Backlit onyx countertops offer a uniquely beautiful way to illuminate your kitchen design. Onyx is a rare and luxurious natural stone, known for its distinctive patterning and rich colors that almost appear to glow from within. By installing LED lighting underneath onyx countertops, you can highlight this natural beauty while bathing your kitchen in a warm, ambient radiance.
The effect is nothing short of glamorous, transforming an onyx countertop into a dramatic focal point that infuses your space with elegance. The backlighting also accentuates the flowing bands of color and mesmerizing translucency that make onyx such a visually remarkable material. Let’s explore everything you need to know to light up luxury with radiant backlit onyx kitchen countertops.
Getting to Know Onyx Countertop Material
What is Onyx Stone?
Onyx is a banded variety of quartz composed of silicon dioxide. It is formed when silica-rich fluids permeate into gas pockets within sedimentary rocks like limestone or other minerals and crystallize into quartz formations over long periods of time. This gives onyx its signature stripes, ranging from white to reddish brown to black.
Onyx differs from other stones due to its chemical makeup and vein-like bands of contrasting colors. It has a stunning visual depth and semi-translucent quality that sets it apart. There are several onyx color variations, from white onyx to honey onyx, green onyx, black onyx, and beyond.
Benefits of Onyx Countertops
As a countertop material, onyx offers exceptional durability thanks to its dense mineral composition. It resists scratches, cracks, stains, and damage better than many alternatives. Onyx requires very little maintenance besides sealing to preserve its low-porosity surface.
Properly cared for, onyx countertops can last a lifetime and beyond, making them a worthwhile investment in longstanding luxury. Their striking beauty also never fades out of style. Onyx adapts well to modern, traditional, or eclectic home decors depending on the particular stone variety’s color patterns.
Cost Breakdown of Onyx Countertops
Due to its rarity and intricate production process, onyx countertops reside on the higher end of natural stone countertop pricing. Expect to invest around $70 to $100 per square foot for the material alone. The total expense also factors in professional fabrication and installation, which can range from $40 to $150 per square foot depending on intricacy.
While more costly than granite or marble initially, the superior craftsmanship, lasting quality, and ageless aesthetic of onyx countertops provide excellent return on investment. When you amortize the cost over decades of daily use and enjoyment, this glamorous focal point pays dividends.
Illuminating Onyx Countertops with SlabLite
How SlabLite Technology Works
SlabLite consists of waterproof LED panels slim enough to install underneath surfaces like onyx countertops. Manufactured from lightweight aluminum with a protective coating, SlabLite panels are thin yet remarkably durable. The LEDs emit a perfectly even glow distributed through the panel’s surface via a proprietary fiber optic matrix.
SlabLite offers advantages over LED light strips or tubes for backlighting. Its panels emit an ultra-efficient, uniform illumination without hot spots or uneven brightness. Custom-sizing allows the panels to fit your exact countertop measurements. SlabLite only requires a standard 120V household outlet for LED transformers.
Planning Your Backlit Onyx Installation
To install backlit onyx countertops, accurate measurements are essential for sizing the SlabLite panels. Make sure to plan adequate access to electrical connections while mapping optimal LED placement for the lighting effect you wish to achieve. Having these details ironed out streamlines the installation process.
SlabLite’s slim form makes for straightforward mounting with adhesive, clips, or screws. Wiring is also simple; standard 16-gauge low voltage cable runs from the SlabLite panels to an external LED transformer. Hiring a professional electrician and stone fabrication specialist is advisable to ensure proper setup and a seamless installation.
Step-By-Step Installation Guide
Once measurements are finalized, mount SlabLite panels as desired underneath the countertop base structure using provided clips. Drill entry holes near the power source, then run and secure wiring to prevent snags or tugging. Seal all drilled openings to prevent moisture damage.
Carefully make any necessary cutouts in the SlabLite panels to accommodate sink basins, stove cooktops, etc. Test for even illumination before securing the onyx countertop permanently with transparent adhesive or grout. The finished product will merge the onyx stone and SlabLite backlighting into one cohesive, stunning installation.
Decorating With Backlit Onyx Countertops
Design Ideas To Maximize Visual Impact
Backlit onyx countertops make a bold statement while anchoring your kitchen decor aesthetic. Modern and contemporary spaces can embrace the dramatic focal point, allowing the illuminated onyx to shine as-is. For traditional kitchen designs, combine backlit onyx islands or peninsulas with ornamental moldings and warm metallic hardware accents.
Creative applications for backlit onyx besides kitchen countertops include accent niches housing glassware or collections. The LED glow makes displayed items sparkle. You can also design a backlit onyx bar surface or feature wall to infuse other rooms with eye-catching radiance.
The Do’s and Don’ts Decorating Backlit Onyx
While onyx itself suits almost any color scheme, select backsplashes and hardware finishes that enhance the stone’s allure instead of competing with it visually. Darker metal tones like matte black or oil-rubbed bronze allow the illuminated onyx to take center stage. Meanwhile, lighter marbles or stone mosaics complement the countertop’s colorful veining and translucency.
Take care not to overcrowd backlit onyx surfaces. This diffuses the dramatic lighting effect. Simple barstools, uncluttered walls, and sparse decor allow the radiant stonework to make the strongest statement. Remember, backlit onyx countertops themselves are the star of your kitchen. Arrange supporting design details to gracefully frame these showstoppers.
Caring For Your Backlit Onyx Countertop
Like any natural stone surface, backlit onyx countertops require conscientious care and cleaning to prevent damage from spills, scratches, chips, or cracks over time. Gentle dish soap and water usually suffices for everyday maintenance. Stubborn messes may warrant mild non-abrasive cleaning solutions.
We recommend reapplying sealant to backlit onyx yearly to maintain the protective barrier keeping moisture and stains from permeating porous areas. This preserves the countertop’s unmarred beauty. Handle acidic substances like wine or juice spills promptly to avoid etching. Overall, small investments of careful attention will help your statement-making backlit onyx installation thrive for years of enjoyment.
Backlit onyx countertops elevate kitchen design to new heights of refinement and visual intrigue. Though certainly an indulgence, the sheer elegance and “wow” factor of these exceptional stone surfaces make the expenditure worthwhile for those seeking to make a dramatic design statement. By bathing your onyx countertop in radiance from below, SlabLite LED technology unlocks this material’s most captivating hidden dimension.
Prepare to infuse your home with a mesmerizing focal point of timeless glamour each time you enter your kitchen. Illuminated onyx countertops set the scene for luxury perfected and refined beauty displayed. Let backlighting showcase this rare natural stone at its most visually magnetic. Then, bask in both the warm ambient glow and admiration from guests sure to find your kitchen’s glossy centerpiece simply striking.
