Do you dislike granite? Our mottled one even hides counter grungies so well that I have to physically feel across the counter to make sure it's all clean -- I can't tell it's dirty sometimes!

HeHeHe! You sound like me!

Well, I'm DEFINITELY NOT putting in marble, that's for sure! OK, if I get my way I WILL have a baking center (in old galley kitchen / new pantry) and there I want one section of marble, but that would ONLY be for rolling dough - nothing else.

I'm planning on either soapstone or concrete - and I don't care if they get stained! I like character (just don't want it to look dirty like it will on marble). My bartop will be butcherblock, but even I'm not so messy as to mess that up! (too high / out of the way)

As for sinks - Oh boy! I am SO going DEEEEEP! Some people complain about deep sinks, but I'm tall and have really long arms, so it won't bother me. I want my PILES of dishes to be hidden! That's also why I'm getting a double dishdrawer D/W - so I can fill one and turn it on and start filling the next one. I hate having to wait for the normal one to fill up - I always run out of clean mugs and spoons!

BTW: Laminate gets dirty, and you cannot put a hot pot on it.

I hope I am neater and faster to do a full cleanup in my new kitchen, but only time will tell. I am used to cleaning as I go to some extent, but there is always a cleanup waiting after dinner.
I do find it easier to work in our new space and love having good places to put things away. However, I now have double the counter space, so do not want to double the counter clutter. I am actually good about keeping things clean (although I am a constant soaker of pots and pans, lol), so my big challenge is clutter with a big C. I hope my new system for the kitchen will help with that. It won't be easy re-training the family and myself ;)
My only salvation will be to make sure and invite people over a lot because that is my best incentive.

A bullet-proof or well-sealed granite will meet your needs. On the other thread I was responding to someone who had marble.

You can roll dough just as well on any smooth stone. Marble is always cited because it was what there was and what was used.

i always seem to have dishes that need done - and I use paper plates! ugh! most are food containers that I had in the fridge, that sister sent food home with me in etc.
I'm so hoping a dw will help clean that up!

i was just last night looking at a sink online. turns out it's a prep sink w/double bowl. total length is 19.5" and depth is under 15" and 8.5 deep. the sink I have now is very small really. but it is about 22" long and has about 1-2" more front to back and is about 6" deep. it's a fine size for me.

all of the bigger sinks (non cast iron) are 9.5" deep and I think that is just tooo deep for me!

I'll probably just stick with the KOHLER Delafield at 33x22 x 8.5"

I have to wonder...is laminate my only choice?... are there any other countertops that are going to work with my hard (well) water, lots of baking, not always cleaned up from one project, before I start the next, lifestyle?

On your other thread you started, "Do All Stone Countertops Have to Be Sealed?", you were given a number of suggestions about stone counters that don't need sealing and are impervious to staining. I don't understand why you subsequently posed this question then about laminate or other countertops. Have you decided against the suggestions given on your other thread? Can you explain?

As to your sink, are you redoing your kitchen with a new sink? Or is the sink you are talking about in your OP going to remain after the new counters are put in?

well, if it makes you feel any better, sounds like my house! :)

marble was never a consideration, but butcher block was. i just felt that i was too messy even for that, which is why we're getting Zodiaq on the sink side.

i'm confused... what happened to snow white?

I'm open to all kinds of suggestions and this is really not for or against the recommendations in the...do all stones have to be sealed post. I'm just saying, for me, I need a countertop that dishes can be on for 12 hours, without being a problem for the countertop. If granite, soapstone, or anything else will be okay under those conditions...I'm still interested. In fact, I don't dislike laminates, I'm just saying I KNOW they'll be okay with dishes on them for 12 hours :)

In fact, I'm seriously considering doing a variety of countertops. I do like Zodiaq, but I have to say, I'm a bit surprised by the price. Reading a few posts here, and checking on the Internet, even the island could be over my budget. I guess I'd say, it's not out of the running, but not as strong a contender.

