From Classic to Contemporary: Countertops for Every Style

2026-05-07T15:12:51Z

Sordusyafq: Created page with "<html><p> Walk as a result of any kitchen rework with a house owner and you may watch the priorities shift in truly time. Cabinet coloration sparks the primary debate, then the communique settles round the precise centerpiece, the countertops. As a countertop fabricator, I even have stood on plywood sub-tops in part-framed kitchens, sample boards lower than one arm, being attentive to clientele describe every part from grandma’s butcher block to a dream slab of Calacat..."

<html><p> Walk as a result of any kitchen rework with a house owner and you may watch the priorities shift in truly time. Cabinet coloration sparks the primary debate, then the communique settles round the precise centerpiece, the countertops. As a countertop fabricator, I even have stood on plywood sub-tops in part-framed kitchens, sample boards lower than one arm, being attentive to clientele describe every part from grandma’s butcher block to a dream slab of Calacatta. Style concerns, sure, but genre merely holds if the floor stands as much as knives, warm, young ones, wine, and a dozen weekday dinners. The most useful kitchen countertops marry the seem to be you love with a fabric that fits how you live.</p> <p> This information moves from classic surfaces that floor a basic kitchen to smooth latest ideas that exchange how a room feels. You will see the place every one materials shines, the place it falls quick, and how fabrication decisions satisfactory-tune the entire outcome. Along the approach, I will share the small judgements that pretty much depend more than the headline subject material, the brink profile, the end sheen, the seam plan, even the radius on a waterfall drop. Those facts, while carried out effectively, make a countertop experience adore it sincerely belongs.</p> <h2> What “vintage” truely way in a kitchen</h2> <p> Classic kitchens aren’t a unmarried glance. Some lean formal with inset shelves, lantern pendants, and soft stone, others skew farmhouse with painted woods, apron sinks, and realistic worktops. In both instances, the countertop desires a tactile excellent, a feel of age or craft. Veining and motion examine as usual. Polished is favourite, yet now not flashy. The edges are labored, oftentimes with a gentle ogee, commonly with a softened bullnose that resists chips.</p> <p> Marble is the drapery most human beings affiliate with timeless kitchens. It has that luminous intensity you may’t pretend. In fabrication outlets, we communicate approximately “lifestyles” in stone, the approach a honed marble takes mild and shrugs it off with a whisper, now not a glare. Carrara, Calacatta, and Statuario every single have dependable lovers. Carrara is cooler and quieter, Calacatta incorporates formidable, vast veins that can become art when you publication-tournament a slab behind a range. Marble does etch with acids, and it'll stain if left unsealed or missed, tremendously around pink wine or turmeric. Some householders accept this and deal with a patina as straightforward put on. Others wish conventional seems with no the repairs. They normally end up weighing quartz surfaces that mimic marble, or denser pure stones.</p> <p> Granite sits in that basic camp as well, although not the excessive-contrast speckled styles that dated so many kitchens within the early 2000s. Today’s basic granites tend toward subtlety, stones like Kashmir white, Alaska white, or honed absolute black. A honed absolute black with a micro-bevel edge seems like it's been in the kitchen for decades. Seal it safely, and you acquire hardness and heat resistance that marble can’t tournament. In exercise, granite’s porosity varies through quarry, so we continually try a bit in the shop with water and oil to choose how aggressively it demands sealing.</p> <p> Soapstone belongs here too. The first time you situation a warmed soup pot on soapstone and don’t panic, you apprehend why bakers and lab benches used it for a century. It is soft to the touch and forgiving in use. It will scratch, and people scratches will combo with mineral oil, building a story over time. If the thought of a living surface appeals, soapstone suits. If you favor the countertop on day one to appearance the related at 12 months ten, it'll pressure you crazy.</p> <p> Butcher block is a classic veteran that merits respect. It feels hot under the hand and turns a kitchen right into a operating space. End grain blocks last longer, aspect grain seems to be cleaner. A homeowner who cooks every day and accepts a upkeep habitual, oiling each and every few months and sanding out stains, will adore it. A purchaser who desires to set down wet pots with no questioning is a candidate for a different floor.