Granite Counter tops...are they the 'only' acceptable surface now? (alternatives, jacuzzi)

[njkate]

Originally Posted by VickiR

I agree. However, if you were buying a $500,000 house, you'd EXPECT to see granite. You may feel that if the builder didn't use high grade material on the countertop, what else did he skimp on that you can't see?

Different buyers, different perspectives.

Vicki

Not here in NJ....I wouldn't expect to see granite unless you were up around $700k..the new McMansions next to me are all 500-600K..no granite

[Ohiogirl81]

HGTV is full of horse manure. Fun to watch, but about as realistic as me being crowned queen of England. Every time I watch an HGTV show or its ilk, I get more and more stubborn and think $*#@!!! trends, I'm going to decorate/remodel the house however it suits me.

Originally Posted by Gurl

Kind of like wondering if blue eyeshadow and legwarmers will make a come back.

In the case of the legwarmers, they already have ... If you wait long enough, anything will either come back in style again, or become retro.

[njkate]

[quote=Ohiogirl81;1737123]HGTV is full of horse manure. Fun to watch, but about as realistic as me being crowned queen of England. Every time I watch an HGTV show or its ilk, I get more and more stubborn and think $*#@!!! trends, I'm going to decorate/remodel the house however it suits me.


Have to agree...for the average Joe or Jane HGTV is out of the budget....
especially if you are in an older but not old enough to be historical house....are you going to recoup the $50-60k you just spent on your kitchen

What slays me is some of the realtors really buy into that hgtv crap...

[kdog]

Originally Posted by surfingatwork

granite may be "in" right now, who knows what will be "in" in 10/15 years.

In as much as natural stone surfaces have been popular in high end construction for the past few thousand years, starting with the ancient romans, it's probably unlikely that they're going to go out of favor any time soon.

Also, most of the the synthetic counter tops are designed to look like what? Stone. They're made of stone chips, stone dust, and resins to bind them together. All for what? You can buy actual stone for the same price or cheaper than the knock-offs. And yet the same people buying them complain that they don't like the look of granite!

Have you ever been to a granite yard? You can typically select your own slabs out of dozens of different colors and shades of granite. There's way more choice in selecting natural stone colors and patterns than any manufacturer of fake stone provides. Would you buy Cubic Zirconians instead of diamonds, but at the same price? That's what you're doing when you buy synthetic stone counters.

Home furnishings really boils down to a matter of choice. But some of the arguments in this thread knocking granite are just plain silly.

[surfingatwork]

Originally Posted by kdog

In as much as natural stone surfaces have been popular in high end construction for the past few thousand years, starting with the ancient romans, it's probably unlikely that they're going to go out of favor any time soon.

Also, most of the the synthetic counter tops are designed to look like what? Stone. They're made of stone chips, stone dust, and resins to bind them together. All for what? You can buy actual stone for the same price or cheaper than the knock-offs. And yet the same people buying them complain that they don't like the look of granite!

Have you ever been to a granite yard? You can typically select your own slabs out of dozens of different colors and shades of granite. There's way more choice in selecting natural stone colors and patterns than any manufacturer of fake stone provides. Would you buy Cubic Zirconians instead of diamonds, but at the same price? That's what you're doing when you buy synthetic stone counters.

Home furnishings really boils down to a matter of choice. But some of the arguments in this thread knocking granite are just plain silly.

Well personally speaking I do not like the veining in granite. If I had a choice I would select concrete over anything else with a white apron sink.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by surfingatwork

Well personally speaking I do not like the veining in granite. If I had a choice I would select concrete over anything else with a white apron sink.

There are granite styles that have no veining whatsoever, such as the various forms of black granite.

Next excuse!

[surfingatwork]

Originally Posted by kdog

There are granite styles that have no veining whatsoever, such as the various forms of black granite.

Next excuse!

in order for me to like it, it would have to be a solid jet black with no specs or veining whatsoever.

[njkate]

I kind of like the zinc as it ages it gets a nice patina to it.
Of course I don't know the cost & maintenance on it

[kdog]

Originally Posted by surfingatwork

in order for me to like it, it would have to be a solid jet black with no specs or veining whatsoever.

No problem! It's called absolute black.




Here's another one from china.


(images courtesy of images.google.com - search for "black granite")

So there you go. No more excuses!

[surfingatwork]

Originally Posted by kdog

No problem! It's called absolute black.




Here's another one from china.


(images courtesy of images.google.com - search for "black granite")

So there you go. No more excuses!

I still prefer concrete but in the right house solid black would work. LOL!