Select Surfaces in Woodbury features elegant displays that inspire customers, offering guidance and perspective to simplify all countertop project selections. Photos: Chelsey Lopez
Discover the countertops that are making a statement.
Similar to a beautiful work of art, luxe countertops serve as an investment. They’re an integral piece to curating a beautiful kitchen. However, there’s no need to swap aesthetics for functionality. Tanya Otten of Select Surfaces shares factors to consider in achieving a chef-worthy and durable kitchen.
What are the most luxurious countertop materials today?
The most popular material that we’re working with is pure natural quartz. There are many different brands that call themselves quartz, and there’s a huge swing in durability, care and maintenance, warranty and things like that. We’ve seen homeowners caring more about wanting a maintenance-free and a luxury look. The quartz in the 93 percent natural category is the most durable and can give a luxury look and be maintenance-free for a lifetime.
Are there any emerging materials or trends in luxury countertops?
The few things that we’re seeing right now are textures. A lot of consumers really get excited about matte finishes and satin finishes on the countertop surface—they’re just so beautiful. Another huge trend is using the same countertop material to do the full backsplash. It can be a design statement, so if they’re choosing something with a bold pattern or deep color tone, it can be a design feature that is just muted and soft. But it’s so clean, there’s no grout or maintenance … The waterfall panels have been around for a long time but are definitely still going strong … A client who wants a more designer feel in their home will add things like a waterfall panel. It’s an easy thing to add on, and it adds extra style to the space.
A Select Surfaces countertop designer presents a potential edge profile sample to a client while reviewing selections for a kitchen countertop project.
I’ve seen a huge trend in doing … a mitered edge. We can fold the countertop and make it look like the vein wraps down the edge profile instead of just doing a standard 1 3/16-inch slab. I see consumers going with a 3-inch countertop. It’s an easy way to up your style on a countertop a little bit. It’s a little extra detail, but it’s really impactful and easy to do in most homes.
Are there sustainable or eco-friendly options on the market?
This is an interesting question because people define “sustainable” in so many different ways. We can look at it from a couple of different angles. One way that a lot of institutes define sustainability is in longevity. Is it a product you’ll install, have to replace and fill up a landfill? Or is it a product that will last a very long time? Cambria is certified to last 75 years. That’s longer than anyone will own their kitchen, and it’s maintenance-free, so there are no chemicals needed. That’s a really good option. There are a few different products that use recycled content, and that could be a way that somebody would define sustainability.
In Minnesota, we have Cambria right here. They’re so close that they don’t have to travel far. They source local materials—the quartz, pigment and everything comes from very close proximity to their plant in Minnesota. So for us, specifically here, that’s a really high mark for sustainability.
How do you help clients choose the right countertop based on their lifestyle?
With every customer that comes into our space, we go through an interview process and try to learn about how they use their space—whether it’s a kitchen, bathroom or a bar—and find out from them what sort of maintenance they’re comfortable with. From there, it’s easy to guide them. If they’re comfortable with a little bit of maintenance, they might be an OK fit for a natural stone. If they don’t want fuss or chemicals, we instantly go peruse through the quartz or Cambria collection and help them find a design or color that fits their palette. It’s really asking them those questions: What’s your lifestyle like? What sort of maintenance are you comfortable with? What’s important long term?
The gallery wall at Select Surfaces in Woodbury showcases full quartz slab designs, elegantly displayed to inspire customers with their project selections.
How does one balance aesthetics with durability in a high-use kitchen?
The most important thing is working with the countertop company and asking the right questions about durability and what you’re willing to do. With a natural stone, you have to seal it. If you don’t seal it and you stain it, it’s stained. There’s not any way to repair it. Sealing can be fussy; [there are] chemicals in them. With so many kids having sensitivity to chemicals and having allergies, people just don’t want chemicals in their homes anymore. We’ve seen a huge influx in consumers wanting maintenance-free. They don’t want anything that puts off gasses [or] that they have to use chemicals on. Staying in that category of 93 percent quartz … that’s the only way to ensure you’re getting that true maintenance-free material.
Countertop Care
Accidents happen to all of us—whether it’s a spill, placing hot cookware directly on the surface or using the wrong type of cleaner. Tanya Otten shares a few tips for protecting your countertops from heat and stains.
When setting hot cookware down on the counter, Otten says there isn’t anything special to be done aside from using a trivet. “If you’re taking something hot out of the oven, use a trivet. That’s all you need,” she says.
Natural stone requires more care than a maintenance-free material, such as 93 percent natural quartz. Otten says natural stone countertops, such as granite, marble, quartzite or soapstone, require a sealant. “If you have a busy kitchen, and you’re washing your countertops down regularly, I would seal more often. Every time you clean your countertops, you’re removing that sealer,” she says, noting there are cleaning products available that have sealer built in. “If you can find something that fits your lifestyle, then that would be a good way to ensure the areas that you’re constantly wiping down stay sealed.”
Select Surfaces
755 Bielenberg Drive #101; 651.395.4050
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