I know it is hard to believe based upon the pictures you find in our kitchen design photo gallery, but we do suggest several alternatives to white kitchen cabinets. Our clients do love painted white cabinets, and many are insistent. So we design kitchens that blend their visions with our expertise for materials, finishes and making the best use of space. Once in a while, we get our way and infuse some kitchen cabinetry that offsets the whites with greys in the countertop, hardwood flooring that has reddish-brown tones like this one. 

White Kitchen Cabinets With Countertop Ideas That Pop

In this case we selected Quartzite countertops called “California Dream”. This particular slab of Quartzite has some beautiful veining of gray that we all fell in love with. We worked closely with our friends at Greenfield Cabinetry to make sure the staining accented the alder wood rather than disguised it. The buffet area on the left positions a French door wine refrigerator by Zepher centered under the counter and is surrounded with 8 cubbies for red wine. 

Quartz vs. Quartzite for Countertop

Quartzite is a naturally occurring stone, generally from Brazil. Quartz countertops are a man-made engineered material. You will find quartz crystals within quartzite stone but essentially, quartzite is actually sandstone that has been compressed with other minerals over many years and has the appearance of marble or granite but it is slightly harder than granite and therefore can be more durable. Most stone masons and countertop professionals use a sealer after the stone has been cut to size because it is still a porous stone and will require maintenance & sealing annually.


Quartz crystals on the other hand are mined here in the United States (as well as elsewhere) and is one of the most common minerals found in the Earth’s crust. Countertop manufacturers often grind these hard crystals to better work with the material and blend these crushed crystals with glass, resins, polymers, pigments, and other materials to form a hard, non-porous, and durable material. Then this mixture is poured into molds, density is accomplished by removing air pockets and then baked in large ovens to form the slabs you may find in showrooms. 

Engineers have developed a process that improves the hardness of quartz countertops over natural stone countertops. The product is less porous, less expensive and requires less maintenance than natural stone products. The quality is wonderful, has a variety of colors and the designs are infinite. We suggest quartz to clients often when they are open to the suggestion. 

Designer of Kitchen Cabinets Chooses Quartzite 

White cabinets with white countertops definitely requires an accent to break up all that white. As you can see below, we are using stainless steel to accentuate this brilliant kitchen.