Design Decisions

Are Waterfall Countertops a Fad?

Credit: Grand Tradition Homes

Kitchen decisions have been high on the priority list this week with picking a kitchen cabinetry color and now choosing the perfect countertop. You may already know, but we are big fans of quartz. We love the look of natural stone, but for us and the season we are in our lives, quartz is just a better option. We have both quartz and marble in our current home, so we have hands-on experience with both.

So, we know we are going with quartz. We also know we are leaning towards a marble look, lighter in color with veining. We feel this will work well with the darker cabinetry color. The question we are contemplating now is should we go with waterfall countertops on our island?

What are Waterfall Countertops?

Waterfall countertops drop vertically down the sides instead of stopping abruptly at the edge of a cabinet or island. It makes one continuous flow to the flooring with the same material. Here is a beautiful example of a waterfall countertop on a kitchen island.

Credit: Grand Tradition Homes

Are They Just a Fad?

Some say yes and others say no, but with design most things are a fad or trend and will eventually go out of style. This cycle is what keeps home improvement stores in business. We are always updating our paint colors and home decor to fit the era we live in. As much as we would love to think things are, there are very few things on the inside of a house that are timeless.

Waterfall countertops are considered more of a modern style. I do feel its more likely to not go out of style if it’s based on a good, clean design. It’s almost a dramatic way of displaying a beautiful countertop. So, be picky about the countertop material you are choosing.

Why We are Considering Waterfall Countertops?

In our house, we are going for a mix of modern clean design, combined with some rustic elements like the warmth and texture of wood. We think a waterfall countertop is a great way to bring the modern side into the kitchen.

On the backside of the island where the bar stools will be, we plan on cladding it with a lightly stained oak shiplap and legs much like this one by Grand Tradition Homes. As you can see, they have mastered the rustic/modern waterfall island. We have been able to get so much inspiration from them for our new kitchen.

Credit: Grand Tradition Homes

A sleek countertop is also easier to clean than a custom millwork island end. A countertop will also withstand bumps and dings more so than regular millwork.

Needless to say, we are leaning heavily toward going the waterfall route. But we need to make up our minds very soon!

Shop This Look

Share
Previous Post Next Post

You may also like

14 Comments

  • Reply Felicia

    It may be a fad, but for functionality sake, I love that it protects the sides of your cabinetry. My current home does not have waterfall countertops on the island and the ends of my poor island cabinetry are so banged up and need to be repainted already. I would get them just for this purpose alone.

    October 28, 2019 at 2:36 pm
    • Reply Brooke

      Hi Felicia. That is such a good point! Also with Quartz being so durable, you really don’t have to worry about it.

      October 28, 2019 at 7:56 pm
  • Reply Matt

    Love the kitchen in the pictures. Any idea what the paint color is on the cabinets?

    August 16, 2020 at 7:54 pm
    • Reply Denise

      I’m so confused what brand of floor to get. And to get vinyl, wood or laminate. Also,best brand of quartz?

      January 30, 2022 at 2:38 am
  • Reply Jas

    Hi Brooke!

    Love the idea of a waterfall island. I’m actually choosing options for a new build and want to know your potion on having a white/grey waterfall island but a plain white perimeter? Mainly from a budget perspective.

    January 4, 2021 at 8:51 pm
    • Reply Natalie deBruyn

      Hi – I’m thinking an idea similar to this but nervous about doing too many different colors / materials. What did you end up going with?

      May 16, 2021 at 10:32 pm
  • Reply Chelsey

    Cabinet colour name? Omg it is so gorgeous!

    January 16, 2021 at 4:25 pm
    • Reply Chelsey

      cabinet colour of the grey one, sorry !

      January 16, 2021 at 4:26 pm
  • Reply Cheryl

    What about waterfall quartz on a peninsula? Would this fit for mid century modern?

    February 13, 2021 at 8:52 pm
  • Reply Joyce Johnson

    Anyone find out the cabinet paint color.. Any guesses..

    February 15, 2021 at 6:50 pm
  • Reply Linda

    The gray cabinet colour ‘looks’ like a BM Chelsea Grey.

    February 27, 2021 at 5:40 pm
  • Reply Sherrie caron

    Hi,
    I have cream colored newer generation cabinets and just want to replace granite counter tops with quartz. Do you think the color shown above with waterfall is a good choice. Also, a flooring question. We want to replace our tile flooring with wood planking. We currently have a dark color such as walnut in the master b r and den. Should we continue with the same dark color through. It would be in foyer, living area, hall, kitchen, dinette and dining room.
    Or, would u recommmend a different color flooring. The kitchen is cream cabinets, like vanilla, Not yellow.

    July 31, 2021 at 2:06 pm
  • Reply Bryan Temen

    What is the flooring. Can anyone help identify?

    November 2, 2021 at 7:45 pm
  • Reply James

    Started selling islands with waterfall end or ends back in the mid 90’s. So it’s either a very long fad or it’s not a fad.

    December 24, 2021 at 10:02 pm
  • Leave a Reply