Soapstone has me a bit intrigued, as do the darker granites, but I really wanted something light for the countertops, especially with wood cabinets. I guess what I'm looking for is something about half the cost of Zodiaq (or even a bit less) with durability and low maintenace. And hopefully, something that doesn't have to be sealed or at least, resealed.

This post was really less about countertop choices and more about...am I really the only one who lets dishes stay on the counters a few hours! LOL It's good to see I'm not alone :)

You are not alone! I ran the DW twice today because I didn't fill it last night. The white laminate in this temporary house stains though depending on what I leave on it. And my pots leave these ugly black smeary marks all over that can be hard to rub off. The sink here is one of those old shallow 50/50 sinks that can't even hold my smallest pan to soak. Can't wait for my new, deep, super single silgranit!

Oh thank you lavender lass -- I'm in the same category of kitchen management as you are. I keep hoping I'll change my ways with our new kitchen, but I suspect I won't. We're going with soapstone, partly because I like the looks, and partly because I know it will be able to handle the abuse it will take! Good luck deciding. I agonized over that one!

Well, a lot of what you talk about is why I settled on soapstone - which tossed a huge problem into my planned color scheme, but I'm learning to be "OK" with that. DH loves it, but it was one area I really did go with function over form big time.

I didn't want granite because it is too "new" for my plans. And I also want something that will age a bit, and look fine.

BTW - the laminate the house came with had a bit of a texture to it, I suppose to hide the dirt - but it always looked dirty to me, no matter how hard I scrubbed it.

My household also fits in the category of leaving dirty dishes on countertops for more than 12 hours. Sadly, we have laminate (old ugly stuff) and it has stained in the area near the sink. (Can't say for certain whether that was us or previous owners.) Good luck with your selection, and know that you aren't alone with your not so immaculate kitchen.

Lavendar Lass: Girl, soapstone was just made for you. It has the old look you like. Nothing dents it. I know it isn't what you want your kitchen to "look" like. But embrace your inner slob and you'll love it.

LLass, I don't know. I leave stuff out. It's what? Friday? And we still have pancake goop on the counters and cooktop from Sunday. If you still want that cottagey Victorian Belgian country thing (teasing! sort of), you can't go wrong with tile. It is appropriate. It is BULLET proof. It is beautiful. (Unless you get the ugly stuff, but you will pick something I like.)

Put your marble or your wood by the stove, put your laminate on the island, but consider tile where you want to not worry about anything.

Also consider Corian type stuff. It's not bad if you screen out the plasticky colors.

I think most stone is tougher than we give it credit for, and if you're okay with the weathered vintage look, it'll be fine. BUt seriously, TILE!

I would rank them as follows, for your functional needs and the look you want (but the price discrepancies between these options may be huge):

(1) Soapstone. No staining, very hygienic, super easy to clean, has a bit of movement so it won't look dirty immediately like a pure color would, and you can set hot things on it without worrying AT ALL.

(2) Tile, IF you do the grout right. Again, no staining, very hygienic, easy to clean and you can set hot things on it. The reason I'm ranking this (2) instead of (3) is that most granites (which I'm ranking (3)) would look out of place in your cottagey kitchen, whereas tile is cute and old-fashioned. Four or six-inch hex tiles might be just the right look.

(3) Granite, IF you can find a color and finish that maintains the look you want in your kitchen. Basically, try to find one that looks like soapstone, or marble if you want a light color. Get it honed, not shiny--shiny is totally wrong for your look.

For a bulletproof counter, these are basically your only choices apart from stainless steel and copper, both of which are just wrong for your look, and slate, which also almost certainly wouldn't work (the blacks are just TOO black for you and the other colors--green, purple, rust...--probably would look weird). Quartz can't have hot things set on it (and most quartz would look wrong in your kitchen), Corian has the same problems as quartz except worse, concrete and glass are totally wrong for your look, etc.

