Granite Counter tops...are they the 'only' acceptable surface now? (wood floors, bathroom)

[Marlow]

My whole house is tile. As a matter of fact I just got done redecorating my bathroom with tile... I love it. If you "Seal" the grout when you are done, it stays very nice. I re-seal it about every two years. It's not a hard job.
I think the tile in my bath room will bring more money than the flormica counter top that I had.

Your bathroom looks great! Thanks for the pictures. I would never attempt anything like that myself because I have quite a history of failed/half-a$$ "projects" in my history and I think it's so impressive that you did it!


I think this is great, Marlow.
And won't the dreaded grout be just fine if you seal it?
In our Denver bungalow, we had white tile countertops in the bathroom and they were fine.

Yes, we'll seal the grout when we redo--but even as it is, being more than 60 years old, it's ok. Maybe because I grew up in a kitchen just like this it doesn't bother me at all.


We had tile kitchen counters in one house, and had the grout problem in spades. When you wipe down the counter, all the crumbs just get wiped into the ground lines. Drove me nuts. How do you folks get around that?

It just doesn't seem to be a problem. I just wipe til all the crumbs are gone, but it doesn't take much more time than it would on any other surface.

Whew! I feel so good for "confessing" that I like ceramic tile more than granite. Sort of like I've been to an AA meeting. Thanks for being so supportive!

[AnyDayNow]

Ken, gorgeous work you're doing!

Re the thread topic: Gotta say that we are updating our home and that is the one thing we are adamant about --it's gotta be granite countertops. To say quartz or silestone or anything else like that doesn't have the same "punch" in the listing as "granite." We aren't far from some higher-end neighborhoods where it's an expectation.

Until we do sell our house, however, I am going to ENJOY the wonderful granite and the new stainless steel appliances and the cabinets and.....

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Marlow

Whew! I feel so good for "confessing" that I like ceramic tile more than granite. Sort of like I've been to an AA meeting. Thanks for being so supportive!

No problem. And be sure to visit the Dirty Grout Thread just two threads down.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by kcm

I redid my bathroom for under $800 by doing the work myself.

Wow! It looks great. Love the funky sink and faucet.

[Janipoo]

Originally Posted by kcm

My whole house is tile. As a matter of fact I just got done redecorating my bathroom with tile... I love it. If you "Seal" the grout when you are done, it stays very nice. I re-seal it about every two years. It's not a hard job.

I think the tile in my bath room will bring more money than the flormica counter top that I had.

Attachment 9078 Attachment 9080 Attachment 9081

I redid my bathroom for under $800 by doing the work myself. As you can see, I'm not quite done yet but almost.

I would think that fancy sink and faucet would be $800.00 let alone the cabinet and tile. I really like it though, I am really liking the contemporary style. Good work also.

[MrsSteel]

Please forgive me, tile-lovers, but I haaaaaate tile countertops. I'm one of those wacky people who still makes my own pie crusts, sugar cookies, and the like. Therefore, I want to have a flat, seamless work surface for when I roll out my dough.

I'm afraid that granite countertops have become so ubiquitous that they're practically guaranteed to fall out of fashion and look dated within the next 5 years or so. I can easily imagine someone looking at a listing and thinking, "Stainless steel appliances and granite countertops? Yuck! That is soooooooo 2005!" In many ways it's a shame because granite is a good, durable surface. I hope people aren't tempted to throw it out in droves for the next trendy material.

As for the stainless steel appliances? Ugh. It's the Harvest Gold & Avocado of my generation. I'll be glad when it's gone.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by MrsSteel

I can easily imagine someone looking at a listing and thinking, "Stainless steel appliances and granite countertops? Yuck! That is soooooooo 2005!"

Mrs Steel - You may be right about stainless (though it has been around for many years now) but I would imagine granite will be around for a while. JMHO Jay

[kcm]

Thanks to all, I'm really happy the way the bathroom turned out... my husband still hasn't seen it yet ! All he has seen is the sink and faucet in the box.

[Cattknap]

I vow never and I mean never to have tile with grout on any counter top or floor in any house I ever have.....grrrr hate the stuff.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Mrs Steel - You may be right about stainless (though it has been around for many years now) but I would imagine granite will be around for a while. JMHO Jay

Yes.
Stainless has been around for years, maybe regular homeowners might go off it, but professional cooks certainly won't, for obvious reasons.

Granite has been in use for centuries.
It could indeed be that its popularity as a counter top will wane with the general public, though I tend to think that its timeless beauty and durability will keep it around for *some* folks, even if the rest of the herd goes on to the next trend.

I can understand how some people will be put off by what appears to be the
"obligatory" granite/stainless steel combo. Especially stainless.

There will always be creative people who want to be more adventurous and imaginative, try new textures and colors.
And there will always be people like me, who are more practical types and just want the best value with the nicest attributes.