One of the things we are most excited about with the impending kitchen remodel is new countertops! One of the most embarrassing parts of our house is our laminate countertops. Now, laminate isn’t inherently bad. But ours…ours was meant to look like marble. I think.
Is there such a thing as yellow marble with gold veins?
It’s quite possible that it wasn’t always yellow. Or maybe it was more yellow. Or gold. Anyhow, it is scratched, stained, de-laminating and soon to be gone! But what to replace it with?
In general, we like smooth surfaces that are not busy or shiny. This rules out most tile, granite, marble, and recycled glass products. Second, we want it to be extremely durable. Recycled content is also a plus. Oh, and it has to be affordable. In terms of color, we’re thinking something in the lighter hue to bounce more light and make the space feel brighter. [For the island, we’re planning on going with IKEA butcher block.]
We started out with three choices: stainless steel, quartz, and a recycled bamboo/paper fiber product.
Photo found here.
With stainless steel, you get a durable, sterile material with the option to do an integrated stainless steel sink. Swoon! Sadly the quote was well over $3k (for counters, sink, a full height back splash and installation). Oh well.
The two remaining contenders are quartz and a recycled fiber product. Let’s see how they compare.
The quartz product we’re looking at is sold as Chroma at Pental Tile & Marble. We like the colors and visual texture (not too busy but not too dull) in addition to its durability. The photo above is a similar color in a polished finish. We’re looking at either the “mesa” or “mohave” in a honed finish. The material comes in 55″x119″ slabs in 2 cm and 3 cm thicknesses. It retails for about $25-$35/SF excluding fabrication and installation.
We’re also looking at a product called EcoTop. It’s similar to Paperstone and Richlite, but it uses a 50/50 blend of bamboo fiber and post consumer recycled paper. The materials are bound together by a water-based, zero VOC co-polymer resin. It comes in 5’x12′ sheets and in 3/4″ and 1/2″ thicknesses. The price is about $20/SF for 1/2″ material. We haven’t priced fabrication yet, but one advantage to this product is that we could feasibly do the cuts and install ourselves.
Unlike similar paper-based products that only come in darker colors, EcoTop has a nice range of lighter hues. We’re considering some of these medium range browns:
So there you have it. The final choice will come down to cost, availability and color. Decisions, decisions! In the meantime, any amazing countertops out there that we’ve overlooked?
Hi there…
Thanks for reporting on the EcoTop… I hadn’t run across that option yet. Have you considered concrete counters?
Meredith
Hey Meredith,
Although we have seen some really beautiful concrete counters, we decided to go for a material with a thinner profile for our kitchen.
We went with 2 materials that you mentioned. Granite – honed/leather (no high gloss here) and Stainless.
The stainless is coming from an unlikely source – metal fabricating place. We totally cut out the middle man which brought down the price big time. Shop around and go directly to the source, they will work with you – make sure to get good quality material.
Haev you seen any soapstone tops?
Hey Leslie,
We were just talking about soapstone the other day! We’re getting pricing from a couple different distributers but I think it will probably not be in the budget.
The EcoTop looks like an interesting option!
Have you thought about mixing materials? For our current kitchen, I’m considering some type of long butcher’s block for a prep area, though I haven’t settled on the type of wood yet, mixed with a granite. But then, anything will be an improvement from our patio tile countertop. (And they sold the place “renovated”!)
I’m also going to incorporate an “island” which will actually be a large, commercial grade stainless steel table. Depending on the size of your kitchen, this might work for you. I usually purchase mine from Ace online, and the quality and price is fantastic. It gives the space a bit of an industrial vibe which I like, too.
Here are a couple of kitchens where I used granite. I’m not particularly proud of these, but they’ll give you an idea of different ways to use the material. With countertops, I think sometimes the material is less important than the detailing.
http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com/2009/10/before-after-pictures-waterfront.html
http://tearinguphouses.blogspot.com/2009/10/before-after-pictures-pad-by-sea.html
Kelly
Hey Kelly,
Mixing materials is the plan! To save a little (or a lot!) of money, we plan on doing IKEA butcher block at the island and something else for the rest of the countertops.
I love the look of commercial grade steel tables as islands, but since we are so limited on storage (due to our limited amount of upper cabinets and no real pantry) we are going to do a couple IKEA drawer units plus an open shelf and then wrap the exposed sides with IKEA end panels. We’re calling it an “island pantry”!
The kitchen choices are definitely endless and you’re right, I think the detailing is very important. We’re trying to think it through as much as possible before we pick up the sledgehammer. =)
Hello.
I’d urge ya’ll to not rule out stainless yet… all your other options will require an under/over mount sink, and a silicone bead at your backsplash transition. If you’re willing to live with those seams, you can do the same w/ stainless and bring it into the price range of your other options.
I did the sink side of my 9′ galley kitchen for $900 plus tax, with an undermount setup. That’s what the metal fabricator charged, for 16 gauge stainless.
I made the plywood base, did the sink cutout, carted the monster to and fro, and installed it myself (so add on $ for plywood, a sink, and sweat). My husband helped me lift it a few times, but mostly i did it all myself. Ya’ll seem much more clever and skilled than me, so I’m sure you could do it.
Integrally welded sink and backslpash was my initial dream also (i’ve worked in restaurants for 15 years, i won’t consider anything but stainless) until i got a 3K quote for my 9′ sink piece. While searching for options (a drop in sink was my last resort) i found some pics of European kitchens with undermount sinks and stainless counters.
Anyhow, here’s my initial inspiration pic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/southof290/3965274903/in/set-72157600023322072/
and here’s how it turned out (not quite done)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/southof290/4270055591/in/set-72157600023322072/
that ‘Kitchen Set’ has some pics of how i made the base etc, i’d be happy to answer any other questions ya’ll might have about my experience. i enjoy your blog, and look forward to seeing your home come together.
brandy,
austin, tx
Thanks for the info Brandy, your counter looks awesome! Hmm…the stainless steel is pretty tempting. This will be a hard decision!
[…] One of those options is EcoTop – I just learned about EcoTop from Lauren and Kyle over at chezerbey. Check it […]
[…] on to the next challenge – back in January we talked about our top two counter choices. Since then, we have secretly fallen for the quartz product (below, left), which would be about […]
[…] and hardware September 9, 2010 by chezerbey We first talked about counters way back in January. By April, we had narrowed it down to quartz. In May, we put together this materials palette to see […]