Customize Your Kitchen's Countertops

October 14, 2008

A recent study by Realtor Magazine claims that the average upscale kitchen-remodeling job costs an astounding $81,552. Since most people can't afford a full kitchen makeover, they have begun to seek out other ways to update kitchen designs. For example, many homeowners are buying new kitchen countertops for a cheaper kitchen makeover. Also, by hiring a kitchen designer to modify their counters, homeowners can give their kitchens a personal touch. Let's look at the basics of custom-built countertops.

Making Your Countertop Your Own

Popular kitchen-counter makeover ideas include:

Creative inlays: inlays are motifs embedded into your kitchen counter, which may range from floral patterns to engraved letters

Glow-in-the-dark coatings: by applying a luminous finish, designers can now create kitchen counters that shine when the lights go off

Edge treatments: from square edges to rounded edges to concave edges, plenty of interesting patterns can be cut into your countertops' edging

Consider Concrete

HGTV reports that concrete countertops are a hot new interior-decorating trend. Not only can concrete counters be easily shaped to fit your kitchen's proportions, they may be customized to match your house's interior decorating motifs. Some choices for personalizing your concrete countertops are:

Select a finish option that harmonizes with your kitchen's color scheme

Embed shiny stones, seashells, metal pieces, or glass fragments into your counter--your kitchen counter can then be sanded down to create unique, colorful surfaces

Have your kitchen designer add built-in concrete accessories, such as sinks or soap dishes

Remember, extravagance comes at a price. If you wish to purchase tailored countertops but have a limited budget, you should try to keep your custom designs minimal. A tasteful finish or a simple stripe may be enough to give your kitchen counters that extra kick.

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