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It seems that many people have hopped on the stainless steel and granite bandwagon which could mean that its days are numbered. What do you think the next big trend will be in kitchens? A different counter surface material? Will granite and stainless survive the test of time and end up being timeless, like hardwood floors?
I am thinking of a big kitchen overhaul in the next couple of years and it is fun to see what is out there and where these designs are going.
I don't care about stainless appliances, but I'd love to have a granite countertop, the reason being I could cut food up directly on it, roll dough, etc. and wipe it down immediately with an anticeptic afterward. That would be awfully handy.
I don't care about stainless appliances, but I'd love to have a granite countertop, the reason being I could cut food up directly on it, roll dough, etc. and wipe it down immediately with an anticeptic afterward. That would be awfully handy.
You are welcome to mine:>) I was all excited about granite - until I had it. Sensitive to scratches (do not pull anything over it), nicks (hang on to broom and vacuum not to mention put dishes delicately into the sink). No you cannot cut on it unless you dislike your knives. They will be dull in no time not to mention scratches. Be careful when it comes to cleaners. Some leave a semi-permnent dull film. It takes elbow grease to polish with refinisher.
GREAT for baking.
You can get sink cut outs for free from an installer. Have him polish the edges (if you are a neat freak or have children) and you are all set for a test drive.
You are welcome to mine:>) I was all excited about granite - until I had it. Sensitive to scratches (do not pull anything over it), nicks (hang on to broom and vacuum not to mention put dishes delicately into the sink). No you cannot cut on it unless you dislike your knives. They will be dull in no time not to mention scratches. Be careful when it comes to cleaners. Some leave a semi-permnent dull film. It takes elbow grease to polish with refinisher.
GREAT for baking.
You can get sink cut outs for free from an installer. Have him polish the edges (if you are a neat freak or have children) and you are all set for a test drive.
What do you recommend then? I was watching Life with Ed or whatever that show is and his wife wanted new countertops and because he's hyper about conservation, he ended up getting her to get a countertop made out of recycled glass bottles that looked pretty good. Any suggestions other than granite then?
FYI...how you describe your initial excitement about granite countertops and your subsequent disappointment with it is how I feel about berber carpet.
I was under the impression it was the "high grade" carpet, so I had it installed in my living room and dining room at a former house of mine. It showed dirt so badly and was hard to clean. I hated it.
My mother had the same experience. They'd carpeted their whole house in berber and then eventually had it ripped out as it just isn't able to maintain cleanliness, is hard to vacuum deeply, and breaks down over time.
I never had a bit of trouble with my granite countertop. Had it nine years.
I absolutely loved it. No nicks, no scratches.
I am totally underwhelmed with stainless steel, but the house we are looking to buy does have stainless appliances so I guess we're stuck with that.
Fortunately we are well over the days of sticky little toddler hands.
In terms of other countertop materials, I have seen a few people go with polished concrete. Also that other material which is fabricated from little bits of quartz, I can't think of the commercial name for it, something like HiTops(?)
It's not Corian, but somewhat similar.
FYI...how you describe your initial excitement about granite countertops and your subsequent disappointment with it is how I feel about berber carpet.
I was under the impression it was the "high grade" carpet, so I had it installed in my living room and dining room at a former house of mine. It showed dirt so badly and was hard to clean. I hated it.
My mother had the same experience. They'd carpeted their whole house in berber and then eventually had it ripped out as it just isn't able to maintain cleanliness, is hard to vacuum deeply, and breaks down over time.
That is why you call it brrrbrrr not berber :>) We replaced it with hardwood - a lot easier to keep clean considering AL clay.
My sister has artificial stone as countertops and is happy with it.
I never had a bit of trouble with my granite countertop. Had it nine years.
I absolutely loved it. No nicks, no scratches.
I am totally underwhelmed with stainless steel, but the house we are looking to buy does have stainless appliances so I guess we're stuck with that.
Fortunately we are well over the days of sticky little toddler hands.
In terms of other countertop materials, I have seen a few people go with polished concrete. Also that other material which is fabricated from little bits of quartz, I can't think of the commercial name for it, something like HiTops(?)
It's not Corian, but somewhat similar.
Lucky you! I do not have toddlers but constantly a house full of male volunteers.
Denatured alcohol seems to do a pretty good job on stainless.
When we remodeled our kitchen 5 years ago we planned to move within a year or two so we didn't want to spend for an expensive countertop. Now that we'll be moving within the next year, I'm considering engineered stone or a tempered glass countertop. I've never heard anybody mention these new surfaces. It's always granite, granite, granite. NYT ran an article describing the countertop: 1-1/2" thick, can handle 700 degree temp, has a pattern below the surface to camoflauge scratches. What I like about these they reflect more light in the kitchen.
Get engineered stone for your countertops
" For the latest in countertops, engineered stone is slightly cheaper than granite but superior in many ways, according to Mark Nash, who surveys real estate pros about design trends.
It's made from quartz crystals and polymer resin so it's nearly maintenance free. It's heat and cold resistant, mildew free, stain resistant and harder than most things you put on it so it will not scratch.
It also comes in a variety of colors and can be formed into different shapes and patterns. Even the sink can be made as a seamless part of the countertop. The color range is wider than natural stone.
The engineered stone's appearance tends to be more uniform than natural stone, and many buyers may prefer the variation real granite provides, but there's no denying that engineered stone is very handsome as well and the virtues that make it so practical will surely convince many buyers to go with it.
The cost ranges in price from $70 to $120 a square foot with installation."
I'm sick of stainless steel, fingerprints and smudges galore and you can't use refriderator magnets on the front.
ps. Thanks for the heads up about berber carpets...
Never had fridge magnets. Correction - one. Guinness crown cork to cover a dent caused by angry cook :>)
When we remodelled the middle of 2005 (Thanks to a kitchen fire caused by a brand new upscale stove which was replaced twice by the manufacturer and then repurchased.) I was physically not very flexible, in a hurry and tired of a half finished kitchen in an open floor plan. JennAir offered the counterdepth fridge and not so industrial range with two ovens. Nothing like a garden home after you had space:>)
Sis went wild with state of the art Bosch. White, sleek, great.
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new ideas for countertop surface
