Anonymous wrote:I have always wanted white marble kitchen counters maybe with thin gray veins. I love love love how they look. I don't care about all the negatives. I love it and I take care of my things.

Our house has granite. It's fine but I don't love it. When we redo it I will get white marble. I don't care what anyone else likes or wants. It's my kitchen and I have to live with it. Do what YOU like, OP!

So, you are in the I don't care if my countertop is ruined in 6 months club?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:soap stone is easily marked up and can look ugly

granite is always in and good to except for certain styles or colors (greet granite, slots of large swirls etc...) The best is engeineered quartz, then granite.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0815275631359.html

Now that is scary! Who would want something so high maintaince that looks like old scuffed up granite?

+1

I have always wanted white marble kitchen counters maybe with thin gray veins. I love love love how they look. I don't care about all the negatives. I love it and I take care of my things.

Our house has granite. It's fine but I don't love it. When we redo it I will get white marble. I don't care what anyone else likes or wants. It's my kitchen and I have to live with it. Do what YOU like, OP!

I don't care if it's considered tacky by a handful of fools on a real estate forum. It's more durable than butcher's block or sandstone, and I think it looks nice and timeless. I like my house to look nice and tasteful, but also be functional, and I want a hard surface that doesn't scratch easily and has good material properties for cooking. I'm not going to use some subpar material just out of faddishness.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:soap stone is easily marked up and can look ugly

granite is always in and good to except for certain styles or colors (greet granite, slots of large swirls etc...) The best is engeineered quartz, then granite.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0815275631359.html

Now that is scary! Who would want something so high maintaince that looks like old scuffed up granite?

Why are you responding to your own post?

Anonymous wrote:soap stone is easily marked up and can look ugly

granite is always in and good to except for certain styles or colors (greet granite, slots of large swirls etc...) The best is engeineered quartz, then granite.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0815275631359.html

Now that is scary! Who would want something so high maintaince that looks like old scuffed up granite?

Labradorite!

granite will never be over

Anonymous wrote:Granite is still what 80% of the US considers to be the in above-average counter surface. Only the rich and wealthy classes really consider granite passe. And before I get people who think they are upper middle class complaining that they hate granite and are still middle class, stop and evaluate whether you really are. Median HHI in the DC region is around $90K and so HHI of about $75-125K are middle class. Maybe as much as $150K. If you make over $150K you are NOT middle class despite the fact that you feel like it because you decided to live in a more expensive part of town and have a huge mortgage.

But ask realtors, the majority of home owners and buyers still consider granite to be the above average surface of choice. For resale, you will appease about 80% of the buyers out there with granite. If you go with a high end surface such as marble, quartz, engineered surfaces like Silestone, etc, you will appease some subset of the upper 20%, but may lose out some of the lower end, so you'll probably appease something like 40% of your buyers. If you are looking for resale value, unless your house is valued at over $1M, you will probably do much better with granite.

On the other hand, if you aren't selling and are doing this for yourself, pick what you love the best.

If you make over $150K

God let it go, middle class is different for each area. You can make 250K in McLean or Potomac zips and be median income for that area.

Granite is still what 80% of the US considers to be the in above-average counter surface. Only the rich and wealthy classes really consider granite passe. And before I get people who think they are upper middle class complaining that they hate granite and are still middle class, stop and evaluate whether you really are. Median HHI in the DC region is around $90K and so HHI of about $75-125K are middle class. Maybe as much as $150K. If you make over $150K you are NOT middle class despite the fact that you feel like it because you decided to live in a more expensive part of town and have a huge mortgage.

But ask realtors, the majority of home owners and buyers still consider granite to be the above average surface of choice. For resale, you will appease about 80% of the buyers out there with granite. If you go with a high end surface such as marble, quartz, engineered surfaces like Silestone, etc, you will appease some subset of the upper 20%, but may lose out some of the lower end, so you'll probably appease something like 40% of your buyers. If you are looking for resale value, unless your house is valued at over $1M, you will probably do much better with granite.

On the other hand, if you aren't selling and are doing this for yourself, pick what you love the best.

I've learned a lot reading this thread. We are gutting our Arlington bungalow and redoing the kitchen entirely. We have granite now and love it, but considering some of the other materials. For us, it's been maintenance free for 8 years. I think we might stick with granite, but go with a lighter color this time around.

We do plan on having a part of our island dedicated to eating/serving. I'm wondering if there is a material that is durable to use on that surface, particularly in terms of not staining, but softer so that glasses and dishes dropped on it are less likely to shatter. Heat resistance and resistance to cutting may be less important for this area.

I think you go with what you like and ignore what is popular.

Soapstone and butcher block are the corian of today but with terrible durability. It is a cruel joke made by designers you are forced to update it every ten years, where as granite and or engineered quartz well out last the house.

Hi everyone, I really appreciate your answers! I will head over to garden web (thanks for the rec) and post there, and I agree about wanting to steer clear of materials that will be high maintenance...but love the look of soapstone in the kitchen of a farmhouse as well.

Thanks again!

Please don't do butcher block, it scratches easily and always needs to be maintained.