Are Granite Countertops Outdated?

Kitchen with white countertops, cream walls and farmhouse style

Photograph by Hector Sanchez

Written by Holly Thompson

It wasn’t long ago that the ultimate in luxury in kitchens were granite countertops. And with them came dark woods, glazed warm whites and walls of travertine tile. We couldn’t get enough of traditional kitchens, often themed to look like Tuscan or French Country villas. They were detailed and often dark and formal, and all topped with granite slabs.

But are they still worth putting into your kitchen—or keeping, if your kitchen already has granite?

White kitchen with white subway tile backsplash — This dark granite countertop in **homeowner Stacy Smith**’s kitchen still works because she’s surrounded it with more modern, white and light elements like the cabinets and sink faucet. Photograph by Jeremiah Hull of Attic Fire.

Also Read: Best Countertops for Farmhouse Style

The Appeal of Granite

Designers loved how much “movement” there was in stone countertops. Homeowners loved it too because it was stain-, scratch-, and heat-resistant.

But it was also expensive, something reserved for luxury homes or gourmet cooks. Most everyone who redid their kitchen insisted on granite countertops.

Then we started calling the process of choosing countertops “choosing your granite.” Granite started to become standard in development houses, which was quite a selling feature to the first-time buyer. It showed up at big-box home improvement stores, and then listed on special, and finally, it showed up in “before” pictures of kitchen remodels.

granite kitchen countertops — Photo by Francesca Tosolini/Unsplash.

So…What Happened to Granite Countertops?

Granite didn’t have a chance of staying popular forever for two main reasons—bless its heart.

The first reason is that once a style trickles down to big box stores, it becomes builder-grade and everyone has it. Therefore, it loses its feeling of luxury. As soon as almost every remodeled kitchen in America had realized its granite-sporting dreams, granite got bumped from its position. Everything from white granite and black granite countertops to granite slabs has fallen out of style.

granite countertop closeup — A prime example of brown granite countertops. Photo by Gareth David/Unsplash.

The second reason granite countertops have lost their appeal is that the preference for light, simple kitchens has replaced the trend of dark, warm kitchens. Designers quit wanting “movement” and instead wanted peace.

Also Read: Options for Budget Countertops

Are Granite Countertops Outdated?

The short answer? Yes. If your granite is busy and warm (or looks like meat), then it is outdated. But that’s not the only answer. It also depends on what you’re trying to do. If you love your granite and aren’t selling your home, keep it and enjoy.

All-white kitchen with marble countertops and backsplash — The response to granite? Bright and peaceful kitchens like this one with marble countertops and a backsplash. Kitchen and styling by Holly Thompson. Photo by Ashel Parsons.

But if you’re planning to sell your home or are updating your kitchen with new cabinets and countertops, choose a different countertop material like quartz for a fresher look.

Maybe you can paint your cabinets if you already have granite countertops and want to update the space without replacing them. Choose the lightest and coolest color in your granite for your cabinet color. Alternately, if you have white granite or another light-color, it might work well already.

Large farmhouse sink with quartz countertop — Quartz countertop. Courtesy of Home Bunch.

Granite’s heyday as the primo countertop material has given way to quartz, with its similar real-stone properties. In fact, more than twice as many people are choosing quartz over granite, according to my stone countertop supplier in the Nashville area.

Quartz is an engineered stone that can be made to look like any natural or manmade material. It doesn’t require sealing and can mimic marble, which is currently the most popular “look” of quartz.

What is French Farmhouse Style?

Reclaimed metal countertop as an alternative to granite countertops — This metal countertop was reclaimed from a vintage table. Styling by Holly Thompson. Photo by Ashel Parsons.

Other Countertop Options

So what other countertop options are available? First, check out this guide for pros and cons between top options like granite, wood, quartz and soapstone.

Wood is a popular choice, which you can either have professionally installed or DIY it yourself. Marble is beautiful, of course, though pricy. There are alternate ways to create marble lookalike countertops, including DIYing the project. Also, quartzite is gaining popularity for people who want eye-catching natural stone countertops that are available in cooler colors.

Before the client's remodel: speckled granite countertop in gray color. — This client’s pantry had granite countertops before her remodel. Photo by Holly Thompson.

Will Granite Be Back in Style?

Absolutely. I think it’ll be back in style when the public taste pendulum swings back to warmer colors. The blotchy builder-grade granites won’t be back for a very long time, though. When tastes head back to warm, my prediction is for new kinds of granite (maybe from an undiscovered granite mountain somewhere) that show up that feel fresh and new. Quartz will stay in style as well, because it can be made to match any color preference or taste.

Deeply veined quartzite countertop in cool colors — Quartzite countertop kitchen by Holly Thompson Homes. Photo by Cassandra Geurin.

What If I Already Have Granite Countertops?

Lastly, what alternate options do you have if your home already has granite? Maybe you bought the house like this, or you remodeled with granite countertops several years ago and now want an update without replacing your counters entirely. If you don’t want to replace your granite but still want a different look, you can cover over your granite countertops with paint, epoxy or even contact paper. Check out this Pinterest board for some ideas, as well as other DIY kitchen and bath renovation ideas!

Holly Thompson is the owner of Holly Thompson Design in Franklin, TN. She loves making houses the best version of themselves. She is married to Dave, who is a contractor, realtor, and often works as her project manager. They own a fixer upper in the country, plus three kids and three cats. Holly has a master’s degree in Interior Design and writes articles for American Farmhouse Style. In her free time, you’ll find her antiquing at estate sales, flea markets, and shops. All of this involves lots of coffee, to which Holly attributes her success in staying awake.

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