Choosing Your Waterfall Countertop: Granite, Quartz, And Quartzite Options

When you decide to remodel your kitchen, you’ll likely want a space that meets both your unique needs and represents your style. Adding a statement piece with striking MSI quartz, quartzite, or granite countertops can be an eye-catching centerpiece and the catalyst for your overall interior design.

A graceful waterfall edge for your kitchen island or peninsula increases the visual impact of your preferred countertop material. How can you choose between the durable and low-maintenance appeal of quartz, the strength and elegance of quartzite, and the timeless beauty of granite?

You should consider the practical advantages and aesthetic enticements particular to each surface material to make the right choice for your household. Here, we’ll explore the special qualities of quartz, quartzite, and granite to help you decide on your upcoming remodel.

What Is a Waterfall Edge Countertop?

There are many different edge designs to choose from when installing a countertop. A kitchen waterfall edge features a vertical extension of the horizontal counter surface so that the countertop appears to flow over the edge and down to the floor at a 90-degree angle.

A waterfall countertop offers the opportunity to heighten the impact of your preferred counter surface, add a clear focal point for your design, and create a moment of drama in your kitchen. It’s a sophisticated way to finish off the exposed side of a row of cabinets and elevate the luxury of any living space.

Quartz: Low Maintenance and High Versatility

Quartz is popular for modern homeowners seeking the perfect union of style and convenience.

Nonporous, food-safe quartz countertops are strong, durable, and resistant to common harm like staining, scratching, etching, chipping, and cracking. They also offer low-maintenance appeal, with no sealing or specialized cleansers required.

Because quartz is an engineered surface, it offers unique colors and patterns not found in nature and features designs meant to mimic the authentic look of natural stone, including the luminous appeal of marble.

Calacatta Miraggio Seaglass^™ Quartz

Consider Calacatta Miraggio Seaglass^™ Quartz, featuring our proprietary LumaLuxe^® Ultra formulation. The milky white background with delicate dark gray, aqua, and chocolate brown veining simulates the colors and patterns of a Calacatta or Carrara slab with the depth and light interaction you’d expect from classic white marble.  

Even when paired with similarly colored flooring, the soft luminosity and meandering veining patterns make this quartz the mesmerizing centerpiece of your interior.

Calacatta Ocellio^™ Quartz

Calacatta Ocellio^™ Quartz, featuring MSI’s exclusive LumaLuxe^® technology, brings a unique energy with its swirling charcoal and warm white veins flowing across a translucent white background. The balanced yet dynamic pattern adds a lively touch, energizing a kitchen with beige cabinets and black fixtures.

Quartzite: Natural Elegance With Toughness

Quartzite, one of the hardest natural stone types used in home applications, is a wonderful option for a kitchen waterfall countertop edge. Resistant to heat, stains, chips, and scratches, durable quartzite stands up to daily wear and tear in busy household settings.

It also comes in a range of appealing colors and distinctive patterns that elevate the luxury aesthetic of your home. Known for bold veining, sometimes in long, linear striations, the dynamic patterns of quartzite deliver the drama when transitioning over the counter edge and down to the floor.

Andes Black Quartzite

Andes Black Quartzite offers a perfect example, with a black background and contrasting veining in stark white slashes and cloudy strokes.

When used to encase an entire island and cover perimeter counters, a full-height backsplash, and even the hood vent, this bold quartzite adds rich texture and personality to a sleek, modern, black-and-white kitchen.

Acquatic Quartzite

For quartzite countertops that create a slightly more subtle and serene aesthetic, consider dreamy Acquatic Quartzite in a palette of cool grays. The interplay of light and dark swaths flows seamlessly over the waterfall edge, mimicking the gentle progression of a lazy river.

This soothing centerpiece is the epitome of quiet luxury when paired with white flat panel cabinets and glossy white flooring.

Granite: Timeless Beauty and Durability

Granite is notable for its strength and durability, resisting heat, scratching, and other damage that modern kitchens must withstand. It’s also among the most variable stone types, with dozens of attractive colors, distinctive patterns that could be low- or high-variation, and a granular, sometimes crystalline appearance that increases dimensionality and visual appeal.

Black Forest Granite

If you’re looking for a bold, exotic showpiece, Black Forest Granite is sure to please, with meandering streaks of snow-white and sable intermingling with the obsidian background. The patterning flows over the edge of a kitchen waterfall island and adds moody vibes to a contemporary kitchen with red oak cabinets and heavy-grained wood flooring.

Coffee Brown Granite

Coffee Brown Granite offers greater subtlety and refinement, with low-variation stippling in warm, rich shades of coffee and chocolate. This elegant stone pairs well with other patterns, such as heavy-grained wood flooring and a competing fireplace wall in pale, heavily striated quartzite.

MSI Offers the Ideal Surface Material for Every Waterfall Countertop

A breathtaking waterfall edge counter is the striking design element that makes your kitchen one-of-a-kind. Whether you lean toward a stunning quartz design, the timeless elegance of quartzite, or dramatic and distinctive granite, you’ll enjoy a focal point that exemplifies your taste and provides the longevity you expect.

If you want to learn more or get your project underway, contact a helpful MSI representative via convenient live chat, find an authorized MSI retailer nearby, or schedule a visit to an MSI showroom.

READ MORE ABOUT GRANITE COUNTERTOPS

Bold and Stunning Granite Countertop Colors for Modern Kitchens
Choosing Between Granite and Quartz Countertops - Pros and Cons
How to Style Your Kitchen with White & Gray Granite Countertops
How to Choose the Perfect Granite Countertop Color for Your Kitchen