How to Update Granite Countertops Without Replacing Them -

The 3 Best Ways to Modernize Your Older Granite Counters

Whether you love your granite countertops or wish you could replace them, you’re looking for affordable ideas to update them.

You’ve come to the right place.

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Granite counters have been popular for around 30 years. Sure, white and off-white quartz countertops have taken over, but this doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for a well-chosen granite…or even a poorly chosen one.

This counter and backsplash are reasonably well-coordinated – yay! However, the travertine size and layout are outdated.

I say this because in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many granite countertops were installed without much consideration for, well, looks. People were excited to get away from traditional laminate countertops and tossed any old granite in with any old backsplash. While some combos are friggin’ fantastic, others are borderline fugly.

And I say this with love, as I have a borderline fugly granite in my bathroom, and am living to tell the tale (insert wine HERE).

Obviously, there are hundreds of granite countertops, and I can’t cover them all – I’M ONLY ONE WOMAN! So, while I’ve hit some of the popular ones in other blog posts (which I’ll link to later), this blog post is about general ideas to update granite countertops, no matter which granite you have.

By the way, because this is a LEARN HOW TO blog, not a ‘look what I can do‘ one, this blog post is pretty long – you’d better get your drinkin’ and your thinkin’ caps on.

1. UPDATE YOUR BACKSPLASH

The most obvious idea to update your granite countertops is to start with your backsplash. However, it’s not always the easiest idea, as it can be hard to know what to do. Let me put it simply…

Subway tile – end of story.

Just joking, you know I love to hear myself talk (and type).

Subway tile is hands-down the best way to update granite countertops – it’s also the most timeless backsplash tile (whether it’s currently ‘trendy’ or not). I’m talking 3×6, glossy (usually), and in a color that coordinates with your counter. Which brings us to the most important part of this section.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST SUBWAY TILE COLOR FOR GRANITE

White might seem like the point of least resistance, but there are only a few granite countertops that suit a standard white subway tile…

Black granite (with no gold in it)
Gray granite with no warmth
Granite with white in it – and I mean REAL white, not off-white or cream. Sure, your Giallo Ornamental or Santa Cecilia might look like it has standard white in it, but it doesn’t.
Cool-toned granite (blue or cool green)
BTW, if you have tile flooring that isn’t black or dark gray, white subway tile can come off harsh and sharp, regardless of your countertop (there are workarounds, though).

Yup, there are a lot of reasons why white isn’t a good idea, and if your countertop isn’t on that last, chances are it’s a straight-up bad one.

This popular granite countertop does not love this white subway tile…at all.

The Best Paint Colors to Update Cream Cabinets

Funny enough, this cream tile is a bit TOO warm for white in the countertop! Funny for me, that is, not for the homeowner (although it still works, it’s just not ‘best’).

It’s important to pick up what your countertop is throwing down. What colors are in your countertop?

Is there a standard white in your counter, or is it actually a soft, warm, creamy shade of white or even OFF-white? It’s quite possibly the latter if your countertop isn’t on or similar to the previous list.
If there’s NO white, what colors do you see? Is your countertop considerably warm-toned with golds, beiges, and creams? The goal is to match one of those colors (usually the cream).
Do you see any warm gray? While some granites really do have a warm gray fleck or vein, it’s likely warmer than you think. What looks like gray could actually be taupe, in which case, you’d look for a warmer, taupe-inspired subway tile in a similar depth to the fleck/vein in your countertop.
If you want to do a colored subway tile, chances are you need a reasonably solid-colored granite (black or gray) or one that has that EXACT TILE COLOR in it.

While I can see that the tile floor is too white and cool-toned for this countertop, they chose the perfect backsplash tile, as it connects with the colors in the granite…

When updating a kitchen with existing finishes, there isn’t always an easy answer, in fact, sometimes there isn’t even a fix.

That’s right, sometimes a kitchen has such a mishmash of finishes that there are no affordable updates that are worth it – a bigger change needs to happen (e.g., changing the countertop and possibly other finishes, too.

The 10 Most Timeless Interior Finishes

However, let’s keep assuming you’ve got a bit of a foundation to work with.

Take a look at this next well-coordinated combo (referring to the travertine tile floor and the golden, Tuscan-vibe granite countertop)…

The small white blob shows how shocking white subway tile would be against this countertop.

