I have a mixture of material in my kitchen and am very happy with it. I have 100 year old + heart pine on my island, and Carrera Goia marble on my coffee bar. Carrera Goia is VERY busy, white with huge, dramatic black veins. I fell in love with it and had to have it, but there is no way I could have lived with a whole kitchen of it. I got it at Walker Zanger in Atlanta. So, to tone things down, I went with a Corian like white product called Staron, by Samsung. It runs a little cheaper than Corian, and I like it because it is easy to maintain, and allowed me to use some dramatic materials in other areas, even though my kitchen is small.

I think I speak for the majority when I ask all you granite rejectors to return to the Island of misfit Toys.

I like granite in some other people's kitchens but it would not look right in mine -- too contemporary. Like the OP I eventually recognized that I wanted a light counter. Looked at marbles -- cararra is beautiful but the greys don't work. Calacatta is too expensive. Finally came across Danby -- specifically Eureka Danby which has brown and grey markings -- similar colors to Calacatta but more of an informal feeling. Said to have a lower absorption than other marbles.

I wouldn't say I hate granite. It's lovely, sometimes gorgeous stone. In other people's kitchens. I know that in MY kitchen--with my klutzy ways and nonchalant approach to maintenance, it would very likely be a mistake, unless it was something like soapstone that's pretty much bulletproof (and then there would be chips...) In my new kitchen, I chose rather nicer appliances, and that's where the budget went. :-) There's 180FX laminate on the counters, I love the look and I'm very, very happy with it. It's also not terribly shiny. There's a little gloss to it, but it's textured, so it won't highlight scratches or scuffs, should they occur.

Cj

I absolutely love great interesting granite but detest ugly granite, lol. It can go both ways on resale. If you pick a granite the new buyers don't love, then it becomes a negative to them. The sellers want to be paid extra for it and the buyers feel it is a liability.

I actually appreciate lots of counter choices and we went round in round with what to use. We ended up choosing Corian in Rain Cloud, which is their white marble type look. It won't fool anyone that it is marble, but it gives the same vibe. We like that it is warmer to the touch and the seams are perfectly smooth (even though we will probably only have to have one small one due to our layout and configuration). It is not a solid white, so won't show up every tiny speck of dust or water droplet. I am not a fan of most solid colors as anything with no pattern would bother me when there were streaks or anything disturbing the wide open expanse. I want things clean, but don't want to be a slave to my materials.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rain Cloud by Corian

I don't like granite either. Well, like some others here, I like it in other people's kitchens but not in mine. I prefer a more uniform, simple look, and I went with Caesarstone. For something that's such a matter of personal taste, I was surprised at how hard KD's, etc. push to get one to buy granite. How boring it would be if everyone had the same taste.

irishcolleen, when I read this, "Think cottage style meets Ralph Lauren," I immediately thought of wood counter tops for you...kind of nautical, cape cod, casual?

There are so many beautiful options out there, and with the right treatment, it can be very durable and food safe too.

I'll try to find some pics...

Like numbersjunkie, I much prefer honed granite over polished. I'm just not a shiny surface gal. Doesn't matter whether it's laminate, quartz or granite, I don't want highly reflective surfaces in my kitchen.

FYI about quartz. My SIL chose Silestone about 3 years ago when she and my brother redid their kitchen because it was billed as bulletproof. The counter's finish around the sink is dull and rough. I've no idea what they used to scrub this area but it did no favors to the counter. Their counter also has a number of chips along the edge. Despite this, she said she's still happy with her choice (she didn't want granite either although I can't remember why). Funny thing is that I think her counter is quite busy with its highly contrasting chips of color. In fact, I think their counter is busier than the two granites hubby and I favor (Butterfly Blue and Blue Pearl).

FYI. To find emily's finished kitchen post, use the search box at the BOTTOM (not the top) of the page with the words she mentioned.

I like granite. Always wanted granite, but after hanging out here for a year and seeing so many other gorgeous tops, I'm starting to wonder if I might sneak in a wood or other material on the island.

I also say to get what you want even if it's not granite. Wood does sound like it would be nice with your style.

