Choosing Your Counter Tiles

I’d been looking forward to picking our counters and tiles since we started planning our renovation. We decided to go with high-end laminate for the counters, for two reasons. First, it’s going to save thousands on material and installation costs. Second, we’re planning this kitchen reno with resale in mind. And since we live in a starter neighbourhood, we just won’t get the value out of real stone or quartz counters when it comes time to sell. Here’s a breakdown of our thought process and choices.

1. Picking a Laminate Counter Profile

The profile of your countertop is the front edge piece, and it really helps determine how ‘high-end’ your kitchen looks. Back in the 80s, a bullnose edge (rounded at top and bottom) was really popular but now it looks super dated. We decided to go with a 2.5″ square edge profile to make our laminate countertop look as close to natural stone as possible. The wider and chunkier counter edge can really elevate the style of your space.

2. Removing the Backsplash Lip

The other thing to consider with laminate counters is the backsplash lip. It’s the back part of your counter that continues up the wall about four inches, and it comes standard on most laminate counters. But as with the edge piece we wanted more of a natural stone look. So we had our design and install team remove the backsplash lip to create what is known as a bar top laminate counter. It required waterproof sealant after the backsplash was installed, but the clean line was totally worth it.

3. Picking a Laminate Countertop Pattern

We picked out a bunch of samples that we liked and brought them home to live with and assess over a few days. This proved helpful, because the honed marble sample I loved in the store looked very browny-beige in the natural light in our kitchen, which is not what we wanted. We ended up settling on a concrete-looking laminate that’s modern but timeless and won’t pull too much colour into the space. In terms of texture, we went with a rougher faux-stone feel. Experience has taught us this type of finish is more forgiving than a super-smooth laminate.

4. Picking a Backsplash to Match Your Counters

I thought I was going to agonize over this, but I found that once we settled on a countertop, picking a backsplash tile was a lot easier. I factored in sheen, tone and scale (we wanted medium size, not oversized or tiny) while narrowing down the choices. For colour, we wanted elements of white and grey to pull out the tones in the counters and echo some of the metal appliances and hardware in the new kitchen. We were going for “fun” without looking too ‘expected’. I was immediately drawn to a honed marble hexagon tile but went back and forth with a Carrara marble subway tile. The hex tile won out. Always good to go with your gut!