What are some Popular Edge Options for Kitchen Design?

By: Ann Kent

Many homeowners realize while designing the kitchen of their dreams that they really never understood how many decisions are required for kitchen design. After you have spent endless hours looking online for inspiration, ideally using a virtual room planning tool like that on the home design website House Tipster as your kitchen design planner, and have finally picked a kitchen countertop and cabinetry, you may think your job is done. While selecting your kitchen countertops is arguably the most important aspect of kitchen design, there are many other important decisions to make. When you visit the slab yard, you will realize that your decisions are far from over.

Ogee Edge Profile

As we always suggest at Mr. Stone, you must devote enough time to visiting the slab yard and viewing each potential stone slab in its entirety. No two slabs are alike, and, consequently, it is so important to look at each part of the slab. Once you have narrowed down the stone colors available for granite and marble countertops and decided what color and slab that you want, the fabricator will then ask you what type of edge you would like on your countertops.

Quarter Round Edge Profile

The most popular options are ogee, quarter round, and straight edges. The edge profile is the shape of the edge of your stone countertop. The straight edge is typically the cheapest option because it does not require a lot of finishing work. Many people prefer an ogee or quarter round profile because it isn’t as harsh and serves as a vehicle to showcase the veins and movement within the stone’s design. An ogee edge is a classic, traditional look that adds a bit of decorative design to a kitchen countertop. Like the decision of what type of countertop you want within your kitchen, you should not rush to decide what type of edge you would like in your kitchen. It will be a decision that might outlive you. The more elaborate the edge is, the more time is required by the stone fabricator to polish and finish the stone.

Straight Edge Profile 

Once your countertops are installed, complete with your ideal edge, it is important to properly care for your granite and marble countertops. Mr. Stone highly recommends the AGM countertop cleaner for daily cleaning. The formulation contains a small amount of sealant so that every time you clean, you are sealing your countertops. We also sell a high quality and easy to use sealer. Granite countertops need to be sealed 1-2 times a year, while marble requires a more aggressive maintenance schedule and requires sealing up to 4 times a year. Over time marble will etch and need to be repaired and even though granite is the most durable stone on the market, it can chip over time. Luckily, Mr. Stone sells a great granite and marble chip repair kit. It is super easy to use and you can repair any chips very easily by applying a relatively odor-free epoxy directly to the chipped area after cleaning it. Despite the maintenance required of marble, homeowners continue to install it year after year because of its rich veiny nature.

Every decision that you make regarding your kitchen will work together to create an overall feel. Countertop choices, lighting, sink options and the layout of a kitchen will ultimately need to work together and complement each other to create a strong result.