Eased, bullnose, ogee or mitred waterfall — how each edge changes the look of the stone, the feel of the counter and the price of the job.
The last decision, and the most visible one
The edge is the only part of a countertop you see from across the room, touch every day, and lean against for twenty years. It is chosen last and noticed first. Here is how the common profiles actually behave.
Eased and pencil round
A crisp square edge with the sharpness relieved. This is the default of modern kitchens for a reason: it shows off the stone rather than the tooling, hides wear well, and costs the least to produce. If you are unsure, this is the answer.
Bullnose and half bullnose
A fully or partially rounded edge. Soft, traditional, and kind to hip-height children. The full bullnose can read dated in contemporary rooms, but in a farmhouse or a bath it still earns its keep.
Ogee and Dupont
The sculpted, S-curved profiles of classical kitchens. They demand thicker material or a laminated edge, add hand-finishing time, and cost accordingly. In a paneled kitchen with inset cabinetry, nothing else looks right.
The mitred waterfall
Not strictly an edge but a construction: the counter turns forty-five degrees at the end of an island and runs to the floor, veining carried around the corner. It doubles as furniture and is priced like it — two sequential pieces from the same slab, cut, mitred and dry-fitted in the shop before glue-up.
What drives the price
- Simple relieved edges: included in most quotes.
- Rounded profiles: modest upcharge for tooling time.
- Sculpted ogees: hand work, priced per linear foot.
- Waterfalls: additional material plus mitre labor.
Takeaway
Match the edge to the room, not the showroom. Bring a cabinet door to the yard and we will run sample profiles on offcuts of your actual stone — the difference is easier to see than to describe.