When we decided to redo our kitchen our GC just assumed we would be using Caesarstone/silestone because of the value of our real estate. We went and looked at them and they were so boring,safe and practical. When you look at the chip that's what the whole counter is - how boring.
So we went and looked at granite. WOW, Mother Nature is such an artist and we were hooked. The majestic pieces of rock that we were looking at were beautiful. The warmth of the colours were beautiful and the eye-catching movement was a constant surprise. And we found it - Giallo Ornamentale Light.
And THEN - we got to pick our very own piece of mother nature to bring home. I was like a kid in a candy shop - back and forth between the slabs - talking to my KD about the warmth of this one, the movement in that one, the pieces of mica (? the shiny bits) in that one and then I chose. And then we talked about how to place the slabs.
We have been in our kitchen since mid-sept and even this morning the light caught two new shiny bits that I had never noticed before.
IMHO (and lets remember that that is what all these comments are) if I was going to pick quartz I would have gone with laminate because when you see the chip sample that's all there is - nothing more. Granite is a constant pleasant surprise. And upkeep - wipe down everyday just like everything else. They all have their pros and cons.
We did look at corian briefly but my husband thought it looked like cheap plastic. He hated it.
And for all of those who don;t like granite - it just leaves more slabs for the rest of us to choose from.

Granite has been the "it" countertop for quite a while. Depending on where you live, it's what "expected". Sometimes I think it's a buzz word that reators use to get traffic into their listings, like wood floors. It might get people to look, but these items alone will not guarantee a house sale. They also don't guarantee the house will sell for more, cheaply installed granite on old cabinets is just not desirable.

So, as mentioned above have you considered wood? It's really a wonderful surface. It would look lovely with your white counters and navy blue, VERY RL.

You can either have an oiled surface or a sealed surface. Many on this board have stained their wood and sealed with Waterlox.

I had it in a previous house. We had Ikea's beech butcher block. We didn't baby it at all, oiled it when we remember to, and it looked great 4 years later when we sold the house. The only thing we did was lightly sand and re-oil when we put the house on the market.

I completely agree people should get what they want.

I'm not sure I understand the maintance that people talk about with granite.

I had it in my last house and will in my next house. we wipe it down to clean it after cooking, but I'd figure everyone does that. I did seal it a few times, but basically once a year. the only thing that is maintancey that I had was it was dark and would show dried watermarks if you spilled a little when pouring, but those would wipe right up.

I think people have a misconception about it.

on the other hand, if you get absolute black.... you'll see everything

I completely understand why people like granite--but it's not for me

When we were re-doing our kitchen, I really wanted to like it--but once we started looking, it seemed too unbalanced and busy.

Actually, there was one granite sample I would have loved--but it turned out to be one of the most expensive (I have a talent for that) and we were warned that "it might not all look like this." OK, then.

I much prefer Silestone for its uniformity/moderness, at least in the type and age of house we have...now, if my parents were to put it in their country home, I would think it looked great.

Yes, some Silestone can be on the ugly side...but those with natural colors are, at the very least, unoffensive.

That being said, once we buy the old Victorian of my dreams, I'll become TKO--and it'll likely be marble or soapstone all the way!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Silestone -- Bamboo

There are lots of counter top choices, however I choose granite for:
1. ease of cleaning (what's so difficult about it?)
2. you can put very hot items on it
3. beauty
I have a very old fashioned, white painted kitchen. Got a dark, very subtle patterned granite. Love it. For those of you who say granite is too busy, you've been looking at the big veined ones. There were LOTS I saw with very subtle patterns, both dark and very light shades. Whatever you choose, make sure its what you really really like, AND has the qualities you want in YOUR kitchen. Shopping around is one of the fun things, so enjoy!

I really don't understand the "high maintenance" meme about granite on this board. Seal every so often....maybe once a year. Wipe it off during the day. That's it. Far less than butcher block. I think the maintenance part is spread by the obsessives that have to constantly polish every time a fingerprint shows up. We picked a piece that we know will not maintain a perfect appearance as it will possible pit over time...but we think of that as a positive....it is a natural product after all. Also I think I'm gonna treasure that cool feel in the summer when the temps start rising and the DW has the ovens going. But to each his own.

