Your countertop is the crown jewel of your kitchen. It’s not necessarily something you want to skimp on if you can. It’s also not something you want to choose on looks alone. It takes the most wear of any other surface in your kitchen, so you also need it to incredibly durable.
When choosing our countertop, I didn’t necessarily know what kind of stone I wanted, but I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like. That was a good place for me to start because it really limited my choices. I pictured a clean white countertop with light gray veining. Basically, I wanted a muted marble.
Once I started researching what I wanted, it was clear that quartz was the way to go. I knew very little about quartz because granite has been king for years. Most real estate experts will recommend home owners to choose granite for resale value, but I feel that a large majority of buyers are leaning towards the look of quartz nowadays. It’s durable, hypoallergenic, and uniform in color, which are all huge selling points for today’s consumer.
After spending hours deliberating over all the color options, I ultimately chose Calacatta Vincenza. We needed just over 50 square feet of countertops for our kitchen, so for the countertops, single bowl sink, and installation, we spent $4,095. This is a lot of money to us, as I’m sure it is to many of you as well. It was one of the biggest decisions we made due to mainly the price but also the daily function that countertops provide, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.
Price
Before I go into the highlights of quartz, I want to talk about price. As of the last few years, the quartz industry has seen a massive boom. When demand is high, prices often go up. Since quartz is man-made, the manufacturers can set the prices competitively. That’s why new quartz colors or popular styles are often much more expensive than basic options. The main question is usually, “How does the price compare to granite?” Per square foot, quartz is fairly less expensive than granite. But, as I just mentioned, quartz is man-made and is manufactured in smaller slabs than granite; therefore, you typically need a little more quartz than if you were to just purchase a large slab of granite.
On average, quartz will range from $60-$100 per square foot depending on color choice and manufacturer. The ever so popular white styles will range on the higher end of that average since it is so popular right now.
Color Selection
White kitchens are highly coveted these days. You can check out some of my favorites here. With white kitchens, come white countertops. This is just simply not a good option in granite. Granite is a natural stone, which offers a natural, more organic look. The white granite options have more distinct brown veining and visible stones. It’s also rare for two slabs of granite to look exactly the same. Quartz, on the other hand, is uniform in color. Each slab is engineered with the same pattern, so you’re two slabs will pretty much be identical. This is great if you’re looking for more of a solid, simple color choice.
MSI Stone – Calacatta Classique
Quartz also offers many marble-like features, which is highly desirable. Though marble is very high-end and sought after, it’s extremely porous, non-flexible, and not in many people’s budget. So, if you’re going for the marble look but have a young family or limited budget, quartz might be your best option.
Durability
Quartz is one of the most durable stones on the market since it’s man-made of quartz stone and 8%-10% resin. This makes it scorch and scratch resistant. It is also non-porous, which makes it incredibly hypoallergenic. Though this is a highly-desired feature, one of the most popular one is its flexibility. It often doesn’t chip as easily as natural granite. This feature renders this stone as one of the best long-term options.
Hanwha L&C Surfaces – Tranquility
Maintenance
As I mentioned, quartz is made up of 8%-10% resin, which pre-seals the slab; therefore, you never have to seal it again unlike its granite competitor. Also, since it’s non-porous, it is stain resistant to wine, juice, coffee, and many other highly-stainable liquids. All you need to do to care for quartz is simply wipe it off with a gentle cleaning agent and rag or sponge.
Feasby and Bleeks Design
Countertop Options
Though the plethora of color options alone convinced me to splurge on quartz, the other amazing qualities made me feel even better about my decision. Have I convinced you to join the quartz family? If so, check out some of my favorite color options below. Many of these are newer styles, and all of them are from MSI Stone, which is where I chose my countertop. They have, arguably, the best selection in the SC/NC area. I also included a couple darker options for the tuxedo kitchen craze that I also adore (like photo above).
Top: 1, 2, 3, 4
Bottom: 5, 6, 7, 8
My Review
As I mentioned before, I chose Calacatta Vincenza for our kitchen. It’s definitely a brighter white than the image provided on MSI’s website. It was exactly what I had imaged my countertops to look like from the beginning: a bright, white, clean surface with light gray veining! It’s held up amazingly and is incredibly easy to keep clean. I haven’t tried cutting or putting hot objects on it just because I don’t want to be the guinea pig, but all spills have been easily cleaned up and it remains the jewel of our kitchen. If we were to renovate another kitchen, I would easily choose quartz again!
Which style is your favorite? Do you have quartz in your kitchen?
Check out our full reveal here and how we saved $10,000 on our kitchen renovation here.
