Burning Question: Counter Intelligence?
When it comes to kitchen counters, which material do you like best? Are you a sucker for natural stone options like granite or marble? Or manmade materials like Corian and Silestone? Do you love the charming and rustic look of butcher block or tile? Or adore the eco-friendly stuff like recycled glass and sustainable bamboo? Is sleek stainless steel or industrial poured concrete more your speed? Or do you like the easy care and low cost of laminate? How about a combination (like a butcher block island with marble counters)? So many choices, so little time…
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Tile countertops are the devil. So unfriendly as a work surface and so hard to clean.
I heard that some natural stone material like granite emite off gases into the air. Plus they are so hard, if I drop a plate on them the plate may break….the same may happen though with concrete, which I think looks great…even in a traditional/eclectic home
I can’t help it I voted for everything but ‘laminate’. I’ve seen some newer laminate that looks very nice.
But my experience as a rented has only presented me with 5+ year old warped, stained, and discolored laminate counters.
I can’t help but be biased against them.
By the time I can afford my own house and to renovate my kitchen I might have changed my mind because it’s hard to beat the price tag on laminate counters.
Or option H!: Everything but laminate! This is too tough a choice! Of course I understand why laminate is often chosen. It certainly is the economical choice, so no judgment here.
But a gal can dream of butcher’s block and granite right??
I love counters with a contrasting island (i like butcher block islands).
Just a quick question, as I am confused. I was under the impression that silestone is quartz (like Xerox is a copier). How is it different?
Hey Alexis,
Good question! Silestone is made from little chips of quartz but it’s considered to be a manmade engineered product since other compounds are mixed in as well to form the counter (whereas granite and marble are solid slabs that are naturally found and not engineered – other than being cut and polished). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
We have butcher block counters in our small kitchen and I love the way they look. The only problem is that people think they are a cutting board and I’m constantly reminding guests (and my husband) that it is our countertop and we have cutting boards for things like that. We need to do a good sand and refinish of them this year to get them looking like new again!
Has anyone ever refinished their butcher block counters? I would love some advice…thanks
I love the look of marble but I can’t afford it so I’m putting butcher block in my kitchen. I can’t wait til it’s finished!!!
I worked at a granite manufacturing plant and nothing is more perfect to me than granite and marble. Whether it’s sleek Black Absolute or Blue Eyes, warm Santa Cecilia or Giallo Veneziano, or dramatic like Kashmir Gold or Ruby Red, nature makes the most beautiful product. That’s why granite will always be the most popular option.
Do you guys have any experience or know of anyone who has used the Rust-Oleum Countertop Coating to redo their countertops?
Hey Reagan,
We don’t have any experience with it but we’d love to hear from readers who have given it a spin. Anyone?
xo,
s
I picked “industrial choices like stainless steel or concrete” but I think concrete countertops don’t have to look industrial, and in fact can look very warm and non-industrial. And, they are eco-friendly too! We picked concrete countertops and LOVE them. My whole family, including my husband, weren’t completely sold on the idea, but now they love them. My husband wants them in our next home (assuming we’ll buy a place that needs major fixing up).
In our first home [which we rented] we had Laminate. I did not like it. It just felt ‘cheap’, not that there is anything wrong with that but it was starting to pull up on some corners and crack along the sink. Our second house [which we also rented] we had Corian which was a LOT better then the Laminate but I hated how it was made to ‘look’ like Granite but it didn’t have the nice shine and sleek feel of ‘silk’ when you run your fingers across it.
We bought our first home this past February and the previous owners had JUST installed a new *Granite* counter top and out of the previous two types we have had, the Granite it much better. It’s shiny and sleek. I also like how it’s pretty much ‘scratch-proof’.
I would love to try out something for our Island though, maybe a butcher block of some kind.
