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There is also a big difference in the quality of formica. If you buy the slabs off the shelf at HD or Lowe's they have less longevity and will not last as long as special ordered ones. But seriously you cannot expect much from $10.00 a foot, lol. The special ordered ones are a lot higher than those.
Mine were custom. They are Wilsonart, not the Formica brand, but the upgraded version which from my research when I picked it out was considered high quality. They were also custom made - ironically enough, they were all custom made twice because the builder messed up each time. On the kitchen island, they had the dishwasher on the wrong side of the sink from the plans and I made them move it- since it's not absolutely on center, they had to re-do the counter. In the hall bath, they put the sink on the wrong side of an extended counter - I was ok with it but apparently it was too close to the light switch and didn't pass inspection so they switched it to the other side. In the master bath, they made oval cutouts, but I had upgraded to rectangular shaped sinks.
I told them they were very lucky I hadn't gone ahead and gotten granite because they would have had to replace that for a whole lot more money with all those same mistakes! lol!
I do actually love how they look - I picked a marble pattern and it has enough variation in it that the repeating pattern is really not very visible. But having it warp around the sink from normal usage is just not something I want to live with for more than another couple of years, even if I can only hold my son responsible for cutting on it without a cutting board - something I would never do on laminate or stone!
There is also a big difference in the quality of formica. If you buy the slabs off the shelf at HD or Lowe's they have less longevity and will not last as long as special ordered ones. But seriously you cannot expect much from $10.00 a foot, lol. The special ordered ones are a lot higher than those.
Oh ok. I must have had good ones then at our previous house.
Mine were custom. They are Wilsonart, not the Formica brand, but the upgraded version which from my research when I picked it out was considered high quality.
I do actually love how they look - I picked a marble pattern and it has enough variation in it that the repeating pattern is really not very visible. But having it warp around the sink from normal usage is just not something I want to live with for more than another couple of years, even if I can only hold my son responsible for cutting on it without a cutting board - something I would never do on laminate or stone!
I have Wilsonart also. Yes you do have to make sure around the sinks they are caulked very well…as with all wood. Wood does not like to get wet and stay wet
Quote:
Originally Posted by bookspage
Oh ok. I must have had good ones then at our previous house.
I like Wilsonart the best. They also have some very nice finishes.
Even though everything comes in and out of style, I feel like some styles are easier to work around, if that makes sense. For example, the stylish house I grew up in in the 1970's had colored tile in the kitchens and bathrooms (green, yellow, blue...). For decades after that, my parents had to try to match every wall color, accessory and piece of furniture to those colors.
When it was time for me to buy a house in the 90's, counter and floor colors were more whites and beiges. I still have 1990's surfaces in the kitchen and bathrooms, but I can really put any colors with them.
I also don't like patterns on patterns. Neutral monochromatic tile means I can put down any rug, drapes, pillows, towels, etc. and not have it clash or just look like "too much."
Even though everything comes in and out of style, I feel like some styles are easier to work around, if that makes sense. For example, the stylish house I grew up in in the 1970's had colored tile in the kitchens and bathrooms (green, yellow, blue...). For decades after that, my parents had to try to match every wall color, accessory and piece of furniture to those colors.
When it was time for me to buy a house in the 90's, counter and floor colors were more whites and beiges. I still have 1990's surfaces in the kitchen and bathrooms, but I can really put any colors with them.
I also don't like patterns on patterns. Neutral monochromatic tile means I can put down any rug, drapes, pillows, towels, etc. and not have it clash or just look like "too much."
Same here. I find it better to keep the neutrals in the hard to change items like tile flooring, countertops, and wallpaper...I don't think I would ever add new wallpaper. A splash of color in accessories is a better way to go IMO.
That is true and if we stick with our old styles long enough they will become trendy, lol.
Well, yes.
And some styles are never really "out." If we stick with classic and simple lines and good quality, our furniture should be fine for decades. At least it will be fine until we ultimately get tired of looking at it!
So it looks like the Danish Modern furniture I got from my grandmother, who bought it in the 50s when it was "in", has recently become "in" again, and now is on the verge of going "out" again.
Same furniture, still got my socks in the dresser...
Well, I won't ever say "I don't like patterned tiles" or "I don't like a monochromatic look" because sure as the world, I'll have to eat those words one day. In my experience, most decorating and design elements have some good, some bad, and some ugly to them. I don't like ALL patterned tiles, but I do like some. I don't like ALL monochromatic color schemes, but I do like some.
Heck, I am not drawn to "zen style" bathrooms but I might buy a house one day that had a design style to it that just called out for a zen style bathroom and then there I'd go - putting one in.
Case in point - I don't really like grays. Grays don't call to me. And yet I just put together a fabulous bathroom and guess what the main color is...that's right, gray. I just bought a bunch of gray bath linens in fact.
The room just called for it so there you have it.
See picture (cabinet doors for lower shelves on tower are not in yet - otherwise it's done). Oh and there's a killer patterned tile on the floor!
Not too worried about resale because by the time we sell this house, I will have gotten my jollies out of that beautiful bathroom for years.
I would not pick those for myself, because I need things that are less busy visually to feel relaxed. But I would genuinely admire them in someone else's home. And no, they don't look like a tile with a rooster to me! lol!
Well, I won't ever say "I don't like patterned tiles" or "I don't like a monochromatic look" because sure as the world, I'll have to eat those words one day. In my experience, most decorating and design elements have some good, some bad, and some ugly to them. I don't like ALL patterned tiles, but I do like some. I don't like ALL monochromatic color schemes, but I do like some.
Heck, I am not drawn to "zen style" bathrooms but I might buy a house one day that had a design style to it that just called out for a zen style bathroom and then there I'd go - putting one in.
Case in point - I don't really like grays. Grays don't call to me. And yet I just put together a fabulous bathroom and guess what the main color is...that's right, gray. I just bought a bunch of gray bath linens in fact.
The room just called for it so there you have it.
See picture (cabinet doors for lower shelves on tower are not in yet - otherwise it's done). Oh and there's a killer patterned tile on the floor!
Not too worried about resale because by the time we sell this house, I will have gotten my jollies out of that beautiful bathroom for years.
I like what I see in that photo. Curious about the gray... we have the same carpet throughout the house. It is a shade of beige/brown. I really couldn't do one room in gray. It just wouldn't flow. Did you run into that issue?
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