# How do you really feel about the trends in homes - granite counters, open concept, etc? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709 "2012-01-16T17:34:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/41 "2012-01-16T21:38:02Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > Granite countertops is kind of a meh to me. Great if they’re there but I wouldn’t miss them if they weren’t. We put in butcher block counter tops here when we redid the kitchen and they were supposed to be a temporary cheap countertop but I was surprised to find that I loved them. . I love the look, but aren’t those hard to keep germ free? I suppose the same could be said for wood cutting boards, but I actually wonder the same thing about those (I cut meat and such on my plastic cutting boards). ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/42 "2012-01-16T21:52:09Z")
> [@](#): > > And while granite may be more heat resistant, if you break it, it’s at least four times more expensive to replace that the laminates. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s at least four times more difficult to break. It’s a slab of rock, what could you possibly drop on it do make it break? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/43 "2012-01-16T21:57:22Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s at least four times more difficult to break. It’s a slab of rock, what could you possibly drop on it do make it break? A cast iron skillet. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/44 "2012-01-16T22:08:49Z")
I’m in and out of other people’s (usually very nice) homes on a daily basis. One thing I absolutely loathe is the giant tall foyers and humungous open family rooms. I dislike McMansions in general, and most have these stupid ostentatious entry ways. Just the same as every other house in the subdivision; utterly unimaginitive. I do like lower ceiling, open-plan main floors with lots of windows (they don’t have to be 20’ tall to let in light) so the kitchen, dining and family rooms all flow together. The type of granite in most homes I see is indeed meh - your basic black/brown speckly nonsense that’s cheap at Home Depot and is in most homes. However, I had granite in my last house and adored it. For those willing to spend more, there are some really stunning granite slabs out there. Durable, beautiful, unique patterning and with a little care lasts forever. Houses that have stone “accents” on the exterior front, soaring empty entries with fiberglass columns, circular driveways too narrow to be really practical…pretty much any feature that’s designed to look impressive from afar but is just a facade for cheaply-built interiors and shoddy building pings my meh-ometer instantly. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/45 "2012-01-16T22:18:01Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > A cast iron skillet. Hmm, I suppose. Above the counter I keep plates, glasses, spices and teas. Pots pans and stored appliances are usually below. So I can’t ever see myself dropping anything on it since the highest I will ever have a skillet is a few inches above the counter, when it’s on the stovetop. I guess if I was to keep them up top, they would have the potential to fall. I overlooked that bit. It still isn’t something I’m going to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/46 "2012-01-16T22:18:42Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > I live in a very cold climate. I also have an open floor plan, with cathedral ceilings. > > Our house is neither cold (in fact, it gets too hot if we don’t watch it) nor does it cost an arm and a leg to heat. Maybe your house is better insulated than my SIL’s? What do you use for heating fuel? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/47 "2012-01-16T22:50:03Z")
> [@kiz](#): > > Maybe your house is better insulated than my SIL’s? What do you use for heating fuel? I’m sure it is. We live in the Frozen North, and homes up here are ultra-insulated. Plus, there’s no cracks under the doors, or loose windows, or even single-paned windows. They just don’t build houses like that here (unless the builder is really stupid or a crook). Our heat is baseboard heat, using water heated via natural gas. That’s also pretty common up here, it’s a much more even heat than forced air. For a 5000 square foot house, our biggest natural gas bill of the year is usually in January or February, and is maybe $275. The only other things besides our furnace that uses gas is our stove and our dryer, so most of that is heat. In the summer, the gas price goes down to maybe $50. Our yearly average is right under $1700. Given that heat is not optional around here and we have a huge house, I don’t consider that bad at all. