Avoid These Granite Countertop Colors For A More Timeless Kitchen

Trends come and go, but when it comes to your kitchen, granite countertops never go out of style. An elegant, natural look, combined with durability and functionality, has made granite a countertop staple for many homeowners. Additionally, it's reasonably priced compared to many of its stone counterparts, and it instantly improves the value of your home. 

But because granite is so versatile and comes in a variety of styles, it can be easy to go wrong with your selection and choose a color or pattern that clashes with your home design, looks outdated, and takes away from your home's timeless appeal. Granite patterns featuring bright, colorful specks and spots of blue, red, or green are dated choices to avoid, as well as striking dark or light colors, and patterns with intricate veining and movement.

Choosing the perfect countertop slab isn't something you want to get wrong, as the average cost of granite countertops is around $3,500, but they can cost upwards of $6,500 depending on your chosen slab, counter size, installation, and finishing costs. Making the wrong choice can be a costly mistake that's difficult to fix. But getting it right and choosing a timeless look is undoubtedly a countertop upgrade that's worth the extra cost. So it's important to know which granite countertop colors and designs to avoid and which ones you should favor for a timeless kitchen aesthetic that fits with any interior design style.

Some interior design trends make you feel like you're stepping back in time. Among them are carpeted floors in the bathroom and popcorn ceilings in the living room. And in the kitchen, heavily patterned, dramatic, overly speckled granite countertops just scream 1990s and 2000s. These countertop colors and patterns weren't chosen for their timeless appeal. Instead, they were selected to suit the current trends, most of which no longer apply since tastes have changed and evolved drastically beyond '90s maximalism and 2000s Tuscan inspiration. Skip granite that has bright, bold primary or secondary colors, especially if the patterning is spotted, intricate, or heavily veined, which creates unwanted visual clutter.

Additionally, stay away from patterns that are too high contrast. While white — or black — counters may seem classic, avoid picking white stone with bold black veining and vice versa. This look, once trendy, now can be too bold and can overwhelm other aspects of your space. While homeowners once chose granite slabs based on how much "movement" there was in the patterning, today, the design world gravitates more toward light, simple kitchens, prioritizing less movement and more simple serenity.

Now that you know which granite countertop styles make your home look dated, it's useful to know the top colors and patterns that can help you achieve a timeless look. Of course, design is subjective, but the best granite countertop colors, according to designers and suppliers, include neutrals and earth tones with a more solid color. Colors like beige, cream, gray, and greige are versatile enough to blend with many popular interior design styles, such as farmhouse, rustic, modern, and coastal luxe. Plus, these calming and sophisticated earth tones exude the natural beauty of stone without overwhelming your kitchen or making it look busy, tacky, or outdated. These lighter shades also reflect more light, making kitchens of any size look bigger and brighter.

When you're shopping, it's best to look for these colors and opt for stones with subtle, understated patterns and marbling, remembering to stay away from speckled and spotted. And if you're currently stuck with an outdated granite color, don't worry. There are still ways to update old granite countertops without paint. Or you can opt to replace your old counters with a cheaper alternative that's still timeless and on trend, like manufactured quartz or butcher block wood. If you're stuck on granite as your surface of choice and looking to finally upgrade to a more contemporary look, we recommend looking into local warehouses, discount stone retailers, and online listings for used granite slabs.