Choosing an Edge for Your Kitchen Countertop

You thought the hard work was over when you selected the countertop material, color and pattern that you wanted for your kitchen. Then you are asked “what edge would you like to go with your countertop?” You soon learn the choices there are plentiful as well, who knew there were over a dozen countertop edges to choose from? In any kitchen design it is often the details that set it apart, and choosing your countertop edge is not a detail you want to overlook. The edge can complete the style of your dream kitchen. Let’s look at the various options and understand how to complement the style of your kitchen, as well as your budget.

Perhaps the first logical step is to choose between a streamlined, clean look or a more rounded, decorative look. Let’s first explore the available Standard Edges we offer at Great Lakes Granite and Marble.

Standard Edges

The first type of edges we will explore are standard edges, and there are still choices within this category. Standard edges can be either straight or curved and can complement any kitchen style.

In a clean-lined kitchen design, a straight edge often fits the profile of the kitchen best. If you have chosen to highlight another material in your kitchen, such as an eye-catching tile or beautiful appliance, a straight edge countertop will blend with the kitchen rather than attract attention or steal the show. Despite their name, straight edges are not sharp, the corners are slightly rounded to protect the stone from damage. You even have the flexibility to customize the amount of rounding to best fit the style of your kitchen.

In a more traditional design, you may choose a curved edge to pair nicely with your crown molding or another design feature of the kitchen. The options in curved edges are plentiful and we’ll explore a few of them below.

Flat Polish

Flat Polish is a simple, clean, and classic edge profile. We often see a flat polish in a more contemporary design.

Bevel

A bevel edge features a subtle, angular edge. A standard bevel edge is a 45-degree angle. At Great Lakes Granite and Marble, we can customize the angle as well as the width of the bevel edge. For example, we could do a 20, 45, 66-degree angle and a width anywhere from .25” to 2.5” depending on the material. This customization gives our clients design flexibility that can enhance the look of their kitchen design. The beveled edge typically pairs nicely with a contemporary design.

Full Bullnose

There are two types of bullnose edges, the full and half bullnose. The bullnose features a rounded edge giving a soft touch to any design. It is considered a timeless classic and commonly seen in a traditional design. The full bullnose makes the edge appear thinner.

Half Bullnose

The Half Bullnose also features a rounded edge, pairing nicely with a traditional design. The half bullnose give the edge a thicker appearance.

Quarter Round

With the quarter round edge, the top edge of the granite has a slight radius, about the diameter of a pencil. This gives the countertop edge a sleek look, pairing nicely with a traditional design.

Speciality Edges

With standard edges all being beautiful, it’s hard to think we could top that. But if high design or elegance is your goal, we have a variety of specialty edges we’ll explore here.

Double Quarter Round

The double quarter round edge features a pencil round edge on the top and bottom edge of the granite. This will give the granite a bit of a thinner look in comparison to a half bullnose or polish edge. This thinner appearance is cosmetic only and can be created based on the edge style. This edge pairs nicely with a traditional design.

Double Bevel

Just like we discussed with the bevel edge above, the double bevel edge can also be customized with difference size angles and width. This allows the homeowner to customize the appearance of their granite edge. The double bevel may catch light on both sides of the bevel, creating an impact in your kitchen. This pairs nicely in a traditional design.

Mitered Drop Apron

A mitered edge is actually assembled from two pieces, and the edge size can be customized. At Great Lakes Granite and Marble, we pride ourselves on a beautiful mitered edge. If the material is veined, we can match the veins to turn and go right down the drop apron, giving you a consistent look. The other way to create this appearance is a double laminated edge where two pieces of granite are glued together. The downside with a double laminated edge is that you may see the seam, and it is very difficult to match the vein on the countertop. Therefore, we’ve taken the approach of the mitered drop apron vs. the double laminated edge.

Dupont

The Dupont edge has a convex radius. It is often referred to as an inverted Ogee edge. This pairs nicely in a traditional-style kitchen.

Ogee

The Ogee edge has a classic, elegant look, that pairs nicely with a traditional kitchen. In comparison to the Dupont, the Ogee has a concave radius. If you are curious about the name Ogee…you might like the story of where it came from. We haven’t much-discussed edge pricing in this article…but as with most things in life, the fancier the edge, the “fancier” the price. Most edge styles have come from the Italians, but they don’t name them, they just use numbers. When people would see this edge and then ask for pricing, the typical response was….. “O Gee!” Hence the name, Ogee!

Triple Pencil Edge

This one actually was named by the Italians. Another name for a quarter inch radius edge is a pencil edge. The triple pencil is 3 – 6mm radius or three-quarter rounds all layered on each other.

Rock Face or Chiseled Edge

Yet another style is the rock face or chiseled edge profile. This edge exposes the raw stone giving your countertop a more natural or rustic appearance. Some people perceive this edge as being sharp or worry about it snagging clothes, in our experience, we haven’t had any issues with damage caused by this edge. It simply gives your project a more rustic appeal.

What if I’m looking for a custom edge?

The edges with the * can be modified to exaggerate their profile if desired for a custom look.

Can I choose any edge with any material?

Some exotic materials require more fabrication care. With those edges, we advise against the more intricate specialty edges such as the Triple Pencil, Double O’Gee, or Triple Lindy. Your Project Manager at Great Lakes Granite and Marble would be able to advise you if this comes into consideration with the material you’ve chosen for your project.

Is Durability a factor when choosing a countertop edge?

In our experience, the durability is consistent among all of the different edge styles.

So, what will you choose?

Straight Edge, Curved, Decorative, Custom….so many options. One way to start narrowing your choices down are evaluating your kitchen style and determining what might pair best – contemporary or traditional design? Take a look at the profiles in your kitchen, for example, the profile feature in the drawer or door front and look to coordinate that with your countertop edge style. You can work to reflect the profile features of your cabinet design in your countertop edges so it looks like you had one person design both kitchen features. Our project management team at Great Lakes Granite and Marble are well equipped to help you select the countertop edge that best fits your kitchen design as well as your personal design style.