36 Stylish Kitchen Countertop Ideas (Ultimate Expert Guides!)

There is an endless possibility of kitchen countertop ideas to finish your kitchen decor. From natural material to engineered ones, each option has its own appeal and character.

Along with the look you want to get, you also need to consider its functionality. Choosing the perfect kitchen countertop will make your work in the kitchen easier as well as it’ll be easy to maintain.

With these selections of kitchen countertop ideas, you will be able to transform a functional working space into a striking statement in your kitchen!

1. Sleek Accent Kitchen Countertop

With today’s design trend evolve around contemporary looks, making your kitchen countertop looks modern and sleek is the best way to decorating your kitchen space. Sometimes the true minimalist can be boring, so let’s make the combination of the cold white and warm wood.

Make an accent

The most common kitchen countertop usually do not have any accent or mixed-materials, while you should make one in your contemporary kitchen. Combining the dominant white countertop with wood as the accent can bring a sleek design into your space.

Choose the right material

Choosing the right material is very important to make sure that you have a durable kitchen countertop. Choose a white marble with less veined so it will not look too busy. Then, choose a dark wood like walnut and make sure that it’s polished to make it durable.

Make it budget friendly

You can also make it budget friendly by using engineered solid surface instead of real marble.

2. Kitchen Countertop as the Focal Point

Having a pure minimalist white kitchen can sometimes make the atmosphere too cold as like you were in a hospital. But, with the touch of a different color for your countertop, it can save the whole room.

Make it contrast to the white cabinets and put a black countertop as a focal point. This will go really well if you have an island placed in the center of your kitchen.

This kitchen countertop idea is not only for the black and white scheme, but you can also play with other colors.

The key is to make the countertop contrasting the rest of the kitchen area.

3. The elegance of Charcoal Black Countertop

Dark tones usually the safe color for kitchen countertops since it will not show some crumbs and dust. You can choose a charcoal black countertop instead of just pure black to make it look more elegant and soft.

Also, the charcoal countertop will go well with concrete looks for kitchen cabinets or the backsplash. Don’t forget to give the space proper lighting since the kitchen will have a lot of dark tones.

This kitchen countertop idea can use materials like granite and soapstone. Granite is one of the good materials for kitchen countertop since it is very strong and impervious to heat.

Soapstone is also heat resistant and durable since the damage can be sanded out.

4. Rustic Waterfall Kitchen Countertop

Another way to have a modern kitchen space is to install a waterfall countertop in your kitchen island. Different from the common kitchen countertop, waterfall countertop cover not only the top of your island but also flow to the floor on both sides.

When using marble can be expensive, you can use texture paint with a rustic look as an alternative. Then, you will have a seamless rustic waterfall countertop decorating your kitchen space.

The other material that you can use is soapstone which will give a deep antique look into your kitchen space.

5. Absolute Elegance of Classy Statuario

These days, with many design trends keep changing, there are a lot of new materials for kitchen countertop ideas. However, nothing can beat the absolute elegance of a classy statuario marble for your kitchen countertop.

The strong character of statuario draws from its grey flecked which will give your kitchen a sophisticated look. This type of flecked marble also good to hide some speck of dust or crumb in your countertop.

This kitchen countertop idea is exceptionally glamour and beautiful since the statuario has a unique veining.

Also, using marble for the countertop is considered the best choice due to its durability towards water and heat.

6. Bold Natural Stone Countertop

Bored with white marbles but also don’t want to use dark tones? Here, you can try applying the bold natural looks kitchen countertop ideas.

Choose a brown based natural stone with bold veined so it will not be too dark. This kitchen countertop idea will work best in a spacious kitchen.

The dramatic looks of the countertop will also bring some glamour vibes into your kitchen space.

This kitchen countertop idea can be achieved using materials like granite, quartz or marble. Quartz like Sierra Madre and Pacific Salt with rich pattern can be the best choice for you.

7. Soft Grey Scheme

The soft grey scheme is one of the timeless kitchen countertop ideas. No matter what kind of interior style that you have in your kitchen, the grey countertop can always fit well.

Also, the grey scheme goes along in perfect harmony with the silver metal sinks creating a seamless look. These kitchen countertop ideas work well, especially with kitchen island.

8. Wood Countertop Warming Up the Kitchen

Wood will always successfully warming up your space, especially the one with darker tones like walnut or mahogany. these ideas will work best if you have fully white kitchen space and feel a little bit too cold. However, a wood countertop can also work for traditional kitchen style.

