Countertop Trends That Will Be Huge In 2025 (And Ones We'd Recommend Avoiding)

Remodeling a kitchen can be quite expensive, so you want to get it right the first time. Some of the biggest considerations you'll likely make are the look, style, and functionality of your kitchen countertops. In this House Digest exclusive, we interviewed a range of interior designers and real estate professionals to discover which countertop trends are likely to be huge in 2025. Our experts also reveal which trends they recommend avoiding.

Luckily, these trends are not changing just for the sake of change alone. Instead, our experts have identified materials that tend to make the kitchen less functional and what you should swap them out with instead. They've come up with a solution to children hitting their heads on a sharp counter corner, and even solved the age-old problem of loving marble countertops, but not wanting to take care of something so finicky. Whatever your budget, and whatever your design priorities might be, these are the rising and falling countertop trends that you'll want to be on top of in 2025.

When you think of porcelain, you might imagine delicate decorative figurines, or more commonly something used as a sturdy toilet material. However, this option is popping up in more and more kitchens and our experts think it will be used as countertops everywhere by the end of 2025. "Porcelain seems to be coming in. I see a lot of pictures of kitchens with porcelain tops," Evan Karam, real estate agent and owner of We Buy Casa, reveals exclusively to House Digest. The reason for this sudden uptick in interest is likely because the material not only looks great, but it's very practical in a busy space like a kitchen. "It's super durable and comes in all kinds of styles that look like natural stone," he continues. You can pick from a variety of different colors, which is a big part of its appeal. 

According to Karam, you can mimic all different types of stone with porcelain, but don't have to worry about scratching it up like you might with marble, or damaging it with heat — something that's pretty common in the kitchen. "It's also got that warm, cozy feel that people are into now instead of cold white and gray marble," he says. This makes it a practical, chic choice for anyone doing a kitchen renovation this year.

Terrazzo is a composite material that you are likely already familiar with. It's made by mixing up small pieces of other stones, like marble, quartz, granite, or even glass with cement or resin. Once everything is set and hard, the surface is polished to make it smooth and shiny. Because of its varying ingredients, terrazzo comes in many different colors and styles. Yet our experts think that one in particular will be taking over 2025. "Terrazzo with larger chips is making a huge comeback because unlike the small-speckled surfaces we saw in the past, these new versions feature bigger and bolder pieces of stone and glass," Malak Bellajdel, in-house interior design expert at Metal Plex, tells House Digest exclusively.

The reason for this shift to larger chips is simple. Because terrazzo is a visually complex material "it pairs perfectly with the simple cabinets everyone loves right now," Bellajdel says, adding that it "adds unmatched personality." If you aren't sure how to add spark to your space in 2025, you can let a material like terrazzo do most of the talking for you. No two slabs of it are ever the same, giving each kitchen that has it a unique edge.

There are some major downsides to tile flooring, and it turns out, there are some pretty big drawbacks to the material as a kitchen countertop as well. You might be tempted to install it, as you think it'll be easy to wipe clean, but the reality is exactly the opposite. "Tile countertops have been popping up here and there, but honestly, the grout is just too much to deal with," Bre Hance, founder and principal designer at InHance Design Build tells House Digest during an exclusive interview. "It's tough to keep clean, and it's not the most practical surface if you love to cook or bake."

Tile grout is like a little magnet for everything in your kitchen. Dust, food debris, oils, etc. — they all love congregating in your tiles' grout. If you spill something and don't wipe it up right away, grout can also stain, which can make it seem constantly dirty. "Plus, it can feel a bit dated if not done just right," Hance adds. So, if revamping your kitchen in 2025, stay away from tile for your countertops, whether it's a small or large format, if you don't want your space to immediately be labeled a blast from the past.

While engineered stones have certainly had their heyday, our experts think that 2025 is going to be more about keeping things natural. "There's something about natural stone that will always have a special allure that engineered quartz will just never have," Courtney Batten, owner and lead interior designer of Paige Studio, tells House Digest exclusively. "In 2025, I predict that natural stone with bold veining and bright colors will be huge after years of white kitchens." While it might be true that white kitchens will always technically be in style, 2025 is a year in which it's more than safe to branch out from the ordinary.

