Granite has remained a popular countertop choice for kitchens and bathrooms since the 1980s when designer Deborah Sussman renovated a kitchen with granite countertops, and the New York Times described it as “down-to-earth.” The consequent decades lead to a vast improvement in manufacturing and export processes, increasing global affordability and putting it in direct competition with marble.
This natural stone outshines marble when it comes to durability. It’s hardy, solid, and less porous. Did we mention it’s not nearly as prone to stains and etching? Granite is low maintenance and easy to clean, making it suitable for spaces like busy communal kitchens and bathrooms.
At Granite Selection, we have approximately 14,000 stone varieties to suit every decor taste and interior style. You’ll come across a wide selection of granite countertop colors that can be cut to any desired shape and size. These include classic and new styles, with some stone types that even look exactly like marble for diehard fans.
Are granite countertops outdated? As industry experts, we can assure you that granite countertops remain a pragmatic and popular choice, especially for bathrooms and kitchens that are frequented and used by many. To find out more, take a look at our thorough analysis of this year’s kitchen countertop trends, including the best granite colors for the 2023-2024 season.
Along with our wide variety of stones, you’ll find a substantial selection of color options for granite slabs. These include classic styles and a regular influx of new styles for you to choose from. If you want to keep on-trend, we have all the colors you can imagine, and all the popular granite colors being used by interior designers right now.
For the top granite colors and unmatched prices, Granite Selection is here for you. We also know what’s on-trend – so be sure to take a look at our analysis of this year’s trend and the best granite colors for the 2023-2024 season below!
Top-3 Trends in Granite Kitchen Countertop Design 2023-2024
The most popular granite colors in 2023 continue to dominate 2024 design trends; white granite countertops and neutral finishes or warm wooden cupboards, and black granite kitchen countertops complimented by gold fittings for the bold. Currently, there are three major stand-out trends that are adaptable to most tastes.
Neutral Tones
Inspired by Scandinavian minimalism, neutral tones remain popular. However, there’s a move away from all-white kitchens to those with light countertops complimented by warmer tones of brown or gold and copper accents, i.e., wooden cupboards and flooring stools or gold light fixtures.
Neutral tones don’t date as quickly and can be easily updated with bright decor elements, bright backsplashes, or a slick coat of new wall paint. Light countertops make kitchens look cleaner and brighter. White, cream, or even light blue and gray granite countertops offer an understated yet classic look that pairs well with any wood.
Honed/Matte Finish
Honed granite provides a matte surface with a low sheen, preferable to the stereotypical glossiness and high reflectivity associated with polished granite. It offers a softer and more natural look while still retaining the character of the natural stone. Color enhancers can be added to honed stone for increased depth and richness.
This granite effect comes in satin, velvet diamond, and smooth matte finishes. To achieve this look, manufacturers stop the finishing process before the stone surface becomes shiny, leaving it with a matte or satin appearance. It looks different on every stone sample yet consistently delivers a smooth look, bringing out natural patterns.
Veins and Patterns
While pure white granite kitchen countertops are still trending, there’s a move towards veining and patterns. Stones with natural character are more appealing to the contemporary eye than the blank kitchen countertops of yore. Most granite countertops are packed with rich, naturally forming patterns that make every kitchen and bathroom surface look unique.
Veining can be subtle or dramatic and make the color of hardware pop when paired with the right hues. Certain types of white granite look similar to marble and are repeatedly chosen as an alternative to the former stone as they provide the same look but require less maintenance.
15 Popular Granite Colors This 2023-2024 Season
White, black, blue, and gold are the most popular granite colors this season. This neutral and versatile palette offers limitless opportunities to play with interior design in terms of texture and color. At Granite Selection, we stock a massive selection of trending stone colors suited to all interiors.
White Granite Countertops
White granite kitchen countertops embody refinement and elegance. Color-wise they offer the most compatibility and look stylish on top of almost any kitchen cupboard color. While it’s impossible to purchase “pure” white slabs, their flecks and irregular markings add to their unique character. They come in various shades, making it easy to find a stone that suits your design preferences.
Andromeda White granite provides an ultra-modern look, offering a subtle variation from pure white countertops. This speckled white and beige stone has gray veins, as well as small streaks and black grain throughout. It’s effortlessly dynamic and suits traditional and modern kitchens.
It’s used for mosaic, fountains, pool and wall capping, stairs, window sills, and of course, kitchen countertops. Furthermore, it’s the preferred stone for bakers and food content creators as its light surface contrast with darker colors. The mid-level variation present within the stone provides texture and character to all-white kitchens without detracting from neutral design palettes.
This off-white granite has brown and rose-colored flakes, with smokey gray patches accented by dark black speckles. Many have commented its markings look similar to the patterns found in cookies and cream ice cream. The granules in Colonial White granite are generally less than 0.5 centimeters, providing relatively even subtle and even patterning.
As a vanilla-colored stone, it works well with dark and light kitchens. In light spaces, it creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere and complements darker spaces. It’s an attractive option if you’re a fan of white countertops with light wooden cabinets but prefer something warmer than cold, white tones.
