Countertops Through the Years

When it comes to designing kitchens, some people seem to put more thought into choosing countertops and cabinets than they do to stoves and refrigerators. Perhaps these are people who exist on takeout, but still it begs the question, just how important is a countertop?

History tells us that countertops have been around for as long as people have been cooking over a fire although since there were no counters to top, the name didn't exist. In the early days of this country, when food was prepared in a big pot set in the fireplace, the massive stone hearth served as a "counter" and fieldstone was the material of choice. As pioneers journeyed west, and cooking was done over an open fire, large stones were gathered for the fire circle, or in some cases tree logs. In the latter part of the 18th century when cooks began to abandon fireplaces and embrace dedicated kitchen areas, the concept of counters came into being, and the tops were made of wood or stone.

1800 - 1899

The 19th century saw mansions and manor houses being built for rich merchants, oil barons, steel magnates and the like. Although food preparation was consigned to "downstairs", with cooks and scullery maids doing all the work, the owners of the homes took pride in having countertops fashioned from expensive materials like fine wood, marble, and metal. These countertops remained in good condition because, instead of being in the kitchen where the chopping, slicing, and mixing went on, they were in the pantry or serving areas.

1900 to 1999

As the 1800s turned into the 1900s, and areas throughout the country were mined, regions took advantage of the natural resources available to them. In New England where soapstone and slate quarries provided jobs, the materials found their way to the tops of counters. In heavily forested areas, wood made a resurgence, and since everyday use took it's toll, butcher block countertops were devised and are still treasured today. Since this period of history saw the rise of manufacturing and factories, with new products becoming available to what would soon be known as the middle class, new materials like tile found their way into the kitchen and before long, tile countertops gained an overwhelming popularity, that would last for years to come, although stainless steel began to vie for homeowners' attention and continued to gain popularity until the late 1940s, when it found a new competitor, laminate.

As GIs returned home, and prosperity brought owning a home available to a new generation of growing families, laminate took hold, and the rest was history. The color craze was born, and cabinets and countertops found themselves robed in every color of the rainbow. In fact, it was the affordability of laminate that brought custom cabinets and countertops within the reach of average homeowners from Sioux Falls to Saulte Ste Marie.

The Countertops of Today

The passing parade of materials still goes on, with today's homeowners having an incredible choice including countertops made of granite, marble, quartz, soapstone, that old standby, tile,and even copper, concrete, and glass.

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