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ACCENT YOUR KITCHEN WITH COUNTERTOPS |
Kitchen Colors, New York Style
The colors and textures of your kitchen's products and materials will work together to enhance its overall style. Colors influence how large or small the kitchen feels, while texture adds contrast and interest to your kitchen. Psychology experts claim that color can have a behavioral effect in a kitchen or dining room. For example, they suggest yellow aids in digestion, green inspires cooking with passion and heart, and blue encourages expression. The colors used in carpeting, furniture, flower arrangements, plants, and accessories compliment the three main kitchen components: walls, which take up a majority of the space; floors; and countertops, the major accent. In the kitchen, the majority of your color is brought in on the walls or the cabinets; your secondary colors are on the floor; and your accent colors come in on the kitchen countertops.
Kitchen Countertop Texture
Texture, both tactile and visual in three or four patterns, designs, or feelings create visual interest. It can turn an average New York City kitchen into a visual delight. Countertops in more neutral finishes will stand the test of time. But texture adds contrast and interest to your kitchen surfaces.
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Granite THE Natural Stone
Natural stones give a room a classic and realistic feeling. They can give a touch of warmth and nature, even in an urban metropolis like New York. When compared to all the visible items like wallpaper, paints, curtains, appliances, furniture, etc., only natural stones provide a classic look and unique feeling. They also give a hint of luxury while still being affordable. It's the real thing in today's artificially decorated homes. Natural stone has been a popular housing and building material all over the world for centuries except in America where wood has been the primary material used for housing. In America, natural stones have mostly been used for tombstones and monuments. However, this trend is changing. Natural stones are coming into kitchens in NYC and into almost every part of the home and office
Why is granite preferred for kitchen countertops?
Granite is the hardest and densest of all the natural stones. It is highly durable and scratch resistant. Heavy traffic from knives, utensils and appliances won't scratch granite as it retains its fine luster longer than other stones or ceramic tiles. The main minerals in granite are Silicates, Feldspar and Quartz. Silicates do not react much to acidic substances like lemon, vinegar, and alcohol found regularly in kitchens. Feldspar in granite makes it the most water resistant. This prevents liquids from seeping into the countertops and staining the material.
Granite countertops have a reflective quality, so while they may appear dark, they actually reflect the light around it. The counter surface will highlight the cabinets, causing them to become the focal point of light in the kitchen.
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Engineered Stone
Engineered stone is fashioned from quartz and offers the visual depth of granite, yet is available in a larger range of colors. It is a nonporous surface that resists scratches and is easy to maintain without the annual sealing required by natural stone. It is slightly less expensive than granite, while offering much of the same benefits.
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Solid Surface Countertop
Avonite, Corian, and Swanstone are some of the popular brands of solid surface countertops New Yorkers are having custom made to their exact specifications. Because the counter is made in a solid sheet, scratches can be sanded out.
Corian Comes in 100 Colors
Color is very personal to New Yorkers. In the kitchen, it must
support many accessories. Corian comes in a total of 100 colors.
The inspiration for the newest colors can be found throughout nature,
from the vast expanse of an empty beach to the ever-changing color
of the sky. The new colors–in shades of yellow, brown, beige, charcoal,
gray, taupe, blue, and white--help create the soothing, comfortable,
and inviting environments which are so desirable today. With neutrals,
your eyes don't get tired after staring at them for a long time.
Four Artisan colors inspired by the Japanese traditions of wabi-sabi, a celebration of the unpredictability of nature, are loose and imperfect patterns in earthy tones of brown, gray, and green; no two are alike. In the Palladio series, the countertops are in very soft colors that have a random look. They are meant to give you the feeling you are walking in the woods, passing by random stones and streams. Use a natural scheme for your countertops like neutral earth tones and saturated jewel tones with finishes like brick, concrete, wood, and metal. It will communicate earthbound honesty and straightforwardness, even in the heart of the concrete jungle of New York City.
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Kitchen Tile
Tile is a great choice for a Manhattan kitchen. It is often inexpensive and long lasting, takes hot pans, is easy to clean, and is available in many sizes, colors, and textures. Decorative tiles are often used for trim or backsplashes, and hardier types can serve as a countertop surface. They may feature raised, recessed or painted designs. There are main types: ceramic, porcelain, quarry, glass, natural stone and mosaic. Unglazed tiles (which generally have a matte finish) must be sealed; glazed tiles are impervious to water.
The spaces between the tiles are filled in with grout. An epoxy grout is recommended to help resist stains. A palette of grout colors looks like a palette of paint colors--there are that many to choose from. One that is similar in color to the tile is recommended for a more unified look.
Ceramic:
Ceramic tiles are made from pressed clays with a matte finish or a glaze of metallic oxides and ceramic stains. The tile's color only appears on the surface.