</p> <p> In vintage kitchens, aspect and finish decisions end the theory. A honed or leathered end softens the light and provides grip. A demi-bullnose or small ogee area sets a normal tone without trapping crumbs. I mostly suggest a fairly thicker construct-up, 1.five to two inches, in which the style leans formal. On islands, that added thickness gives a furnishings-like believe.</p> <h2> Contemporary kitchens and the quiet vitality of minimalism</h2> <p> Contemporary design routinely asks the countertop to do a the different activity. Instead of visual ornament, it will become a airplane that simplifies the space. Lines depend. Integration things. Colors shift to matte whites, deep charcoals, saturated greens, and moody browns. Veining might possibly be formidable, but the development is planned, now not busy. In those kitchens, the countertop reads like structure.</p> <p> Quartz has earned its area the following. The construction of engineered quartz helps brands to regulate colour and pattern with precision. Bright whites without speckling, concrete appears to be like with faint circulation, marble appears with controlled veins that line up at seams. It resists staining and etching less than each day abuse. Quartz will now not like a sizzling pan directly from the stove, so we discuss about trivet habits early. From a fabricator’s point of view, quartz consistency makes for predictable seams and tight famous, mainly with incorporated drainboards or flush-set cooktops.</p> <p> Porcelain slabs have surged in current projects. A 6 or 12 millimeter porcelain cladding over a mitered aspect offers the look of a vast slab with out the weight. The floor takes all sorts of prints, from oxidized steel to stone to uncooked concrete. It resists warmth and chemical compounds, and it shrugs off UV, which opens up backyard kitchens. The downside is brittleness for the duration of handling and the finding out curve for correct fabrication. Not each keep is manage for porcelain, and the incorrect equipment trigger chipping. When it's miles performed appropriate, the results are sharp and refined.</p> <p> Ultra-compact sintered stone sits in a same lane. Think sturdy, warmness-tolerant, low-porosity panels pressed less than sizable force. I even have fabricated islands clad on all sides in sintered stone to create monolithic blocks that outline a room. You can run that comparable subject matter up the wall as a backsplash with hairline seams. The aesthetic is quiet and special, the sensible upside is stain and warmth resistance. The caution is the same as porcelain, the store you decide upon needs to be skilled with the material.</p> <p> Concrete belongs to up to date kitchens for those who favor a raw, tactile floor that should be would becould very well be solid to suit. I have poured concrete with critical drain grooves, seamless sink types, and laser-directly waterfall panels. The combine layout units the tone, from close-white to graphite. Sealing is key, and repairs expectancies will have to be transparent. Concrete movements with temperature and may micro-crack over the years. Many prospects love that, others do now not. If you go concrete, decide to a fabricator who sees it as craft, now not a area undertaking.</p> <p> Stainless steel leans into industrial minimalism. It is not really quiet visually, however it alerts cause. You can seam-weld sinks, cove the backsplash, and flip the total run into a hygienic and indestructible surface. It scratches, and it might achieve a brushed patina within weeks. That is a part of the allure. Many up to date kitchens pair stainless around the diversity with a contrasting island to melt the final sense.</p> <p> In contemporary rooms, skinny edges and sharp lines toughen the appear. A square area with a micro-chamfer reads crisp. Waterfall ends on islands body the mass. If the budget makes it possible for, e-book-matching a veined slab down a waterfall joint is the form of detail that separates a favorable deploy from a extraordinary one. I even have spent hours on the shop surface transferring templates over a slab to get that vein to fold completely over an area. You observe it every time you stroll into the room.</p> <h2> Transitional areas that really feel lived-in, not staged</h2> <p> Most projects land among vintage and brand new. A transitional kitchen helps you to blend components and finishes with out apology. The target is concord, not purity. A white perimeter with a moody island, a honed stone precise with ultra-modern flat-panel shelves, or an integrated sink paired with old pulls. In these rooms, counter tops can bridge eras.