This week, the measurement people came out. We had our kitchen (1) measured for new cabinets and counter tops and (2) then a separate company came out to measure for new doors only. We are going to compare the costs of replacing the cabinets completely to just ordering new doors and drawers. I’m eager to see exactly what the difference is. Next, I will be meeting with the CKD (certified kitchen designer) at Home Depot to decide on some plans.
In the meantime, I’ve been considering what to do about the counter tops. We have granite tile right now. We replaced the builder’s formica counter tops with this about six years ago. This time, I’m looking into alternatives to granite. Of course, I seem to consider options based on how they look but there are other factors to consider. I like that I don’t have to worry about setting extremely hot things on my current counter top, so I would like the next counter top to have that pro as well.
I really like the aesthetics of soapstone. It’s dark and honed and pretty.
SourceI like that it is resistant to heat, so you can set hot things on it without worry. But I also learned it’s a bit high maintenance for me. You have to wipe it down periodically with mineral oil when you first get it. Soapstone is also a softer stone than granite so it scratches and chips more easily. Because it’s soft, you can rub that out with the mineral oil. While I ‘hear’ it’s expensive, I haven’t checked into the cost for my kitchen yet so I can’t compare.
I also love the look of stainless steel. It’s sterile, and can also take hot pots and pans directly on the surface. You can’t cut on it though and it dents. I also imagine it may be a bit noisy.
These butcher block counterops are beautiful! And they are so reasonably priced (her blog details how much she spent). I love the warm beautiful look. But they are high maintenance too. You have to reseal periodically. They are soft and easily scratched. Also, they are not resistant to heat.
With quartz composite counter tops, I like the fact that they’re sustainable and green. Quartz is not porous and requires no maintenance! There’s quite the variety with colors too. There may be even more choices than with granite. I hear it’s expensive, as in more expensive than the others, but not more expensive than the higher grade granites. We’ll see when I get the quotes.
So that’s what we’re considering for kitchen counters. Who knows what we’ll end up with but I hope to gather enough information to make some decisions soon! Do you have any experience with the counter tops mentioned? What’s your input?
I wanted stainless but read it was a bear to keep clean. It would drive me bananas if it wasn’t as perfect as the day it was installed. I went with granite instead. Although I recently learned using baby oil will restore stainless to it original state.
it’s always recommended that your space be comfortable, and so far all of the decoration you have done gives your home a very warm feel. it sounds like the quartz might be the perfect fit as it has all of the qualities you are looking for, especially that it’s not high maintenance! it might be worth a little extra expense if it’s not crazy, like double the cost of something else.
Thanks for the feedback! I actually don’t have alot of counters to replace so it might be ok to go with something a little pricier. We shall see!
Going on looks only, I love the butcher block! It’s different from what everyone is going for (stone/granite) and it looks so classy and upscale. More work, sure, with maintenance every few years, but if it has a really nice hard finish, I wouldn’t think you’d have to worry too much about day to day inconveniences. The stainless looks too industrial and commercial to me- it would require a lot of homey touches to remind me that I wasn’t working in a restaurant kitchen! Also, I wonder if water spots/streaks would be a problem.
My parents’ house and my current rental both have large-tile counters and I love the look, but I hate scrubbing out the grout.
Good luck with your choice!
We just had quartz installed and I’m beyond happy with the look, maintenance (as in none) and I love that its not granite which just seems very dated to me which I’m not sure why but that’s me. I’ve noticed its super hard to tell where the dirty spots are with the color we selected so when I’m cleaning I have to get down at an angle and see if I got it all Haha but that’s not a bad thing either.