While granite and marble will always be the default go-to materials for kitchen (and bathroom) countertops, more and more options are becoming available. The beauty part of these options is, of course, the fact that they’re both functional and fashionable. Here, then, are some functional – and alternative – kitchen countertops.
- Butcher Blocks: this is, perhaps, one of the quickest growing (in terms of popularity) materials to use on your kitchen countertops.
- Copper (or other metals): while this isn’t advisable for an entire countertop (you don’t want any of the alloys to leech into your food), you can certainly use this material for a wet bar area of your kitchen.
- Repurposed Wood: this is a “green” option (because it uses already existing materials to make your countertop), so certainly, if your goal is to reduce your carbon footprint, this is definitely the way to go. However, regardless of your goal, please make sure that you have this countertop professionally sealed, and periodically, to prevent injury.
- Quartz: another “green” option, this is starting to supersede granite in popularity, because it has all the durability and beauty of granite and marble without the expense!
- Soapstone: yet another “green” option on the list, soapstone is one of the most plentiful materials on Earth (it’s rich in magnesium because it’s made of compressed talc), making it an affordable countertop solution. As with repurposed wood, you will want to have your soapstone countertop professionally sealed before usage – talc is very biodegradable, and you wouldn’t want water to damage your investment!