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/48 "2012-01-16T23:26:50Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > On the other hand, back when I worked with a contractor, we constantly had calls from people who wanted us to fix their stained granite. > > Who told me? Well, aside from numerous websites, manufacturer’s installation and maintenance instructions, some former clients seemed to have managed large stains quite nicely. If you’re convinced that your granite is going to stain, just use polished granite. I am a licensed contractor, and only stainless steel is more stain resistant. That’s what we did for paranoid clients. > [@](#): > > I usually keep my hot pans on the stove, thanks. Congratulations. You’re the only person on the planet who never takes a hot dish out of the oven, or off the stove. Every other human being on the planet has to either use some sort of insulation, or granite owners can just set hot items right on the counter. > [@](#): > > And while granite may be more heat resistant, if you break it, it’s at least four times more expensive to replace that the laminates. That depends on the break. Most people who buy granite are aware that it’s more expensive, and that it’s more durable. > [@](#): > > I didn’t say that. I know. I was referring to another poster. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/49 "2012-01-16T23:40:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Congratulations. You’re the only person on the planet who never takes a hot dish out of the oven, or off the stove. Every other human being on the planet has to either use some sort of insulation, or granite owners can just set hot items right on the counter. Can I get some congratulations as well? I set everything hot on the stove. Stuff gets placed on the stove and people fill their plates at the stove. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/50 "2012-01-16T23:58:27Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I _hate_ extreme, open concept designs. Some look like a huge warehouse or barn. I’m with you on this one. A gigantic kitchen is a waste of space, but more importantly, is counter (ha!) productive and inefficient. I liked my renovated kitchen in my condo: it was the classic “U” shape, with the stove at the bottom of the U, prep counter on one side and fridge/sink on the other, with only about seven feet in between the two arms of the U. Very efficient, and kept stray people from wandering in when I was busy. One side of the U was wide enough that people could stand on the other side and chat while I worked. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/51 "2012-01-17T00:06:29Z")
> [@Zulema](#): > > I hear people rave all the time about granite before they have it but once they do they don’t love it quite so much I’m in that group. I built a nice wet bar in the basement a couple years ago, and decided to have a granite countertop installed. It looks beautiful. But I now \*hate \*it. About two weeks after it was installed, I discovered a small chip in it. I assume someone must have set a wine glass or beer mug on it too hard. Now I’m paranoid about setting hard stuff on it, such as glass and ceramic items. I should have gone with Corian[sup]®[/sup]. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/52 "2012-01-17T00:11:55Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > \ > Two-story foyer: we have one, and it’s wasted cubic. With slight layout tweaks, that would be a sitting area off the master bedroom. \ I heard something recently that the two-storey foyers are some of the biggest wastes of space you can have in a house. > [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > I love the look, but aren’t those hard to keep germ free? I suppose the same could be said for wood cutting boards, but I actually wonder the same thing about those (I cut meat and such on my plastic cutting boards). Wood seems to have [natural bacteria-killing properties.](http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-2-2006-95011.asp) I’m re-assured to see that I’m not the only one who isn’t gaga over all the latest trends. There are some I like, but some I just don’t get. When I see stainless steel appliances, all I can think of is how much time I would spend getting the fingerprints off them constantly. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/53 "2012-01-17T00:21:30Z")
I am indifferent to the latest in house porn. I have never had to set a hot pot or pan on a kitchen counter, whether laminate or granite. I also notice from personal observation the grander the kitchen, the less actual cooking goes on as the owners are both out working mad hours to pay for the place and get takeout or go out and eat… I would dearly dearly love something nicer on my kitchen floor than the grubby chewed up vinyl covering. But I do have hardwood flooring upstairs and downstairs, and not a single day goes by that I don’t look at it with joy and admiration. If I was out house-hunting, hardwood floors would be a major factor. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/54 "2012-01-17T00:29:21Z")
