Whenever someone thinks about granite as a worktop material they instantly picture the dull grey stone that is used for country lanes and to repair roads.  Although a person can purchase a granite worktop in this hue there are many, many other colours available to choose from.  Most people are absolutely amazed at the different hues and textures which are available as granites from all over the world make their way to the kitchen renovation market place.

Granite is an igneous rock which means it is formed deep under the ground from magma which makes its way up from the mantel of the earth.  The age of the formation can be determined by the size of the grains you see when the granite slab is cut.  The larger the grains, the longer the granite outcropping took to form.  Sometimes the grains can be as large as peas which indicates the rock was molten for tens of millions of years before it finally cooled and solidified.  Most people like the larger grain structure from older rock but for small worktops the finer grain is oftentimes more appropriate.

The other variable in a granite worktop is the colour.  The standard hue of course is grey but mineral content can change this dramatically.  The choices range from black to red to even white and pink.  In fact, it is said you can find a granite to match any colour scheme in your kitchen either as the same color or as a complementary.  Since most people don’t change out their worktops very regularly I would choose a hue which is fairly basic and could go with many different colours of wall paint.  Black is always a great choice because it goes with most anything but, like a black car, it is difficult to keep looking sharp because it shows up water spots and any speck of dust.

The best thing to do if you are thinking of renovating with granite is to get several samples and lay them around your kitchen with colour swatches to see which would be the best match.
photo credit: A&A Design Build Remodeling, Inc.