Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Compare Counter Options And Pick One

We’re inching right along in the kitchen (wish we could share kitchen updates every day but we’re doing this thing real-time). Which brings us to our latest decision: the new counters that we’ll be going with.

Cooktop 8 Removing Granite

We’ve been debating possibilities for weeks (there are a junkload of options out there with pros and cons to each one). And ten people would probably make ten different decisions, so it can feel especially hard to hone in on the “right” thing since there are so many variables. So here’s how we landed on the choice that we like best for our kitchen/family/life. But first the thing we’re sad about: although we had high hopes of DIYing concrete counters (I pinned about a million tutorials) they’re not a good choice for our kitchen. After talking to a few concrete experts (who actually make ’em for a living) we learned that in order to accommodate the double 12″ overhang (on two of the four sides of the giant 3 x 5′ peninsula that we’ll be adding) we would need to pour the slab extra thick, which is an issue because:

  • our cabinets can’t support that amount of weight (they’d need to be reinforced = $$$)
  • our floors aren’t built to support that load anyway (more on that here)

Cue the sad trombone sound effect. We debated doing some sort of concrete “slipcover” (for lack of a better word- some folks just coat another countertop material with a thin layer of concrete) but it ended up having more cons than solid concrete, so we decided to explore a few other options in hopes of finding The One. But we’re diabolically determined (picture me stroking my chin like an evil genius) to mess around with concrete one way or another. Maybe we’ll make a long concrete dining table for an outdoor deck area that we have yet to tell you about/build (it’s on the to-do list, so we’ll hopefully get there eventually). But back to the kitchen…

Cooktop 9 No More Granite

Once concrete was off the table (or the counters, har-har) we decided that hitting up a bunch of local kitchen shops as well as the usual home improvement guys (like Lowe’s and Home Depot) would be a good way to see what other counter materials were out there… and what they were going to do to our budget. Back when we did our first home’s kitchen we really splurged when it came to the counters (to the tune of $3,700 after a $300-off promotion), but they kind of made our kitchen and we had saved up the money to pay them off right away, so we didn’t regret that choice.

Final Kitchen After

Img 3365

But we definitely went into this kitchen makeover vowing to come in substantially under that number. Which is funny given that we have about twice as much square footage (since we’re adding a big peninsula and this kitchen is a lot larger than our last one). For example, to use the same “pashmina” granite from Home Depot that we used for our last kitchen would cost us over $7,000! Which is just not in the budget. At all.

At first we thought about butcher block (Ikea sells it so affordably and it can be stained to get a richer chocolate look). But with the dark wood counters in the adjoined office (just five steps from the stove and three from the fridge) we decided that would be too much wood. Plus we loved the slick and easy-to-wipe-down surface that granite offered us in our first kitchen. Call us spoiled. But this time we wanted to go with something different (and had heard good things about quartz, solid surface options like Corian, and even cool eco options like recycled glass). So after hitting up a bunch of places, here are all of the samples that we brought home to mull over:

Counters1

  1. Top left: LG Viatera quartz in “Geneva” found at Lowe’s (note: any of these options are probably available at a number of places)
  2. Bottom left: Caesarstone quartz in “Pebble” found at a local spot called Kitchen & Bath Solutions
  3. Right: Silestone quartz in “River Blanco” found at Kitchen & Bath Solutions

Counters2

  1. Top left: Cambria quartz in “Torquay” found at Kitchen & Bath Solutions
  2. Bottom left: Cambria quartz in “Sussex” found at Kitchen & Bath Solutions
  3. Top right: Allen & Roth quartz in “Alloy” found at Lowe’s
  4. Bottom right: Cambria quartz in “New Quay” found at Kitchen & Bath Solutions

Oh and here’s a pile of white solid surface options from Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Kitchen & Bath Solutions (the one on top is Glacier White by Corian, and there are other options by LG Hi-Macs and Allen & Roth under it).

Counters3

We also admired a few awesome eco options like recycled glass but they sadly weren’t in the budget (at least we got cork floors and can reuse almost all of our cabinetry to keep things green).

The one we loved most? This Silestone guy (River Blanco):

Counters4

But after we learned that it would be over 5K for those counters alone (!!!), we knew it wasn’t meant to be. But don’t cry for me Argentina. It all worked out in the end and we found something that’ll be a great choice for our kitchen/family. The winner? Glacier White Corian:

Counters5

We’re in love and have all but forgotten the 5K option that we once called a favorite. That’s actually not a white Corian square pictured above, but that bigger white tile was the same color so it represents the new counter better than a tiny Chicklet-sized square sample. Oh and the stainless steel bottle represents our new stainless appliances and the paint swatch is the current wall color so you can see how those things layer in with other things like our backsplash tile and the mocha cork.