We have the lowest of the low in our house, laminate floors. I **adore** them - I can’t damage them (not that I’m trying, but I have clumsy tendencies), paint or whatever I get on them just comes right off, they don’t scratch easily, they clean wonderfully - yeah, they’re plastic or whatever, but they are such a good product for flooring. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/55 "2012-01-17T00:31:00Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I like to watch real estate porn on tv, and I’m getting really tired of hearing, over and over again, “I have to have granite countertops! It has to have an open concept! I can’t buy this house if it doesn’t have crown mouldings!” etc, et freakin’ cetera. I know I’m not the only real estate porn-watcher on the boards here, so I’m curious what other people think about these trendy things. There is a reason we call the shows Entitlement Whores and Entitlement Whores International. :dubious: > [@kiz](#): > > My revenge house porn fantasy? One of those couples buys one of these homes and appears the following season wanting to sell it because “It’s too hard to maintain!” I suggest pitching a show Busting Your Bubble where you take the realtor, the couple and the Faithful Host/ess of the show out house hunting. Every time that the stupid bitch squeels about loving vintage houses and demanding to go look at all these 50s modern houses and then whinges about how the closets are too small, there is no ensuite for the tiny master bedroom, there is only one full bath and the powder room is so dated you slap them with a dead fish and tell them that the 50s home was typified by small closets, small bedrooms, no ensuites and what they see is how they decorated back then. Every time the dumbass couple claims to want an open concept modern house and whines because the watercloset is off the kitchen, there is no mudroom, the laundry is all the way down in the basement and their precious brats would get hurt playing near the fireplace/on the open soaring staircases/fall off the balcony into the foyer you hit them with a brick and tell them that with open concept homes there are fewer room divisions and you have to put the freaking watercloset _SOMEWHERE_ and that when the downstairs is effectively one huge room there is no where else to put the damned thing, that with few room divisions, you don’t get mudrooms or laundry rooms on the main floor, and it sucks that you have kids because with an open plan home you get long swooping stairs, balconies and 2 story foyers, and fireplaces are very popular in that style home. Every time you get a couple that bitches that they can not find a place in the most expensive elite portion of the area for less than 3 times the cost of everywhere else, it sucks to be them because that is what it costs to live there. Condos are small, especially in their price range because everybody else in the world wants to live in a hip, swinging metropolitan neighborhood. And for the ones househunting overseas - _Repeat after me_ THIS IS NOT THE US. You will probably not find a 4 or 5 bedroom, ensuite and dual walk in closets in the master, huge granite countered stainless steel applianced ultra modern kitchen on the beach with a beach view in Costa Rica [where it is illegal to build new structures within 300 feet of the beach, apparently] for $50 000US. $5 million, perhaps, but you will have to choose near the beach or statuesque view of the ocean from a hilltop, and hope to find an estate on the market cheap because american style houses are rare. What you get is a lot more ‘rustic’. If you are house hunting in a european city, expect tiny flats, tiny kitchens with _maybe_ a tiny toaster oven sized oven and 2 burners, a tiny bathroom that may also have a washer only, and probably no dishwasher or huge fridge/freezer. It will also probably not have an assigned parking spot, nor an elevator. _pant pant pant_ How do they find those [collected] morons anyway? Do they not realize that they are making insane demands of the poor agents? And what the freaking hell do all these morons do for a living that they can afford to blow hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars on a second beach house in Costa Rica, or a pied a terre in Paris, or uproot and move to Amsterdam [well, OK. That stupid bitch just graduated school as a cheiropracter and hooked into a job in a town 15 minutes by train outside Amsterdam. Though I would have preferred to move into th etown I would be working in and save the trips to Amsterdam for special occasions.] ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/56 "2012-01-17T01:39:08Z")
I don’t understand how crown molding fits in the same group as granite countertops or open concept. I’ve always thought of any type of molding as an important element of older homes of various architectural styles. They might be original to the house or reclaimed or reproduction moldings put in by someone who cares about their house’s history. Not good or bad but sort of the opposite of trendy. Are people doing some other nefarious thing with crown molding that I don’t know about? Bonus question - why single out crown molding over every other style of decorative molding? ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/57 "2012-01-17T01:41:28Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > There is a reason we call the shows Entitlement Whores and Entitlement Whores International. :dubious: > > I suggest pitching a show Busting Your Bubble where you take the realtor, the couple and the Faithful Host/ess of the show out house hunting. > > Every time that the stupid bitch squeels about loving vintage houses and demanding to go look at all these 50s modern houses and then whinges about how the closets are too small, there is no ensuite for the tiny master bedroom, there is only one full bath and the powder room is so dated you slap them with a dead fish and tell them that the 50s home was typified by small closets, small bedrooms, no ensuites and what they see is how they decorated back then. > > Every time the dumbass couple claims to want an open concept modern house and whines because the watercloset is off the kitchen, there is no mudroom, the laundry is all the way down in the basement and their precious brats would get hurt playing near the fireplace/on the open soaring staircases/fall off the balcony into the foyer you hit them with a brick and tell them that with open concept homes there are fewer room divisions and you have to put the freaking watercloset _SOMEWHERE_ and that when the downstairs is effectively one huge room there is no where else to put the damned thing, that with few room divisions, you don’t get mudrooms or laundry rooms on the main floor, and it sucks that you have kids because with an open plan home you get long swooping stairs, balconies and 2 story foyers, and fireplaces are very popular in that style home. > > Every time you get a couple that bitches that they can not find a place in the most expensive elite portion of the area for less than 3 times the cost of everywhere else, it sucks to be them because that is what it costs to live there. Condos are small, especially in their price range because everybody else in the world wants to live in a hip, swinging metropolitan neighborhood. > > And for the ones househunting overseas - _Repeat after me_ THIS IS NOT THE US. You will probably not find a 4 or 5 bedroom, ensuite and dual walk in closets in the master, huge granite countered stainless steel applianced ultra modern kitchen on the beach with a beach view in Costa Rica [where it is illegal to build new structures within 300 feet of the beach, apparently] for $50 000US. $5 million, perhaps, but you will have to choose near the beach or statuesque view of the ocean from a hilltop, and hope to find an estate on the market cheap because american style houses are rare. What you get is a lot more ‘rustic’. If you are house hunting in a european city, expect tiny flats, tiny kitchens with _maybe_ a tiny toaster oven sized oven and 2 burners, a tiny bathroom that may also have a washer only, and probably no dishwasher or huge fridge/freezer. It will also probably not have an assigned parking spot, nor an elevator. > > _pant pant pant_ > > How do they find those [collected] morons anyway? Do they not realize that they are making insane demands of the poor agents? And what the freaking hell do all these morons do for a living that they can afford to blow hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars on a second beach house in Costa Rica, or a pied a terre in Paris, or uproot and move to Amsterdam [well, OK. That stupid bitch just graduated school as a cheiropracter and hooked into a job in a town 15 minutes by train outside Amsterdam. Though I would have preferred to move into th etown I would be working in and save the trips to Amsterdam for special occasions.] This. These shows remind me of The Joneses. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285309/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285309/) ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/58 "2012-01-17T01:53:21Z")
I also hate the “open concept”. To me having your dining table visible and behind your sofa reminds me of every tiny cheap apartment I’ve ever lived in. I don’t care HOW far away from the seating area the table and chairs are, it still annoys me. And what’s all this crap about “I want to be able to see my guests while I’m cooking” anyway? I don’t know about you, but I don’t make my guests sit around and wait while I cook. I have everything pretty much ready and then we sit down to eat. I also hate granite counter tops. They’re cold and sterile, and they’re all ugly colors. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/59 "2012-01-17T03:23:39Z")
Double sinks in the bathroom, it’s do or die for the double sinks, I don’t get it. And why make a snobby staircase the focal point of your entrance along with foyers that open up to triple decker heights? And why when the buyer sees a vintage bathroom with bright tile do they upchuck. Yellow and black tiles or miami turquoise fixtures are the bomb in a 50’s style bath, unless they are breaking apart I’d leave it! And I do have a brazilian mountain slab in my kitchen, another perk of granite has got to be fire resistance, eh? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709/60 "2012-01-17T03:56:40Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Double sinks in the bathroom, it’s do or die for the double sinks, I don’t get it. Ditto! I can’t imagine a time EVER, when I’d want to brush my teeth or gargle with my husband at the next sink. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-really-feel-about-the-trends-in-homes-granite-counters-open-concept-etc/609709.md?page=4)