Home Interior Design Makeover Tips: Kitchen Countertops

by Jyl Johnson Pattee on August 14th, 2013 | No Comments »

Want to spruce up your home's interior design? Let's start in the heart of the home: the kitchen with one simple change that can make a huge difference: kitchen countertops.

With granite and other solid surface kitchen countertops being all the rage, it can be tempting to go big or go home cost-wise with your kitchen makeover. If you decided to go full-on renovation, hiring professionals who offer services like Interior design services is an important factor.

But if you're like me and would rather spare the expense and put the money you would have spent on more expensive countertops into additional home remodeling projects, then quartz kitchen countertops are the way to go. With the new HD design, you get the look of solid surfaces at a fraction of the cost. What's not to love about that? Check out the Home Repair Ninja’s guide to granite vs. quartz countertops here.

WilsonArt reached out to me at the perfect time. I was already planning an interior design remodel. I had a small budget and a few key things in mind, namely replacing our 16-year-old furniture and taking my deep cranberry and olive green walls back to white. So, when they offered to enhance the look of our kitchen with new quartz countertops, I jumped all over it.

How to Pick the Color and Design for New Kitchen Countertops

I recommend following a few tips when selecting new kitchen countertops:

Get the small samples from the installer and look at them in your home before going to the showroom. Limit your selection to no more than 10 before making your final selection.
Visit the showroom with your list of 10 samples.
Do not go to the showroom on an empty stomach or when you are lacking energy. I'm speaking from experience on this one. For some (me!), choosing colors and styles is a draining experience. You want to be fully present and have lots of energy to make the most of the experience and to feel good about your choice.
Take a friend along who oozes good design sense. She will steer you in the right direction, will amp up your excitement for the project at hand, and will keep you from making a bad mistake... a permanent mistake at that.
If your spouse wants a say or will want a say once the kitchen countertops are installed, make sure to bring him or her along. Even if you traditionally have a hard time on agreeing on things like home decor, coming to consensus in the short term will lead to longer term happiness for all involved.
Look at the samples in the largest size possible before making your selection. Most showrooms have larger samples than the ones they give you to take home. If possible, find model kitchens that use the design you are most considering in the showroom. Even just seeing how the various styles differ will help you make the best choice possible.
Go with your gut! Make a decision. Commit to love it. And feel good about your choice.

We opted to make a drastic change from plain white kitchen countertops with a waterfall edge to X HD kitchen countertops with a built-in sink. The pattern looks similar to a solid surface and looks like we spent far more on the kitchen countertops than what they really cost. Score!

You'll notice that in the pictures, we still have the red walls, which now clash with the countertops. The good news is that this is post one is a series of four, providing home interior remodeling ideas. Stay tuned for additional posts on paint, furniture, home decor and accents, and lighting and watch as we transform our home's interior in simple ways to make a big difference, including lightening up the walls by painting them white.

What home decor projects are on your wish list? How can simple projects like changing your kitchen countertops make all the difference in changing the look of your home's interior?

Disclosure: WilsonArt provided me with kitchen countertops and a built-in sink. The faucet, style choices, tips, and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

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Jyl Johnson Pattee

An active part of the Mom It Forward team, Jyl primarily writes about parenting, social good, and all things travel related. In a past life, Jyl was an award-winning copywriter and designer of corporate training programs for Fortune 100 companies. Offline, Jyl is married to @TroyPattee; a mom to two teen boys and a beagle named #Hashtag; loves large amounts of cheese, dancing, and traveling; and lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Topping her bucket list is the goal to visit 50 countries by the time she's 50.