If you needed a subway tile to coordinate with this granite and travertine tile combo, you might consider the above approximate color blobs (super technical term). Are these your dream tile colors? Probably not, but your countertop seems pretty excited.
Also, notice how the cherry red stain clashes with the warmer beige-orange tones of the tile floor and counter. A better stain color would have an orange undertone, not red.

How to Update Your 2000s Home: 6 PART SERIES

The granite countertops in this next kitchen look inviting and more updated with their off-white subway tile backsplash…

I also love how the slightly darker grout picks up on the darker flecks in the countertop.

A bright white tile would’ve been too harsh, whereas a soft white picks up on the softness in the countertop. While we’re not done with this kitchen yet (you’ll see it again), let’s move along to the next topic.

DON’T FORGET YOUR FLOORING!

If you have tile flooring, don’t forget to coordinate your new backsplash with it (we’ll touch more on flooring shortly).

What’s the easiest way to do this?

REPEAT the main color in your floor tile, that is, assuming your tile is well-coordinated with your countertop.

While the countertops aren’t granite in this next image, it’s a great example of a Zellige-look subway tile backsplash that’s coordinated with an existing tile floor…

The Best Paint Colors to Go With Wood Finishes

2. PAINT YOUR CABINETS

Your granite could be the most badass, beautiful granite countertop in the world, but if it doesn’t have the right cabinet color, you could be killing your kitchen’s potential.

But what IS the right cabinet color?

While the combo of the countertop, backsplash, and cabinet stain/style might not be up-to-date, the stain color is well-coordinated – love it! This kitchen would THRIVE with a new warm, off-white subway tile backsplash!

Now, I know a lot of guys love their wood (pun intended, and yet, I am being literal, too – I’m a big wood fan myself). However, the decades in which granite countertops were installed also included some ‘potentially’ dated cabinet stains.

On their own, these stained wood cabinets can be gorgeous (with updated quartz countertops and a subway tile backsplash). A good example is the kitchen below, which has the best oak cabinets…everrrrr (other than the small decorative tragedy above the range hood).
On its own, your older granite countertop could be stunning (with a modernized cabinet color and backsplash tile).

However, it’s often the COMBINATION of two+ dated finishes that makes a kitchen look dated. Finishes that might otherwise be okay with more updated surroundings.

These dark oak cabinets are RIDICULOUSLY GORGEOUS, but the combination of finishes is dated.

Get the best color advice…

Sure, if you love your wood cabinets and want to work with your granite countertops, updating the backsplash is the point of least resistance – that might be just what your kitchen needs.

However, if the stain or grain of your cabinets is holding your space back, it might be time to get your paintin’ pants on.

WHAT’S THE BEST CABINET PAINT COLOR TO UPDATE GRANITE COUNTERTOPS?

This is a tough one to answer, as there’s more than just the countertops to consider. IN FACT, when choosing a cabinet color, your backsplash calls the main shots.

Why?

The Best Off-White & Light-Depth Cabinet Colors

Because it’s on the same vertical sightline as your cabinets, your countertops aren’t the most important feature, no matter how mild or wild they are.

Just like the great Britney Spears once said, let’s hit that baby one more time…

In most kitchens, the backsplash calls the color shots when choosing a cabinet color.

While I’d prefer nickel hardware and knobs rather than pulls on the doors, this kitchen looks a MILLION times better – mad love!

When DOESN’T the backsplash call the shots?

If you don’t have a backsplash (thank you, Ms. Obvious).
Slab backsplashes (where the countertop is used on the backsplash, too).
If your backsplash and countertop are very well-coordinated and agree on the same color (less common than you’d think).
If you have a white tile backsplash (and white really IS the best choice for your countertop, which again, isn’t always the case). Then, you can defer to the countertop.

So, how do we proceed from here, when there are THOUSANDS of backsplash tiles out there, never mind their coordinating (or not) countertops and tile floors?

Let’s cover some of the basics…

YOU HAVE A WHITE BACKSPLASH & YOU WANT WHITE CABINETS

If you have a white tile backsplash that suits your granite (isn’t too stark/white OR too creamy for the colors in your countertop), and you want white cabinets, you must match your backsplash and cabinet color PERFECTLY.

If your backsplash is off-white, like this next one, you’lll need to match your cabinet color to it…

YOU HAVE A WHITE BACKSPLASH & YOU WANT NON-WHITE CABINETS

Assuming your white backsplash makes sense with your granite countertop (if I sound skeptical, I am), you can refer to your granite countertops and the colors that best suit them. If you happen to have a tile floor, too, it would be good to tie that in, although the countertop is the boss.