Naturally, if you have wooden kitchen cabinets, the wood countertop will be a real match creating an elegant vibe. But, it is best to keep your woods in the same tone between the cabinet and the countertop.

9. Sparkling White Kitchen Countertop

Wondering how to design your white traditional kitchen so that it will not be too clinical and cold? Give it some sparks and apply them for your countertop.

To match your existing white area, use a white marble for your kitchen countertop. Do not forget to choose the polished one.

The polished marble will reflect your lighting and make the room brighter. If marble is too expensive for your budget, you can also use a solid surface which is much cheaper.

This kitchen countertop idea will work best for open kitchens that connect directly to the living space.

10. Simplicity of Dark Tones and Matte Surface

The common idea for kitchen countertop is a polished surface, but you can also have a matte surface. Solid surface is the modern material that can give you a range of colors, patterns, and textures.

If you do not like too many sparks inside your kitchen, this kitchen countertop ideas will work best for you.

Choose dark tones to make the dirt and crumbs in your kitchen countertop not so obvious. Also, dark tones can go well with the modern built in stove and other kitchen tools.

11. Be Safe with the Mix of Wood and White

When designing your kitchen space, it is better to be not too white and not too woody but the perfect mix of both. The combination of white kitchen cabinets and wood countertop is a safe scheme in most cases.

Choose the dark wood tone to make your kitchen feels warmer. Also, if you have any existing wooden architectural elements in your kitchen, you can use the same wood type for your countertop.

For example, you can match the countertop with the window frame. These kitchen countertop ideas work best for a modern house and low-budget projects.

12. The Minimal Monochrome Scheme

Be minimal and monochrome are the design trend of modern housing nowadays. The minimalist love to design their space into a pure white scheme especially into the kitchen area.

White marbles with grey veined can add some patterns into your white kitchen and to avoid it being monotonous.

Choose marbles with bold grey veined to make it stand out within the white cabinets. You can also use solid surface if the real marble is way out of your budget. Also, you can apply the same marble for your backsplash as a sweet match.

13. Scandinavian Mood

Scandinavian style kitchen is best when you live in a small condo with a compact kitchen space. The minimalism in it can make your kitchen space feels bigger.

So what kind of kitchen countertop ideas that will go well with Scandinavian style? Make it simple, but give a warm touch.

Light wood

Choose a light colored wood to make your kitchen space warm without getting darker. Also, the light wood countertop will make your kitchen feels more casual.

Combine with white cabinets

You would not want to make your space too woody, so let’s combine the wooden kitchen countertop with white cabinets. That will also enhance the Scandinavian vibes.

Spread the wood

To make the countertop become the only wood in the kitchen can be cool, but you can make it more contemporary by spreading the wood as an accent. Put the wood as the cabinet knobs.

14. Industrial Wooden Countertop

Reclaimed woods can also make the best countertop for your kitchen and they are budget-friendly. You can use wood planks for your DIY project to make a beautiful kitchen countertop.

Your kitchen will have an industrial ambience with this kitchen countertop ideas. Also, the wood plank is considered one of the eco-friendly materials for the countertop.

It will need some extra works since the wood planks will require sealing. However, it will make your kitchen warm and beautiful!

15. Perfectly White Laminates

Wanting an affordable material but also durable and stylish for your kitchen countertop? You can use laminates as alternative material instead of expensive marble.

This material fits your budget and easy maintenance. Famous brands like Formica and Wilsonart have a lot of pattern options that you can choose, start from marble to wood. It is also a good material for your kitchen cabinet.

You can create a perfect white kitchen space through the combination of white marble laminate for the countertop and solid white laminate for your cabinets.

This kitchen countertop idea is also very easy to be done by yourself since the installation of laminates is relatively easy.

16. The Dramatic Black Marble

Dark kitchen countertop ideas are very helpful in terms of covering some dust or crumbs that accidentally left there. Choosing the right material for the countertop can affect the ambience of your kitchen.

So, when you choose a dark black marble for your kitchen countertop, it can contribute dramatic vibes into your kitchen with its intense pattern.

There are many types of black marble such as Dark Emperador, Babylon Grey, Blanco Macael, Blanco Ibiza, or Negro Marquina. Those black marble will make your kitchen countertop becomes a dramatic contrast in your kitchen.

This kitchen countertop idea can also be budget-friendly. Instead of using marble, you can use homogeneous tile with marble looks. This material is also durable for kitchen countertop.