Why did it win? So many reasons:

  • It’s thousands cheaper than most other options we priced out ($38 a square foot at Lowe’s – compared to many other options shown above that were in the $80-100 per square foot range). We also have a 10% off “project coupon” that arrived in the mail from Lowe’s and will get 5% off on top of that when we use our Lowe’s credit card (you know we love a deal)
  • John’s sister has lived with Glacier White Corian in her kitchen for the past 5+ years and loves it and has had zero issues (seriously, she wants to marry it)
  • We are keeping our existing deep stainless sink and are not going with an integrated Corian sink (we have heard they can be harder to care for, and John’s sister has a stainless sink with the Corian tops and has loved that combo).
  • It’s easy care (Corian is nonporous, which means stains do not penetrate the surface). According to the company, it also resists the growth of mold, mildew, and bacteria (John’s sister has a teen, a tween, a toddler, and a big dog – and she has no scratches or stains to date)
  • We already use trivets and wood cutting boards to set down hot things (we’re paranoid) so following those steps with Corian should be no sweat (John’s sister hasn’t had any issues with that in five years of use either)
  • It’s lighter than granite, quartz, concrete, etc (so our cabinets and floor joists can handle it, no problem)
  • When installed, there are no seams, if done correctly (which is definitely appealing since the seams in our current granite tops drive us bonkers)
  • It reflects lots of light, so it’s great for dark windowless rooms (like our kitchen!)

I know it might sound really bland to do white cabinets with white counters, but many of the rooms that we love in our inspiration files have the white on white look. And given our recent backsplash choice it’ll all hopefully make sense (the gray-green penny tiles will stand out along with colorful items on our open shelves while the counters and cabinets are classic & clean).

We’re also toying with the idea of some sort of subtle color on the cabinets (maybe a soft taupe-gray like this kitchen that we crashed a while back). Not sure where we’ll end up, but we’ll definitely keep ya posted! What about you guys? Has anyone else decided to go with Corian? Or concrete? Or quartz? Or granite? Or butcher block? We’d love to hear which counter you picked for your kitchen! There are so many delicious options out there…

Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.

Comments

  1. Diane says

    Another Corian fan – with a stainless steel sink. Had “Maui” installed five years ago. LOVE IT. This darker color always looks clean, even with my morning coffee spills! Ask for the sink cut out to use as a cutting board or for under small appliances.

    Reply

  2. jaime says

    Yay. For some reason choosing counters is like a sigh of relief (since we are all in it with you haha) but I really love the idea of going with a different color cabinet/shelves..or if your gonna do white on white I think like a sage green/grey shade on the walls would look so warm and cozy…like a spa, especially with the shade of that amazing penny tile. Haha. With the yellow, white and brown it just reminds me of eggs and toast…or lemon meringue pie, although tasty, dessert rooms aren’t as fun. But every thing you guys have done is so tasteful and it never ends up being something im not totally in love with ha.

    Reply

  3. Renata says

    I know you all want to hear about how to care for corian or how practical it is but my comment here is actually how attractive I found it. I went to Milan a couple of years ago to their furniture and lighting exhibit and I saw a couple of kitchen displays using corian countertops. OMG they were so smooth! They obviously had crazy colors like reds and oranges but it looked fantastic. I was amazed at how soft they felt.
    Anyways I think its a great choice, any choice of countertop material has their pros and cons. The biggest con is always about staining, but then again you can pay hundreds per square foot and get a stain or $30-60 for the same stain.

    Reply

  6. Tania says

    I know I likely already showed you a pic of our kitchen reno, but I couldn’t resist after reading your post. I love the white on white scheme and although I really do love the original quartz you picked, the white Corian will be so beautiful! And for the price, you can’t go wrong!! Great job and I can’t wait to see how it turns house (actually, how beautiful it turns out)!

    http://carnoustielane.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html

    Reply

  7. Jennifer says

    I hate to be the Debbie-Downer, but here’s our story.

