Ottawa Homes: Marble Kitchen Countertops
New homes in Ottawa are designed with a more “open concept” style, meaning there is a conservative approach when adding walls to separate rooms. Instead, the whole home is meant to feel like one open space, where the residents can move freely from one adjoined space to the other. This makes the house on a whole seem a lot bigger and brighter. As a result, many homeowners look to install marble kitchen countertops in their Ottawa homes to add a touch of elegance. The kitchen in an open concept home is often linked to the dining room. Installing marble countertops in the kitchen will match the dressiness of a dining room to give the overall impression of a clean and stylish space.
Open Concept Colour Palette
Marble comes in many beautiful colours, ranging from greens to dark greys to creams. Marble countertops are not mere accessories of a kitchen; they are the kitchen! This means that it is vital to choose a colour that is going to be consistent with the adjoined rooms in your open concept home. Due to the goal of emphasizing natural light and maximizing visibility between rooms, going for neutral tones is usually advised. A Carrara marble, found in Italy, is a white-grey hued marble with dark veins. It is a very simple and elegant style that is perfect for an open concept home. Carrara is always on-trend for marble countertops because it goes with wooden kitchen components and cabinets and also goes with black and chrome or silver cooking appliances, refrigerators and dishwashers. Carrara is also an economical choice among the various marble selections, but is mostly popular for its colour and elegance.
Marble Finishes
Finishing is the most important aspect to consider when installing marble kitchen countertops in your open concept Ottawa home. The reason lies in the make-up of the natural stone; it is prone to chipping, scratching and etching. Part of the composition of this natural stone is calcium carbonate. The biggest problem encountered with homeowners that have marble kitchen countertops is etching, which is a chemical reaction between an acidic substance and the calcium carbonate inherit in the stone. Etching causes a dull spot on the counter that will appear soon after wine, coffee, juice or vinegar touches its surface. Water can also cause etching, but the process takes longer. In order to hide or minimize the effect of inevitable etching that may occur, it is best to go for a honed finish. A honed finish, opposed to a shine finish, gives the marble a more matte look. Due to your neutral colour choice however, this will not affect the level of brightness that the marble kitchen top brings to your space. On this note, it is necessary to mention the importance of buying and applying sealer to your marble kitchen countertop, as it will reduce the wear-and-tear of etching, scratches and stains on the surface.
Always On-Trend
Now that you know the basics behind which colour and finish to choose for your marble kitchen countertop in your Ottawa home, you are equipped to begin the process of transforming of your new home with a touch of elegance!