PS if you can find a granite that really has the look of soapstone or marble, then personally I would scoot it up to #2 in those rankings. But the real ranking is your taste; of those three bulletproof options that could work in your style of kitchen, which do you like the best and which fits your budget best?

Lavendar, I think I'd concur with ideagirl's rankings. But it does occur to me, much as I am a soapstone fan myself, that I don't think you've mentioned/looked into white quartzite. It's a natural stone, that is much harder than marble, doesn't etch or stain as easily and in at least one case, can look a lot like marble. Google quartzite bianca for pictures and take a look at Sochi's kitchen counter in Luce di luna. (Same thing different names.) Hers is a very contemporary kitchen, but you can see how the quartzite looks a lot like marble, and the right slab may give you the best possible trade off of the look you want with the easy care and durability

Here is a link that might be useful: quartzite bianca

My husband and I along w/our kids are all cooks, but also all messy, so glad to read your post. We are redoing our kitchen and trying to decide on countertops too. Glad to see someone recommends tile, as we love the look, and it would fit our 1918 foursquare, but wondered about how people (espcially those who don't always do the dishes in a timely fashion) like their tile. We are also considering wood and a matte finish greyish lightly speckled corian. We aren't actually worried about whether you can put hot pots on a surface as we both grew up w/laminate tops, so have never thought to put hot things directly on countertop.

Wow! Thanks for all the great responses!

Soapstone looks like a wonderful choice, but I'm not sure, with the dark cabinets. Maybe on the island, because I do want a different surface there...something that will work with the small sink and be warmer than regular stone, for the seating area. I was thinking of painting the island green...maybe I should go look at some more soapstone!

It's so cool that Fori and Ideagirl2 mentioned tile, because I was thinking about tile last night! (LOL) I was watching the cooking channel yesterday and Laura Calder has that beautiful tile by her sink. Of course, I love the blue, but it's really BLUE...too blue for my color scheme, but white tile or even a lighter color might work realy well, with all the other finishes.

As much as I love the marble, with the brick floors and other patterns, I don't know if it will be to busy. I've thought about using it on the island, but with food and drinks at the stools, I'm more concerned about staining. That may not be as much of a problem with the quartzite, which is beautiful...thanks, Melissastar :)

Ideagirl2- When you say soapstone is hygienic and super easy to clean...is that because of the type of stone or that you can clean it with regular kitchen counter cleaners? I know tile and laminates are easy to clean, which is really nice, living on the farm. It's bad enough what we bring in, but you should see the things the nieces and nephews set on my kitchen counters! I am going to love that utility room.

I have not read through all your previous posts so not sure what your vision for your kitchen is...
I also don't know if $$ is a limiting factor.
I came here 8 years ago thinking we would build...DH FINALLY (!!!) moved us and we ended up buying *sigh*.
When we were in the thinking about building mode, I wanted stainless steel counters with integrated sink. DROOOOOOL.
I still think it can be made warm and approachable and it is sanitary, durable, etc. You can leave your dishes on there for WEEKS if you needed to. It is used in restaurants for a reason!! It does scratch but you can buy it "brushed" so the patina is started for you.
No grout lines (I am not a fan of tiles, which is what my new house will have and I plan to rip it out when I can), no caulk line for the sink, you can have the sink made as big or small as you want, no seams (can be welded on site). I still fantasize about the stainless that could have been.
Alternatively, I say wood is a great choice. If budget is a limit and you are DIYers, IKEA can be your friend. Have you seen some of the amazing IKEA kitchens posted here??
I know there are a few folks who poo-poo wood as not being water safe or heat safe or .....well,
when I picture wood counters, I picture it waterloxed/sealed so that it is water tight/safe and has a glow unlike any other surface can provide.
Have you seen beautiful wooden boats?? Are people saying boats can't go in the water??
You can stain the counters to any color you need, then seal them. Warm, tough, durable and with waterlox, not even a patina. Wood can be as expensive or cheap as you want (providing you have some DIY skills...sadly, I have few but my DH has some!).
Finally, laminate...it has been used for decades and has improved. If you are in doubt with what to do, get laminate and you can always switch it out in a decade or so when you are more certain what you need. Laminate takes a lot of abuse. Sure, it will eventually have nicks and such, but in a decade, who will care. Affordable, durable, "soft" so things don't break....and replaceable when or if you are ready! Someone here posted a gorgeous remodel using a laminate the looked like soapstone. She had wanted soapstone and had every intention of putting it in when funds/circumstances changed but after seeing it installed, LOVED it.

