Your Essential Guide to Quartz Countertop Finishes

Meticulous detail and high-quality materials define luxury interiors. That’s why designers and homeowners continue to lean toward quartz surfaces as a cornerstone of sophisticated living. The inherent natural beauty, coupled with the unparalleled durability of quartz surfaces, allows them to elevate any space from ordinary to extraordinary. Beyond this, Cambria quartz surfaces enable the personalization of your interiors with the broadest selection of exclusive designs and finishes available.

This exploration of Cambria’s available finishes—polished, Cambria Matte®, Cambria Satin™, and Cambria Luxe™—empowers you to make informed design decisions so you can select the perfect quartz surface to complete your vision and enrich your lifestyle.

This finish option gives off a signature shine that you would expect from a luxurious quartz countertop. It reflects light, attracts the eye, and can even help smaller spaces appear larger. The shine and reflection of a polished finish enhances the quartz design’s color and veining, creating a sophisticated look. A polished finish is smooth to the touch—a sensation preferred by some. That’s why it’s important to see and experience Cambria’s quartz designs in person so you can touch them and determine not only what you want your surfaces to look like but also how you want them to feel.

Nearly all of Cambria’s quartz designs are available in a polished finish and this finish pairs well with most any cabinet paint or stain color. You can create contrast to a polished countertop finish in your interior design by pairing it with a lower sheen cabinet finish. A polished finish is elegant and timeless, making it perfect for brightening spaces and creating a feeling of openness. And the light reflected by a polished finish on a dark quartz design can be particularly helpful for subtly brightening a dimly lit room.

Cambria Matte^®

With its subtle sheen, silken feel, and reduced glare, Cambria Matte is an elegant contrast to its polished counterpart. This finish gives your quartz countertops or wall cladding a more muted yet incredibly refined look. The nonreflective nature of a matte finish makes it a nice choice for spaces with lots of natural light because it diffuses the light and allows other design elements to shine.

A matte finish feels soft and velvety to the touch while still being as durable as any of Cambria’s polished quartz surfaces. Its organic look offers a smooth, low-sheen surface that creates a calming atmosphere that is on trend in both modern and traditional spaces. 

When pairing matte countertops with other materials, consider cabinets with a satin or eggshell finish to create a harmonious balance between the matte and slightly reflective surfaces. Opt for cabinet colors in muted tones to enhance the countertops’ subdued beauty. And for a touch of luxury, incorporate brushed metal accents which provide a gentle contrast and add depth to your overall design. Additionally, natural wood elements, open shelving, and a statement island complement a matte countertop finish with a sense of organic charm.

Cambria Satin^™

With a growing appreciation for visually textured and tactile experiences in interiors, a finish that you can really “feel” is ideal for those seeking deeper dimension in their surfaces. Similar to a matte finish, Cambria Satin finish, available on select designs, is nonreflective so it reduces glare. But a satin finish also takes the soft touch approach to the next level with an ever-so-gentle texture that enhances a room’s ambience with even more elegance and depth. The uniquely textured aesthetic of a satin countertop finish is gaining popularity because it provides an opulent appearance without feeling overly formal.

Layers of texture are what inform a well-designed space. So beyond any color palette decisions, pay attention to the textures of the planned fabrics, wall coverings, and appliances. Then, when pulling your entire look together, décor elements like lighting, mirrors/windows, and metallic faucets and hardware can add just the right doses of shine into a space.

Cambria Luxe^™

Bring on the glamour with a quartz surface finish that has an exceptional high-polish shine and brings a new level of clarity to Cambria’s quartz designs. Cambria Luxe, available on select designs, is similar to a polished finish but with enhanced shine that is striking and luxurious. It intensifies a surface with radiant depth that redefines brilliance. This ultra-shiny look of a high gloss countertop finish is statement-making and will captivate and complement every design detail for an unforgettable space.

Once you find yourself gravitating toward the look of a particular quartz finish option, be sure to also consider your lifestyle, how much use the space will get, and your tolerance for normal messes like dust, crumbs, or fingerprints that are a part of actually living in and using your space. Keep in mind that the color of a quartz design and the amount of veining pattern in the design, in addition to the type of finish, can also affect how much you notice these things. That said, every Cambria design and finish option is easy to clean with just a little warm water, a soft cotton cloth, and mild soap, if desired. You can have any on-trend look without added care and maintenance. So, go ahead and choose the design and finish you love most and prepare to enjoy your new space for years to come.