17. Minimalist Concrete Countertop

Do you know that you can actually make a kitchen countertop with a natural look such as concrete? Yes, concrete kitchen countertop is a trend for kitchen interior nowadays. So, here is how you can fill your kitchen with a concrete countertop.

DIY project

Many people try to install concrete kitchen countertop by themselves and they found it relatively easy. Also, this material is cheaper than marbles and yet still have the same durable qualities.

Sleek and modern look

Smooth and cold surface with calm grey color makes concrete countertops turning your kitchen into a sleek and modern space. Also, it goes very well to combine with white kitchen cabinets and warm lighting.

Fit all interior styles

The benefit of a concrete countertop is that its natural look can go well with all kinds of interior style. This kitchen countertop idea can be the easiest option to redecorate your kitchen.

18. Dare to Put Colors Inside the Kitchen!

The common kitchen usually monochrome, pure white, or sometimes it can be dark tones. But, the kitchen can also have a splash of color and the countertop is the right place to put it.

Using modern materials like solid surface, you can personalize your own kitchen countertop with any color that you desire.

If you have an existing white kitchen that maybe look a bit old, you can apply a red countertop as a contrast.

This kitchen countertop idea can bring some fresh ambience into the kitchen.

Using solid surface material will also give you flexible options for colors and patterns. Also, this material is famous for its seamless edge.

19. Finishing Style Do Matter

Let’s start with a subject that most people took less consideration. Finishing style. Most people only excited in choosing the material, colour, and design of their countertops then only take a second in choosing its finishing style. Let me tell you, this can lead to a huge mistake.

Finishing style holds an important role in how your material presented in your kitchen. It determines how it looks under the light, how bold its colour and pattern blends into the rest of the decor, and it also provides a tactile sensation to your hands.

Take time to know the finishing style for your kitchen countertop ideas. Even though it seems like unimportant aspect, this little detail impacts your decor more than you know.

20. Classy Stone

For years and years, the stone has always been a luxurious option for kitchen countertop ideas. The classiness of the stone plus its durability make people never stop loving it to complete their kitchen decor.

Its durability and resilience undoubtedly make it the ideal choice as a kitchen countertop.

Granite

Its never ending selection of colours makes it easy for you to find the perfect one to match your colour palette.

The beauty of granite known to be a magnificent focal point in both traditional and modern style decor.

Contrasting freckles on its surface will be a lively pattern for your deluxe kitchen countertop ideas.

Marble

The veined pattern of marble speaks loudly of its elegance. The soft curves of its pattern balance the rigid and heavy character of the stone.

This makes marble a most popular choice for more feminine classic style kitchen countertop ideas.

Quartz

For a more affordable alternative of natural stone, this engineered stone is a perfect choice. Quartz has the durability of engineered stone and the beauty and elegance of natural stone.

It comes in earthy colours ranges from light brown to creamy soft green which makes it perfect for your warm tone kitchen countertop ideas.

21. Solid Surface for Solid Colour

When you want to upgrade your laminate countertop but looking for more affordable choice than natural stones, solid surface is the most ideal mid-range option for you.

This engineered material has a perfect character for your kitchen countertop ideas since it’s tough and durable. It also generally easier to maintain compares to natural stones.

With today’s technology, you can easily mimic the look of other materials with a solid surface. Therefore, you can have the look with better durability.

Or, if you want to create a harmonious colour palette throughout your overall kitchen look, you can also customize your solid surface to match your kitchen colour palette easily.

22. Professional Look Kitchen Design with Metal Countertop

As it has been the standard issue for professional kitchen working surface for years, nobody doubts the durability of metal kitchen countertop.

Metal is the strongest known material facing heat and oil exposures. This makes metal countertop the baddie material for your kitchen countertop ideas.

Stainless Steel

The sleek glossy silvery surface will bring a professional vibe into your in an instant. If you’re looking for a tough and durable countertop that will also look awesome for your modern kitchen design, you won’t be disappointed with stainless steel.

Copper Finished

This will be a unique metal kitchen countertop ideas for you. While most people choose stainless steel, you can choose copper and get a more rustic atmosphere along with the durable and tough characteristic of the metal countertop.

23. Modest Tile for Homey Kitchen

Even though tiles are on the more affordable side for your kitchen countertop ideas, don’t undermine the elegance of it just yet.

With the styling, this affordable and low-maintenance material can be a tasteful and stylish element in your kitchen design.

