White quartz countertops have become really popular recently, especially compared to traditional stone options like granite, quartzite, and marble. So, what’s making quartz countertops the new favorite in kitchens?
When you think of quartz, you might picture tiny clear crystals or even sand. Quartz is super common on Earth, which makes it easy to source. Essentially, a White quartz countertop is made from pure sand that’s ground up, mixed with a binder, and then formed into slabs. These slabs are crafted into specific sizes, ready to be transformed into beautiful countertops.
White Quartz is the new trend in kitchen design
But why has white become the new trend in kitchen countertop design and kitchens in general?
There are several reasons for this:
- White visually makes a room lighter and brighter
- White stone makes your kitchen visually larger and more spacious
- White quartz countertops go well with almost any color of kitchen drawers
- White stone looks discreet but at the same time premium
- Any dirt and stains will be immediately visible and you can promptly remove them. It is worth noting that quartz is virtually non-absorbent of liquids and stains from oil or food pigments are easy to remove
- It’s easy to match white quartz countertops with sinks of almost the same color and tone.
Choosing a quartz countertop
If you decide to create your dream kitchen or update an old one, the choice of quartz stone for it is not an easy and painstaking process. At first glance, you may be intimidated by the huge range of white quartz for countertops. If we sum up the lines of quartz from all major manufacturers. We will get several hundred variants of this stone. But do not despair, even in spite of the huge choice you will eventually lean towards a few options that will suit your taste because quartz stone for countertops is very diverse in texture and color.
When searching for stones online, pay attention to vendors in your location because it’s extremely important to look at the stone in person before you purchase. Ideally, you should visit the seller’s stone store, and get a set of samples so you can evaluate on the spot at home what exactly suits your type of interior, type of lighting in the kitchen, and color tone. It often happens that the stone that looks perfect in the showroom does not look good combined with your interior, remember the stone on the vendor’s counter always looks perfect due to the exactly right lighting and surroundings.
In a general sense you will need to choose which white quartz you want:
- Uniform white surface or with veining (texture)
- A subtle quiet texture or an intense bright pattern.
- Veined or particle texture
- Crystal white or with ivory or bluish tones
What texture of quartz to choose?
We’re talking about white quartz for countertops. Quartz comes in many different textures and shades, so you can choose a style that fits your kitchen perfectly. You could go with a pure, clean white stone that has no patterns at all, or pick one that looks like natural marble, which has beautiful veining. The great thing about quartz is that, unlike marble, it’s much more resistant to stains and damage, so it’s a sturdy choice.
To help you decide, check out examples of kitchens that use different types of quartz. Seeing them in real-life settings can give you a better idea of how each texture or style will look in your space. Just imagine your kitchen with each one and find the perfect fit for your interior.
Here are a few basic textures found in quartz for countertops:
- Pure white with no inclusions. Maximum versatility and unpretentious with the rest of the kitchen
- Thin sparse veins.
- Medium-width veins of white or white color interspersed with thinner, hardly visible veins.
- A texture made up of short, frequent veins that evenly cover the surface of the stone
- Very wide bright veins of gray, beige, or bluish colors, often such veins occupy up to 50% of the stone surface and stand out brightly against the general white background
The difference between White quartz and natural stone for countertops
When you think of “stone countertops,” granite or marble might be the first materials that come to mind. These natural stones are popular choices for home décor, especially because they add elegance and style. However, a kitchen countertop isn’t just about looks; it needs to handle daily use, spills, and wear and tear. It’s a hardworking surface that faces more challenges than, say, a bathroom wall made of stone.
So, what makes quartz different from natural stone options like granite or marble? Let’s dive into how quartz stands out, its benefits, and any potential downsides.
- Manufacturing technology of quartz is made so that the resulting stone had minimal porosity and as a consequence is easier to clean and requires minimal care.
- It is much easier to make complex form table tops out of quartz stone as it is more uniform in comparison with a natural stone which in any case has various structures on density and durability areas
- As the quartz stone is created artificially it is more uniform in texture and pattern, unlike a natural stone texture which as a rule is always unique from slab to slab.
- The quartz practically does not undergo chemical pollution, unlike for example strongly porous marble that demands special covering and regular leaving, from which it is practically impossible to remove for example coffee stains. If you casually leave the spilled drink for some time, it is necessary to use deep grinding after which ideal smooth geometry is lost
- Suitable natural stone slabs have to wait a long time to be processed and delivered. Meanwhile, the supply of quartz is more stable and usually available from selling companies. In addition, natural stone is not immune to cases where your perfect slab is accidentally damaged in transit or as a consequence of internal invisible defects in natural stone is never perfectly durable