    We built our house 5 years ago – we live in Australia (I’m an American married to an Aussie). I had dreams of a white cabinets with black counters. Laminate came standard with the building, but we knew we’d upgrade. The ONLY thing I looked at was Corian, because its such a well-known brand in the States, etc, etc. So in goes our MASSIVE black, seamless (do love that) counter. ($10,000 just for the counter, yup). On day one – I put a plate down, nudge it, scratch. So I become crazy woman – “don’t put that there; don’t move that’, don’t scratch it; just let me touch anything that’s on the counter’, etc, etc. HATE it. It shows EVERY little scratch and mark, and when the light pours in from the windows in the morning it just reflects all of it.

    We do know that it can be sanded down, and we haven’t done that yet (11 months after we moved in we were transferred to the US, so had three sets of tenants in the house over 3 years).

    All that said, we did do a very light Corian top in our Master Bathroom, and that looks great and I’m really happy with it.

    So, I think the moral of my story is – dark totally sucks, light is great. So hopefully since you chose a white colour everything will be great for you. It sounds from all the other comments that white is bright and glorious, so I hope it works out!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw man, so sorry about your experience with the darker stuff! We have heard the same thing (light is great, dark shows scratches more), so here’s hoping…

      xo,
      s

  8. Kara says

    Our house came with corian, which I would love if it wasn’t pink. Smart move on the stainless sink. Our corian integrated sink drives me bonkers. Love the white on white or white on gray ideas you have – it will be such a clean, bright, serene space when you’re done!

    Reply

  9. Kristie says

    We decided to go with chocolate-colored quartz in our mini-reno 4 years ago and have been very happy. My only gripe would be that it’s not as “shiny” as granite, but you can’t beat the durability. I will say that my friend went with snow white Corian counters in her reno 8 years ago, and they are still lovely and pristine (and I secretly covet them, shhhhh).

    Reply

  10. Jeanine says

    Your kitchen sounds like it will be gorgeous! I love the look of Corian and I have had a cutting board/counter piece of it for the last 8 years. It was on the dryer which was in our kitchen until a big redo that we just finished! It held up great minus some scratches.

    This time we went with the pricey ECO countertops in Terra – I love the look and sparkle, I hope they hold up well as you know they are $80+ per square foot. We went high dollar on counters and Ikea for cabinets – so far so good (only a week though!)

    Reply

  11. Emily says

    My husband and I are in the process of updated the kitchen in our new house. Of COURSE we happend to pick one of the pricier Corian colors (Anthracite). They quoted our countertops alone at $4,060. Not ready to spend that when we’re having other stuff done too! I guess we’ll keep searching!

    Reply

  13. Deborah says

    I have been going around and around on this for weeks, and had finally decided on Alabama white marble–my husband and I are both from Alabama–but now I’m wavering. I’m wondering if the marble is too heavy for the house, and if I can get the same look from the Corian. It’s actually the anti-bacterial thing that made me NOT want Corian (which was originally my top contender)–it’s added to the quartz mix after the fact, and I really have a hang-up about the additive that makes it anti-bacterial. Too many antibiotics being used=stronger bacteria/bugs/etc. Paranoid? Maybe. Your palette is super similar to ours–we’ll be doing a butcher block bar top in the same shade as your cork, painting cabs white to match trim, glass backsplash in the same color as the walls–so now I’m wondering if I should give Corian another lap. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  14. karen says

    hey guys…i noticed you are doing a 12″ over hang. I read in an article that if they would do one thing different to their kitchen would be to do a 14″ or 16″ overhang. i just wanted to put that out there.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks so much! We have mapped it out a bunch and gone back and forth but we’re not sure the width of our kitchen can take a few more inches of overhang blocking off flow- but we’ll have to see once we create the peninsula what we think (it’ll be a lot easier to picture then!).

      xo,
      s

  15. Koliti says

    I’ve had my white with black-speckled Corian kitchen counters with integrated white double Corian sink since the mid-1990’s. Love, love, love!!! Very durable and still looks marvelous! If I leave a can in the sink and it leaves a rust ring – No Problem – even after all these years I just take the scrubbie with a little soap and slight elbow grease and VIOLA! No more ring – yeah! When I replaced my counter, I also left the old cabinets. The only problem I encountered (he he he) was when I replaced the stove/oven – the feet on the new stove/oven would not go any lower than an inch above the counter! But I called the Corian guys and they made a one inch high by 2 inch wide built-up ledge to go around the stove opening and corian “glued” and routered it so it made a seamless transition.

    Reply

  16. Megan says

    love the “Alloy.” It has a hint of the grey fad that is amazing right now, but still neutral enough for future home buyers (or you guys later on if you want to change it up) and add a totally different feel. But the are ALL pretty. Can’t wait to see what you decide!