Tile’s peak of popularity throughout the 70s to 80s make this material gives a more traditional homey vibe rather than a sophisticated modern visual, which makes it perfect for kitchen countertop for you and your family.

All White Tiles

Keep it simple and modest with pure white tiles to create a soft and neutral kitchen ambiance. To create a homey but not oldie look, I prefer a smaller size tile or mosaic.

Smaller tiles also give a more upbeat and fresh look, while the bigger tile on the countertop can feel a little bit remote.

Colourful

You can also combine some colour together for a more cheerful atmosphere in your kitchen. Colourful tiles countertop is a great eye-catching element if your kitchen set design all are in dark colour.

My personal favourite colour combination is white, red, blue, and yellow tiles with black grout paired with solid black kitchen cabinet. Schroder’s colour palette is timeless and never go wrong, am I right?

24. Wood Countertop Paired with Dark Cabinets

A combination of black and wood has been what’s everyone wants for their interior palette. The combination of the two is a stunning option for a warmer masculine design style which also great for your kitchen countertop ideas.

Both wood texture and black have a neutral characteristic which makes it easy to combine with other materials and ornamentations. This makes the styling of wood texture and the colour black combination has endless possibilities.

The colour black also makes the other elements stand out easily, which makes accessorizing easier. If you’re worried that black will makes your kitchen look dark and gloomy, you can always combine it with a lighter colour to balance it out.

25. Affordable Scandinavian Mood with Laminate Countertop

For you with a limited budget, laminate can be your saviour to make your kitchen look absolutely impressive without splurging your money.

In my personal opinion, Scandinavian style is a go-to design style if you want to use laminates as your kitchen countertop material.

Creating a Scandinavian look with laminates as your on a budget kitchen countertop ideas is relatively easier than other design styles.

The reason is that the Scandinavian style uses a lot of lighter colour wood for its palette, which is the strongest area for laminates.

While for darker colour wood or deeper solid colour, laminates have a tendency seems a little more artificial, which is not what we want.

26. Natural Material Theme Kitchen Concrete Countertop

Concrete nowadays has been a popular material for kitchen countertop ideas. This is mainly because, besides its durability and elegance, concrete is highly customizable.

This makes the use of concrete in kitchen design opens up a versatile finish look possibilities.

Concrete also one of material that has a gorgeous bare-finished look and also goes really well with other natural material like wood or stone.

All of that, plus the grey tone of concrete, makes it a perfect material to apply for your minimalist modern kitchen design.

27. Chevron Pattern Countertop

Both a chevron and herringbone pattern has been proven able to step up the look of your material for unique look kitchen countertop ideas.

No matter if it’s wood, marble, or quartz, chevron pattern adds a touch of dynamic vibe in a classy way. If you want to give a little something to your countertop look without adding any colour or additional material, chevron pattern can be your way to go.

Chevron pattern has made its way through the classic trend interior to nowadays modern and minimalist interior design style. This pattern goes with almost every interior style exist.

But one thing to put in mind, a chevron pattern is a very stand-out pattern to put into your design. Therefore, it’s best to combine it with a more low-key decor to prevent your design looks chaotic.

28. Flush Edge Countertop

Modern interior design style encourages you to have decoration detail as less as possible. Flush edge countertop creates a seamless shifting from the countertop surface to the cabinet surface and gives you an exquisite detail for your modern kitchen countertop ideas.

Sleek and minimal lines on the kitchen surface emphasize the sophistication of modern interior style.

You can complete your flush edge countertop with minimalist design cabinet knop so that this gorgeous detail doesn’t get overthrow by other elements.

Or, you can install the push to open system for your kitchen cabinet doors and drawers so that the vertical surface of your kitchen clean from any ornamentation that emboldens the modern vibe in your kitchen.

29. Never Get Old Black and White

A black countertop is the ultimate choice for you if you want to create a tasteful statement in your kitchen. The dark and deep character of black countertop able to tone your simple designed kitchen to look more striking with a fierce character.

The combination of black and white that always in fashion makes white cabinets are the perfect match to complete your black countertop.

The black and white colour combination can be applied to any design style. One thing that not so many people know is that tuning your traditional designed kitchen into black and white is the cheap and easy way to give it a modern vibe.

Monochromatic colour combination, especially black and white has a very strong presence for a design. That is why these bold colours always able to change the whole mood of your kitchen in an instant.

