Does it HAVE to be granite?

[nunzia]

Our remodel(kitchen)starts in about 3 weeks and I still have to pick out my counters. We were going to do concrete and DH was going to pour them but...we've decided we're going to sell next year and concrete is still unknown to the general public so-we're going with granite. I don't really love the idea of granite and all the upkeep - sealing regularly and so forth. I'm a low maintenance kind of gal. I don't like making work for myself, rather I prefer to cut down on the amt of chores. I only like the really expensive granite thus far and I'm not paying for it to go in a house I'm leaving so, I'm stuck with boring granite that I have to take care of. Yuk!

If you were looking for a home, would you expect granite counter tops? Does the kitchen REALLY sell the house?

Well, for me many things make the house. I do like a nice kitchen so that can help, but I have no interest whatsoever in granite counter tops. When we re-do ours, soon I hope, we'll use tile. To me it's almost impossible to second guess buyers. They may love granite but hate the color you picked out

 

[nunzia]

Lots of you have asked what kind of house we live in. It's an urban neighborhood. Our home is an Arts and Crafts style 3 bedroom 2.5bath home with living/dining/family and unattached 2 car garage, no driveway(alley) and gorgeous wood floors and oak woodwork throughout. it should sell for $225K or better but the kitchen and one of the bathrooms totally need upgrading. The house has lots of little extras-arches, a real ice box complete with racks from when it was built, decorative leaded glass doors on cupboards either side of the fireplace, stained glass in three windows, a clawfoot tub in the upstairs bath, two large walk in closets in the master, a laundry chute that's done completely in oak, brand new roof/furnace with a/c/new gutters/it will be newly painted and it has a huge full front porch. I'm going to miss my house but it's time to move into a ranch, my knees are going fast.

eta: funny the little things your brain lets you do in the middle of the night. I had chute spelled 'shoot' and just noticed it as I read this post quoted by someone else. Funny. Just chute me!

This sounds beautiful!

 

[nunzia]

I agree. The recycled glass has some much color variation,a nd I find it much prettier (and environmentally friendly), IMO.

I really like the recycled glass look, but it also looks very 70's to me! (what goes around comes around again.. )

 

[maggiew]

I was at Lowe's today looking at appliances, and I walked through the cabinetry area. The recycled glass countertops are BEAUTIFUL. They have a little glittery-shine to them. The sample countertop I saw was a dark cream /pale tan with colored flecks. I probably wouldn't choose that particular shade, but I loved the look.

If I were choosing countertops for myself, I would definitely go with this. Well, maybe. Not being in the market myself, I didn't pay any attention to the price.

Are you sure you were looking at recycled glass countertops and not silestone/quartz? The recycled glass countertops I saw pictures of had big pieces of broken glass in them not "colored flecks". I didn't know Loews had recycled glass samples. I might head over there just to have a look.

Maggie

 

[MrsPete]

Are you sure you were looking at recycled glass countertops and not silestone/quartz? The recycled glass countertops I saw pictures of had big pieces of broken glass in them not "colored flecks". I didn't know Loews had recycled glass samples. I might head over there just to have a look.

Maggie

Well, as I said, I'm not in the market for this product. I just happened to notice it walking through, and it was so nice that it caught my eye. A salesman saw me looking (and touching) and he said, "That's recycled glass in that product." I saw the name "Eco" in a little oval on the corner. But what I saw was a dark cream color with colored flecks that did not appear to be glass, but rather looked like the colors in Corian (which I also like) . . . AND in addition there were little "shining" flecks here and there. Those shining flecks were the glass. The piece I saw did not have big pieces of broken glass.

I don't claim to be an expert in anyway. I just saw this product at Lowe's and thought that it was very nice. If I were in the market for countertops, I would definitely look into the darker shades of this product.

 

[wdwfan16]

Are you sure you were looking at recycled glass countertops and not silestone/quartz? The recycled glass countertops I saw pictures of had big pieces of broken glass in them not "colored flecks". I didn't know Loews had recycled glass samples. I might head over there just to have a look.

Maggie

All the recycled glass that I have seen had flecks in it not chucks of broken glass.

 

[mom2twinz3]

Found this on a green products site:

"Eco-friendly products seem to be never ending these days. If you have not heard of an eco friendly countertop before then you will read it here from us. Eco by Cosentino Green Countertops is obviously a countertop. But the wonderful twist is, this elegant and eye catching countertop is made from salvaged mirrors, window and bottle glass, porcelain from home products, industrial furnace residuals from factories, stone crap and a proprietary bond that contains corn oil resin of about 22 percent. This just simply means that ECO is made from recycled materials, thus has low impact on the environment. Available in ten colors, ECO also looks astoundingly great."

So, yes the ECO brand does have the recycled glass,, but other materials too. Sounds wonderful, I will have to check it out myself!

 

[luvmy3]

I think you should go with something modern that keeps the integrity of your home, since its not a cookie cutter home that you would expect to see granite counters in. If I was looking at your home, thats what I would want to see in the kitchen since you have kept it in the rest of the home. If I was looking at a ranch style home, I would be looking for granite in the kitchen.

 

[maggiew]

Well, as I said, I'm not in the market for this product. I just happened to notice it walking through, and it was so nice that it caught my eye. A salesman saw me looking (and touching) and he said, "That's recycled glass in that product." I saw the name "Eco" in a little oval on the corner. But what I saw was a dark cream color with colored flecks that did not appear to be glass, but rather looked like the colors in Corian (which I also like) . . . AND in addition there were little "shining" flecks here and there. Those shining flecks were the glass. The piece I saw did not have big pieces of broken glass.

I don't claim to be an expert in anyway. I just saw this product at Lowe's and thought that it was very nice. If I were in the market for countertops, I would definitely look into the darker shades of this product.