I think the easiest countertop is quartz. I've had mine for 9 years and there isn't a stain on it. It still looks great. And there are so many choices of colors now, it's easy to find what you like.

Personally, I can't stand for dishes to sit on my counters. I empty my dishwasher right after it runs and always put my dishes right into it.

Lavendar, why can't you have a big sink? You're designing from scratch.
_____
O.T.? Retiree perspective...
I'm the one who likes to shut down the kitchen and retreat to the rest of the house after meals. As I have aged I find that my physical stamina in evenings sometimes wanes bigtime. Same with DH but he probably won't admit it. More and more we're leaving our supper things for early morning cleanup. Because we don't "live" in our kitchen I don't have to look at the waiting dishes and used cookware in the evening and who cares if we wait? This is just an observation about our changing usage of the kitchen over time.

As I have noted in other threads, there is also a negative attached to our med-dark 180FX Formica--it masks the spills too much so gunk accumulates that I don't see but that I find when I wash countertops, which I have begun to do more methodically and regularly than when I had light colored counters. As I age unnoticed spills will be more of a problem because eyes are aging. (I now understand why my grandmother's dishes looked the way they did even when supposedly washed.)If I had thought harder I would have chosen a lighter colored product.*

My point here is that despite the best of resolutions to be a perfect homeowner, our kitchens can and should be designed to help us accommodate our own personal limitations. Just gotta have foresight, unromantic thinking, and full understanding of the pluses and minuses of the products we're evaluating.

* Would love to see images of counters with the newer, lighter colored 180FX material. Hint hint.

We have large dinner parties (20+) a few times a month. We have 2 DW and still don't have room. Our kitchen sometimes doesn't get totally cleaned for days. Some parties I just wait until the next day. My typhoon bordeaux granite takes it all and I think it's one of the more porous. And like a prevous poster said, I have to run my hand over it to make sure it's cleaned. The movement hides everything. My TB has red in it so I don't see the ketchup or wine for days. No stains. I've had it for 13 months and it was only sealed at install. I will probably have to do it again soon but so far everything beads up.

I understand totally LL. I have dishes in my sink and on the counter now, with a variety of spills too. And if I didn't have company coming today, it would stay that way through the weekend!

I think what concerns me most are the posts I see here saying there is a crack, or a corner broke off. I know, there are more people who love their counters than post those horror stories, but I don't recall ever seeing a post about recently installed laminate that went south. I am hard on counters, and I know I'll be doing good to clean one much less oil, seal, or polish one. Also, I have a porcelain sink now, and I am so tired of chipped dishes from bumping against it. Cost is also a factor for me. I keep thinking of all the other things I can do if I don't put in granite or soapstone. Resale isn't a factor for us, so I'm going to do what is best for me.

If you really aren't sure, you should get some samples and be yourself at your worst with them. Show no mercy and see how they hold up.

Ll- From what I have gotten from your posts over time is you want something soft looking and durable. While you can't put something directly from the stove on it, I think you'd like the same counters we got. They are Corian in Rain Cloud and give a marble type look without trying to actually fake being marble. They are soft to the touch, room temp, and so very smooth. From what I have learned, they do not stain easily and in the cases where someone has stained it in some way, can be buffed out with a scrubby and some gentle abrasive. We also like that they are not as likely to break anything delicate that bangs against them lightly. They also do not clink when you place a hard object on them.