    Reply

  18. Rhune says

    Does Lowes offer only a limited choices of colors? I went to the Corian site, and there are several options that has the quartzy look like your River Blanco guy.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Lowe’s offered those too, but they got as expensive (or more expensive) than River Blanco. So the standard white was the most affordable option that appealed in looks and budget for us!

      xo,
      s

  19. Jill says

    This is so funny! I am wrasslin’ with the very same issues in my kitchen — no windows, low budget, reusing the cabinets, all of those things are making me want to paint the cabinets white, I have a peninsula….

    Anyway, I’ve pinned so many things to help inform my decisions that I thought some of them might help you:

    Cream cabinets with white countertop (I was surprised how much I liked this — it’s a great way not to have white everything while still having light everything): http://pinterest.com/pin/360292194/

    Taupe cabinets with white countertops and texture on the wall:
    http://pinterest.com/pin/102228911/

    White cabinets with white countertops and marble backsplash that is so easy to imagine as your penny tile backsplash instead:
    http://pinterest.com/pin/70229240/

    All-white kitchen with black hardware for interest:
    http://pinterest.com/pin/75789975/

    A mix of white and lighter taupe cabinetry with a light countertop:
    http://pinterest.com/pin/370126351/

    A really interesting mix of light grays in the kitchen:
    http://pinterest.com/pin/370128131/

    White cabinets and countertop with pattern (which would be your penny tile in your kitchen) on the wall:
    http://pinterest.com/pin/70407414/

    I generally also like the look of white countertop and matching white uppers with a different color on the lower cabinets, like these:

    http://www.ikeafans.com/images/wordpress/uploads/2009/11/basic-builders-abstrakt-white-nexus-black-brown.jpg

    http://i-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/ny/0811_dk01_rect5402.jpg

    http://bungalowhutch.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/kitchencabinets.jpg

    http://www.housebeautiful.com/cm/housebeautiful/images/2-kotm-0509-xlg-813670.jpg

    I think it’s interesting how people are using different cabinetry colors in the same kitchen these days, but without an island in our kitchens, having different uppers and lowers is sort of the only way to do two different cabinet colors. But in a small(er), windowless space, mixing up finishes like that can be overwhelming. So the brilliant thing about the white uppers & countertop with different lowers that I just listed is that you still end up with only two colors in your kitchen (normally, a kitchen would have cabinet color + countertop color, but you’d be doing uppers&countertop color + lowers color). Also, everything at eye level is a bright, clean white, which I think keeps the space feeling light and open (important for windowless spaces), but then you get to be a little more interesting/daring with a darker color too (on the lowers) without sacrificing any of the light and bright feeling in the space.

    Reply

  20. jennifer says

    you made a good choice getting the counters in white. we have the same counters in black and it shows the scratches horribly. granted they did warn us when we bought it that black shows scratches more than white. our sink is white and doesn’t show one scratch. other than that we do like our counters.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It has actually been around a while! Some commenters have said they have had it for 20+ years and it still looks great! here’s hoping ours lasts that long!

      xo,
      s

  23. geekette says

    We’ve had, and loved, our Corian kitchen for 17(!) years now. Our first sink (Americast) rusted, so when we replaced it, we had the Corian refinished to the original matte finish (mostly to remove the stupid rust!)

    If Lowe’s offers the option, you could add a pop of color by sandwiching a different color on the edge. In our kitchen, we went with light counters with a darker color line on the edge for the perimeter, then we flipped the colors on the island – dark on top with the light color “filling” in the sandwich.

    When they made the cutout for the sink, they left it for us in the form of cutting boards (cut it into good sizes, eased the edges, added rubber feet – done!)

    Reply

  24. Kara says

    My mom had Corian installed a few years ago in our home while I was growing up, and loves it. I love it too. We do have the integrated sink, which makes wiping down the counters a breeze, but to each his own.

    As far as the “seam” goes, they truely are seamless. They were installed when I was at school and when I got home my mother made me hunt for the seam. I never found it. Plus, if you ever damage it (knife? I’m not even sure how that would work…) They can cut out the damaged piece from your existing countertop, replace it with a new piece and seamlessley put it back together.

    It’s truely awesome!

    Reply

  25. Aron says

    I just finished installing soapstone countertops. I LOVE the look and feel of them. We did it ourselves. I did not find it difficult. It was also not expensive ($1400 total) because we installed, sanded and and oiled them ourselves. My house was built in 1920 and I just found the look of soapstone to “fit” so well.