If you need a few suggestions on what to select, Batten has plenty at the ready. "Think calacatta viola marble, emerald quartzite, or palladium arte marble, to name a few," she says. These stones are well known for being bold, full of personality, and quite fun to look at. The great thing about bold veining is you can rely on it to do lots of the heavy lifting for your kitchen's design. When paired with simple cabinets and chic finishes, you'll have a classic (yet interesting) kitchen in no time.

One thing a couple of our experts agree on is that white marble is boring. In 2025, more and more designers are choosing to step away from the stone because it's so ubiquitous. "Straight-up white marble might start to feel overdone and while it's still so beautiful, it's been everywhere for the past decade," Bellajdel says. Yet that's not the only reason people no longer reach for the stone. As anyone with white marble countertops probably knows all too well, "It's also very high maintenance and that's pushing people toward more practical alternatives," Bellajdel continues. Unless you're open to some serious patina, you really have to baby it, which can be too much effort for plenty of people.

If you don't want to abandon marble altogether, you don't have to. Our expert still expects to see it pop up in 2025, just in a different form than normal. "White and gray marble is slowly getting replaced by warmer tones and earthy colors," Karam adds. These hues add life to a space, making it feel more welcoming and less stark and sterile, as white can sometimes make interiors feel.

While selecting the perfect material for your kitchen countertops is decision number one, choosing the right finish is just as important. "No matter the countertop material, we're getting away from the glossy polished counters that are a pain to keep shiny and opting for honed and matte textures," Batten shares. With matte finishes, you will never find yourself needing to polish the stone to keep it looking clean. Yet, there is another hidden upside, too. "Velvety matte finishes will give your kitchen an earthy and natural feel while also reflecting light better," Batten continues. "No more hot spots from your pendant lights."

Looks aside, matte finishes are also pretty good at hiding things like scratches and smudges. If you have a busy family kitchen, this can make your life significantly easier especially if you have young children, as matte finishes tend to conceal fingerprints more easily. You can also use this finish to mimic the look of soapstone countertops by opting for leathered granite, a trick Erin Napier used when designing her kitchen.

With any discussion of trends, not every designer is going to agree on everything. Interestingly enough, the one trend that divided our experts is butcher block countertops. "These counters definitely had their moment," Batten advises. "And while they're great for your wallet if you're investing in a new kitchen, I'd avoid these and opt for a more durable material." Because wood is softer than stone or quartz, these countertops might wind up with dings from a heavy plate or chopping knife, or even warping due to excess moisture in the space.

Yet, Bellajdel disagrees, insisting that when styled correctly, the pros of butcher block outweigh the cons. "Mixed materials in the same kitchen look fantastic," he says. "Think butcher block on the island with marble perimeter counters. These days people want their kitchens to feel more personal and less like a showroom and that's why this trend is really taking off." If you are you torn between the warm allure of wood, versus the practicality of stone (or stone-like options), consider opting for both. When pairing butcher block with another material, you can achieve the best of both worlds. You can save money by not using stone all around, but don't have to worry about the durability of the wood — as you always have a secondary surface material to choose from, just in case.

One thing that isn't up for debate is that you won't be seeing many concrete countertops in 2025 and beyond (or at least in designer-grade spaces). "Like butcher block, concrete counters had their moment and that moment is over," Batten warns. And their fall from grace isn't without reason. "'Industrial' materials like concrete can make your kitchen look dated and DIYed. For 2025, think refined and natural, not raw and industrial."

In addition, concrete might look off kilter in certain settings. Unless you live in something like a city loft with exposed brick walls, the roughness of concrete isn't going to sit quite right. Against a mid-century kitchen, or even in a modern farmhouse, these counters could seem very out of place. Instead, as Batten suggests, 2025 is about materials that look effortless in a space. While it's certainly a good idea to choose bold materials for your countertops to make them a focal point, they should be bold because they are beautiful — not because they stick out like a sore thumb. Opting for a pale cement can help to offset the industrial look, but there are also disadvantages to white concrete countertops. For one, they can stain easily, and they can be less cost-effective than what you'd imagine. 

