Luxury Countertops to Fit Your Lifestyle

Luxury countertops are a wow factor that can go beyond making a statement in your space. They can actually enhance the function of some of the busiest rooms in your house. If you think about it, a dream kitchen is truly luxurious when the experience of using it is as sublime as looking at it. If premium appliances and custom cabinetry elevate a space by incorporating advanced functionality along with uniquely distinctive style, premium countertops should be no different. So before you fall in love, is the luxury countertop material you’re considering as functional and durable as it is beautiful?

Popular Types of Luxury Countertops

Popular higher-end countertop materials include marble, granite, and other rare and exotic stones. The unique appearance of these options is right at home in a variety of upscale and bespoke kitchen design styles. For similar reasons and more, quartz continues to be the most popular kitchen countertop material choice. The breadth of available quartz design options ensures there’s a quartz surface that can beautifully complement your interior design or be your kitchen’s showstopper focal point.

For example, in a home by Custom One that was showcased in an Artisan Home Tour, designer Sarah Olson of Merriment Interior Design says, “We love using Cambria. The [design pictured above] is Southport on the double islands. It has a very soft meandering pattern to it. It sort of looks a little bit like the surf in the ocean, little splashes. We used it as a waterfall on the eating island and then we did cabinetry on the sides of the cooking island. So it’s just really gorgeous. Flow is one thing that I love about the Cambria designs.”

Lead designer for Gonyea Custom Homes Lauren Winia says, “What defines a luxury countertop for me is the pattern. Cambria creates a pattern that I don’t think any other company can touch. The bold movements, the contrast in colors, the effortless flow, I haven’t been able to find that with any other manufacturer. Cambria plays a huge role in designing a luxury upscale kitchen … with [quartz designs] that create pieces of art.”

Why Should You Invest in Luxury Countertops?

Art collectors understand that beautiful works of art are an investment. The same goes for selecting a luxury countertop. Premium materials come at a premium price. And a savvy investment in premium countertops not only elevates the aesthetic allure of your space with timeless elegance, it also ensures enduring appeal that stands the test of time.

Many factors can influence the cost of luxury countertop materials, including your specific material and design selection, the size of your space, along with any stone fabrication, and installation. Custom elements like unique edge profiles, decorative fluting, and integrated sinks will also play a role. These cost considerations are part of why quartz countertops, with their unparalleled durability and gorgeous appearance, are an incredibly popular material choice.

Similar to marble, granite, and other stones, luxury quartz countertops can come in a variety of finishes and textures. Olson says, “That’s another thing that I enjoy about Cambria, is that you can have a polish or a matte [finish]. Matte seems today to be becoming more commonly used. People are loving it. It’s a friendly finish. We’ve used a lot of natural elements, and to me when [the countertop] is in a matte finish, it feels more like a natural surface.”

Winia says, “A current trend that I’m seeing in luxury countertops is warmth, color, and movement—just nice and soft, with flow. And then the matte finish too has been huge for us. I feel like I’m using it more and more just so it offers a softer look.”

Benefits of Luxury Quartz Countertops

In a home by Gonyea Custom Homes, also featured on the Artisan Home Tour (pictured above), Winia selected Ironsbridge by Cambria with a matte finish. “I chose this [design] because it has a nice soft veining and soft color. It just kind of pulled the whole kitchen together. I wanted it to feel cozy. Nothing too bold or modern and Ironsbridge really fit. I chose the matte finish to offer some softness. I think it just makes it feel a little bit more cozy when you don't have the gloss reflecting the light—just a little bit softer.”

Olson and her clients are also very aware of the luxury of low maintenance. Unlike other stones, Cambria quartz surfaces are maintenance free. Olson says, “The home that [my clients are] coming from to this home had a lot of natural stone, which they have enjoyed. It’s very beautiful. But it has some maintenance to it. So we felt that by moving over to Cambria, we could obtain an effortless luxury, something that is stain resistant and is easy to clean, and just sort of something that would be easy to live with while being beautiful.”

Winia agrees. “Why I chose Cambria is just that.” It’s maintenance free. “Real life happens in kitchens. So you need a product that’s going to support real life happening, support kids painting on the countertop, red wine being spilled, and Cambria can withstand that.” Winia reiterates her motto about luxury home ownership—real life happens here, and says, “So knowing that there’s a product that can support real life and will hold up to real life with minimal maintenance and a full lifetime warranty that a company stands behind is huge for me.”