Alaska White granite contains denser amounts of Onyx dispersed throughout the stone than Colonial and Andromeda White granite, making it the most dramatic of the three white granite varieties. These gray patches vary in color and size and compose between 40-50% of the stone’s mass.
Its uneven patterns of white and silver with large swirls of gray and black gives it a modern, eclectic feel. This cool, icy granite works well with white, black, blue, brown, and gray cabinets. Its pale silver and frosty whites are underscored by less uniform tints of brown, varying from light to dark.
Our white granite project makes a perfect addition to this list and completely transforms your kitchen!
Black provides a bold and dramatic touch to any kitchen. Granite countertops with flecks of gold or white veins are genuinely eye-catching in comparison to classic, all-white countertops. From dark Nordic Black granite to glittering Black Galaxy granite that mimics gazing up at the stars, here are our most popular granite countertops in black.
Nordic Black granite is a homogenous stone with a large mineral structure that refracts light due to the mega crystals lying just below the surface. It contains tightly interlocking, metallic-colored grains and white veins that never fail to impress. Strong and durable, it makes a striking statement whether placed on top of light or dark cupboards.
This sophisticated granite stone has low variations with shallow depth and is subtle enough to blend with other granite patterns. It pairs beautifully with gold and copper accents. Functional and fashionable, it contains black, onyx, and charcoal colors that are lightly accentuated with pale grays and charcoals.
While considerably more pricey, Desert Dream is a premium granite stone exuding opulence. Its exquisite combination of black, gray, cream, burnt orange and gold patterning makes it one of the most stylish granite stones available. Durable and stunning, it instantly elevates kitchens and bathrooms into designer spaces, especially when combined with gold or copper finishes.
Intense and dramatic, Desert Dream is the type of stone that can act as a bold accent in a neutral kitchen or something more subtle in a moodier environment. Durable and resistant, it’s ideal for those wanting drastic bathroom vanities and kitchen countertops.
Black Galaxy granite is a newer stone that became popular for its durability and beauty in the last 40 years or so. Due to bronzite deposits, its copper, gold, and white flecks shine radiantly when exposed to light. This stone produces a powerful visual statement and is often used in staircases, flooring, and countertops.
Like all granite, it fares well in high-traffic areas and is low maintenance. Black Galaxy has a deep black background, with greenish/black shading and occasionally a bit of white in the background. Its metallic flecks are better accentuated when highly polished, but the stone also looks beautiful with a matte finish.
Blue Granite Kitchen Countertops
Blue granite kitchen countertops provide a sense of calm in exterior spaces. Often compared to the ocean, their swirling patterns evoke dynamic movement on kitchen surfaces and add tranquility to bathrooms. Their color intensity and patterns range from deeply saturated blues and strong veins to lighter and more muted tones, depending on what look you’re after.
Origin: India, Finland, and Brazil Price: $50 / square foot
Dominated by black and gray with beautiful dark red and green shades, Amadeus is a medium-grained granite stone. It’s ideal for those desiring kitchen countertops with darker markings. Like a musical overture, its dramatic veining swirls and flows across its surface, generating a dense pattern that almost looks as though it’s moving water.
Amadeus granite adds splendor and flow to otherwise static countertop surfaces. It’s a creative option for large spaces as its kinetic sweeps of blue tones against a pale background can be overbearing for smaller spaces unless you want a statement countertop.
Pearl Blue Granite’s distinct markings look a bit like short brush marks. It contains a large percentage of duck-egg blue blotches against a dark gray to a black background. As coarse-grained granite, its feldspar crystals reflect light causing an iridescently magical effect that mimics mother-of-pearl.
This captivating stone with blue overtones is an eye-catching alternative to black and white granite. Distinctive and rare, Blue Pearl does have varying undertones. Its pattern is not always densely packed; certain areas of the stone may have lighter blue textures than others contributing to its dazzling look and feel.
Admired from afar, Brass Blue granite reads like an aerial view of large sea swells. It has a dark background with white patches and smaller swirls of gray and black. It is a medium variation granite stone whose various sized blue veins running across its surface produce a deep elegant pattern accentuated by sharp fragments.
This beautiful granite has a cool undertone that works well in most interiors, especially for those who are fond of blue. It is suitable for interior and exterior applications. Brass Blue granite also contrasts with gold and copper fixtures, whereas brass fixtures and decor accessories will bring out its natural tones.
Gold Granite Colors
Statement gold home accessories and accents remain trendy this season. Gold granite colors complement both white and moodier kitchens, especially those kitchen cupboards of the black and dark green variety. Gold granite is a top choice for those who like warmer tones like cream, yellow, brown, and ocher hues remain consistent in most gold granite colors.
This stone has amber hues accented by rich nut-brown and umber. Some even notice tinges of green within its genial glow. It features a “chunk” effect throughout as opposed to veins and waves. Almond Gold blends well with wooden countertops, warm interiors, and more traditional design aesthetics.
