Forget Granite: Joanna Gaines' Sophisticated Countertop Alternative Gets Better With Age

Dark-toned countertops can add so much drama to a kitchen, and although granite is a hard-wearing option, you don't have to limit yourself to stone. Despite being a low-maintenance choice for kitchen surfaces, this early aughts staple can now look a little dated and overdone. If you're hunting for something that's a little cooler, consider this countertop alternative that has long had Joanna Gaines' seal of approval: Concrete. 

In Season 5, Episode 7 of the famed "Fixer Upper" series, Gaines set to work on the Baker House, a 1950s bungalow in Waco, Texas. In the open-plan kitchen she opts for a beautiful concrete countertop, which offers a soft, gray surface that contrasts strikingly against a delicately patterned tile for the backsplash. "I've always loved cement countertops," Gaines wrote in a Magnolia blog post, explaining why they're a go-to for her. "I really feel like they get better over time, and every bit of wear and tear on them tells a story." 

Concrete has popped up many a time in Gaines' designs. To highlight just a few examples, she used concrete counters back in Season 3, Episode 11 to create a stylishly masculine kitchen for Waco's most eligible bachelor — as well as in a home in Season 1. Concrete countertops also took center stage in her own laundry room and kitchen, and, more recently, she chose them for the Gristmill kitchen, the set for her new cooking show. 

Explaining her reasons for using concrete countertops in the Baker House, Gaines wrote, "I thought they'd be great in this kitchen with the blue tones in the backsplash and the warmth of the wood details." The combination of whimsical tile and simple concrete is definitely a design home run. But if patterned tile isn't up your alley, you could lean into concrete's stark, moody aesthetic instead by taking the concrete effect onto the backsplash as well. Gaines did this to ultra-modern effect in the Pick-A-Door House, sharing on Instagram. "I like the look of concrete countertops annnnd concrete walls now too!" If so much cold gray isn't your jam, there's always the option to use white concrete, or color additives. 

Concrete kitchen counters aren't without their drawbacks, however. You have to periodically seal concrete countertops to keep the surface protected. They can also be more expensive than granite, and the potential need for cabinet reinforcement due to the extra weight can add to the bill.

One way to lower costs is by going the DIY route. But before you start ordering bags of cement, Chip and Joanna Gaines both advise caution around do-it-yourself concrete countertops. "Concrete is a heavy product," Joanna explained in her blog post, "it's hard to work with once it has started to set and will start to crack really easily if not installed correctly." Chip is of the same mind: Back in Season 1, Chip Gaines warns against DIYing concrete countertops. "These things can crack if you do not do rebar right," he cautioned (via YouTube). If you want to DIY concrete counters without the risks and added weight, one workaround is to do a cement overlay.