The slight pattern, a little more than pic shows, hides more sins that I would have guessed. I have to wipe them carefully before guests come over because there may be a hidden crumb spot that I missed and people all run their hands all over the counters to see what it feels like. The seams are nearly invisible and were a big selling point to us, despite only needing 2 mitered corners on the back of our island. I almost wish we needed more seams, lol.

I think if you paired these with some less expensive Ikea wood counters, you could fit it into your budget and your lifestyle. The wood with the soft looking Corian RC would be a lovely combo.

Frankly, having lived with laminate in every kitchen I have ever lived in, I don't see the big deal in not putting burning hot pots on the counter. I am used to using trivets and pot holders underneath or moving a pot to an unused burner on the stove. Our new stove will be gas, so I just need to shut off the flame and leave the pot in place.

Lavender, you're definitely NOT alone--I'm a very messy cook, especially when I'm trying out a new recipe! And most of it stays that way for an hour or so after dinner since I usually relax after dinner for a little while before starting the clean-up chores.

I would strongly recommend that you consider quartz countertops. As I've said in other posts, my friend has had a medium colored (Kalahari, I think) Silestone for 10 years and it looks like new. She entertains quite abit and for holidays/special occasions all the kids and grandkids come and stay with them. She is definitely not neat when in prep and cooking/baking modes, lol! I know quartz isn't cheap, but it definitely looks beautiful after years of use. Get some large samples of the color(s) you like and test them out.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Silestone colors

Oh, I've been looking at those blue tiles again! LOL I found the old thead on this forum, with the videos of Laura Calder's kitchen...and the blue tiles are really pretty! I think I'd pick a slightly different shade, to match my backsplash tiles (more of a french blue...notice the big pot by the sink?) but I think it looks wonderful, with all the plants, the creamy white trimmed windows and the wood island.

For my kitchen, I'm thinking of using ceramic tile around the sink and left side of the stove, maybe a piece of marble, quartzite or light granite, between the stove and wall oven (perfect baking area) and wood countertop on the island would give me lots of great surfaces...and would still be fairly easy on the budget :)

Here's a link to the post, with the video link part way down. Doesn't that deck look almost like a sunroom through those windows? I think I need more windows over my sink, now, too! LOL

Isn't that a nice, big sink? I could use that, too!

So, the right blue would still look good with wood cabinets, lots of white trim, maybe glass uppers and a green island with wood countertop and that same french blue, for the hutch...and it all still goes with copper accents and terra cotta pots, for the plants :)

{{!gwi}}

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Here is a link that might be useful: Laura Calder kitchen

I didn't read all of the posts above, but here is my idea... Now call me crazy, but instead of spending time here posting about how you don't have a large enough sink to hold your backlog of dishes, why not just spend the time washing them? ;>)

:)

I sure could go for some fried chicken right about now.

Lavender - why not just get one of those old fashioned sinks with drainboards on one side or another--then you can leave dirty dishes by the sink and have your countertop too. I've had one of these sinks in an old apartment and loved it. You may lose some prep space but it might add the function you need.

Advertguy- Wonderful idea! Why didn't I think of that? Oh, I was typing, while the dishes were washing...and as for doing those big pans in the sink...I'd love to, but I live in a manufactured home and we have a tiny little sink, so as you can see, almost anything will be an improvement :)

Oh, and it's really goooood chicken. Those who help with dishes, get to eat the chicken! LOL

Stella- Good idea...and I actually have that kind of sink that will go in the mudroom, but I think the ceramic tiles will work really well, in the kitchen.

Dianalo- That Corian Rain Cloud is very pretty...something to think about and it would be nice with the wood :)

Flwrs n co- Silestone is a good idea, too. Either one might work for the baking area, if I decide not to use stone, but I am looking forward to seeing samples!

Marti, Bostonpam and Florantha- It's so nice to know I'm not alone! I appreciate all of you, who have also said you can't always get dishes into the dishwasher, before you do anything else.