Porcelain:
Porcelain tiles, also made from clay, are baked at a higher temperature, which makes them thicker. Their color goes all the way through the tile, rather than just covering the surface.
Quarry:
Quarry tile is an umbrella classification for tile made out of a clay mixture, such as shale. Terra cotta tile, which retain clay's reddish orange to brown hues and require a sealant, fall in this category.
Glass:
While the majority of glass tiles are too delicate to provide a durable countertop surface, they're an exceptional choice for backsplashes.
Natural Stone:
Granite, marble, slate, Jerusalem stone, travertine and limestone are actually cut into thin squares that function as tile, unlike natural stone countertops.
Mosaic Tile:
Refers to tile made from any material that measures 2-inches square or smaller.
Metallic Tile:
Tiles made of metals such as stainless steel, gold, pewter, copper, or brushed nickel make for an excellent working surface for your countertop or an elegant accent on the counter or backsplash.
For a personalized look in your kitchen, consider mosaic countertops; or, for something equally unique, combine hand-painted, vintage or imported tiles with inexpensive, monotone tiles for a customized look at a reasonable cost.
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Laminates
Laminate counters such as Formica, Nevamar and Wilsonart are made of plastic-coated synthetics with smooth surfaces that make cleaning easy. Produced in hundreds of colors and patterns and a variety of finishes, certain designs replicate the look of granite, solid surfaces, engineered stone and hardwood, thus providing an in-demand look at an undemanding price.
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Wood and Butcher Block
Wood offers your kitchen a beautiful warm look and is available in a wide range
of colors and finishes. The most common wood countertop you know as butcher
block, those thick hardwood maple surfaces that every knife-wielding chef
dreams about. Butcher blocks generally vary in thickness between 1¼ and six
inches, and are made of stacked and glued hard maple pieces. The exposed
end grain is the cutting surface. Hardwood won't dull knife blades, provides
a convenient, built-in chopping/food prep area. And, after heavy usage, in
many cases knife marks can be removed by sanding and re-oiling. Maple and
oak are most often used as countertop woods.
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Stainless Steel
Kitchen countertops made of stainless steel are heat resistant and offer a decidedly contemporary, professional restaurant-kitchen look to a home kitchen in NYC. Stainless steel is typically attached to plywood to provide strength and deaden its sound. Stainless steel counters offer seamless durability.
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Soapstone
Often seen in kitchen sinks in historic houses, soapstone has returned to modern kitchens in New York as both a countertop and sink material. Soapstone is generally dark gray in color and has a smooth feel due to its high concentration of talc.
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Marble
Though rarely seen in an entire kitchen, marble offers the look of luxury to select areas such as islands and insets in baking centers in Manhattan kitchens.
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Concrete
Made entirely of natural materials, this hardened mixture of water, cement, sand, stone and pigment isn't just for your basement floor anymore. It can make quite a statement up in the kitchen, and New York homeowners are taking note, as evidenced by its quick rise in popularity. The counters can be pre-cast to fit a mold or cast on site.
Concrete must be sealed properly to resist stains and water damage. However, like the aged charm of a well-used butcher block, many fans of concrete argue that there's beauty in the way the unsealed surface ages.
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Less-Traditional Materials Provide A Fresh New Look
Lavastone
Lavastone is non-porous, glazed volcanic rock that is stain resistant. It is best suited for homeowners craving a natural top in a color well outside the typical range. The enameled material comes in an unlimited palette of colors.
Glass
The highly polished surface is available in almost limitless colors, shapes, thicknesses and textures. Its non-porous nature keeps it stain-proof and hygienic. And, it can handle hot pots.
Paper-Base
Richlite's paper-based countertops provide a durable-as-stone and heat and stain-resistant surface that's more than just a unique countertop alternative. Used in commercial kitchens for years, Richlite is available in six colors including sage, slate black and nutmeg. Using only sustainable materials, Richlite is the first company to offer hemp-based countertops, which are both heat and stain-resistant.
Semi-Precious Surfacing
Semi-precious surfacing, designed by one of the world's first manufacturers of quartz surfaces is available in exotic turquoise, carnelian, jasper and more. The countertops use a mineral binder to join pieces into a smooth and shiny countertop, perfect for your entire kitchen or as a breathtaking island accent piece.
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Choosing White
Choosing a white, chromatic, or natural scheme is one way to approach designing with color in NYC kitchens. Everybody is familiar with the white scheme: Almost everything is painted white and that which isn't white has meaning underscored by the fact that it's not white. The white palette says "I'm tasteful and modern." You can introduce other colors through patterns and geometric shapes, which give nuance to the look. The chromatic scheme applies color to every surface. Its effect is to create a stronger mood that's more stimulating and current.
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MyHome Professional Kitchen Services
MyHome is here to help you pull all the right ingredients together to create your dream kitchen. We invite you to contact us to get more details.
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