Kitchen Countertops - How to Add a Touch of Class to Your Kitchen With a Stone Countertop

These days, there's a bewildering array of kitchen countertop options: from the ultra-durable and practical, to the quirky and unconventional. Each has it's own advantages and disadvantages to be weighed up before pulling out the credit card.

An increasingly popular option is stone - and with good reason. Stone has a look to suit every taste: from the cool understatement of granite, to the unashamed luxury of onyx. There's simply nothing to beat it for adding a classy yet practical finish to a kitchen.

Of course, the countertop you choose is all-important for the overall look of your kitchen. But as well as meeting your aesthetic requirements, it should also be a good match for your lifestyle, cooking habits and how much maintenance you're willing to do.

Here's a brief overview of 6 popular types of stone for countertops:

*Granite
Incredibly dense and hard-wearing, granite is super-durable, virtually maintenance-free and will look as good as new over its entire lifetime. It's also available in a wide variety of colors, and can be shiny and polished or have a duller matt finish. Although less porous than other stones, granite (generally) should be sealed.

*Marble
A rich, beautiful stone, marble has a unique look and feel. And since the colors and patterns vary from stone to stone, your choice will always be a one-off original. Marble is more porous than granite and will need to be sealed.

However, even when sealed care should be taken since it will remain somewhat vulnerable to damage from staining/acidic substances like wine, vinegar and citrus juice (although some people like the 'battle scars' that well-used marble acquires over time).

*Quartz:
Quartz countertops boast much of the durability of granite; they're non-porous, scratch and heat-resistant and will maintain their looks for many years. Also, quartz is available in a huge variety of patterns and colors. And being a manufactured product, it's also consistent in color and detail which makes matching up components easy.

*Onyx
This exquisite, translucent stone shouts luxury and glamour. However, it is definitely one of the softer stones and is more easily damaged than others. You will need to think carefully about your lifestyle before committing to an onyx countertop - if it's going to suffer the onslaught of oafish teenagers, maybe onyx isn't the best choice for you!

*Limestone
Subtle and sophisticated, limestone is a neutral, versatile stone with soft, earthy tones that add a contemporary finish. Although undoubtedly durable and long-lasting, limestone is a soft, porous stone that will acquire a patina as it ages. If this is the kind of look that appeals to you, then limestone is well worth considering.

*Travertine
A form of limestone, travertine shares limestone's soft, earthy quality. Its rich, creamy hues compliment many types of home décor superbly. Again, like limestone, it is prone to staining so is perhaps not the best choice for very active cooks. That said, it is a sturdy material and will last a lifetime if cared for properly.

Your kitchen will get a new look with granite countertops, choose granite colors based on rest of your furniture and kitchen cabinets.