What's new in countertops?

[Anonymous]

OP,
I have corian and sold my house in 5 days. Buyer said she loved the kitchen, especially the white cabinets. Don't assume that everyone has to have granite or this or that when you renovate. Do what suits your house and your budget and your home's location and general state (overall upkeep) will sell your house.. plus a good price and a coat of paint!

[Anonymous]

I think granite is fine, as long as you don't get the kind that is super marbled and multi-colored because those definitely look dated. There are a lot of more solid colored or subtle looking granite that people will appreciate.

Here are some that I think look nice:
http://pinterest.com/pin/261279215851939113/
http://pinterest.com/pin/81909286943075834/

Or on this page, I like absolute black, ambrosia white, black galaxy, polar white, you get the idea...
http://www.marble.com/materials/granite

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think granite is fine, as long as you don't get the kind that is super marbled and multi-colored because those definitely look dated. There are a lot of more solid colored or subtle looking granite that people will appreciate.

Here are some that I think look nice:
http://pinterest.com/pin/261279215851939113/
http://pinterest.com/pin/81909286943075834/

Or on this page, I like absolute black, ambrosia white, black galaxy, polar white, you get the idea...
http://www.marble.com/materials/granite

Yup, I agree. It is all about the colors and combination that you chose. It doesn't matter what it's made out of.

[Anonymous]

I am a baker and am regularly pulling cast iron pots out of a 500 degree oven, and kneading mound after mound of dough. As such, it is granite for me, all the way. You just can't beat it in terms of resistance to heat and perfection as a surface for baking and cooking. I also like the way most granites look, though I too prefer honed to polished.

That said, aesthetically, I prefer a beautiful old butcher block, or marble.

[Anonymous]

I think you can also do an unusual granite as long as it doesn't have too much movement. Something a little different that goes with the rest of the house works, I think. I think too many people don't consider the kitchen counter color and how it relates to the rest of the house.

I've seen some beautiful exotic granites that make your heart stop for a second in the stone yard, but I would never want to live with them. Something less dramatic goes a long way, I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This blog post was helpful to me - alternatives to Carrera marble: http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.com/2012/05/3-counter-alternatives-to-carerra.html

I saw some of the soapstone alternatives to marble with patterns that supposed to replicate natural stone pattern. They looked terrible in person installed in demo kitchens. Natural stone is so much prettier.

[Anonymous]

Soapstone reminds me of commercial places like tabletops and counters at restaurants and bars, for some reason and diners. I prefer the patterns of natural stone, like marble and granite. I would never ever go with corian or other artificial plastic feeling surfaces. I do like butcher block, but they are not practical for us.

Granite has a lot of variety, lots of colors and patterns and the key is to match it tastefully with your cabinets and the rest of your kitchen. It's not about the material but the overall look you are trying to achieve. Plus, granite is cheaper than the newer trendier surfaces, a lot of which actually try to replicate the look of natural stone. Why not just go for the real thing. This is why we went with granite, but not a traditional choice, we chose white granite and it looks amazing with our dark espresso cabinets. We achieved modern and trendy look with the material we trust.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,
I have corian and sold my house in 5 days. Buyer said she loved the kitchen, especially the white cabinets. Don't assume that everyone has to have granite or this or that when you renovate. Do what suits your house and your budget and your home's location and general state (overall upkeep) will sell your house.. plus a good price and a coat of paint!

It's because the new owners won't feel sorry ripping off your crappy countertops.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think you can tell from the posts here that no matter what you put in your kitchen, someone will like it and someone else will object.

A pp thinks black granite is dated, but others think it's classic. Look at some recently updated houses in your area and see what the trend is.

Best of luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Soapstone reminds me of commercial places like tabletops and counters at restaurants and bars, for some reason and diners. I prefer the patterns of natural stone, like marble and granite. I would never ever go with corian or other artificial plastic feeling surfaces. I do like butcher block, but they are not practical for us.

Granite has a lot of variety, lots of colors and patterns and the key is to match it tastefully with your cabinets and the rest of your kitchen. It's not about the material but the overall look you are trying to achieve. Plus, granite is cheaper than the newer trendier surfaces, a lot of which actually try to replicate the look of natural stone. Why not just go for the real thing. This is why we went with granite, but not a traditional choice, we chose white granite and it looks amazing with our dark espresso cabinets. We achieved modern and trendy look with the material we trust.

Soapstone is a natural stone. It's quarried in VA (among other places). It is impervious, which is why it's used in labs and in restaurants. There are lots of colors--some solid and some heavily veined. This quarry is outside CHarlottesville: http://www.alberenesoapstone.com/

[Anonymous]

We bought a house with modern style birch color cabinets and black granite countertops without any patterns or any other color speckles, plain black granite. It looks just fine and streamlined and modern. I don't see how it is dated.

[Anonymous]

OP, go for the look that you like, there is no such a thing as appeasing everybody's taste and being trendy and timeless at the same time. Whatever is trendy today, I bet, will be outdated 10 years from now. Go for the material that is easier for you to maintain with your lifestyle and how you will use your kitchen, and mainly, stay within your budget.

[Anonymous]

I really love the look of wood countertops. For a cottage or bungalow style house. Is this going to stay with the times?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really love the look of wood countertops. For a cottage or bungalow style house. Is this going to stay with the times?

It's pretty classic, but it still would be a minus if I was looking to buy your house and that was the only countertop surface you had. I would view it as easily damaged, porous (and therefore easy to stain and hard to keep sanitary) and not heat resistant. I'd be calculating in my head how much it would cost me to replace it and I'm going to knock down my offer by much more than that. But on appearances, it can be attractive. I wouldn't do it if you plan to sell in a few years, but if this is your forever house and you really like it, go for it. You might want to consider mixed surfaces so you have at least one surface that's granite or marble or something else that's a workhorse surface.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really love the look of wood countertops. For a cottage or bungalow style house. Is this going to stay with the times?

It's pretty classic, but it still would be a minus if I was looking to buy your house and that was the only countertop surface you had. I would view it as easily damaged, porous (and therefore easy to stain and hard to keep sanitary) and not heat resistant. I'd be calculating in my head how much it would cost me to replace it and I'm going to knock down my offer by much more than that. But on appearances, it can be attractive. I wouldn't do it if you plan to sell in a few years, but if this is your forever house and you really like it, go for it. You might want to consider mixed surfaces so you have at least one surface that's granite or marble or something else that's a workhorse surface.

Agree. Bacteria magnet.