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I am doing a facelift of our master bathroom as we get ready to sell. Our home was built in the 90s and had carpet (gag!), cultured marble countertops, and ungodly awful wallpaper. The bathroom layout is fine, the cabinetry has been professionally painted, and the shower and tub are fine. Thus, we are just upgrading a few things in order to bring our bathroom into this decade.
My cabinets are a satin black and I have a octagon tile floor with dark gray grout. I really love the look of marble but the upkeep and staining issue keeps me from picking it. I need something semi-economical since we have a lot more to do in this house. My favorite has been quartz thus far but at twice the cost of granite, I cannot justify it. I am being steered towards Kashmir White by our granite guys but I really, really, really do not like it and it seems too tan and just seems to clash with the gray/black theme of the bathroom.
I still have countertops in another bathroom and the kitchen to do so I don't want to blow my budget in this one room. Any suggestions? I am having such a hard time because I absolutely love the look of marble but fear the staining factor.
As an FYI, at my price point, I must have some kind of stone, etc because it is what the market expects.
I am doing a facelift of our master bathroom as we get ready to sell. Our home was built in the 90s and had carpet (gag!), cultured marble countertops, and ungodly awful wallpaper. The bathroom layout is fine, the cabinetry has been professionally painted, and the shower and tub are fine. Thus, we are just upgrading a few things in order to bring our bathroom into this decade.
My cabinets are a satin black and I have a octagon tile floor with dark gray grout. I really love the look of marble but the upkeep and staining issue keeps me from picking it. I need something semi-economical since we have a lot more to do in this house. My favorite has been quartz thus far but at twice the cost of granite, I cannot justify it. I am being steered towards Kashmir White by our granite guys but I really, really, really do not like it and it seems too tan and just seems to clash with the gray/black theme of the bathroom.
I still have countertops in another bathroom and the kitchen to do so I don't want to blow my budget in this one room. Any suggestions? I am having such a hard time because I absolutely love the look of marble but fear the staining factor.
As an FYI, at my price point, I must have some kind of stone, etc because it is what the market expects.
Corian solid surface certainly looks like stone and does not have the staining problems of marble. It does scratch (scratches are easily rubbed out) but in the bathroom especially that should not be a problem.
Corian solid surface certainly looks like stone and does not have the staining problems of marble. It does scratch (scratches are easily rubbed out) but in the bathroom especially that should not be a problem.
That was my instinct too. I think I need to find another source though because the shop I went to and the Corian I liked was well over $100/sq ft. I thought that was pretty steep. Shoot, one quartz that I liked was $200/sq ft. Either I have ridiculously expensive taste or the shop I am working with just does better with granite than any other surface. As a price comparison, most of the granite I sourced there was between $40-$60/sq ft, which is much more in the price range I was thinking.
Even though quartz is more expensive than granite, it's still cheaper than marble.
Soapstone would look georgeous in the room you describe. It doesn't stain easily, but it requires upkeep of a weekly oil rub down for the first year and it can easily chip.
Limestone would look great if you found a grey or white version instead of a beige version. It's great for a humid environment, like a bathroom, but it can scratch and stain if not finished properly.
Slate is an extremely affordable stone that would look great as a countertop in your bathroom. It resists stains. Scratches can be easily rubbed out. Black and red are more expensive, while other colors including grey are more readily available and very affordable.
Seriously consider concrete. The finishes are unlimited and amazing, and it can be made to look exactly like marble you like. It's becoming very popular, very high end. It would look good in a room you describe. Sealing prevents stains. This is an artisian product so it's not super cheap but you can still save some money.
Even though quartz is more expensive than granite, it's still cheaper than marble.
Soapstone would look georgeous in the room you describe. It doesn't stain easily, but it requires upkeep of a weekly oil rub down for the first year and it can easily chip.
Limestone would look great if you found a grey or white version instead of a beige version. It's great for a humid environment, like a bathroom, but it can scratch and stain if not finished properly.
Slate is an extremely affordable stone that would look great as a countertop in your bathroom. It resists stains. Scratches can be easily rubbed out. Black and red are more expensive, while other colors including grey are more readily available and very affordable.
Seriously consider concrete. The finishes are unlimited and amazing, could be made to look exactly like marble you like. It's becoming very popular, very high end. It would look good in a room you describe. Sealing prevents stains. This is an artisian product so it's not super cheap but you can still save some money.
Soapstone is one of my favorites. We're going to build a new home, thus the reason we're selling this one, and I will likely go with soapstone in our pantry (we're thinking a working pantry with island in it).
These are soon good food for thought. The house is a fairly traditional home but we're on the coast so I can really have that bit of Nantucket/Charleston/Coastal style in this home and that's the goal with this facelift. The rest of the home has the same style.
I really need to talk to some other shops because none of these options were presented to me. I have seen a white toned concrete counter before that was quite stunning. Hmm...now y'all are giving me all sorts of ideas!
I think the bathroom needs that one thing that makes it look upscale and very attractive to buyers. I was thinking a beautiful countertop would be just the thing. While all the other tile is fine, it's just 'fine' if you know what I mean. Nothing really special.
Oh and limestone would be stunning! But I imagine it's just as bad as marble with staining.
Google concrete countertops for your metro area to find concrete artists who make them. You won't find them at a counter store. Hubby came home with a brochure for one in our area a few years ago. I hung onto it because we planned to put a concrete counter in our kitchen since the walls aren't square. I'm so excited because we're starting on our kitchen next week!
It's disappointing that the store didn't even show you soapstone. They could miss out on a sale entirely by not giving you enough options.
Google concrete countertops for your metro area to find concrete artists who make them. You won't find them at a counter store. Hubby came home with a brochure for one in our area a few years ago. I hung onto it because we planned to put a concrete counter in our kitchen since the walls aren't square. I'm so excited because we're starting on our kitchen next week!
It's disappointing that the store didn't even show you soapstone. They could miss out on a sale entirely by not giving you enough options.
Just asked my husband and he said he knows some companies that do concrete. Yeah, I agree this shop kind of missed the sale. Granted, I was trying to be economical on this particular purchase but I will be getting more counters for another bathroom, my kitchen, AND a new house. When I asked about other options, she just kept saying 'no, that's not a good idea' and wouldn't even show me the other options. Perhaps I just came across as too cheap or something?? Lord knows, I love a good deal but really, if I do love something, I am more than happy to pay the price because I do believe in quality and am lucky enough to afford it.
I think I'll research the concrete option. That's something that could be quite striking and have the durability quotient I am looking for as well. I also believe I will look into Corian because it's come a long ways and some of it is quite nice looking.
That's the quartz I originally picked! That's funny. I absolutely LOVED it. I will look at the other options but I wonder if I'm just going to end up biting the bullet and getting this quartz. Seems everyone is saying it would be foolish since I'll be selling the house but I also think it could be a selling point too. Kitchens and baths sell houses, right?
In the meantime, I will look at more options.
ETA: I thought this was the same quartz but I looked at a Silestone one that looks JUST like this. You can just this from IKEA??? Seriously??
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