Luxury Countertops for High-Traffic Interiors

Beautiful spaces that are heavily used won’t stay beautiful for long unless they’re designed with high-performance materials. We may want our kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and mudrooms to look as chic and sophisticated as those photographed for Instagram and interior design magazines, but these high-traffic areas are primarily meant to be the workhorses of our homes—subject to lots of contact, spills, and even impacts. So, if you want beauty and utility from these heavily used spaces, it’s important to consider which countertop material ensures long-term functionality as well as aesthetic preservation.

Take a Cue from Commercial Kitchens

In some instances, we can take cues from high-traffic commercial spaces like restaurant kitchens, reception desks, and healthcare and education facilities that demand countertops to withstand constant use and maintain essential hygiene standards. Consider how commercial kitchen countertops endure heavy use from food preparation, cutting, and exposure to a myriad of sticky messes. That’s why you’ll often find stainless steel or quartz countertops in restaurants as they can resist scratches and stains while also being food safe and easy to clean.

And even though stainless steel has enjoyed some fanfare in residential kitchen appliances, few people likely dream of stainless steel countertops in their homes. Whereas quartz countertops provide durability and food-safe attributes for kitchens, pantries, and sculleries while also offering hundreds of on-trend design, style, and color options. Cambria’s extensive quartz design palette is perfect for personalizing a home’s high-traffic areas with options for virtually any design aesthetic.

Frequent contact can scuff or chip painted or stained woods. For busy families with kids and pets, bringing your favorite quartz countertop design down the side of an island in a high-traffic area—often called a waterfall countertop—adds an element of high design as it rebuffs wear and tear. A quartz waterfall countertop means no more cringing whenever your kiddos or furry friends frequently rub against, bump into, or splash or spill onto the ends of your countertops.

Reduce Maintenance in High-Traffic Bathrooms

Porcelain tile and marble are visually appealing choices for bathroom countertops, backsplashes, and shower walls. But these high-traffic spaces are prone to moisture and messes. And tile grout, marble, and many other stones will require regular sealing to prevent bacteria growth and hard water stains. Whereas, once again, quartz bathroom countertops, backsplashes, and shower walls don’t compromise any high design luxury appeal. Plus, quartz is antimicrobial and completely maintenance free.

Easy-to-Clean Surfaces for High-Traffic Laundry and Mudrooms

Same goes for laundry rooms where laundry baskets, water exposure, and heavy containers of detergent can rub many countertop materials the wrong way—causing visual wear and tear over time. People occasionally select laminate or solid surfaces for laundry room countertops because they both have low porosity. Nonabsorbent quartz still has an edge in terms of durability because of its superior stain, scratch, and chip resistance and because it’s easy to clean and maintain. Selecting a quartz design for a high-traffic laundry room or mudroom, and even extending it to walls behind utility sinks or washing machines, also pairs really well with all manner of stylish design decisions for these spaces.

Quartz Is Completely Customizable for High-Traffic Spaces

For these very same reasons—design palette options, scratch resistance, easy to clean, and naturally maintenance free—quartz also makes an exceptional material for fireplace surrounds. You can simply wipe down a quartz fireplace surround if it gets dirty. Quartz is also completely customizable and can be fabricated into a variety of creative fireplace surround designs.

In all, designing for a busy home with high-traffic areas requires a thoughtful balance between function, style, and sustainable longevity. And you can check all of those boxes with captivating Cambria quartz designs that can stand up to constant use without sacrificing your vision for beautiful interiors.