We’re thinking of redoing the kitchen counter. Currently it’s generic white tile and grout.
But what surface should we get? Granite? Marble? Cement? One of the synthetics?
Any opinions, recommendations, good/bad experiences with any of the possible choices will be most welcome.
By the way, it’s “L” shaped, and the long side is really long, like sixteen feet, if that makes a difference.
When it comes to resale, granite is certainly in. We’re saving up for it now.
I was told granite scratches much easier than the composites. I really like the look of cement, if you’ve got that kind of look going on. Good luck in your search for the perfect surface. The choices are many. It can make you a little crazy!
As much as I love natural materials, and as much as I genuinely love stone in many applications, I can’t help but feel that granite/marble/whateverstone as a kitchen counter surface is a fad. It’s SO ubiquitous that I think it’s going to scream “2000’s” the way that avocado green appliances scream “1970s.”
FWIW I like tile surfaces, I think they’re charming.
Sorry, Claire, but I came in to suggest AVOIDING a tiled surface. I can’t stand ours. It just makes it much more difficult to wipe down, and it never feels “clean” to me, no matter how much I scrub.
I do whole-heartedly agree with the sentiment that the granite* trend is going to scream 00’s, especially with the rampant stainless steel. I can hear it now: “What were they ever thinking putting industrial appliances in their kitchens?!? It’s like, so school cafeteria!”
*And this from someone who’s user name is Galena…
For the cost of a granite or composite material countertop, I can change my laminate counter 5 times over the same lifetime.
I’ve not had it but the solid surface (i.e. Corian) tops seem to have the least amount of complaints.
COPPER!
copper copper copper
Like this,
Or this…
And you don’t have to pay $90 a square foot.
We have Silestone countertops, which are made from quartz and look very similar to granite. They come in all sorts of styles, colors, and textures. Though I must say, those copper countertops look nice.
Are you much of a DIY-er? You can make concrete, copper, and zinc counters yourself, and save lots of money, if that’s important to you. We’ve done concrete, and they turned out great.
I gotta say, I really don’t like the look of that copper. As for tile, we have tile. It’s in great shape. The only reason we’re thinking of replacing it is because, like Galena said, it’s a pain to clean. And neither one of us likes the grout lines, we’d like something smooth and unbroken. And it’s white tile; boring, plain white. We want some color. Ok, so that’s three reasons.
Swords to Plowshares: How is the Silestone in terms of durability? Can you use a sharp knife to cut something directly on it? Is there any problem putting, say, a hot pan directly on it?
We’re not DIY-enough to install new counters ourselves, although we may do the demo of the tile ourselves to save a bit, and get the satisfaction of destruction.
Oh, and personally I don’t really think that granite counter tops will ever become as dated-looking as that green Formica from the 70’s. The stainless appliances, though, I agree are just oh-so trendy and will look dated before you know it. I LOATHE stainless steel appliances myself, and would never have one.
Lovin’ the copper! Very pretty, but it screams “high maintenance” unless you use it as a “rarely used” surface. Beeswax? Occasional re-polishing? I’d ruin it in no time. I’m very hard on counter tops.
The dude at Home Depot demonstrated that Silestone is much more durable. You can grate your keys against it and it won’t mar the surface. I’m pretty sure it withstands hot pans (granite does not, from what I hear), but you’d need to check the details to be sure.
My favorite aspect of my granite counters is you can put hot pans on them. And I’ve had them for five or six years without any issues.
The only advice I have is that I wouldn’t be too concerned about choosing a surface based on whether or not it will look dated in +n years. Kitchens are very personal spaces and you should choose the counter surface that you like to use and that suits your cooking style, after having done the research (which as I appreciate, you are trying to do now).
Of course, if you’re planning to fix up and re-sell in order to move to a better place, then maybe you should pay attention to what might be the ‘surface of the moment’.
Otherwise, if re-selling is not a big concern for you right now, then try to think about how you want to use those surfaces. Obviously tiles are good in that you can put a hot pan down on them and they can take a bit of knocking around, but the drawback, as you said is that they feel and look a bit unhygienic. I agree.
We moved into a house last year with granite countertops and I hate them, but mainly because of the color and style of the ‘flecks’ in the stone. Another style/color might be better. When (not if) I replace them I’ll probably use Corian or some other type of stone that isn’t as glossy or ‘busy’, and is easier to actually see the surface.
In our last house we renovated the kitchen and used Formica, and we were really happy with it. However, Formica doesn’t scream ‘high-end kitchen’, so if that’s what you’re going for you should go with a pricier surface. Other than that, though, we loved our Formica countertop.
I liked my Corian, and presumably other composite countertops would be just as good. That was a different house, and the Corian was my choice.
In the current house, I installed a very high end laminate. I wasn’t happy with it. It wasn’t hard like composite, but looked just as fake as the Corian. When I gutted the kitchen, I went for granite. The cheap granite (cheaper than composite). It’s easily the best surface that I’ve ever worked on or had to maintain. That’s subjective, of course.
How can granite ever be just a fad? Maybe certain types of granite, if everyone chooses the same type of rock from the same strata of the same quarry.
I like butcher block. Can I be the only one? Maybe not for the whole 16’ long section the OP mentions and certainly not for the part by the sink. But a 6-8 foot long two inch thick section of hardwood butcher block counter top. Food prep is a breeze no need to worry about a cutting board. You can cut right on it and it won’t damage your knives (assuming you own knives worth worrying about). It doesn’t chip. It stains but after a few years you sand it down and re oil it. Heck if you keep it oiled properly it doesn’t even really stain. Besides if it does it shows you cook in your kitchen and that it’s not just for show.
I had marble and it was awful - it picked up every water mark and if you sat a can down, it left a ring. I have tile now and dislike it for the reasons mentioned above - never feels clean and scrubbing grout is the worst.
I’m reading this thread with interest - lots of good ideas!
I have marble counter tops, and also marble flooring and marble windowsills, lol. My IL’s renovated this house with whatever they found in secondhand building supplies and one day they scored a great deal of marble and put it to good use.
I have never had a bad moment with my countertops and they are truly choice for baking. However, I have heard from other people that they had all kinds of trouble with marble countertops – scratching, chipping, staining, and so on, so I wonder if the grade of marble the ILs used used was different from that usually used for countertops.
I haven’t remodeled a kitchen yet, but I want to (really! stop laughing!) and I saw a gorgeous concrete countertop once. It was custom done so that the part right near the sink was slightly angled. Any splashed water ran right back into the sink, any bits of chopped veggies could just be swept aside into the sink, etc. It just seemed so damn useful.
Agree with the others about predicting granite’s eventual dated-ness.
Oh, and J. Jim: the butcher block surface? Do you have to have rules about what you can and cannot cut on it? I don’t see how you could easily *and thoroughly *clean it after, say, slicing raw chicken. Do you just use it for veggies and such?
I have a butcher block cutting board (which can then go into the sink for cleaning) and I love it, so I could see how it would make a beautiful and useful surface. I was just wondering about that aspect of it…