Say Goodbye To Minimalist Countertop Styles: This Kitchen Trend It Set To Take Over In 2026

While minimalism will never truly go out of style, the interior design world is definitively seeing a shift toward bolder, more expressive styles. This wave started forming in 2025, and it's set to continue growing well into 2026. In the kitchen, one of the ways in which this trend is manifesting itself is in countertop finishes with pronounced veining in contrasting colors that can steal the show and make the space feel unique. 

Engineered stone and porcelain can replicate the look, but bold marble is the material really conquering the hearts of interior designers, in a close link to an overarching demand for natural materials. This is the look of HGTV's Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Berkus's gorgeous kitchen in their NYC apartment, for example, and a style which celebrity interior designer Kelly Wearstler frequently references in her projects, as well. Speaking to Sheerluxe, London-based interior designer and bold marble aficionada Bari Jerauld perfectly explained the appeal. "When I walk into a space with dramatic marble, I feel this immediate sense of awe," she confessed, adding, "Each slab tells a story ... and you can feel that sense of history in the room."

Statement stonework, especially bold marble, isn't always easy to introduce into an existing kitchen. If you're just starting to design your kitchen, then this is the perfect moment to hop on, but integrating this striking stone in an existing space could prove challenging. Veins are like marble's beautiful age marks, acquired through a natural, living process across centuries. As a result, each slab is its own work of art, and the more expressive and diverse its design, the trickier it is to decorate around it. Some of the busiest marble types include Arabescato, Calacatta Viola, Calacatta Turquoise Antico, and Calacatta Monet for that black and white contrast, and Rosso Levanto or Cassiopeia for a touch of color. 

To let bold marble function as the focal point, designers recommend choosing the stone first. Everything else, from cabinets to flooring, should exist to complement and enhance it. There are certain materials that designers gravitate toward when curating a room around a scene-stealing slab of stone. Jerauld loves how the warmth and rich grain of darker woods like oak and walnut pair with the natural stone (per Sheerluxe). And, while Brent and Berkus opted for white cabinets for an airy atmosphere instead, the three designers share a taste for textured limewashed plaster walls to play up the marble's old-world essence. 

Similarly, the bold stone trend also seems to overlap with a penchant for continuous kitchen countertop and backsplash designs. This gives the stone an even bigger stage to shine, creating a calm, uninterrupted visual flow without competing materials or visible grout lines.