The Best Green Cabinet Paint Colors

How to Choose Paint Colors Based On Your BOSSY Finish

To do this, find colors that either…

a) Match the flecks or veins in your countertop. Or…

b) Contrast with the flecks and veins, as shown above (and really are the right accent color; you aren’t just free-ballin’ it and crossing your fingers that it works). If you’re worried, you know who to call.

YOU HAVE A NON-WHITE BACKSPLASH & WANT WHITE CABINETS

Okay, there are so many backsplash options, it’s hard to know where to begin.

GENERALLY, start by exploring whether your palette is dominantly warm or cool. If it helps, 95% are warm – even most of the gray subway tiles are a warm gray, not a cold one.

Because the backsplash tile in this next kitchen has warm brown tones (that work well with the black granite), a warm white paint color is best for the cabinets…

From there, you move to your countertop. If it can handle a warm white, you might explore warm white paint colors. If it’s got a slightly more neutral or maybe coolish vibe, explore the whitest white paint colors to see if you can make a connection (fewer kitchens can handle these, so be careful when sampling).

YOU HAVE A NON-WHITE BACKSPLASH & WANT NON-WHITE CABINETS

Oy vay, where do I even begin? If your tile’s a solid color, try matching it or going a tone or two lighter or darker. If it has mixed tones, aim to match one of them.

While this next tile has mixed tones, Benjamin Moore Cedar Key captures them all nicely…

3. UPDATE YOUR FLOORING

When trying to update granite countertops in a kitchen, there’s often an outdated tile floor that goes with them. This tile is usually a 12×12 – rarely bigger or smaller.

However, like so many things related to updating a space without replacing the countertops (or the cabinets), there are a ton of variables.

DO YOU HAVE STAINED WOOD CABINETS?

(If you don’t, keep reading – I’ll get to you next) If your granite countertops and kitchen are from the early to mid-2000s (and even some 1990s), there’s a good chance you have stained wood cabinets. These cabinets are most often oak, maple, cherry, or alder, but other woods pop up here and there (especially when I’m around, wink wink).

To update a kitchen with outdated granite and stained wood cabinets, some decide that a wood floor (or a laminate or LVP that looks like wood) is the best way to modernize their space.

It rarely is.

It’s not that this looks bad, as the undertones align, but it’s not as updated as it could be.

If the above kitchen had a dark charcoal, slate-look tile floor, the oak cabinets would come to LIFE!

The kitchens that tend to handle wood cabinets and wood flooring are NEW kitchens, as the wood stains can be coordinated from scratch…

Otherwise, you’re usually dealing with one ‘less than ideal finish’ and trying to update it with something that’s possibly too modern in comparison.

A lot of it comes down to color…

When coordinating a new wood or wood-look flooring with original stained wood cabinets, we’re usually dealing with a dated cabinet stain color or undertone, including golden oak, honey oak, cherry red stain, and pink undertones. And whether we love ’em or hate ’em, these stains can be challenging to update.

I can understand why you might want to steer clear of this stain color when choosing a new wood flooring, but it won’t work.

Here’s where we often go wrong…

To counteract having MORE of our cabinet stain color, we lean away from it and choose a wood flooring with a different undertone/overall look.

While the floor has a small amount of cherry red (red-purple), this flooring and these wood cabinets have nothing in common.

More often than not (about 95% of the time in my experience), we choose wood stains and grains that don’t suit our wood cabinets.

And there are a few good reasons we do this…

We don’t love the stain on their cabinets and think that going in a different direction will downplay it.
We’ve found a wood or wood-look flooring we like, and figure it will be ‘just fine’ with our wood cabinets.
We don’t even THINK about the grain of our new flooring and how it might compete with the grain of our wood cabinets.

When the above happens, here’s what we risk…

a) If our new flooring doesn’t have the same DOMINANT undertones as the cabinets and is within a certain depth/contrast from your cabinets, we CLASH with our cabinets.

Sure, there’s a vague touch of cherry in this flooring, but it’s not nearly enough.

b) We end up making our kitchen cabinets look super dated in comparison to the flooring that is too modern and not in keeping with the needs of our existing finishes.

This is why, when a client has stained wood cabinets, I usually recommend tile or LVT (luxury vinyl tile that looks like tile) OR, if they’re excited for a new wood flooring, we paint the cabinets.

