Granite Benchtop Colors

Black, Gray and White

• Black, gray and white are very commonly chosen colors for granite countertops. These colors of granite will match a wide variety of kitchens simply because they are all neutral, meaning that in most cases, the counter top won't exactly match the kitchen, but it will still look good. Some examples of granite that produces these colors include Black Galaxy granite, which is black with little white flecks; Kashmir White granite, which is white with little flecks of brown; and Impala Black, which is a dark gray granite.

Red and Pink

• Red and pink granites will look best in kitchens that have been decorated with warm colors. On the color wheel, warm colors are red, yellow and orange. This type of granite will look best in kitchens decorated in earthy reds and coppers. An example of a red granite includes Imperial Red, a deep red with flecks of black. Many granites have hints of pink in them, including Desert Sand granite, a beige and pink granite with a lot of movement. "Movement" in granite-speak is a word that indicates the granite has a large wave-like pattern, rather than a static, textured pattern. Granite that has a lot of movement typically looks best in large slabs, so the wave-like texture can be fully admired.

Green

• Green is a very common color in granite. Green marble will look best in a cool colored kitchen, particularly in a kitchen decorated in shades of green. For a darker green kitchen, consider a lighter type of marble like Green Rose, which comes in shades of light green and rose colored flecks. For a lighter green kitchen, consider a darker bench top, like seaweed green, which is so dark that at times it almost looks black.

Neutrals

• It seems like there are an almost endless number of gold and brown granite types. For a neutral with a lot of movement, consider something like Yellow River granite, which has a light gold and thus looks wonderful in kitchens with wooden cabinets and other warm-colored natural materials. For a more static textured granite, look for Golden Beach granite.