</p> <p> Quartzite is a effective candidate here. True quartzite, no longer mislabeled granite, offers marble-like veining with granite-like hardness. Taj Mahal, Sea Pearl, and Macaubas forms bring healthy sample with no the maintenance headaches of marble. I even have set up Taj Mahal on the entirety from coastal kitchens to urban lofts. It takes a polish effectively, however my renowned is a gentle leathered conclude that provides texture and hides fingerprints. Be clean on id, as some stones sold as quartzite are truthfully dolomitic marble and could etch. A authentic countertop fabricator will examine a sample with lemon juice and a metal blade to be sure.</p> <p> Another transitional movement contains texture. Pairing a sophisticated perimeter with a leathered island creates visible depth devoid of mixing shades or parts. Or backpainted glass as a backsplash with a honed stone major. Concrete paired with walnut butcher block on the baking station supplies perform and heat within the same run. Use trim judgements to dangle it mutually, regular area thickness, aligned exhibits round home equipment, and a seam plan that respects sightlines.</p> <h2> Sizing, seams, and the certainty of slab logistics</h2> <p> The most desirable layout fails if a countertop arrives in pieces that carve by means of your strains. Slab sizes fluctuate via drapery and enterprise. Natural stone slabs basically stove from 100 to one hundred thirty inches in length and 55 to 78 inches in peak. Engineered quartz can push rather larger, and porcelain panels can exceed 10 feet. Doorways, stairwells, and tight corners in certain cases be counted greater than slab length. I have cautioned a seam only considering the fact that an island could not flip due to a 32 inch door. It is bigger to area a considerate seam than to nick drywall and chip a nook in a heroic strive.</p> <p> Seam areas need to be deliberate. Place them where the attention does now not linger, and wherein the development facilitates. On a bold-vein quartz, a book-matched seam can grow to be a function. On a quiet granite, a seam over a dishwasher or near a nook reads discreetly. Seam width concerns. With actual tooling and a educated crew, epoxy seams can land under 2 millimeters, shade-matched and flat. Avoid striking seams through cooktop cutouts or sinks if you would. The material loses power in those zones.</p> <p> Support spans have got to be calculated, particularly on overhangs. Most stones can cantilever 10 to twelve inches unsupported at accepted thickness, oftentimes greater with metallic reinforcement. For seating islands, I spec hidden metal flat bars or concealed brackets set into the cabinetry. A easy look beats knee-knocking legs anytime. The equal is going for floating vanities with slab tops, in which wall blocking and bracket structure needs to be planned in the time of framing, now not after drywall.</p> <h2> Edges, finishes, and why small selections deliver widespread weight</h2> <p> Edge profiles are greater than decoration. They identify how a countertop feels to the hand, how inclined the edge is to chipping, and the way the flavor reads. In top-visitors relations kitchens, I favor a mild ease or area-spherical over a sharp sq.. It saves plates and fits each classic and fresh shelves. For formal basic rooms, a small ogee or a dupont facet can paintings if that is scaled tastefully. Massive, ornate edges went out of style for top cause, they acquire concentration and filth devoid of including position.</p> <p> Finishes set the temper and the preservation. Polished stone reflects mild and resists staining a little bigger than honed, yet it presentations fingerprints and water jewelry. Honed presents a cushy, velvety seem to be and hides accepted smudges, however it can darken slightly beneath oils till cleaned. Leathered finishes introduce a diffused texture that mask put on and adds grip less than glasses. In engineered ingredients, matte finishes can lower glare however may perhaps convey marks if the resin blend leans smooth, so ask your fabricator which manufacturers and series keep up in matte.</p> <p> Integrated capabilities are worthy on the grounds that. Drip edges cut close to a sink, sophisticated runnels that instruction water back, and drainboards that slope right into a basin all upload actual application. Routed charging docks or recessed trivets with stainless rods can clear up day after day annoyances. The trick is restraint. A few built-in options tailor-made to the way you cook beat a catalog of add-ons.