The housing market has changed a lot in recent history, some of this due in no small part to the fluctuations in the market itself. However, as the market takes an upswing, a common practice in modern times is to put a lot of work into upgrading the kitchen. A well appointed, spacious and attractive kitchen can be a make or break factor in the value of the house and its ability to sell quickly.

One of the things that goes out of style more quickly than anything else, aside from appliances perhaps, or cabinets and countertops. A quick look through all their television shows, or a simple archive of home photos shows how rapidly the aesthetic and these can change. However, when material that has never gone out of style is granite or marble, which are classic, enduring and associated with elegance and opulence.

However, it can seem pretty tricky to match your marble or granite countertop to your cabinets. Of course, there’s more to it than simple color coordination, because nothing’s ever that easy, now is it? The truth of the matter is, it’s not actually as difficult as it can seem. In actuality, there are two methods for coordination, and their rather simple concepts both with unique personalities.

Complementing

The more common, default approach is complementing. A complementary kitchen is one in which the caller of the cabinets and the countertops are similar shades of a shared base color, or a very similar color. Prime examples of this would be a mild cold granite paired with a light maple or hickory set of cabinets.

Another prime example would be a soft cream paired with a bold cherry or walnut cabinet. This approach creates a unified, gradient look based around a standard color or set of similar colors, often resulting in a mellow, toned down result. These are best suited for kitchens they get a lot of natural light, and are part of a home that goes for an overall more timeless aesthetic in general.
Most whom observed a complementary kitchen would describe it as either mellow, soothing or relaxed. Others have described this as warm.

Contrasting

A contrasting kitchen takes the opposite approach. With this style, distinctly different yet complementing colors are chosen that really stand out next to each other. A prime example of this would be an off black paint for your cabinets paired with a lighter quartz or pale marble countertop.

This sort of motif is often described as more modern, energetic and playful. Some have described it as having a stronger sense of cleanliness, with cooler undertones. This is more ideal where a lot more artificial light is used, or in-house is going for a more modern overall feel.

Other Considerations

Those feeling a bit more adventurous can get a little more in depth with their pairings, complementing or contrasting specific elements of the and/or the countertop. These subtler details can include the green or pattern in the granite, marble or quartz used, or the grain of wood in the cabinets. It’s actually entirely possible to both complement and contrasts in the kitchen by mixing a complementary or contrasting base color for the cabinets and countertops, while doing the opposite with the grains of one or both.

When done right, this can create an interesting synergy where a modern feel can be achieved with some warmth and timelessness at the same time, and working well with both natural and artificial light equally. This can be tricky to do, but it’s worth it if you can pull it off.

A Few Tips

• – If you’re simply choosing a new countertop, and are happy with your cabinets, simply bring a drawer from your set with you when you go to shop for your stone. You can easily compare this with the available stones at your local fabricator to come to a combination you find appealing.
• – Don’t hesitate to ask your stone fabricator for help, there vast knowledge of stone goes above and beyond just materials, cutting and production. They know how the stone is meant to function in a home, and they know what looks good.
• – If you already have your granite, but need to choose a new set of cabinets, bite the bullet and order plenty of samples. They may add to your overall cost a little bit, but the accuracy with which you can coordinate and match both your countertop in your cabinets through this method are well worth it.
• – Trust yourself, you may think you don’t have a lot of knowledge about home decoration, you may question your own personal tastes, but at the end of the day, most people have pretty good sense when it comes to color coordination. If you, and your family thinks it looks good, it probably does.

To learn more about this and many other home renovation and home improvement techniques, fill out our contact form, we’re happy to help you and provide you with many great specific examples of how these various styles of been implemented.