When you have a big kitchen or remodeling project at hand, you have a lot of decisions to make. One of these decisions is where do you start when you are replacing floors and countertops?
According to Kitchen Magic experts, “If you’re replacing both your flooring and countertops, we advise you to choose your countertop first. The countertop is often the largest, overall expense in a kitchen design – so it deserves to be a feature item. Once you select the countertop, you can work backward to select flooring from there.” (Carrie, 2017) Starting from top to bottom, in another article “Kitchen Décor 101: 4 Tips to Coordinate Kitchen Flooring, Cabinets, and Countertops”(Kitchen décor 101:, 2021) is in agreement with Kitchen Magic. Noting that because countertops can be so complex, and can vary in pattern, style, and material it is important to choose them first. By beginning with the countertops, the entire process will be much easier and smoother. In contrast, the company, Floor Factors, believes design starts from the floor up. (Floor Factors & Floor Factors, 2021). In either case, the countertops and floors need to work together.
The real question in the matter is how do you coordinate the countertops with the flooring? Do you match them? Do you use similar material? Do you keep them in similar colors? The answer to these general questions, found in an article from www.50floor.com is “no”. (How to coordinate kitchen flooring, 2021). It’s important to make sure there are variations in the material and colors, so it doesn’t look redundant. It’s a good idea to choose one or two characteristics or similarities from either the countertop or flooring and add an additional color or characteristic to give it some uniqueness. In a way, it’s similar to pairing wine with specific cheeses, as it enhances the flavor.
Color is an important key to coordinating your countertops with your flooring and the rest of the room. In an article from Empire Today (Kitchen décor 101:, 2021), they indicate it’s imperative to choose two dominant colors and one accent color when bringing your kitchen project to fruition. The dominant colors should be simple but complement each other, the third color should tie everything together. Your countertops should be one of the dominant colors. Let’s say your countertops are mainly white with gray speckles(dominant #1), your flooring is made up of light grays (dominant #2), and the accent color is yellow, which you might use in your window treatments, wall decor, and even bar stools. The accent color is like the cherry on top of the cake.
Finally, the question, what comes first when installing, the floor or the counters. There are arguments made in all directions when it comes to putting it all together.
If you put the flooring in first, it goes under the cabinets, making it easier to change things later. The cost of the materials might be higher, but there will be far fewer cuts if you do it before the cabinets. This Old House Ventures, LLC, the company behind the number one multi-platform home enthusiast brand, a trusted home improvement information, and expert advice argues against this technique because “you’ll have a tough time cutting out the strips that extend under the cabinets if you ever wanted to replace the flooring; you’ll be spending money on a surface you’ll never see, and you run the risk of scratching your new floor if you install the cabinets after it’s in place. Those are all good reasons to lay a kitchen floor after the cabinets are in.” (Silva, 2020)
If you’re in the midst of a big kitchen project, connect with the experts at Top Shop Countertops in Green Bay, Wisconsin. We’ll help you decide the best route for your countertops. We understand that every remodeling project is different, everyone unique. We can help you make those tough decisions so that your final project exceeds your expectations. Located at 2170 Speaker Court, call us to make an appointment with the experts, at 920-434-4551.