</p> <h2> Matching drapery to use patterns</h2> <p> I ask each Jstomer the equal questions prior to we dialogue aesthetics. How many laborers cook dinner right here on a daily basis? Do you bake? Do you place down scorching pans out of habit? Will a infant be taught to drag themselves up in this island? These patterns e book the material alternative greater than any mood board. Here is a concise approach to align use and surface devoid of shedding sight of style:</p><p> <img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipO5mawZ3edHDpnXV4-XSaRTxLX5a_eRSYVjqLnR=s680-w680-h510" style="max-width:500px;height:auto;" ></img></p> <ul> <li> If you want 0-fuss cleanup, ordinary purple wine, and a brilliant glance: settle on a pale quartz with delicate circulate, matte or polished, and plan for trivets near the vary.</li> <li> If you crave typical trend with capability and heat tolerance: accurate quartzite in a honed or leathered end suits each conventional and current rooms.</li> <li> If you love the romance of marble and might settle for patina: honed marble at the island, sponsored by way of a greater forgiving perimeter, strikes a clever steadiness.</li> <li> If you cook dinner arduous and prefer a knowledgeable vibe: stainless at the vary with a darker stone or quartz island holds up and appears intentional.</li> <li> If you desire an extremely-minimal, monolithic really feel: porcelain or sintered stone with skinny edges and waterfall sides creates that sculptural presence.</li> </ul> <h2> Color, light, and the courage to go dark</h2> <p> Clients on the whole hesitate to head dark on countertops. They concern a cave final result or relentless preservation. The fact hinges on mild. In a kitchen with solid pure faded and a reflective backsplash, a deep charcoal or near-black height grounds the distance and makes the cupboards learn crisp. Honed or leathered black stones like absolute black or Black Mist educate fewer fingerprints than polished. Pairing a dark island with lighter perimeters prevents the room from feeling heavy, and it creates a visible anchor the place workers assemble.</p> <p> Conversely, a vivid white top merely works in case you appreciate undertones. Cool whites with blue leanings can fight with creamy paints and warm woods. Warm whites can muddy a crisp grey cabinet. I most likely convey a fan deck and cling samples underneath the factual lighting, not just sunlight. LED temperature concerns. A 3000K heat LED will flatter hotter stones, a 4000K impartial works for shiny whites and concrete looks. Shift the bulb temperature and the identical slab can consider off.</p> <p> Veining and trend scale should match the room. A small galley with a exceedingly figured stone can consider busy. In a giant open kitchen, monstrous veining reads self-assured, not loud. If the island is a announcement, quiet the perimeters. If the backsplash is bold, simplify the suitable. These balances separate an chic layout from a eye-catching mess.</p> <h2> Sinks, cooktops, and the data that drive fabrication</h2> <p> Undermount sinks remain the default for sparkling traces and convenient wipe-down. The subject matter round a sink cutout needs energy. In quartz and granite, a minimal three inch rail at the back and front avoids cracks, extra if the sink is outsized. Farmhouse sinks ask for careful templating and blocking, because the stone sits on a narrower deck at the edges. When we notch for a sink monitor, I speak as a result of the alternatives. A tremendous divulge suggests a chunk of the sink rim, a 0 reveal meets the sink exactly, and a unfavorable display overhangs the sink slightly. Zero looks crisp but needs appropriate install and assists in keeping the caulk line noticeable. Negative shows hide the seam and lend a hand with crumbs, yet sharp overhangs chip greater unquestionably. I always endorse a tender negative or zero with a eased facet.</p> <p> Flush-set or inset cooktops appearance modern, yet they upload complexity. The stone ought to be useless flat, and the tolerances are tight. If you opt for a flush cooktop in quartz, comply with enterprise warmness clearance tips. We occasionally upload hidden insulation or a warmness shelter to protect the resin from long simmer periods. For natural and organic stone, warm isn’t the obstacle, however chipping at the brink can be if heavy pots are slid to or from the cooktop. A micro-chamfer helps.</p><p> <iframe src="https://maps.google.com/maps?width=100%&height=600&hl=en&coord=37.22876776477092,-121.98528790926225&q=Marblus%20Granite%20and%20Tile%2C%20Inc.&ie=UTF8&t=&z=14&iwloc=B&output=embed" width="560" height="315" style="border: none;" allowfullscreen="" ></iframe></p> <p> Backsplashes deserve a point out. Slab backsplashes in stone, quartz, or porcelain present continuity and take away grout strains. They value extra than tile, however the outcomes is calm, modern-day, and reasonable at the back of degrees in which splatter is inevitable. A 20 to 24 inch slab backsplash behind a spread with a lower tile elsewhere is a clever hybrid for budgets that shouldn't enhance full-peak slabs.