All in all I voted for natural stone. Granite, Marble, Quartz.
i voted for several options. i like a mix of clean colors and textures but tend to appreciate classic or vintage most. my only real hang up with some of the natural stones, and other products, is value. i dont think granite and marble represent good value when there are so many other better options. paying lots of money for expensive stone is a poor decision in my book and can sometimes only show that a person has more money than brains. i say this because counter choices are often made based on achieving elegance, which is then associated with cost so people go for the expensive stuff. i think showing an appreciate for quality, aesthetic, sustainability AND cost represents a the best decision.
personally, i really like white kitchens with butcher block or similar counters. its classic and timeless.
I actually love the look of butcher block (not sure how bamboo compares), but the upkeep might be a little much… If it had been in our budget, we probably would’ve gotten quartz. They’re a combination of natural quartz and manmade materials, giving you the best of both worlds! They don’t require the regular upkeep like granite, but they don’t look “plastic” like Corian.
We ended up with granite, which is naturally beautiful, but it requires regular sealing. Another thing you don’t think about is that it’s SO hard. If a fragile glass tips over on it, it’s bound to break. Just something to think about!
i love the look of thick wooden counters, and will definitely have a butcher block-topped island. i also really like stone. when we eventually get a house, i’m sure the final result will be determined by budget and the character of the place.
hey! just an FYI – silestone is quartz.
Hey Micaela,
Good point! Silestone is made from little chips of quartz but it’s considered to be a manmade engineered product since other compounds are mixed in as well to form the counter (whereas granite and marble are solid slabs that are naturally found and not engineered – other than being cut and polished). That’s why we have them in different categories. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
We have beautiful granite counter tops in our kitchen but I also LOVE butcher block. I would love a butcher block island but our kitchen just isnt big enough for such a thing. So sad…maybe in our next home.
After having granite, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to another counter top. I literally go from the stove to the counter, and I don’t have to worry about ruining anything! I’m kind of a klutz and spill things a lot too, and with granite it’s so easy to just wipe it up! I have seen bad granite tops due to lack of a good sealer, but with a good sealer, those things are priceless!! The sleek look doesn’t hurt either…
I picked the mix of surfaces. We installed black quartz-composite countertops in our new kitchen last summer, but we have a ways to go before the whole room is complete – we aren’t nearly as well organized in our improvement projects as you all! As we consider other pieces to add to the kitchen, we are looking at a butcher-block top surface for a small added “counter” space under the windows in the corner of our room. The windows in that corner were too low to run a continuous counter-top surface, so we’re thinking of buying a kitchen cart with a butcher-block top or making our own from an IKEA butcher block top and some thrift store find for the bottom (a storage cabinet of some sort…). We love the idea of having a rustic looking surface next to the sleek black sparkly quartz.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen lamps on a kitchen windowsill. Doesn’t look as strange as you would think.
I love love love love butcher block counters. I keep trying to convince my husband that BBCs are the way to go when we update our kitchen. In the movie “Father of the Bride” they have BBCs in their kitchen and I think they are amazing. I could even have a different counter and a butcher block island!!
I LOVE carerra marble, but unfortunately it is so porous and gets stained easily :(
Just got a new house and had granite counter tops put in… I’ve had every other kind of counter top, and I hate tile counter tops in the kitchen (which is what we had at the last place)so I’m 100% excited for granite!
When we remodeled our tiny 1955 house, we wanted granite, but couldn’t afford the price tag. So, we went with granite tile. I love it so much. And because it’s tile, it has already been finished (part of the process when they cut it into tiles). Like Jessica said – taking hot things straight to the counter is phenomenal. It takes no time to clean, never any “elbow grease” to get dirt off, and I don’t worry about scratching it – it doesn’t scratch. Love, love, love my counters.
We are actually MAKING OUR OWN countertops out of concrete! How crazy is that? We have granite in our basement kitchen (I have pictures somewhere on my blog)and for the upstairs remodel we decided to save about $3,000 and make our own for under $500! So far we have 2 out of 4 done & they look great! I also have pics of the 2 we have done for anyone who is interested.
Oh-and we plan on making an island out of our old butcher block table.
I loathe my man-made countertops and would change them in a heartbeat if I culd afford to. I voted for natural stone because in my opinion you can’t beat the combo of being attractive AND low maintenance.