30. Shout It Out with Colour Contrast

For you with an active spirit who loves colourful and bright colours, have a contrasting countertop can be one of your fun kitchen countertop ideas. Combination of two colours that are the opposite of each other can be the focal point in your kitchen.

Apply one colour to your kitchen cabinet and the other to your kitchen counter will guarantee the contrasting colours stand out in the room.

Since the kitchen counter and cabinets have the biggest surface, their colour will automatically dominate the design.

One tip to make this idea work is to pick one colour from a darker tone while the contrasting colour from the lighter tone so that the difference between the two colours also balances each other.

31. Continuous Surface from the Backsplash

Get a modern and sleek look for your kitchen countertop ideas with using the same material for your backsplash and your countertop.

The same material for these two surfaces creates a material continuity that gives your design a simple yet captivating visual. This also can be a great tip to enhance the presence of your material selection in your kitchen.

This idea also minimizes the use of materials and colours in your kitchen palette which will help you to create a modest kitchen design.

Simple and repeated materials and colours application in kitchen design is perfect to make your limited space kitchen look more spacious.

32. Butcher Block Countertop

Butcher block basically is a surface that made out of pieces of wood that glued together. This makes a butcher block surface more durable and resilience compared to natural wood plank.

Butcher block countertops commonly have a quite of a thickness that makes it perfect for heavy load kitchen works. With correct maintenance, a butcher block can a perfect option for your long lasting kitchen countertop ideas.

Since the butcher block surface is an engineered material, it’s relatively easier to use butcher block to create a bigger surface of kitchen counter rather than make it out of natural wood.

Its bulky characteristic is perfect to create a farmhouse style kitchen or be a fun twist in modern kitchen design.

33. Section the Kitchen with Mix-Material Countertop

Your kitchen is designed to support your activity while you’re cooking. The placement of each element considers how you move within the space and the material is chosen based on what you need on that specific space.

If you’re experimental in the kitchen and needs more than one type of surface for your kitchen countertop, sectionals kitchen countertop will be a perfect addition for your kitchen countertop ideas.

Since each material has its own strong and weak points, it is possible that you need more than one material of kitchen countertop to help you work in your kitchen.

The material combination is a great way to emphasize zoning in your kitchen surface according to its function. Visually, it enriches your kitchen finishing look with the playful combination of the material.

34. Waterfall Style Countertop

A lot of gorgeous countertop material sometimes makes us wants to apply it more in our kitchen design. A beautiful material countertop can be a stylish waterfall style for your kitchen counter or kitchen island design.

The material drop from the working surface to the floor mimics the waterfall visual create a delightful finishing look for modern kitchen countertop ideas.

If you’re using marble for this idea, the vein pattern of marble will create a remarkable elongating effect. This can be a clever trick to enhance the presence of your kitchen island as the focal point of the design.

Waterfall style countertop also a good way to intensify the contrast of the materials you used in your kitchen. Its homogeneity makes the combination of your material palette stand out.

35. Drafting Table Inspired – Glass Top

The hot and humid feels while we’re cooking can be cooled down with the refreshing look of this glass countertop. Stylish and unique glass countertop with a light blue tone will be an impressive addition for your nautical theme kitchen.

A touch of crystal-like blue in your kitchen gives you a breezy ocean-atmosphere in your kitchen.

Not only goes well for nautical theme kitchen, but a glass countertop also is a fabulous twist for a transitional or eclectic kitchen design.

Floating textured icy glass installed above a black luxurious island with a strip lighting underneath the glass will create a mesmerizing look for your kitchen. This will absolutely be a great idea for open plan transitional kitchen design.

36. Rustic Statement with Raw Wood Countertop

The organic shape of bulky raw-wood surrounded with a minimalist designed kitchen will be a striking statement piece in your kitchen. Keeping the wood’s natural figure brings a masculine wildlife atmosphere to your indoor kitchen.

For a small space kitchen, carefully consider the scale of your raw-wood to your overall kitchen area. Because of its bulky and organic shape, raw wood can easily make the room feel full.

But if you can get the dimension right, it can be your statement art piece and make your kitchen look fully decored without you putting other ornamentation.

So, these are 18 stylish kitchen countertop ideas that you can adopt into your kitchen space. There is a range of different materials that you can choose based on your preference and budget.

Some of these ideas can be quite easy to apply, so do not be afraid to do it as your own DIY project. It is time to personalize your own kitchen countertop and makes the kitchen space even more lively.