</p> <h2> Budget good with no killing the dream</h2> <p> Budgets shape material picks. That does now not mean you have got to stop genre. There are functional ways to stretch cash:</p> <ul> <li> Keep seams and corners common to cut down hard work, then splurge on a standout island slab or a waterfall quit.</li> <li> Choose a inventory shade in quartz from a major company other than a boutique version, pleasant is regular and pricing is sharper.</li> <li> Use a vintage granite or quartz for the perimeter and reserve a top class marble-appear quartz or quartzite for the island in which it suggests.</li> <li> Opt for a commonplace thickness with crisp edges as opposed to building up a great miter, and redirect savings to superior lighting fixtures or hardware.</li> <li> Reuse or refinish perimeter cupboards to allocate finances to slab backsplash or built-in capabilities that bring up day after day use.</li> </ul> <p> Remember that installation and fabrication make or damage a countertop funding. A mid-number slab, perfectly templated, seam-planned, and set up, will seem greater steeply-priced than a top class slab set up poorly. When you vet a countertop fabricator, ask to look seam samples, facet profiles, and complete jobs. Pay awareness to conversation. If a store explains lead times, warns you about life like seam placement, and brings up make stronger and warmth precautions devoid of prompting, you are in great arms.</p> <h2> Maintenance truths that hold surfaces browsing right</h2> <p> Every fabric has a preservation tale. Be transparent on yours from day one. Sealing natural and organic stone is simply not elaborate. High-quality, penetrating sealers closing one to five years relying on the stone and use. We do a showroom demo with coffee and oil to set expectancies. If the droplet beads after ten mins, you might be secure. If it darkens, it is time to reseal. Clean everyday with a pH-impartial stone cleaner and even diluted dish cleaning soap and water. Skip vinegar and abrasive powders.</p> <p> For quartz, treat it like a sealed surface. Wipe spills, prevent harsh solvents and abrasive pads, and protect from direct warm. A scorching dish pulled from a four hundred stage oven right away to a quartz excellent can depart a shadow or cause resin discoloration close to the cooktop. Use boards and trivets sometimes and you may under no circumstances see an challenge.</p> <p> Soapstone takes mineral oil or wax as needed to even out color. The ritual appeals to a few vendors. It would be weekly first and foremost, then per thirty days, then occasional. Scratches blend with a Scotch-Brite pad and a contemporary oiling. Concrete sealers vary extensively. Some are food-secure and matte, others are greater plasticky but more challenging. Ask your fabricator to specify the sealer and its care events in writing.</p> <p> Stainless needs smooth cloths and a cleaner designed for it. Expect a brushed glance through the years. Butcher block likes universal oiling with meals-grade mineral oil and a gentle sand if essential. Keep water from pooling close to sinks, and you will be quality. None of that's hard whenever you match your tolerance for repairs with the proper surface on the birth.</p> <h2> A few project reports that tutor the change-offs</h2> <p> A loved ones of five came to us with a magazine photo of a white marble island and a concern of stains. They cooked nightly and hosted occasionally. We templated for a ten foot by means of four foot island and chosen a quartz with extensive, gentle veining. We mitered waterfall ends, aligned the veins across the miters, and additional a modest 12 inch overhang with concealed metal. Two years later, they sent a snapshot from a celebration with frosting far and wide and a word that it wiped clean up in minutes. They in no way give thought stains.</p> <p> Another purchaser, a pastry chef, insisted on actual marble. We built the island in honed Carrara, sealed it, and explained etching. She bakes everyday and loves the cool floor. After a year, the island had faint etch jewelry that caught the mild simplest at sure angles. She calls it her map. We used a leathered black granite on the fringe, and it continues to be basically unchanged on account that deploy. Her kitchen feels traditional and naturally used.</p> <p> A downtown loft owner desired a sculptural island. We detailed a sintered stone in a deep gray, thin 12 millimeter profile, with a 3-sided waterfall. The veins were refined, so the affect came from share and precision. We recessed a vitality strip into the bottom and routed a shallow tray for keys close the seating facet. When you stroll in, the island reads as furnishings, now not just a work surface.