Wallycat- Good point abou the boats! LOL

Laurielou- Tile might be a good fit, for your house. I think it's been out of favor for quite a while, so maybe it will be the new look for 2012 :)

Lavender, I apologize to take this thread in a different direction, but I've given some thought to the "how to design a kitchen that supports a messy lifestyle" topic. No offense to those who like their spaces clean but IMO life has other more interesting things to do (such as hanging out on GW) - than cleaning :-)

The only effective way I could think of is to hide a sink out of straight eyesight, or have an area where you can hide all the dishes etc out of sight.

In some parts of Asia, in some homes one sometimes finds a nook underneath the sink where they stove away all the dirty dishes. This is meant to be temporary place till they are taken away for wash. There is a separate drain hole in there, in case water spills over. In even more traditional houses, there's a outdoor washing area, accessible from the kitchen, where you generally wash dishes etc, in addition to this staging area. Traditionally they used some organic/plant derived soap or scrub to wash and this water would then feed vegetable garden.

I know that you're finalizing your plans and therefore at this time may not have the flexibility to incorporate major changes....but just wanted to share.

Homey bird- It's funny you mention that, because I was just thinking how nice it's going to be to have the sink kind of tucked away, behind the fridge, from the entry and living room. Much easier to stash a few dishes in and around the sink and not be the first thing you see, when you walk in...but still have the kitchen close to the other spaces :)

homey-bird, I've been known to shove dirty dishes in the oven when I get a call that someone is going to be here in 10 minutes! lol

Homey Bird.. that's a fav dish retreat for me also;

I have had a plastic mixing bowl start to melt because I fogot to check if there were dishes stored in the oven.lol.

I'm a messy cook with messy kids and a messy husband. We have soapstone on our main prep area, but Danby marble in our baking/sandwich-making center. We have large dinner parties where we need to run the dishwasher 3x to get everything clean. Obviously not happening in one evening. I've also made all sorts of messy things on the marble, and had it sit overnight before it gets completely wiped up. Some etching, but no staining. I don't think that you need worry too much about being a messy cook!

For someone who likes things very tidy - I definitely have no problem at all leaving dirty dishes both in my sink, and on my countertop next to the sink. I don't know why, but unloading the dishwasher is a job that I very often procrastinate with (and honestly, procrastinating is NOT something I tend to do...something about emptying that dishwasher though...) The really odd part is: my husband is the messy one in our relationship. I swear, when we were first married he would come in from work and I would find pieces of his police uniform all over the house - boots in the living room, a shirt over a kitchen chair, socks on the stairs. Thank goodness I've broken him of that habit, but he's still a messy guy who leaves things laying around and very rarely puts things away where they belong.

HOWEVER, dirty dishes IN the sink is the one thing that drives him crazy! He hates it when he goes to the kitchen sink to wash his hands, or fill a glass, or anything else, and he finds it overflowing with dirty dishes. He much prefers that all dishes be rinsed, and then he'll just sit them next to the sink - right on the countertop. I guess that's part of the reason he was so set against wood countertops! He purposefully leaves wet dishes on the counter all the time. He'd rather have rinsed dishes sitting next to the sink than dirty dishes in the sink. The nice thing that's come out of this is that he tends to rinse the dinner dishes, and then load them in to the DW hours later before he goes to bed (if there is room in there!!)

This thread also gave me a smile thinking about a childhood memory. My mom (who was decidedly NOT the best housekeeper) did have one rule that you would never go to bed with dishes in the sink. She would always be sure to wash all of the dinner dishes, put them in the drainboard next to the sink, and then cover them with a dishtowel. Every night my dad would make a comment about mom "putting the dishes to bed" under that dishtowel.

Also, if I have a sink full of dishes and unexpected guests arriving in 10 minutes: I'll fill the sink with water and lots of dish soap. For some reason, a sink full of bubbles looks better than a sink full of dirty dishes. Really!