Here’s the previous kitchen looking more updated with the ORIGINAL CABINETS and a few coats of paint…

The Best Green-Gray Paint Colors | The Best Fool-Proof White Paint Colors

If you don’t want to paint your cabinets and don’t want tile or tile-look flooring, you need to…

LEAN IN to the main undertone in your cabinets
If your cabinets have a noticeable grain (most common with oak cabinets), make sure your flooring doesn’t compete with it. Consider reducing the variation from board to board. Also, pay attention to the amount of grain/contrast in each board.

If you’re more of a visual learner, here are a few examples to get the main idea (I know nothing about the brands, I’m just looking at style)…

An LVP wood-look floor like this one has too much variation for almost any kitchen.
This LVP is a more moderate approach to variation and will suit more wood cabinets (but again, check your undertones!)
This LVP seems to offer a lower degree of variation, not just from plank to plank, but ON each plank. I love this darker stain color, too.
By the way, I don’t know of a single stained wood cabinet that would look good with a floor like this (or even remotely similar). Wood cabinets love warmth – no gray or whitewash!

Will this be your dream floor?

Probably not, but if you want to keep the stain color of your cabinets and want wood flooring, you need to go with it – not against it.

This next kitchen is a good example of a red oak floor that’s been restained to coordinate with the cherry red kitchen cabinets…

Because they kept the pink undertone, it works, and the maple cabinets have minimal grain, the red oak flooring works.

Can you see why this next floor was the wrong choice for these golden oak cabinets?

a) Its pattern is too busy, considering the oak grain is already slightly busy.

b) It doesn’t have the dominant and consistent orange undertone as the cabinets, which means it clashes. Even if the floor weren’t this busy, this color or ANYTHING like it is a hard no.

This next example is better, although there’s still room for improvement…

The flooring has a consistent and obvious pink undertone. Pink is the lighter version of red, which means it ties into the cabinets (The Best Paint Colors with Pink-Stained Woods)
The maple cabinets have minimal visible grain, which means that a bit of variation between the flooring boards isn’t such a bad idea.
However, with the contrast being so high between the two finishes, the cabinets look a bit dated in comparison. If the flooring were a tone darker, it all would flow better.

This next kitchen is a gorgeous example of low-contrast coordination…

The Best Warm Quartz Countertops

While the island could be one tone darker for a bit of variation, it definitely works as-is.

DO YOU HAVE PAINTED CABINETS?

If you have painted cabinets and want to update your flooring, you can definitely consider a timeless wood or wood-look flooring to update your granite countertops.

As far as timeless finishes go, this oak stain color is fantastic.

With this, you might consider…

If you want to be trendy, what flooring trends are currently in style?
If you prefer a more timeless approach, which type of wood gives you that look?
If you have other dominant wood finishes in your home, which undertone connects best with them?

As you might’ve read earlier, it’s important to be careful with your new flooring’s undertones when choosing a wood stain.

Generally speaking, cooler-toned granite countertops aren’t as fussy about their wood floor’s undertones…

However, warmer-toned granite countertops are…

How to Update a Kitchen With Cream Cabinets

This gorgeous kitchen (below) with its natural cherry cabinets and granite countertops would love a wood floor with less yellow and more orange-red (and a bit more depth, too)…

Here are a few wood or wood-look floors that I like…

This one from Home Depot has a nice muted orange warmth to it.
If your wood cabinets have orange (orange-red) tones, a floor like this might be pretty. You always want to get a range of samples to compare.
This LVP has some nice, rich, warm tones in it.
If you have maple cabinets, a wood floor like this could be interesting, assuming the undertones jibe.
If your wood cabinets have a stronger red tone, you would need a wood floor that follows suit!
Again, you won’t catch me dead putting a white wash or graywash floor or anything like this in a kitchen with wood cabinets (or any home, as this type of floor is dated).

Remember to order a range of samples, as in-person, things can look much different!

If you prefer a tile floor, again, you need to seriously consider…

a) which undertones/colors/neutrals tie in with your countertop, and

b) how busy or not your tile is…

It’s easy to see that the pink (taupe) undertones of this tile floor clash with the more golden colors in the granite…

Regardless of the cherry red stain on these next cabinets, this granite countertop doesn’t love the pink/taupe undertones of the tile floor…

While this next room is a bathroom, it’s easy to see how the undertones of the tile flooring complement the granite countertop…

While I wouldn’t mind if the tile were a bit less busy, the overall look works.