No. I wasn't doubting you. I am in the market for countertops and the link someone provided earlier for the recycled glass countertops looked like the counters had big hunks of broken glass.

I didn't particularly like that look. But I want to get something green. So if they have these at Loews, I might head over there to check it out. Especially if they have some that are only "flakes" of glass and not big broken pieces.

Maggie

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Once I saw you had an arts & crafts home I thought I would chime in. My 2nd ex-husband is a restoration contractor and does amazing work. I'm pretty sure he would say consider soapstone, or perhaps solid wood (not butcher block). Also consider, if there's space, a dropped-down area with marble for working with dough/pie crusts/baking.

Chances are folks interested in your house will be very savvy on historically correct materials.

eta: I forgot to mention slate!

 

[SandrA9810]

I'm with bradbury, go correct with the time period of the home. You've kept up so much of the historic look on it, having a "modern" kitchen might kill off the whole look of the house.

I'd either go "green" or go with the styling of the house.

You mention you want to sell next year... what happens if you're still in that house for 2 years or more waiting for a buyer?? You seem willing to put up with the granite for a year, but what happens when you have to put up with it for a lot longer?

 

[virginiamama]

Silestone is quartz (natural stone). It just has a tiny percentage of the mixture of whatever it is that binds it together, which also has Microban antimicrobial in it. There are some styles of Silestone that are cheaper than granite. Generally, the smaller the quartz pieces, the cheaper it is. We just installed them late last year in our old house that we were staging for sale. I wish I'd done it years ago! Our house sold in a really tough market, and I think the matching appliances and new countertops were a big plus. We liked it so much we installed it in the new house also and it looks awesome! I clean it with a damp dishcloth, and that's it. Also - if you are checking out the prices at Home Depot, just know that you can get the same installer (subcontractor) to do the install for much less than the HD price. We went through HD for our old house, then priced out the countertops at HD for the new house. We called the installer who worked on the first job and he beat the HD price by more than $1200!

A plumbing inspector I know cautioned me about granite, that because it is porous, spills soak in even if you wipe them right up. He said he had gone in lots of houses to do inspections and found mold growing on the underside of the beautiful granite.

 

[MrsPete]

No. I wasn't doubting you. I am in the market for countertops and the link someone provided earlier for the recycled glass countertops looked like the counters had big hunks of broken glass.

I didn't particularly like that look. But I want to get something green. So if they have these at Loews, I might head over there to check it out. Especially if they have some that are only "flakes" of glass and not big broken pieces.

Maggie

Oh, I didn't think you doubted me on the topic -- not at all -- but those pictures you posted are NOTHING like what I saw at Lowe's. The glass pieces were MUCH smaller, more subtle.

 

[blanq]

Jeff, from "Flippin Out" said two seasons ago that granite is so "out", and non-shiny stone surfaces are so"in". I don't know if he is right, but I love that guy.

Anyway, I just did a high-end kitchen and laundry remodel last year, in my own home, which was built in 1903. I put in soapstone for most all my my counter tops, except I did use quartz for my island. I LOVE my soapstone; I think it is so cool and very timeless. The upkeep is non-existent. You can put a hot pan on it, straight bleach, any cleaning supplies, and any food that would stain granite. The stuff is impervious. It is totally non-porous, although it is soft so it can scratch. If you get a scratch, you buff it out with a little sand paper. You use mineral oil ($5 a bottle) on it periodically, and it makes the soapstone oxydize and darken over time. Soapstone makes for a knockout farmhouse sink. I ended up with a fire clay farmshouse sink, but almost went with a soapstone one. Here is a web site that shows some great photos of soapstone, and tells you more about it: http://www.soapstones.com/ I think that soapstone counters would be an excellent choice for an Arts and Crafts style home. Since you have a period home, your finishes should reflect that.

 

[MrsPete]

Jeff, from "Flippin Out" said two seasons ago that granite is so "out", and non-shiny stone surfaces are so"in". I don't know if he is right, but I love that guy.

I hear you . . . the HGTV design shows are also starting to push that "Oil Rubbed Bronze" stuff instead of Stainless Steel appliances. (And personally I like the bronze much better than the stainless, which I think has a "cold look".)

BUT when you watch the home-buying shows, what do all the buyers ask for? Granite and stainless, granite and stainless, granite and stainless. It's like the designers are a step ahead of the buyers . . . and the buyers are the target audience.

It's something of a crap shoot. Granite and stainless are obviously "the thing" right now, but more than one person on this thread has expressed a dislike of those materials. Since you don't know who's going to buy your house, it is something of a guess.

 

[shelly3girls]

Anyway, I just did a high-end kitchen and laundry remodel last year, in my own home, which was built in 1903. I put in soapstone for most all my my counter tops, except I did use quartz for my island. I LOVE my soapstone; I think it is so cool and very timeless.

I love the soapstone! I think this is what I want in my kitchen when we redo it. We live in an early 1900's style New England saltbox so I think it will be very appropriate.

 

[blanq]

I love the soapstone! I think this is what I want in my kitchen when we redo it. We live in an early 1900's style New England saltbox so I think it will be very appropriate.

I think soapstone would be totally darling in your Saltbox!

 

[Califgirl]

I hear you . . . the HGTV design shows are also starting to push that "Oil Rubbed Bronze" stuff instead of Stainless Steel appliances. (And personally I like the bronze much better than the stainless, which I think has a "cold look".)

I really wanted the oil rubbed bronze appliances from JennAire. We are remodeling the kitchen and we got a copper sink and I thought those appliances would look fabulous --- UNTIL I actually saw them in person. They come across as a 'blah' brown in person. In the magazine they looked marvelous, but no so much in real life. We went with stainless. They seem to blend with anything (hence their appeal).