Ideas for Updating Kitchen Countertops

Looking for easy ideas for updating your kitchen countertops? Whether you're looking to replace, refinish or resurface your kitchen counters, HGTV has ideas for you.

White Kitchen With Blue Range

White Transitional Kitchen With Blue Range

The homeowners collect copper pots, so the designers used the shade to help inspire the kitchen's accent colors. Pretty tiles with a subtle pattern bring out the pots' warm hue.

Photo by: Diana Liang

Diana Liang

Looking for easy ideas for updating your kitchen countertops? Know when it's time to replace, or when you can get away with refinishing or resurfacing your kitchen counters.

When to Replace

Have your tile or laminate countertops seen better days? If you're tired of cleaning crumbs from grout lines, or are numbed by the dull, matte look of your ages-old laminate counters, chances are your kitchen counters could benefit from a complete refresh.

Solid surfaces like Corian are a budget-friendly option, while granite or engineered quartz may be considered more of a splurge. You'll find an overwhelming amount of colors and patterns to choose from, whether you choose stone or stone-look, so you're bound to find the look that fits your style.

When to Refinish

If replacing countertops all together isn't in the budget forecast, consider refinishing to extend the lifeline of your existing counters. While many nicks, scratches or dings can be sanded down by the homeowner (butcher blocks and solid surfaces), certain materials, like granite or stone, require help from the pros. All surfaces should be structurally sound before attempting to refinish.

How to Paint Laminate Countertops

New kitchen countertops can be an expensive upgrade. Transform your kitchen without breaking the bank by priming and painting your existing laminate counters.

When to Resurface

For a cost-effective makeover of tired laminate countertops, consider covering up the existing material with a tiled surface, or transforming it to like-new with paint or a layer of Rust-Oleum countertop coating.

Next Up

Resurfacing Kitchen Counters

What's the difference between resurfacing and refinishing kitchen counters? HGTV has the answer.

Painting Kitchen Countertops

Is painting your kitchen countertops an attractive alternative to replacing or resurfacing your counters entirely? HGTV says the answer is a resounding, "Yes!"

Glass Kitchen Countertops

Infuse your kitchen the lightest and brightest surface around: a colorful but opaque glass kitchen countertop.

How to Paint Laminate Countertops

New kitchen countertops can be an expensive upgrade. Transform your kitchen without breaking the bank by priming and painting your existing laminate counters.

Do-It-Yourself Butcher-Block Kitchen Countertop

Transform your kitchen on a budget with our step-by-step guide to creating a butcher-block countertop.

How to Clean Granite Countertops and Make Them Shine

Keep your granite countertops looking like new with a few simple steps.

Granite Countertops for Kitchens

HGTV.com helps you determine if one of the most popular surfaces chosen by homeowners, developers and kitchen designers alike, is right for you.

Granite Countertop Colors

Don't mistake granite for just any old stone—this surface is available in a variety of colors, making it a suitable option for any number of kitchen designs.

Corian vs. Silestone: Pros and Cons

Each offering pros and cons, Corian and Silestone are two popular countertop options to choose from for your kitchen or bath. Find out which material is right for your space.

How to Build a Concrete Countertop

Learn how to construct and install a concrete slab countertop for a kitchen island.

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