So interesting! We want to buy new counter tops, but even though we love natural stone I’m not sure that it really “fits” in with our neighborhood/price range. Another thing to think about!
What a coincidence! Our builder home came with budget-friendly laminate that wasn’t totally awful but we had granite perimeter countertops installed yesterday. I’m already in love with them. We are in the process of extending our island and it will get topped with butcher block. (Maybe we’ll send you some pics of the finished room soon!) So, it seems we prefer a mix so that it doesn’t feel too sleek (all granite) or too rustic (all butcher block). Or maybe I just couldn’t make up my mind, so we’re doing both! Hehe.
I voted for granite because we just got granite countertops in our townhouse. The guy we bought from said that the best way to clean them is with Windex, but that doesn’t seem very food-safe to me. I’ve been using soap and water most of the time and Windex here and there. Does anyone have any better recommendations?!
Hey Susan,
We love Mrs. Meyer’s All Purpose Cleaner for our granite. It’s mild and eco friendly- plus it’s a multifunctional cleaning solution so we use it in other places too! You can even water down a big bottle of it to get more bang for your buck. Still works just as well.
xo,
s
Very timely poll…I just put down a deposit on quartz countertops yesterday that we will be installing as part of a major remodel. We looked at pretty much every surface out there, but were sold on the minimal maintenance aspect and just the overall look of it.
What I have: In my current condo I opted for a really cool patterned laminate countertop with beveled maple edges. It looked really nice new and after 6 years it still looks beautiful without any problems.
What I want: I’m not a big fan of granite, but I do love the look of recycled glass countertops and have been trying to decide whether to get some for my bathrooms. I dream of loft living and if I ever bought one I’d go industrial, but in the here and now I went for the more recycled glass and bamboo option. :)
I picked granite because it’s just so pretty but laminate is the only thing in our price range. We did find a laminate that looks much like granite and is sleek like granite which is nice for now. But I’m saving up now for the day when I can put in the real deal! I didn’t realize the downside to granite is that glasses and dishes break more easily.
I voted for a combination, because I would love to have a big enough kitchen to incorporate a slightly lower, marble countertop to use for rolling out pie crusts and cookie dough. I’m really a fan of laminate though, which is what I put in my kitchen when I remodeled a couple of years ago. I just couldn’t justify the price of granite (more than 3x the cost), plus I’ve seen very few granites that I actually like the look of.
Susan I don’t know what your granite guy was smoking that day but you DO NOT want to use Windex on granite. Ever. Dish soap and water works just fine. The ammonia in Windex will strip the sealant and then it will eat away at the stone.
I have a gorgeous new laminate counter. Formica has a new product called fx180 that looks like marble. It has a 8′x5′ panel without repeats. You should check it out. I love that is was not mined from the earth, was affordable and can be replaced when I get tired of it.
I heard quartz was the way to as it’s not porous at all. I’ve been struggling with what kinds of counter tops to put in my kitchen that I want to redo. It will most likely come down to what I can afford. But I think if I have a choice it would be quartz.
I didn’t get to vote! It closed too soon. Oh well. We installed granite in our old house and ended up hating it. It’s a pain to keep sealed and it still remains porus, which makes any raw meat on it a no-no (not that I regularly slather raw meat on my counters). It has interior fissures that can cause it to crack if a heated pot is placed on it, so it isn’t as heat proof as people think. And it’s a pain to keep looking glossy.
In the temporary kitchen redo we did in our current house, we opted for budget friendly laminate in a soapstone look-a-like pattern. We got 20 linear feet of countertop for less than $500. It isn’t my favorite, but it is hardwearing, cleans up like a breeze, and looks decent. When I go the whole gut and replace of the kitchen, I will go with soapstone. It’s historically consistent, impervious to heat, takes little maintenance beyond an annual oiling, sandable, and looks gorgeous. It does chip, but hey, it is an old house!
Our current house has granite and I love it!! For us, they are timeless. We use Method Granite cleaner and I am a huge fan of it.
