Kitchen Details: The Right Edge for Your Countertop
Square, Mitered, Waterfall or Bullnose? See What Counter-Edge Style Looks Best to You
Houzz contributor & founder/ principal designer at KitchenLab | Rebekah Zaveloff Interiors. We're a Chicago based interiors firm specializing in kitchens & baths – the rooms which often begin as the focal point of many of the projects we design & manage. We create a link for our clients between the design process & the construction process which is often missing & we offer tailored interior design services for adjacent rooms or whole houses depending on the scope of the project. We love to mix styles and make our spaces feel like they "grew there" and were collected over time. We also offer e-decorating services through our company Design in a Bag.
Visit me at http://kitchenlabdesign.com http://designinabag.com
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Houzz contributor & founder/ principal designer at KitchenLab | Rebekah... More »
It's the details that make a kitchen unique. Every small choice intersects to create the finished product — and as many who have endured a remodel know, the small choices can be agonizing. Selecting an edge profile for your countertops is one of these choices. Here's a quick study in a few of the options and what they look like as part of a greater whole.
Square and standard thickness. Less is often more. In a clean-lined and simple kitchen, a basic 3cm-square profile works best. Each kitchen has something that stands out and says "look at me." Sometimes it's the tile, sometimes it's the lighting, and sometimes it's the countertop material.
I make it a rule to avoid having everything shout for attention; that away there's some breathing room. In this kitchen the countertops are more quiet while the tile takes a bit more of center stage.
I make it a rule to avoid having everything shout for attention; that away there's some breathing room. In this kitchen the countertops are more quiet while the tile takes a bit more of center stage.
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| Square and mitered. Most of the time when you see an extra-thick countertop, it's a mitered edge. Meaning that the thickness is standard either 2cm or 3cm with a mitered frame around the sides, making the slab look thicker. This is a great way to make your kitchen countertops the focal point, and it can work well in either a modern or traditional kitchen. |
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| Eased and mitered edge. This mitered stone top has a slightly eased edge and rounded corners. As you can see, the smallest change in detail makes the stone look very different. |
Square with a waterfall edge. Another way to make your stone countertops a focal point is to run them vertically down the edge of the island.
by Fiorella Design
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Bullnose. This rounded edge detail is a timeless classic, great for traditional kitchens.
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| Ogee. I love contrasting a traditional ogee edge on an island with a more contemporary square edge on the perimeter walls. It's another timeless classic that works well in traditional kitchens. |
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| Marine edge. This is profile is more often seen on stainless steel countertops. It's a built-up thickness, but rather than mitered, the outside edge is raised. I'm assuming the term "marine edge" refers to how this detail keeps liquids from running off the countertop. |
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by Amanda Haytaian
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| Unique variations. This edge profile almost looks like a square Dupont. Take a look at the profile drawings at the end of this ideabook. |
This intricate profile looks like a Dupont Square with a rounded-top edge.
by Meredith Heron
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This custom edge profile looks a bit like a mini French Cove mixed with an Offset Dupont. I love the contrast of the modern sink and the more traditional cabinetry and edge profile on the stone.
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| Here are a few line drawings of countertop edge profiles for reference. As you can see the options are almost limitless. |
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| Feel free to get creative by starting with one of the basic profiles and asking your stone fabricator to modify it.
Next: 10 Great Alternatives to Granite Counters Ideas for Mixing Finishes in the Kitchen Show Us What You Choose For Your Kitchen! 12 Great Ideas for Organization in the Kitchen 15 Quick Kitchen Fixes |
Comments
Mike Really fascinating ideabook. You are absolutely correct how much one small detail like the edge of the counter top changes the entire feel of the kitchen. Regarding the marine edge; I was in the Navy and ships have a raised edge on the stainless countertops to help prevent anything from rolling off the counter top as the ship rolls.
2 years ago · Like
Danenberg Design Thanks for the great article and for featuring one of our kitchen projects in Belvedere, CA. I wanted to show the readers this edge detail that was designed by my husband and partner, Dan, for a client in Alamo, CA. It is a 'twist', so the edge twists from inside to outside. The kitchen design went on to win an award. See photo of edge and kitchen. Thanks again! 
2 years ago · Like
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Amanda Robinson This ideabook is a brilliant aid for those important but often over-looked decisions. Thank you.
2 years ago · Like
nasafemme If you're thinking of eating at the kitchen counter, consider the comfort afforded by the rounded or demi bullnose edges. That's what made my decision easy.
2 years ago · Like
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Andrea May Hunter/Gatherer This is a great post, Rebekah. I have used the Antique Ogee and variations of a Dupont and French Cove, which are all a bit out-of-the box on the west coast, but thanks for introducing me to the Marine Edge. I will definitely be using this!
2 years ago · Like
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Kevin Martin I have lived on both the west coast where they usually only work with 2cm and build-up the edge to get the edge profile and the east coast where they usually work with 3cm and edge profile that thickness alone. There are pros and cons to both thickness. Beware of the drop miter on marble as this is more fragile and prone the chip. Some fabricators will not do it because of the risk also only use honed marble in the kitchen due to acids etching the surface, polished marble in baths is fine.
2 years ago · Like
Joanne Cannell Designs I would be cautious of sharp corners - especially in high traffic areas.
2 years ago · Like
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lanehouse Thanks so much for the info Rebekah, especially the diagrams! That's what I love about Houzz - it's school wrapped up in eye candy! Will incorporate the marine edge in my kitchen reno, thanks again :-)
2 years ago · Like
kathymsolomon Hi, can you do a mitered edge with granite? Is there ever an issue with the seams?
22 months ago · Like
BY DESIGN Builders Here is an in-progress mitered edge example. The naked eye does not see the seams like how the camera flash picks them up. This is Black Beauty. 
20 months ago · Like
BY DESIGN Builders Here is another in-progress photo (pardon our dust!) of an angled edge detail. The corners shall be polished with an eased edge. This is also Black Beauty, but in the kitchen. 
20 months ago · Like
suzyscuderi I was told by a tile salesperson that some granites do better (less chipping/cracking) with a full bullnose. She specifically mentioned granite that has a lot of mica pieces like Verde Butterfly, which we are considering. She said that fabricators recommend a bullnose with this granite. I don't like bullnose, and I am sure that I can 'get what I want' but I don't want to compromise the stone. Has anyone hear this situation to be true? If so, I'll pick something else, for some reason I dislke bullnose.....any insight would be appreciated! Thanks~
7 months ago · Like
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tcncodo I like full bullnose. Do you think it works in a contemporary kitchen or better to make counter eased and island full bullnose?
5 months ago · Like
annelevy Why don't you show the 'chiseled' edge? Nothing prettier than a slab of granite with a chiseled edge.
5 months ago · Like
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tikva02 I had chosen full bullnose for our last home, but would not choose it again. I hadn't realized that full bullnose makes the granite look thinner than the same thickness of granite with other edge types.
6 hours ago · Like
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Ideabook published on June 13, 2011.
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