GENERAL IDEAS TO UPDATE GRANITE COUNTERTOPS

At this point, I think examples say it best…

KITCHEN UPDATE 1: Travertine Tile & Granite Update

This kitchen’s travertine tile backsplash is a bit more muted than most (others are warmer/more beige). As for the granite, it has a soft, warm white in it.

The combination of these finishes means these cabinets could likely handle a slightly warm white cabinet color.
However, the cabinets look GORGEOUS in a more stone-inspired, neutral paint color. This choice picks up on the veins in the countertop, while still accenting the backsplash tile.

KITCHEN UPDATE 2: BEIGE MULTI-TONED TILE & SPECKLED GRANITE

This next kitchen’s cream-toned glazed cabinets had the wrong undertone for the multi-colored beige backsplash and speckled granite countertop…

Sometimes, a little tweak (which is much different from a little twerk) is all it takes…

Because this particular backsplash tile/countertop combo doesn’t contain any white, white cabinets could’ve looked too stark.
Instead, a soft, warm, flexible off-white is a better choice for a more natural, organic look.
If the wood floor were any more orange, it would be off with the countertop.

Remember, many kitchens were designed around wood cabinets and look BEST with wood cabinets – there might not be a cabinet paint color that makes every finish happy.

KITCHEN UPDATE 3: CHERRY CABINETS, SUBWAY TILE, & GRANITE

Let’s jump back to that previous cherry red-stained kitchen cabinet update…

The Best Paint Colors with Red-Stained Woods

There’s nothing wrong with the above cabinets; in fact, they’re stinkin’ gorgeous (so don’t shoot the cute little Ginger messenger when you see what comes next).

HOWEVER, it’s each to their own, and these owners were over all of the rich wood stains; they wanted a lighter, brighter kitchen.

Because we look at the backsplash FIRST when choosing a cabinet color, and because we wanted white cabinets, we matched the tile by using Sherwin Williams Alabaster on the cabinets.
If the tile were any whiter, a) it would be too white for the countertop, and b) when we matched it, the cabinets would be way too shockingly white for the kitchen. At this point, we’d need to retile, leave the cabinets stained, or step outside of the white world. In this case, we’d look at the countertop for inspiration.

If you’re choosing white tile, make sure it’s the RIGHT white!

KITCHEN UPDATE 4: BLACK HONED GRANITE & GRAY-GREEN BACKSPLASH TILE

This next kitchen is GORGEOUS with its medium-depth green-gray cabinets…

Ideas to Update a Kitchen With Black Granite Countertops

If they WANTED white cabinets, they could’ve chosen a reasonably bright shade of white to suit the cooler tones of the gray-green backsplash. The honed black granite countertop makes color choosing easy, as it suits almost anything!
Instead, they went for a tone-on-tone look by leaning into their backsplash tile’s color. LOVE IT! Check out the best green-gray paint colors.
They also could’ve done white main cabinets with a green-gray island, OR white uppers/green-gray lowers and island.

KITCHEN UPDATE 5: DARK OAK, BROWN GRANITE, & TRAVERTINE TILE

With its speckled brown granite countertops, dark wood cabinets, and neutralized travertine tile backsplash (more brown/less golden beige), this is a tough cookie…

The Best Paint Colors to Update Dark Wood

So, how might we update the above kitchen?

With all of the muted warm tones and lack of white, white cabinets would be massively out of place with these finishes. Cream cabinets would be too yellow.
They could explore a soft, light depth taupe-greige (minimal undertones) that matches the GROUT around the backsplash tile.
Consider darker, more medium-depth greige-taupes with minimal undertones.

Grout can be a great finish to tie into when choosing cabinet colors – assuming your grout color is the best for the tile it’s with.

KITCHEN UPDATE 6:

This next kitchen was looking super early 2000s with its COMBINATION of tile floor, granite countertops, and stained wood cabinets…

After, with a new paint color, hardware, and island pendant lights, it looks a million times better. This update not only adds visual value, but actual value to this home…

The Best Neutral Island Paint Colors

Lastly, of course, there are other ways to update granite countertops in a kitchen. But for the sake of brevity (as I’m sure we’re both exhausted), here are some helpful links!

Keep reading for GRANITE SPECIFIC links.