SQ

LOL! This is great...I love the sink full of bubbles. Another classic (I don't remember where I read about this, but I've used it) is to drag the vacuum cleaner out and put it in the middle of the living room, grab a dust cloth and say...oh, you caught me on cleaning day :)

I have done the oven and dw hiding trick too (dw hiding for things that can't be washed in there, but can be temporarily stashed). I do those tricks for counter clutter such as mail or bills too, lol. If you have a good size box, you can always run a load into the garage for a quick fix ;)

Can always count of GW for fantastically creative ideas from wonderfully creative people!!!

I REALLY wish GW had better search features - like, a lot of people here know your kitchen plans, while others (like me), don't. Sorry.

It sounds like you live on a farm and want a country kitchen. Well, I'm from the Northeast - and Soapstone has been used here - in farmhouses - for CENTURIES! Ditto wide plank pine floors.

That being said, if you are going with dark cabinets, it may be too dark for your tastes. Personally, I LOVE retro tiled countertops, but a LOT of people hate them because grime gets in the grout. If you go with tile make sure NOT to use white grout - impossible to keep clean (even if sealed).

I love wood counters too, but still I would never put them next to a sink or stove - I really want to be able to put a hot pot on my counter without needing a trivet. And, well, even though I am obsessed with Tung Oil, and yes, it has been used for centuries to waterproof boats, it will need to be re-applied too often if wet dishes are left on it - therefore it is more work than I intend to do in my new kitchen.

My main countertops will be soapstone or concrete simply because they require the LEAST amount of maintenance in the long run and only get better with age and wear. If you like gray but soapstone is too dark, ordinary gray Portland Cement (no color added) works, but it is more modern. Ground / wet-sanded to a fine polish and dirt won't get stuck in the pores. I'm not even planning on sealing mine if I go that route - why bother - I have no intention of re-sealing it at a later date. And hey, if sidewalks aren't sealed and I'm not planning on walking with muddy boots on my counter, any "dirt" will only add to the patina!

I also LOVE stainless counters with integrated sinks - but they are expensive. My Grandmother had this as the countertop on the sink side of her kitchen and butcherblock everywhere else - it was a VERY country kitchen with pine cabinets and brick floors and it worked! This is by far the LEAST maintenance countertop choice. I'm going to have to compare costs of this vs. soapstone with a sink cut-out - it might just work out to be the same cost, but I already have a lot of stainless, so it will probably feel too cold in my kitchen. If I go with charcoal grey base cabs, maybe, if I go with stainless base cabs, no way!

As for sinks, do yourself a favor and get a big DEEP sink! But fireclay or porcelain enamel over cast iron is NOT the best choice - chips too easily. I actually have a giant antique Art Deco double-bowl sink with a drainboard that clips over either bowl; one bowl is 8" deep, the other is 15" deep - but I really don't want to put it in the new kitchen because it already has a couple nicks in it and I don't want to have to worry and carfeully "place" my dirty pots and pans in it. I think I'll just buy a big stainless farmhouse sink instead and not worry about ruining the finish.

Natschultz- Well, since you asked...here's the plan and you're right, we live on a farm :)

{{!gwi}}

I like these 'cinnamon' type cabinets, but might go a little lighter, depending on the other finishes...

{{!gwi}}

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And I'd like a vinyl 'brick' floor, to pick up on the bricks in the living room fireplace

{{!gwi}}

These soft gold walls

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And something like this for the backsplash...especially the birds on the branch and while the bunnies are cute, I really like the leaves and small flowers.

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And a french country feel with the furniture and accessories

{{!gwi}}

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And this is a wonderful sunroom, with a little more french look with the furniture :)

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And I love the big sink and ceramic tile in Laura Calder's kitchen...even though they are VERY blue, I think a softer french blue might work well...here's the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Laura Calder kitchen

WOW, that's HUGE! We just added on and my new kitchen will be a whopping 12 ft. x 13-1/2 ft! Still better than the original 8'x8' galley, though.