    However, I think that the Corian that you picked out will look great in your home esp with the materials that you have chosen.

    Reply

  26. Par says

    White counters and white cabinets please!! The penny tiles and the cork floor will pop and not make it bland.

    Besides you can put fab stuff in your open shelves to show that pop of colour.

    Its coming our really well – congrats!

    Reply

  27. mp says

    Corian is great! It’s what I’m going to use for my kitchen when I finally amass the moolah to do it (mine will have to be a total gut job, since the original “custom” cabinets are rickety plywood). And Glacier White is in the A price category, isn’t it? Anyway, congrats! I think the all-white kitchen will be ab fab!

    Reply

  28. kristine says

    My kitchen counters are white with white cabinets too but I hate how easily everything gets dirty.
    I wanted butchers block but in our hot and humid weather (I’m from Singapore) it would have become termite heaven.

    Reply

  29. Silke says

    Your blog makes me so happy !
    Thank you for sharing and for this wonderful post.
    You guys are the best, hands down !
    Warm greetings from Belgium,
    Silke

    Reply

  30. Heather Wilson says

    Great choice! I put white Corian with a chocolate cork floor in my small dark kitchen. Love the combo & how much brighter/fresher my kitchen is now.

    Heather, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

    Reply

  32. abby says

    We had Corian counters growing up and we loved them! (Our installers even gave my mom an extra piece she could use a cutting board so that if it was left out it would blend in!)

    Reply

  33. Sarah D says

    I have Corian counters and I love them. I will warm you though that the glacier white DOES stain. DO NOT leave coffee rings on the counter, or leave any metal cans sitting out next to the sink. I made that mistake and two days later I had a metal like rust ring that I still can’t get rid of. Invest in some Bon Ami or barkeepers friend. Its great to get rid of any surface stains and doesn’t contain harsh chemicals like bleach.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tip! We’re not getting the corian sink (we hear it’s harder to maintain) and we’ll be super careful with the counters (we had light granite so we’re used to treating it kindly!).

      xo,
      s

  34. Kate says

    We had sandy-colored speckled Corian in our old house, and it was so easy to keep clean and nice! It was 10 years old when we moved in, and we lived there for 5 years. The off-white sink did get stained from time to time, but Oxi-clean or magic eraser always took out the marks.
    In our new house, we have soapstone counters that we DIY-ed out of tile. I found a tutorial on the IKEA fans message board, and we followed their directions. I drove to NJ from DC to pick up 18×18″ tiles that were 1/2″ thick because their price was only $10/s.f. With the tiles you can work the material with woodworking tools since they’re not as thick as the slabs. You can even router the edges. We’ve had them two years now and I LOVE them! They have a lot of character and I can take things straight out of the broiler and set them down on the counter. They also have a nice soft feel (like Corian). People have no idea that the counter is made of tiles and we get so many compliments! Here’s the link to the tutorial: http://www.ikeafans.com/forums/articles/4858-diy-soapstone-tile-countertops.html
    It was a labor of love but totally worth it!

    Reply

  36. Jenbob in Texas says

    Hey, you two!
    I just discovered your blog (yeah, I know…where the heck have I been??!!)

    I rarely comment on blogs, but just wanted to say that you are really inspiring and I admire your dedication. What you do takes time, patience, and love.

    I know you’re all like, famous and stuff now :) but just know that “the people in the computer” wish we had the talent, know-how, and um, un-laziness to do half of what you do! :)

    Reply

  37. Shana says

    We’ve had Corian for about 7 years and love it! The clorox wipes get the stains right out or Mr Clean magic erasers and even when we had a pretty deep scratch in it (ceiling caved post hurricane Ike) they were able to sand to out good as new!! Good choice!

    Reply

  39. Brooke says

    My in-laws have corian counters and I have to say, her kitchen always looks so gleaming clean. I think you’re especially right about it being a bright, crisp look in your windowless (but still airy) kitchen. Love it.

    Reply

  40. SFDC says

    It’s always smart to go with light counters when you have dark floors. I love that white Corian and the tile will look so lovely too. Great choice! Will you be sticking with the current paint color? It seems like the one piece of the puzzle that doesn’t quite fit.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, in person we love that swatch in there! Of course if it comes together and we hate it we’ll repaint, but we think the artichoke color works so well with the other more neutral tones!

      xo,
      s

  41. Jeni says

    You give me hope! The kitchen in my new house has the world’s cheapest white laminate counter tops that stain if you look at them too hard. I’m in the middle of a heating nightmare (need a new boiler to the tune of $10,000!), so I hadn’t even dared to think about new counters. But I like some of your options (and the low cost!)…maybe I will look into it!

