Kitchen Trends: Cutting-Edge Counters
Kitchen counters have come a long way from avocado green laminate. Today’s new kitchen counters offer beauty, practicality and even a little cleaning assistance. And, as with many of the hottest products on the market today, there’s even a countertop with an environmental conscience.
Engineered Stone Kitchen Counters
The newest stone countertop to push its way onto the market? Engineered stone counters.
Leading the way is the quartz countertop. These new counters look similar to solid surface countertops, but are much more attractive due to the natural beauty of stone, which is hard to duplicate. One of the hardest minerals in existence, quartz makes this counter virtually scratch-resistant. It is also nonporous and requires no sealing, making this kitchen counter practically maintenance-free.
Antimicrobial Kitchen Counters
You may think you’re being smart by using antibacterial soap in your kitchen, but your next-door neighbor just had a new antimicrobial kitchen counter installed. That’s right. There is now a counter product on the market that not only looks great in your kitchen, but it also makes your cleaning duties easier by deterring microbial growth between cleanings, preventing stains and odors. Unfortunately there is no antimicrobial treatment that can just be added to your current countertop, as the antimicrobial process must occur during the manufacturing of the counter.
Currently the only microbial countertop on the market is available through Silestone® which has been joined by Microban International to bring this product to the market.
Recycled Kitchen Counters
What to do with all of those magazines and telephone books that have been piling up through the years? One innovative person decided they would make a beautiful kitchen countertop. And, surprisingly, he was right. Invented by Stanley Shetka, an art and design professor in Minnesota, shetkaSTONE™ is a solid surface counter that is made from all kinds of recycled paper (pre- and post-consumer waste), including glossy magazines, cardboard—even shredded U.S. currency. The counter takes its color from the recycled material that is used to make it. So, if you opt for a green counter, your new counter will literally be made of money.
A truly sustainable product, when your shetkaSTONE counter wears out, it can be recycled into a new countertop. And, you aren’t just limited to kitchen counters with this material, shetkaSTONE can also be used for tabletops, tiles, and chairs.
Other New Kitchen Counter Trends to Watch For…
• Concrete counters are becoming more and more popular in today’s kitchens.
• Also, look for new steel counters like copper and zinc to push their way into the top trends.
Additional Kitchen Counter Resources: