a vivid color to spruce up the cabinets.

Related: The 5 Most Functional and Cheapest Countertops for Your Kitchen

Cottage-Style Kitchen Countertops

Every detail in this cottage-style kitchen is enchanting, including the minor yet impactful choice to integrate the countertop with the apron-front sink. The quartzite material with neutral-colored veining is an ideal match for the whitewashed cobblestone accent wall and exposed wood beam ceiling.

Complimentary Materials

While these floating shelves are made of white oak wood, the stone countertop below them is nearly identical in color. Set against white shiplap walls and above Shaker-style drawers, the two materials come together to create a dreamy coastal farmhouse kitchen.

Countertops for Form and Function

If you’re flexible with your renovation budget, consider springing for quartzite counters. As opposed to factory-manufactured quartz countertops, naturally mined quartzite is the real deal, and you can guarantee that no two slabs you have installed will look the same. Not only does the organic stone look stunning in any space, it demands minimal maintenance and provides a sturdy surface to prep meals from morning to night.

Black Kitchen Countertops

This space is surprising in all the right ways. The extensive exposed brick walls, natural wood exposed ceiling beams, and organic decor pieces are just a few details that will keep dinner guests guessing. What ties the entire kitchen together is the spectacular soapstone kitchen island counters that mirror the stove backsplash.

Related: 45 Black Kitchens That Are Both Timeless and Bold

Modern and Minimalist Kitchen Counters

Modern kitchens are known for their simplistic, streamlined look. If that’s your go-to decor style, make sure your countertops coordinate with the rest of the room. Here, clean quartz counters look flawless atop a blonde-toned island and white cabinets.

Mix Kitchen Patterns

As if the cobalt blue cabinets and arch details weren’t remarkable enough, this kitchen incorporates multiple playful patterns. A herringbone backsplash, wallpaper with a faint geometric motif, and white and gray marble countertops complete the trio.

Transitional Kitchen Countertops

Coastal and industrial farmhouse aesthetics come together in this kitchen to form a timeless, transitional style. The metal accents, from the range hood to the dome pendant lights, give off modern vibes, while penny mosaic-patterned floors and a subway tile backsplash evoke a vintage look. Between it all, a polished marble countertop and Robin’s egg blue cabinets contribute to an airy, beachy ambiance.

Related: How to Get the Look of a Transitional Kitchen for Timeless Style

Reclaimed Wood Kitchen Countertop Ideas

Fully lean into the farmhouse kitchen aesthetic by choosing countertops made of salvaged wood. Like quartzite, you can be confident that the slabs installed in your space will be unique. So long as the look of its imperfect grain and the need to regularly reseal the counters don’t deter you, you can also feel good about making a sustainable choice for your home.

Related: 6 Eco-Friendly Countertop Materials for a Greener Kitchen

Stone Kitchen Countertop Ideas

You can still pull off mismatched countertops in a more traditional kitchen, especially if it suits your cooking habits. Here, a butcher block counter where the sink is located makes for easy chopping and rinsing while integrating seamlessly with the rest of this all-wood kitchen. Opposite the sink, dark soapstone surrounds the stovetop, which means it can withstand hot pots and pans and visually breaks up the consistent wood tone throughout the room.

Related: 14 Wood Countertop Ideas for a Naturally Beautiful Kitchen

Colorful Kitchen Countertop Ideas

For those with a penchant for eclectic home decor, the kitchen counters can be a fun and easy way to express your creativity. Start by picking out a glossy laminate countertop in a bold color, like cherry red, for the island. If you want to update the rest of the counters in the same shade later on, make a DIY project out of it and relaminate the surfaces.

Related: 25 Ways to Brighten and Update a White Kitchen with a Pop of Color

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