I LOVE the sunroom - we are hoping to put a covered deck out back, but it will face East, not South. I'd also love to put an Earth Oven for baking out there, but I probably won't get my way on that one!

Your kitchen seems pretty open, and with a lighter wood cabinet color I think Soapstone would look fine. You only have one window, but with lots of lighting I don't think it will be too dark.

Hi Lavender!!
I didn't read ALL the responses, so I don't know if this was brought up or not.... but have you considered a white solid surface like Corian?? I know they tend to be soft, but we have friends with it in parts of their kitchen (their penninsula top is one place) and they love it. Their kitchen is probably 10 years old, if not more like 15, and it still looks brand new. My friend says she's even had red wine rings come off with a little soft scrub bleach cleaner. They also have three boys under age 10, so its seen its share of abuse. Maybe you can get a sample and beat it up and see how clean you can get it afterwards. You can't bleach marble!!

Maybe near the stove you can use some soapstone-- I agree that its great for messies (like me!) but since its dark, maybe you just use it in places where you'll put down hot pots. Even the island maybe? With a lighter colored cabinet underneath... and then the bleachable countertops everywhere else?!? Its just a thought-- the other up-side to Corian/solid-surface is that you can always sand it down in 5 years if you need to. Our friends haven't actually had to that yet!! and it is definately less expensive than Zodiaq!!!!!
Good luck!
noelle

@florantha OT: another retiree perspective: I too find my energy waning after cooking dinner but is it from my age or really just from the wine?? ;) So far I've managed to still at least clean my handwash cook pots and pans though very often leaving the dishwasher-capable dishes in the sink if I haven't gotten around to emptying the dishwasher. Thank you, too, for posting about your medium dark counters (and I know I've read this in the Lots of Living thread too) about wishing for lighter counters--I'm rethinking my countertop color from dark with light touches to light with dark (hopefully dirt colored) touches! Laminate but not the 180fx, sorry.

@LL slightly OT: since you have hard water and are doing reno, please please SERIOUSLY think about putting in a whole house water softener. I know, lots of money. But oh, how wonderful it'll be to have soft or at least relatively not-as-hard water! Your dishwasher, washing machine, pipes, showerheads, toilets, and oh yes clothes and hair and skin will thank you. We're on a well too with such hard water, and I'm soooo glad we put in the softener. If you don't put in the softener, then think about trying Lemishine (NFI) which you put in the dishwasher and if not available locally you can get shipped direct from TX that will greatly help get your dishes clean.

Lavender- It seems like we have another thing in common! I am really glad to hear that my choice of soapstone will survive my abusive kitchen cleaning style! :) Here are some photos of counters in french country kitchens that might help with your decision. I am no boxerpups--but I tried! :)

And here is a link to an article: http://www.dreamhomedecorating.com/french-country-kitchen-design.html

I think what you need to figure out is what elements are most important to you (cabinet color, floor color, countertop material, etc) and then go from there. In searching for photos I found kitchens that used limestone, butcherblock, tile, granite, concrete, soapstone, etc. Therefore, I think you can make pretty much any countertop work (although I would be skeptical of laminate and recycled glass). I think french country design is a lot about being functional, natural, rustic and simplistic. So I think you can make whatever countertop you love really work.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link

Natschultz- Thanks, I love the sunroom, too. Your big covered deck sounds wonderful...great place for entertaining!

Noelle- Corian is an idea, because Zodiaq has turned out to be pretty expensive! Soapstone is a great surface, but I'm concerned it's going to be too dark. It's pretty though :)

Mtnfever- Luckily, our well water is pretty easy on the appliances...but it's something worth looking into!

Newbie- Thank you for the photos and the link! You are so cute, Boxerpups is the 'guru' of pictures, but you did a very nice job :)

I'm leaning towards ceramic tile on the perimeter cabinets with wood on the island...and maybe an inset of marble. I'd love to have a little marble for a baking area!