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Countertops?

chorse123

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It looks like I'm going to be renovating my kitchen this summer. We are talking about different countertop materials right now. I like the look of white/grey marble, but have been warned about staining/maintenance. Same with granite, which I like the look of less, although I guess it is more durable. Then there are the quartz composites (CaeserStone, etc.), though colors are limited.

What do you have? What would you like to have? What would you recommend? Price is not really an issue since we're talking limited square footage in a galley kitchen.
 

Huntsman

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Limited square footage? Get granite. Once a year you have to put a sealer on it, and you should try not to let oils soak into it, or drop pans on it, but that's about it. There are so many granites, I'm surprised you can't find one you like. I think all the composites look like garbage.
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itsstillmatt

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We have stainless with a granite island. Personally, I hate granite, but the wife wins from time to time. White marble is great looking, and looks better the more of it there is. It does stain, but that is part of the charm. Whatever you do, do not get any of the horrendous colored, complicated granite.

Wood is awful, IMO. Caesarstone is OK, but I prefer something more natural.
 

AcuraNSX

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Just put in granite countertops in October - love them. We got some that do not need annual sealing for 15 years gauranteed. Gold of Troy is the color we got. Granite is the way to go. Nothing else looks as nice, except marble, but I hear that's not a good material for the kitchen, being too porous and all. People have them in wet areas and the marble still looks good, not sure what would hurt it? Stains perhaps from certain foods?

Good luck, you'll be happy when it's all over with!
 

gdl203

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Stainless steel and Carrera marble top is the best combination IMO. I'm not sure about all this talk about staining and porosity. Never noticed such thing in my parents' kitchen and they've had the marble top there for 12 years
 
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I guess I am the only one that likes wood. We have beautiful butcher block counters in our kitchen. It really warms up the kitchen------stone is cold and uninviting in my opinion.
 

horton

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white marble looks great but can stain especially with red wine. Those stains IMO are not charming because they are likely to be the rings/circles from bottles and glasses left on it overnight after a party

if you feel comfortable enough to be on guard for that, they look great

There are a ton of granite option so if you like stone (I do) you ought to be able to find something

also there are a lot of nice wood options from very functional (e.g., end grain butcher block $$$$$) to exoctic woods of various sorts. You may want to consider mixing too, e.g., island in one top and countertops in another
 

j

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Dark granite or look into concrete poured in place. It can look really cool if done well. I hate most of the composites as well, and most marble. Course I have the cheapest crap rental Formica so I can't really be picky.
 

antirabbit

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Personally I like soapstone, which is much better than all of the natural countertop surfaces.
It holds up well, and has a warmer touch and feel than granite, similar to that of marble, but is darker with more character.
It used to be employed as surfacing for laboratories.
 

odoreater

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I'm getting granite installed when I get around to the kitchen. As others have said, there are so many colors and styles to choose from, that it's surprising you can't find one you like. Also, as others have said, it holds up better to the elements than other surfaces.
 

grimslade

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Great blog post on marble and staining:

http://petchhouse.blogspot.com/2006/...acid-test.html

I have granite. I love it, it looks gorgeous (it's uba-tuba, or something like that). My contractor guy talked me out of quartz-composite, but some of it looks pretty good (to me), and it almost totally maintenance-free, unlike almost any natural stone. Marble can be great, and doesn't need to be super-fragile (see post above). I did my floor and backsplash in unpolished marble (forget the official term).
 

gdl203

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chorse123

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Thanks for the link, grimslade.
Originally Posted by Huntsman
Limited square footage?
Yep, something like 20 square feet total on the countertops. We are not as fastidious as we could be, so something that stains relatively easily could be a problem. That said, I'm with gdl on the unsealed side not looking bad. My wife is the more cautious one on the marble. I'm not all that opposed to granite, I just haven't looked at many samples and a lot of what I've seen, I don't like. Also, I'm not particularly interested in corian or quartz composites, but seem people prefer them. Cabinets are going to be white high gloss from Ikea--which has elicited varying responses from contractors. We'll do a tile backsplash of some sort. New red oak floors to match the existing in living room and hallway. Lots of demolition...
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Manton

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I have marble in a bathroom, and I shudder to think what it would look like in a kitchen after a year.

I have granite. I don't know of Matt would turn up his nose at the color or not.
 

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