When it comes to renovating a home, the smallest changes can ultimately make the biggest difference. For many homeowners, this means changes to the bathroom where affordable renovations to existing design can visually impact the room and increase the value of the overall home. In an effort to maximize design dollars, changing the bathroom countertop can often make the most dramatic difference in the appearance of the overall room.

A bathroom countertop may be small in size, but it's third in line behind floors and walls when it comes to covering space in this room. Because of the space that it covers, it stands to reason that this material can easily set the tone for the bathroom - providing you with a traditional, country, contemporary, or even vintage palette on which to build the rest of your décor.

Just as with kitchen countertops, the bathroom countertop comes in a variety of materials and in a full range of prices. Some of the more popular materials used for this space include stone, granite, and ceramic. However, choosing material for a bathroom means taking the environment into mind.

Some materials are not suited to a bathroom because of the humidity and water to which it is exposed. For instance, natural wood would not hold up well under these conditions. It is far wiser to stick with solid or synthetic materials that will maintain their integrity in this very particular environment.

Choosing a bathroom countertop depends on a number of factors including furthering your design, functionality, and budget. Clearly, it is important to choose that material that complements and fosters the overall tone of the bathroom.

Most materials come in a variety of color palettes and patterns that will offset whatever design you have chosen for the bathroom. Cultured marble is very popular material that is used in bathroom countertops, primarily because it is elegant as well as functional and is also available in many colors and styles. Cultured marble and cultured onyx is beautiful and also easily cleaned and polished.

Functionality is important in this space because it is generally a small room that does well with as much counter space as possible. Finding the bathroom countertop that not only looks great but meets your daily needs in a functional way is the challenge for all bathroom renovators. Countertops can be cut to fit any shape and size and therefore custom fit to your particular bathroom.

Work with your local home improvement store or bathroom retailer to find the bathroom countertop that will work best in your space at a price that is comfortable for you. And be sure to bring all pertinent information to the table when making your decision - including material of the existing bathroom suite, color on the walls, flooring, etc.

In this way you can be sure that you choose a countertop that will blend seamlessly with all other elements in the room as well as work to meet all of your needs on a functional level.