    Reply

  42. Alex says

    lol its funny to read the comments sometimes, and see how many times you have to answer the exact same question or comment. Well, your responses always read friendly and chipper either way :)

    Anyways, i have a question! I tend to be the opposite of trigger happy when it comes to big purchases. As in, I have sooo much trouble deciding i love something 100% when its a big expense. Did you ever feel this way? Does it get easier to make decisions and move on as you get more experience with it?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes! We wait until we’re sure. Every time. Just too nervous to settle. So we think for weeks and weeks and mull over options in many different stores. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  43. Lisa says

    You can order larger Corian samples online directly from Dupont, 4″x4″ is only $2. They even have 10×10 for $13.50, so you can keep a “real” sample – we got the 4×4 when we did a bathroom a few years ago and it was very handy. Good luck!

    Reply

  44. Becky says

    I love your choice! I hear you about the concrete-love, though. Our friends recently did a kitchen remodel and used soapstone countertops. They are really stunning and different and since you liked the concrete idea I thought it was worth mentioning. I don’t know anything about them as far as weight, cost, etc… but they are different and beautiful! Can’t wait to see how great yours will look!
    Becky

    Reply

  45. Stacy says

    We are hardcore DIYers and had a tough time when it came to countertop options. We really wanted a hand in every part of the project and just cringe at paying others to do it :) We had been seeing soapstone used frequently on all of the home improvement shows. After investigating for months we decided that this was definately the stone option for us. We loved everything about it and the fact that we could DIY it was just an added bonus. Our supplier options were limited in the midwest but we ended up going with Hummingbird Soapstone in Chicago. We had them rough cut the slabs and then took a road trip to pick up our stone. What a fun, intense and heavy project!! We absolutely love the green mountain soapstone and would do it again in a heartbeat. At about $30 a square foot, it was the one for us!! Like some others have mentioned, our history with corian involves several cracks, but if installed correctly I’m sure you will have years of enjoyment.

    Reply

  46. gingham girl says

    I have the Corian (white)integrated sink and it IS hard to care for. (Need SoftScrub with bleach) LOVE your choice of white countertops! I had white countertops for 15 years a long time ago and totally loved them. Very brave choice in 1979! They were formica, but always looked classy, timeless and bright.

    Reply

  47. Candi says

    Ok, please don’t respond to this post, I was just reading through here & I saw all your responses and I thought “Lord, how do they get anything else done with having to reply to everyone’s responses to their post’s!!!” Hence the reason I said not to reply, I know you’re busy enough, lol. You guys are too cute. I love your blog, your home and your video’s. I look forward to watching your progress. Busy bees you are!

    Reply

  48. Bebett says

    Glad to hear that lots of people still like & use Corian. We are getting ready to put our house in the market and the Realtors seemed concerned for our Corian countertops. Made me feel they were dated. Bought our house 8 years ago but is now 20 years old. Corian is original to the house, I think. Our white Corian is in great condition, maybe just a few scratches. Very easy to clean – I use a wet paper towel. When I have a stain (which is very seldom), I just use that Magic Eraser pad. Have not had problems with hot pans & cookie sheets straight from the oven – which I do all the time. I didn’t know they could melt or crack until I read some of the comments here.

    Reply

  49. heyruthie says

    excited that you are bucking the stone trend!! i thought NO WAY would you choose anything other than quartz/granite/marble. i love it when you all surpirse me!!! it helps me feel like I can break out of the “trend” box too.

    …like staying OK with my just-fine laminate countertops as long as they are paid for ;-)

    Reply

  50. Scott says

    I am part of the population that thinks white counters with white cabinets is too much white. I am pulling for the soft taupe-gray you mentioned but look forward to seeing the finished project either way. You can always repaint the cabinets if you don’t like it (paint is awesome).

    While we are on the topic of counters, I have a quick question for Captain Careful. We have horribly ugly green laminate counters in our kitchen. The money tree is bare (and will be for a few years) so we are looking into painting our counters. With an 8-week baby in the house, should we wait to paint/seal the counters when it’s warm so we can air out the house while it dries or is there a safe paint/seal product out there you recommend for this type of painting project?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I’m super paranoid do I’d do it when I could air out the house and arrange to have Clara out of the house during the process (maybe at the park with her grandparents and then back to their house for a nap?). Anything that’s not zero-VOC makes me extra cautious!

      xo,
      s

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