My granite is 5 years old (well, I'm sure it's older than that, but it's been in my kitchen 5 years) and it has never been resealed. It doesn't stain. I wipe it down with a sponge and use a countertop cleaner safe for granite once in awhile. I get water spots, but that is because I have horrible (hard) water. It is maintenance free as far as I am concerned. Not all are like that. Mine is Coast Green. But you have to like green...it is very green.

Mine is also green (verde esmeralda). It doesn't stain or etch. It also has never been resealed. It's not high maintenance. It pleases me every day with its swirls and inclusions and history.

I think that various people tolerate various degrees of maintenance. To me - having to wipe off a counter every single day is too much. Sometimes we'll make a mess at night - be busy the entire next day - and won't wipe off the counter until the day after that. And having to seal counters once a year sounds like a lot of maintenance to me. To me - the less maintenance - the better.

And just FWIW with Corian - I have some pretty large expanses of it - and the seams are invisible. I don't know how our fabricator did that (our Corian was fabricated on site - now that's a messy job) - but I think some fabricators are better than others. I'm not saying Corian is a perfect surface. You can't put hot pots on it - and it will develop tiny scratch lines if you drag things across it (probably more visible in darker colors than lighter colors) - but it is pretty much extremely low maintenance. Robyn

I didn't scan every reply so forgive me if any of this is a repeat. I don't like granite at all, so I'm with you there. Our kitchen is marble and soapstone (in progress) but I considered some of the white Mystera options, as well as Corian's "misty carerra." Mystera is a cool solid surface product that I don't see mentioned often here.

I didn't think I liked granite until I looked around, and found some beauties I never imagined would be granite. I like the random design and especially the FEEL of stone, but I also have a hard time not touching museum statues!

I think you should get whatever you like. I have granite, it's Bianco Antico. I never had granite before and I absolutely love it.'

I don't understand the "high maintenance" comments either. It gets wiped down like I did with my formica counters.

I'd be curious about if anyone who had granite switched to something else, and why. I can see if you are looking for a different look, like Caeserstone, but I can't imagine you would switch because your granite was heavy or hard to maintain.

I love the fact that each piece is different, and it makes you wonder, "what was going on in the Earth when this was made".

Your kitchen needs to make your heart sing. No matter what you choose.

Irishcolleen, I would not underestimate laminate. It's durability can be better than most. We are redoing our kitchen and never even considered granite.

I went back and forth on the granite/laminate choice, and ended up with laminate and I'm happy with it. Occasionally, someone here will post a picture of their granite that has a lot of movement in it, and I sigh wistfully.

On the other hand, I was at a neighbor's yesterday, and both her base cabinets and island are granite (two different granites) and they were boring to me--no sense of movement in the stone.

As for cleaning, I spray Fantastik and wipe the counter down. I want it to be that easy. Sealing at all seemed like work to me :-)

I'd be curious about if anyone who had granite switched to something else, and why. I can see if you are looking for a different look, like Caeserstone, but I can't imagine you would switch because your granite was heavy or hard to maintain."

*raises hand* I did. I had brand spanking new polished Venetian Gold granite in the rental condo I lived in prior to buying my house with current kitchen. Countertop material I switched to: copper.

I disliked that granite immensely. Never broken so much kitchenware by just dropping it on the counter, not to mention pulling glasses out of dishwater and cracking them to shards against the negative-reveal undermounted sink edge.

I live in the far Northeast and the stuff seemed freezing cold in the morning and unfriendly in the evening. Hated leaving my coffee cup on it by mistake, which always cooled it down too quickly.

I really hated how it never seemed clean because of all the tiny pits in the finish. (natural fissures in the stone) It forever looked like I'd spilled something and not completely wiped up. And I say this as someone whose heart goes out to the person with the sunflower plant, or whatever that was, growing in the sink -- that's ME, too. I am by NO stretch of the imagination a picky housekeeper.

Aesthetically, I found it odd to have a shiny stone in the kitchen -- seems a much more appropriate surface for a coffee table. (And perhaps there's that inescapable whiff of the graveyard/mausoleum that someone referenced earlier, too.)

