Carrara Gioia Quartz
TChoosing countertops is one of the most common decisions people ask me about from our kitchen remodel. It can feel overwhelming, so I wanted to share our process and what led us to pick quartz.
Perhaps seeing how we weighed the options will help you decide for your own kitchen.
Early in the design phase we considered many materials: wood, marble, quartz, concrete, and even mixing materials. Our kitchen gets intense sunlight at times, so we eliminated wood because it could fade or crack and would feel too dark. Once we chose concrete-look floors, actual concrete countertops felt redundant. Because the space is small, we also decided a consistent, streamlined counter would be most effective rather than a mix of materials.
I love the look of marble — I’ve used it in bathrooms and admire how it ages — but it’s delicate. We once had a popsicle leave a permanent pink etch on marble, a reminder of marble’s sensitivity. Those marks didn’t bother me, but they bother some people, so it comes down to personal tolerance for wear and etching.
This time my husband strongly preferred quartz because he didn’t want to worry about staining or etching while cooking. We balanced his desire for low maintenance with my love of marble’s look and agreed quartz was the right compromise. We’d had quartz in our previous kitchen and found it durable and attractive.
In our last home we used a plainer quartz because the hickory floors already had a lot of visual movement and we didn’t want competing patterns. Here, with porcelain tile that resembles concrete, I wanted a marble alternative — something with a softer, grayed appearance, not too stark or shiny, with a subtle, random pattern.
Finding the right quartz wasn’t easy. Many samples felt too drawn-on, too yellow, or too bold. We also needed a 2cm thickness so the counters could fit under the window without modifying standard cabinet heights. At first I worried a thinner edge wouldn’t suit the look I wanted, but after research I warmed to the cleaner, slimmer profile and felt it would fit the space better.
We nearly gave up until our contractor suggested Carrara Gioia quartz from Daltile. To our surprise, Daltile carried quartz and had 2cm slabs in stock so we could pick specific pieces without a long wait. The color, veining, and overall tone fit the look we wanted and allowed for long, uninterrupted runs of countertop that help the small kitchen feel larger and more functional.
We’ve had the Carrara Gioia quartz for five months and remain very happy with the choice. The surface is easy to maintain and clean; we use a plant-based cleaner for daily care. The seamless appearance under the window and around the corner gives the kitchen a calm, cohesive feel while staying practical for everyday cooking.
Are you shopping for new countertops?
Have you considered quartz as an option?
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