Step 2: Narrow down your options.

Tape a sample chip at eye level on a wall cabinet. This will give you a good idea of how the new countertop will look and contrast with the existing cabinets. Use those samples also to see how the colors work with your flooring and painted walls. And make sure you look at them during the day and then at night under the lighting in your kitchen. Colors have a way of changing under different lighting conditions.

If your new countertop is part of a larger kitchen remodel, make sure you have samples of the new cabinets and flooring or paint you’re considering. Whether it’s a whole new kitchen or just the countertop, take your time here. You’re going to be living with it for many years, so it’s important to get it right. Anything less than a week here is rushing it.