I'll definitely give granite this: it was fabulous for setting down hot pots straight from the stove/oven -- although I've since learned on this forum that one risks cracking the stone that way. And I have no quibbles with anyone who loves it. But like the OP, I really don't. I can't imagine deliberately choosing it again in the future.

When we replace our 25 yr old laminate countertop (which, like yours, has held up really well in general) we will most likely use butcher block, because it is the least expensive countertop material I have found so far but also because I like natural surfaces. I got the same reaction as you when I asked about laminate at the big box store. They told me that with installation it'd cost nearly as much as the lowest tier granite, especially considering that the granite people were throwing in a free sink. I have no beef with granite; we put it in our master bath 12 yrs ago and it looks great (gallo veneziano, if I remember right, and it shows no dirt -- a great color with white and cream). But our white melamine kitchen cabs are 25 yrs old like the laminate, and to me it just seems... too permanent, or overkill or something, to spend a lot of money on a stone countertop in that kitchen. I am looking forward to trying a wood counter, actually; I think it'll bring some warmth to the space.

If you like your white laminate, I see no reason for you not to get it again unless you might be selling soon and you are in a granite kind of neighborhood. But in case you are interested in wood after all the posts here about it and you want to stay with a light color, IKEA birch countertops are very pale. Maple should be very light too, though I haven't seen a maple top in person.

OMG! You people are THE best! I have shown this blog to all my friends who are also new believers in the kindness of people. I still haven't decided what to do, but I am a happier, less-stressed person knowing you are all out there.

home4all6...I LOVE the wood idea. Does anyone know how that price compares to granite? laminate?

Thank you all!!!

Yeah, I'm with you. For some reason, it seems like I'm supposed to want granite. We started looking at granite samples and went to pick out a slab and I found myself singing that song "Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz. My friends all have Porsches I must make amends." It just seems like it's one of those things one has to have or no one else will want to buy your home when the time comes. I've decided to ignore that line of thinking. We've picked out Colorado Slate Formica because it brings out the rich warm color of the natural cherry cabintes. I like that better than any of the granites I could afford. Plus this way when the grandkids want to paint at the kitchen counter, I won't freak out!

irishcolleen....
there are so many beautiful ones, but one I remember very recently was i_m_fletcher's, which I'll link you to here...

Another I always loved was mamadadapaige's with her end-grain walnut butcher block island...

You should start another thread about wood counters--or search for one, because there are some real stunners...very high-end ($$$) down to simple Ikea butcher block which is very affordable--probably cheaper than laminates.

Here is a link that might be useful: i_m_fletcher's kitchen

I don't hate granite, but I did not want it to be the only surface in my kitchen. We used antique pine on the island. It can be as much as granite per square foot. Depends on your source. Ours was ordered through our local lumber yard.

I have honed granite on the pine hutch, either side of range and the same honed granite was used in the laundry room. The hutch between kitchen and laundry has a new pine top. My pantry has a wood top that was inexpensive and bought locally, but it is too thin (imo) to use in the main kitchen. All of our bathrooms have honed limestone counters.

That said, I looked at all options but laminate for our home.

Even IKEA sells wood counters - do a search to see some finished/stained. They look very nice.

Here is a link that might be useful: my kitchen - antique pine island

I've never really researched granite, but it sounds like the surface can be pitted...and you can't clean it with regular cleaners. Is that true?

If so, I live on a farm...with horses...and lots of gardening (fertilized with horses, if you get my meaning) so I need a countertop that can be sprayed with a real cleaner and scrubbed down, on a regular basis :)

I researched every possible countertop option and originally considered granite down the list. I went with Cosmic Black granite because I loved it the moment I saw it and it worked better than anything else with my copper sink. Soapstone didn't work for us and concrete was ruled out for the long term issues. The manmade options like solid surface seemed lifeless to me. Laminate was not an option because the sink is an apron sink and the existing laminate was such a problem that it was definitely time to go with something else.

The granite is great, I love it and have no problems at all. I don't use special cleaners and wipe it down every day with soap or Windex multi-surface cleaner with no problem. There is no pitting in my granite especially compared with all the scratches and marks on the existing laminate.