Even though gold is bold, the speckles don’t override other design elements and can soften a metallic-looking space. This deep-colored stone enriches homes as its light colors boost the energy within a kitchen, living area, or bathroom. It’s one of those popular granite colors that has seen increased popularity of late due to current muted tone design trends.
Picasso granite, also called “Crazy Horse,” will bring any kitchen or bathroom countertop, fireplace, or even flooring to life. Like Picasso’s artworks, this granite is dominated by disparity and contrast. Containing gray, gold, and brown with light and dark veins, it bodes well in contemporary spaces and classic spaces. Picasso granite uplifts a variety of materials from natural wood to synthetic surfaces.
Even though its golden brown veining creates frenetic patterning, the multi-colored speckling gives this stone a cohesive, natural look, making it incredibly versatile. It offers traditional kitchens a bold edge while adding lightness to darker environments.
The color of shimmering Nambian desert sand, this granite blends cool whites and grays together with warm creams and golds. Namibian Gold is an exotic-colored stone that combines well in warm environments, offering a natural glow to interiors. Installed in the appropriate space, this attractive natural stone brings rich desert hues indoors.
Namibian Gold is a popular granite countertop choice for kitchens and bathrooms, whether used as a countertop or accented backsplash. Depending on your interior decor style, it can emulate opulence or complement more rustic environments that are inspired by arid plains and ever-shifting desert dunes.
Brown Granite Countertops Colors
Brown granite countertops colors come in rich mixes and natural colors offering comforting, earthy tones. Incredibly versatile, brown granite stone is available in deep chocolate to cappuccino shades, with brown sometimes making up to more than 50% of the dominant color. Lighter stone deposits catch the light, adding sparkle to this luxurious stone that’s perfect for urban and provincial homes.
African Ivory granite pairs well with a variety of cabinet colors, from light to dark wood, white, and nearly black cabinets. Its delicate waves of ivory and gold blend perfectly with translucent quartz and splashes of bluish-gray that are sometimes even purple.
Its unique combination of popular granite colors provides an earthy tone that can unify just about any wooden cabinets or furniture in bathrooms and kitchens. With softer colors, it leans towards modern and classic designs. Its natural coloring also makes for durable flooring. While quarried in warm climates, it’s still strong enough to endure all temperatures, no matter how hot or cold.
As one of the most interesting granite stones on the market, Coffee Brown granite carries the same color palette as ground coffee beans. Rich and alluring, it has a low variation, meaning its patterns remain relatively consistent. This understated stone is less severe than black and will make any environment warm and cozy.
Coffee Brown granite is an excellent choice for designers and homeowners who prefer a consistent pattern and focussed palette. This granite matches with light to medium wood or cream cabinets and is relatively cheaper than other brown granite on the market.
This complex stone has a rich palette of wine colors, hence its name. Its striking patterns combine waves and linear motion with subtle variation. Often considered the wild card of the Bordeaux granite family, its large quantities of quartz create dimension and depth as its rose and chocolate-colored lines meander across the stone.
Chocolate Bordeaux granite can look very different from slab to slab, so it’s recommended that designers take its natural patterns to flow into consideration. Sometimes this stone can have a brick orange undertone. Generally, Chocolate Bordeaux has a warm effect.
Countertop & Cabinet Color Combination Ideas
When choosing kitchen granite countertop colors, there’s no shortage of combinations from classic to modern or minimalist and eclectic. Our selection of granite will inspire you to mix and match your favorite hues when choosing a countertop to match your kitchen color scheme.
White Cabinets & Dark Countertops
If you desire white cabinets with dark countertops, then consider using Nordic Black, Desert Dreams, or Black Galaxy. Nordic black offers a sleek, contemporary feel, whereas Desert Dreams and Black Galaxy provide an edgier look with natural, high-contrasting patterns. This classic color palette creates exquisite interiors that are somewhat dramatic and can be easily modernized with splashes of color.
White Cabinets & White Countertops
Colonial, Alaska, and Andromeda White are effective options if you’re following the white cabinets with white counters look. A kitchen anchored by these granite stones naturally reflects light and looks larger. Andromeda white granite looks most like marble and is a wonderful replacement if you desire the look of marble without the maintenance. Alaska and Colonial granite have darker patterns that invigorate monotone spaces.
White Countertops with Light Wood Cabinets
The same white granite types look beautiful when combined with red and white oak, maple, cherry, birch, and pine wood. As the whitest granite of the trio, Andromeda pairs well with most wood, especially lighter oaks and maple. Alaska and Colonial bear darker gray markings that work well with red oak and bring out the moodier tones in birch cherry wood.
Get on Trend with Granite Selection
Whatever kind of popular granite kitchen countertops you choose, whether traditional or all the rage, you can rest assured the classic look of granite is always in style. Discover more of the latest 2023-2024 granite trends and speak to an expert about the thousands of stone options we have available at Granite Selection.
Paul Batashev is the owner and CEO of Granite Selection. The company began in 2011 Pay Less for Granite and has been transforming homes since 2011 with its expertise as a kitchen countertop company and manufacturer of fine custom granite countertops.