In our last apartment we did have the spray on countertops. I can see why apartment companies use them–as far as functionality, they look great, but otherwise they aren’t the most beautiful thing in the world.
I voted for butcher’s block, but when we update our current kitchen we’ll probably go with granite since it seems more universal for resale purposes (the results of your survey confirm this impression I’ve had). Once we know we’ll be in a place for a long while maybe I’ll get my dream wooden countertops!
I love the look of natural counters, like yours. But in practice, it’s not really been an option for my family.
When we were renovating our kitchen five or six years ago, we decided we wanted white units, and were looking in to a big contrast by having black granite counters.
But we had to look at it realistically. We’re all quite clumsy by nature and we didn’t like the idea of having special requirements to keep them in good condition. The men in our house are big DIY-ers and when our outside space wasn’t usable due to weather etc, they often overflowed inside.
And the fact that we have six mischievous cats sealed the deal. We couldn’t have granite, no matter how pretty it was. We settled for black laminate which looked just as great with the counters and the pale mint color we have on the walls, and it’s still in once piece, which is a great achievement for us!
Hey Jen, if you go to theletteredcottage.net you can see how Layla & Kevin did theirs. I love the look of dark stained butcher block with white cabinets. We have cognac colored cabinets and St. Cecilia granite counters. The granite is darker than I would like but it still works.
Last fall, we replaced our old, stained laminate counters with Cambria quartz — what a huge difference! They’re all natural, don’t require sealing, non-porous, and they clean up so easily. Plus, Cambria counter are green in every way — product, business practices — and are GREENGUARD certified for air quality, kids, and schools. Love them!!!
Ps: If anyone in the San Diego area is looking for CHEAP granite check out Picasso. We got ours from there and it only cost $31/sq ft installed and custom cut to fit a wonky section of counter top. It was cheaper than the Corian from IKEA.
After spending much time researching options before replacing the countertops in my kitchen and bathroom, I ended up with some unusual products that I’d recommend to others. For the kitchen, my winner was a particular quartz in the Okite line, distributed through Dupont. It’s zero maintenance and looks more natural than other quartz products – with irregular veining like marble, compared to the confetti look of most other quartz products I’ve seen. For my bathroom, my winner was a glass product called Glassos that mimics white Thassos marble (kind of translucent) but is supposedly harder than granite and requires zero maintenance. I’ve lived with both for over a year and love them.
We had granite installed several years ago; nice black granite with flects in it (I can’t remember what it is called). I love it and it is so easy to keep clean and doesn’t show the occasional spill at all. Now I want to paint the cabinets a warm white to really make it pop but DH is a true wood lover. Any ideas on how to sway him to my point of view?
Hey Carol,
Just show him lots of photos, mist guys are visual creatures so descriptions scare them but images can help them get on board. Good luck!
xo,
s
We put Silestone in when we remodeled our kitchen a few years back. Now that I’ve had it for these years, I can’t think of anything negative to say about it. There were a variety of reasons I chose it over granite. Zero maintenance, and there are no issues over temperature exposures or natural acids, like citrus if it gets on there and isn’t immediately cleaned. When I describe Silestone to people, I tell them it’s like if Corian and granite had a baby. It really is the best of both worlds.
I like the look of granite but I like the ruggedness and eco-friendliness of some recycled types.
Have you checked out the recycled plastic counters at Ellwood’s Coffee in Carytown? I am head over heels in love with them. They’ve got little bits of bottle cap and stuff that add some visual interest.
Oh yeah those Ellwood’s Coffee counters are so cool!
xo,
s
I used Richlite in my kitchen remodel. LOVE IT!
Soapstone. I can’t have it in this house because of my dark cabinets, but my obsession with soapstone continues. It is totally durable and you can do just about anything to it, including sanding out scratches if you manage to scratch it. In my next home, soapstone is a must!
I’m a sucker for the natural marble/granite, though I must say I love the combo and contrast of the island being different!
I also had to say I love the styling of the photo in this post. It looks so “real life” – baby in arms, window open, stuff everywhere. Love it!