</p> <h2> Working along with your fabricator, the partnership that matters</h2> <p> No one sees your kitchen more in detail than the countertop team. We measure all the way down to the sixteenth, crawl beneath shelves to assess degree, and plan how to move your threshold with out worry. Use that partnership. Bring your temper boards and your proper conduct. Ask for slab backyard visits, not simply small samples. A five by means of 8 inch pattern won't present how action will appear throughout a nine foot run.</p> <p> Discuss the template manner. Digital templating supplies accuracy, yet it still is dependent on website stipulations. Cabinets will have to be established, stage, and secured. Sinks, taps, and home equipment that have an affect on cutouts must always be on website online. Clear a course for installation day. Pets and babies are cute, yet they do no longer combination well with three hundred pound slabs.</p> <p> A impressive shop will speak you by using demonstrate choices, seam destinations, and finish ideas in simple language. They will can help you recognize <a href="https://wiki-saloon.win/index.php/Solid_Surface_vs._Natural_Stone:_Which_Countertops_Fit_Your_Lifestyle%3F">Los Gatos custom countertops</a> <a href="https://echo-wiki.win/index.php/When_to_Replace_vs._Repair_Your_Kitchen_Countertops">local countertop installers</a> if a marble island in a busy condo property is a mismatch, and they may supply an trustworthy substitute that helps to keep the trend intact. If you hear merely certain to the whole thing, dig deeper. Making a wonderful prime is as much approximately asserting no at the proper time as this is approximately slicing instantly.</p> <h2> Styles evolve, first-class endures</h2> <p> Whether your taste leans farmhouse and ordinary or spare and glossy, the accurate countertop anchors the room. Classic parts like marble, granite, and soapstone convey history and hand-really feel. Contemporary surfaces like quartz, porcelain, and sintered stone convey precision and low renovation. Transitional kitchens borrow from both to create rooms that feel accumulated rather then staged. Your on daily basis styles, your tolerance for patina, and the craft of your countertop fabricator confirm how neatly that type wears.</p> <p> I even have watched clients walk barefoot into their kitchens at daybreak, coffee in hand, and relax their palm on a surface that seems like theirs. That is the objective. Choose the cloth that supports that moment, attend to the information that make it seamless, and you will have counter tops that carry their genre for years, not seasons.</p><p> </p><p>Marblus Granite and Tile, Inc.
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Address: 1775 Monterey Rd #40c, San Jose, CA 95112
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Phone: <a href="tel:+14082866685">+14082866685</a>
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<h2>FAQ About Keyword</h2>
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<h3>What does a countertop fabricator do?</h3>
<p>A countertop fabricator measures, cuts, shapes, and prepares countertop materials so they fit kitchens, bathrooms, islands, and other surfaces correctly.</p>
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<h3>What is the difference between a countertop fabricator and installer?</h3>
<p>A fabricator cuts and prepares the countertop material, while an installer places and secures the finished countertop in the home.</p>
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<h3>Are porcelain kitchen countertops a good choice?</h3>
<p>Yes, porcelain kitchen countertops are popular because they offer a modern look, strong durability, and resistance to stains, heat, and daily wear.</p>
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<h3>How do I choose a kitchen countertop installer?</h3>
<p>Choose an installer with experience, accurate measuring, clean workmanship, good reviews, and knowledge of materials like granite, quartz, marble, and porcelain slabs.</p>
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<h3>What are custom countertops?</h3>
<p>Custom countertops are made to fit the exact size, layout, edge style, and design needs of a kitchen, bathroom, island, or other surface area.</p>
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<h3>How much does countertop installation cost?</h3>
<p>Countertop installation cost depends on the material, slab size, cutouts, edge style, layout complexity, and labor required.</p>
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<h3>What are porcelain slab countertops?</h3>
<p>Porcelain slab countertops are large-format porcelain surfaces used for kitchens, bathrooms, islands, and backsplashes. They are valued for durability and a clean modern style.</p></p></html>

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From Classic to Contemporary: Countertops for Every Style