Should You Choose Your Flooring Or Countertops First?

It can be hard to know where to start when considering various ideas for your kitchen remodel. All the different steps for upgrading that crucial space in your home can get overwhelming, including whether to pick out your new flooring or countertops first. While each homeowner should ultimately do what they're comfortable with, it's typically better to research, settle on, and install a countertop choice first, as countertops offer more opportunities to be creative than flooring. It's a good idea to consider all those different countertop options, pick your favorite, and then find a flooring to complement it.

Furthermore, a Reddit user brought up a more pragmatic reason to work on countertops first, writing, "Would do floors last. If you're working on those countertops, I assume you'll be in and out of the kitchen with tools/heavy stuff, right? Never know if you might drop something and ding/scuff up the floor." After all, imagine how frustrating it would be to invest thousands of dollars into new flooring, only for that investment to get damaged.

There are many gorgeous countertop materials, so remember to take the decision seriously and consider every option you're interested in rather than rushing to choose. For instance, anyone looking for luxury vibes should look at marble and quartz options. "Marble is still king in terms of aesthetics and in high-end new development ... We are seeing an increasing number of quartz countertops being coveted by buyers and sellers alike," Allison Chiaramonte, a real estate agent, told Real Simple. So, if you want something high-end and your budget allows it, consider investing in marble or quartz countertops to increase your home's resale value and add some pizzazz to your kitchen.

However, don't assume luxury materials are the only attractive countertop options. Plenty of more budget-friendly countertop choices can look stunning in your kitchen, helping you revamp the space without breaking the bank, such as butcher block, concrete, laminate, and stainless steel. After familiarizing yourself with the different options, if you're still struggling to determine which would be best or if you feel stuck on the final decision, try bringing home some countertop samples to help you better visualize the different options and determine which looks best for the space.

Once you select your countertops, it's time to determine the best flooring option for the kitchen. While there aren't as many drastically different-looking flooring choices as countertops, there are still various options to consider, so you shouldn't take the decision lightly. Remember to be realistic when shopping, staying focused on finding durable options that won't lead to regret in the long run instead of impulsively buying something trendy but impractical.

"Any kitchen flooring ideas are likely to have a hard life so delicate surfaces are a poor idea," British Standard by Plain English Design Manager Adrian Bergman told Livingetc. "Classic solutions include wood, stone, or tiles," he said, adding that "Whilst concrete is sometimes more complex and costly to install, a polished concrete floor is easy to maintain [it is resistant to chips], and offers a clean, seamless look ... it's very versatile."  

In addition to quality, don't forget to check that the flooring options you consider won't clash or look dull with your new countertops, as the primary point of picking the countertops first is to choose a flooring that will complement it afterward. For instance, dark-ish brown floors will help your pale countertops pop. So, remember that your new countertops and floors should work together to revamp your kitchen.