While choosing the material for your countertops, you must also think about how you should style the slab. Our experts warn that how stone is cut is changing, so you should be careful as to not fall behind. "Sharp edges and thick countertops are starting to look dated," Karam says. If you stick with this look, your kitchen could feel out of style much faster.

Instead, consider something a bit sleeker, thinner, and less sharp. "Rounded corners are way more popular now," Karam continues. "Fabricators can cut super thin countertops less than an inch thick and they look clean and modern. It's a big change from the bulky styles we've seen in the past." These rounded edges can also make a kitchen more functional. How many times have you caught your hip on the sharp edge of your kitchen island, or nursed a goose egg when your child ran headfirst into the corner? By removing these dangers from play, your kitchen not only is more modern and stylish, but infinitely more family-friendly, too.

People love quartz because it's a non-porous material. This makes it harder to stain, scratch, or chip than something like marble. It can also be made to look just like marble, however, our experts think that in 2025, more and more people are going to move away from this look. "I definitely don't think quartz is going away anytime soon, but we're collectively getting tired of the same flat marble-look patterns that are a dead giveaway for engineered counters," Batten says. With more subtle, natural materials on the rise, this look stands out as overdone and inauthentic, so less people will choose it.

Yet this doesn't mean that quartz is entirely done for. Instead, designers and homeowners alike are still going to choose it, but just put a little bit more thought into the process. "With manufacturing processes becoming better and more accessible, I predict a rise in custom quartz countertops," Batten continues. "In fact, on one of my recent kitchen projects we installed custom teal engineered countertops — definitely something you won't find in the standard quartz lines." So when working with quartz in 2025, feel free to get as creative as you'd like. Don't get boxed in by the tradition of just trying to recreate marble.

In 2025, being green is as important as ever. The environment is important to everyone, so designers are seeing a large uptick in countertop materials that reflect this. "People are focusing more and more on eco-friendly homes," Bellajdel says. "Sustainable countertops made from recycled material are especially popular with younger homeowners who want their choices to reflect their values."

For example, seaglass countertops are a beautiful kitchen solution that is also eco-friendly. While this countertop material tends to require a bit of maintenance, those who are committed to the cause might not mind the extra work, as it helps the planet. To create these counters, the recycled bits of sea glass are sealed in resin or concrete, depending on your budget, and then polished to the finish of your choosing. Other eco-friendly countertop materials include reclaimed stone, bamboo, and even recycled paper composite. Any of these options make a great addition to any eco-friendly kitchen.

Granite countertops are a kitchen classic and have been a designer favorite for decades. The material is incredibly hard and resistant to scratches and heat, making it ideal for a high-traffic area like the kitchen. However, how it's styled is changing rapidly and you'll likely see a whole new type of granite in 2025. "Another trend that's falling out of favor is busy granite patterns with lots of movement and different colors," Bellajdel says. "They can very easily make a kitchen feel chaotic and dated and they're tough to match with other design elements."

If you aren't going to stand back and let your countertops be the complete star of the show, then you shouldn't go with a traditional busy granite. Instead, "Going for simpler patterns is a better bet," Bellajdel continues. "This gives you more flexibility to change other parts of your kitchen over time." For example, if your countertop has the ability to blend into the background, you can repaint your cabinets and swap out your drawer pulls multiple times without ever clashing with the stone. If it's too busy, however — one small change will throw off the entire balance of the kitchen's look.

2025 is all about keeping things simple. To this end, our experts advise that a trend you will see a lot of is using the same material for both the backsplash and the countertop. There is no use stressing over two materials and wondering how they might fit together when one will do the trick just fine. "People are loving the seamless look where the countertop material goes up the wall as the backsplash," Karam tells House Digest. "It makes everything look simple and put together, and it's also easier to clean."

Whatever material you choose, be it a simple granite, a custom quartz, or even a large-chipped terrazzo, consider it for your backsplash, too. You might find that when installing the material, it will still come in several panels. While you can certainly also select a custom-cut slab for your exact counter measurements, these tend to be more expensive than pre-fabricated options.