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Recently, I moved out of my rental and into my own house in Willamsville. I always saw myself as aWestern New Yorker, and turned down some job offers in New York City and Fairfield County Connecticut. But the one drawback to this house is the kitchen. My goal is to re-do this kitchen. I hope to do the counters first. A friend recommends soapstone countertops, but what do other posters in this forum think of soapstone countertops? Do you like them or hate them, and what countertop material would you use if had the choice?
Pretty sure Kathryn of Aragon has them as she's always recommending them. It kind of depends on your style (I think soapstone is kind of a traditional look if you like that) -- I prefer quartz. Love the clean, contemporary look; very low-maintenance, doesn't have to get sealed like granite. Congrats and good luck with your new home!
Pretty sure Kathryn of Aragon has them as she's always recommending them. It kind of depends on your style (I think soapstone is kind of a traditional look if you like that) -- I prefer quartz. Love the clean, contemporary look; very low-maintenance, doesn't have to get sealed like granite. Congrats and good luck with your new home!
Quartz is another countertop material I could consider.
I really wanted quartz for our counters but we discovered that granite was less expensive-who knew? So, (I hate to say this but) I "settled" for granite. lol. But, we also have butcher block on the other side of the room.
I really wanted quartz for our counters but we discovered that granite was less expensive-who knew? So, (I hate to say this but) I "settled" for granite. lol. But, we also have butcher block on the other side of the room.
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Depends on where you live. In Iowa we got Cambria Torquay quartz for far less than granite. Here it's way more expensive except for the high end granite.
Depends on where you live. In Iowa we got Cambria Torquay quartz for far less than granite. Here it's way more expensive except for the high end granite.
Yeah, I can see that. Our granite actually came from "The Granite State" (New Hampshire) which isn't too far from here. I would have preferred "locally grown" granite but it didn't happen. We did get "locally grown" slate for our bathroom floor and when I say "locally grown" I do mean LOCAL! It was quarried literally down the street from us. In fact, they gave us a discount because we were local.
I definitely want to put soapstone counters in my kitchen when I'm ready to start re-doing some stuff. I love the color and patina of soapstone. It also naturally darkens with age.
My folks put them in their retirement home (built 6 years ago). They love them, my wife and I love them and we are Absolutely going to put them in our kitchen when it's remodeled (currently has crappy big-box store cabinets that are falling apart with black granite on top).
What I like about the soapstone is the MATTE finish. Glossy counters show every little finger print, smudge, and constantly look dirty. At least dark counters do... we more than hate, abhor would be a good word, our granite counters. Unfortunately, they came with the house (and the crap quality kitchen), and the poor condition of the Rest of the home forced us to leave them in place for the time being. I also like the softer touch/feel of the soapstone, similarly I think it feels a little Warmer to the touch too (though that could simply be my parents home, they have in-floor heating throughout and radiant heat makes everything feel warmer IMHO).
What may be irritating about soapstone to others... you need to seal it once a year (with a food grade oil), there's a lot of inconsistencies with the finish, it scratches easily (though they visually vanish with a little oil, and can be sanded down to remove the physical scratch if desired), and they still show fingerprints/oils... I think it's just far easier to remove them. And obviously, it's not for everyone... just like granite and quartz isn't for everyone (bleh!)
I would suggest that if you're going to redo your kitchen, you buy the best cabinets you can afford First. Counters are WORLDS easier to replace later on than boxes/cabinets. You may already have something of high quality in place, in which case simply ignore this. There's nothing worse (for anyone who really uses their kitchen, I know there are a LOT that are simply show pieces, not work spaces) than crappy cabinets in a functional kitchen.
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There's nothing worse (for anyone who really uses their kitchen, I know there are a LOT that are simply show pieces, not work spaces) than crappy cabinets in a functional kitchen.