Do your research and choose the surface that works for you and don't let what's "in" or "out" sway you.

I don't like granite aesthetically, partly because of its association with that zeroes House Hunters look--maple cabs, granite countertop, cheap SS appliances. And in an older house I rarely understand what it's doing there--it's a "plop" countertop that always looks surprised at its surroundings.

That said, I think criticisms about maintenance are ridiculous. I just lived in an apartment for five years with granite countertops. Obviously I never sealed it, though I suppose it was sealed at installation, once. Wipe constantly, wipe never, the granite didn't care. Stone polisher, 409, windex, the granite didn't care. I used old knives to hack up bits of--well, something--and the granite didn't care.

Realistically, you may not like the look and feel of granite (I don't, usually) but there isn't a more resilient, low-maintenance countertop out there.

Marcolo, I think it depends on how busy your granite pattern is and how dark the granite is. We put Antique Brown (we paid more for it) in our house about five years ago. It's stunning. There's very little pattern, similar to Absolute Black. It's almost like the variance is under the surface instead of on top. And the brown is so dark it seems black until you notice our black stovetop...although DH still swears the countertop is black (but that's another story!) We did not get honed. Yes, it's easy to wipe. But in order to get it to truly shine, I have to use granite spray with a microfiber cloth (NOT a paper towel) every time or the water marks will dry and you can see them on the surface of the granite. If someone touches it you can see fingerprints, etc.

Having said all that, it's still a stunning granite. I get compliments all the time. However, if I was putting a dark countertop in our new build, I wouldn't pick it again because I don't want to have to wipe then shine my counter every time. I want to wipe/clean in one step and be done. I spend a lot of elbow grease and time on this counter. It's been five years, so I know of what I speak!

I don't dislike granite and may still consider a light one for the new house. But I'm definitely going with honed and strongly considering other materials over granite.

I think there are many beautiful granites. It's just that several friends have had trouble with their granite pitting and another's developed a hairline crack. It just makes me a little worried about getting granite, but I'm sure I'll go down to some of the granite places around town and probably fall in love with one (at least).

I don't care for it either for lots of reasons. I do have some on my island and cooktop area because I did want to add some visual interest and I do like that aspect of it. I don't however care for the cold, hard feeling of it (especially in the winter) and I'm not fond of polished surfaces. However the one and only granite I liked didn't look good with a honed finish. If I were ever to do over again - which I'm not going to do - I would probably not have any granite the next time around.

I replaced the counters at my weekend lake place with laminate on the perimeter and butcher block on the island and I'm quite happy with that combo - nothing cold, hard or shiny.

Colleen....

In case you didn't find Emily's kitchen, a link is below.

Pepper
~ Patiently waiting for cabinets.

Here is a link that might be useful: Emily's kitchen

I am a person that switched from granite in my kitchen. Actually it was granite tiles. It was an impervious surface for me, but I disliked that I could always see muck marks on the shiny surface. It was hard for me to keep looking clean when the light reflected off of it. I don't the name of our granite, but I never really liked the hues in it of pinks and browns. It was flecked and too busy for me with multiple colors.

There are some beautiful granites out there though. I think if I had the more gold toned ones, I would have liked it a lot better. I could definitely live with Rocketsciences gorgeous greenish Limonella.

I replaced our counters with leathered Quartz and leathered Antique Brown Granite. I really like the matte look and they don't have the muck marks like the shiny finishes had. My quartz is flecked now too, but I only have 2 colors to deal with in it, so to my eyes it is less busy looking. And the Antique Brown Granite is much more tonal too. Anyway, I really like it!

IrishColleen....a couple of things (not countertop related!)

I don't know if you're aware of it, but there's a "Read Me" thread for the Kitchens Forum that describes how to search for threads, along with a host of other topics.

Also, you're probably not receiving emails of follow-up postings, even though you checked the box requesting them. This is b/c you don't have the email option turned on in your profile. Again, see the "Read Me" thread for more information. Scroll down to the post with the subject "Getting Emails Sent To You...3-step Process".

Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens!

OT, but I am not able to turn on the "receiving emails" function in my profile. Every time I try it, when I click Save Profile I get a page that is headed "This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below." Error messages are below that. My email address is valid.

Gibby- Do you have any pictures of your lake place? I've been thinking of using laminate and wood together...and would love to see pictures of your kitchen :)

At Ikea, "numerar" is the product name to use in searching for wood counter.
They also have a thinner wood counter, with another name.
Both of them cost very little.

I have a funny story. I was at my mom's house in New Jersey and she was telling me how easy it was to maintain her granite. It was one of those busy looking granites...which I'm not a fan of.

Well, like the hands on guy that I am, I felt the underside on her granite breakfast bar, and then I looked...the word Silestone was printed on the underside! No wonder it was so easy to clean!

I'm ashamed to say I couldn't tell the difference...in any event, quartz is the way to go...bye bye granite if I can't even tell the difference!!! So many brands and colors to choose from!

Here is a link that might be useful: Quartz Countertops

We had our own issues with granite and marble and couldn't agree on what to do... My husband felt granite was too cold and believed Corian was a better choice. I never saw a Corian color I liked and much preferred white marble but didn't want to deal with the care associated with it. Then Corian introduced Rain Cloud... and we went for it! Easy to care for, always clean, warm... It won't fool anyone, but this option works for us! Especially since our remodel (of the whole house) came dangerously close to over-improving our home for the neighborhood - going this route saved a ton of money and still gives us the look we were going for. Wishing you the best of luck with your project!

See my kitchen at:

http://www.thearmymom.com/2009/04/counter-tops-and-more.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Corian Rain Cloud

I can't say I don't like it, but I definitely don't want it. I tend to do the opposite of whatever everyone else is doing.

I am not a lover of granite... it appears to shiny and busy. I am thinking about the Ikea Wood countertops, both for warmth and budget.

While I can appreciate the beauty of granite, I generally don't like really busy granite. We're going with laminate again, mainly because of the cost (yes, I know some fancy laminates with special edges are close to tier 1 granite costs). Granite is what is expected in our neighborhood, but since we're not planning on selling anytime soon, we don't "have" to get it.

If you're considering another white laminte, we have Nevamar White Phantasy. It's white (and photographs white) but it has a tiny blueish/greyish pattern to it.

{{!gwi}}

After this was posted the first time I got to thinking that maybe I should have picked something else for my counters. (I'm a marketing grad and still the biggest second guesser of all my buying decisions). My mom is redoing her kitchen and I was taking her around to a variety of places one of which was our counter place. They sell granite, marble and silestone products. I was surprised when my mom said she wanted to look at the silestone products and when I asked why (as I'm drooling over the granite) she said she found the granite too busy. I was shocked> We went and looked at the silestone which they had in slabs and she fell in love with the coolness and the calmness of the stone. I, on the other found them to be cold and boring.
She walked through the silestone aisles and I went back to the granite aisles and we were both happy. That's why there are choices out there - none are right or wrong just what is right for each of us.
This visit confirmed that the granite was right for us.

I'm not a granite fan either, I don't like the shine. I may have considered honed granite but it wasn't in the budget.

I ended up going with Ikea butcher block and stained them walnut. It's turned out very well, love them! I thought I would still feel the urge for soapstone at a later time, when the money was there, but I can't imagine changing them now that I see them in.

I agree that your counter should be a material you love. My sister has a gorgeous wood counter, reclaimed wood from some South American country. I love it, but it would not fit in the style of my home, colonial.
I think wood in a light tone would look lovely in your white and blue kitchen.
I'm one in love with busy granite (mascarello), getting installed on Tuesday. Hope I have no regrets!
Good luck to you.

What I hate about the granite craze isn't only the assumption that it's necessary in a kitchen remodel, but also that if you say you're not looking for granite, people recommend granite look-alikes, like laminate or paint. I know they're just trying to be helpful...but some of us just genuinely don't want it! I, too, love a well done granite countertop in someone else's kitchen...but it's too cold and gravestone-ish for me, and the look-alikes are too busy. Thank goodness there are options enough to keep everyone happy!