How about wood?
I was going to suggest soap stone but that presents thes ame problems.
But for carefree how about tile? White subway tile like in the Oyster Bar in Grand Central.
Linda C

If you really love marble, you should get marble. Sealing will prevent stains and if you get the marble honed really well, etching doesn't stand out as much. The stone will still etch, but it won't be visible like it would on a polished stone and only at a certain angle in certain light. Etches on a well honed surface can be sort of buffed away with the green side of a scrubbie pad plus after much use the etches sort of just blend in really well to form a nice soft patina - think old European floors. Check out erikanh's counters over in the kitchens forum.

What about white quartz?

My 3 choices for kitchen counter are wood, white hex tile, or soapstone.

The thing with the more delicate counters like marble or soapstone, even wood, is you have to like the patina that will develop over time. Inevitably, something will happen accidentally, esp if you're not the only one using it. If it's going to be a stressor because you want it to remain pristine, then it's probably not a good choice for you.

Squirrel's right. If you're nervous about maintenance then marble's not for you.

Tile counters can be gorgeous, but too often the grout isn't kept clean and it ends up looking dirty all the time.

For a vacation and eventual retirement home, I think that ease of maintenance is an important concern, and on that basis I wouldn't recommend marble, soapstone, or tile (I have had tile counters twice).

My first choice would probably be quartz resin. It's fairly expensive; solid surfacing (e.g., Corian) costs less and there are some colors and patterns that you might like.

Now, solid surfacing is very out of favor and I gather from TV shows that is impossible to sell a house that contains it. Nevertheless, I'm considering it for my own kitchen, since I hope to stay in this house at least 10 more years, and by that time quartz resin or whatever else is currently fashionable will probably be out of style, too. ("Concrete counters are so 00's, very old-fashioned.")

I have Carerra marble in my master bath. I love it, and it is sealed and honed, but I can still see spots of 'something' at a certain angle. They are not stains, and the lighting has to be just right to see the difference in surface sheen. Here is something I copied from a website on Natural Stone Care about marble counters. As much as I love it, I don't think I could put it in my kitchen.

"Marble countertops and tabletops are easily stained by acidic foods like fruit, tomato sauce, coffee, and wine. Blot, do not wipe, any spills up immediately, and then clean with mild soap and hot water. Do not set hot pans directly onto marble. And place a mat or pad between marble and anything which might scratch it, like a pan or utensils. Use coasters between marble and any glasses, especially ones containing acidic compounds like fruit juices, wine, or coffee."

A friend of mine just put glass countertops into her 2nd home --- they are truly awesome. I know they were more expensive than stone, but might be something to consider as you seem to want something that not many people have - I wish I had a photo, as they don't look like a slab of glass -

How about soapstone? Gorgeous with white cabinets and wood floors...very Hamptons .

I'd put in a good laminate while it's a vacation home, kids are there etc. there are some very good looking laminates -some that look like soapstone. a number of kitchens on here have laminate - and posters have not known and told them how beautiful their 'granite' is...

then when kids grown, you're retired and live there all the time - redo it with what you really want.

Why not look into one of the honed granites. I would stay away from Absolute Black honed, but there are some other beautiful ones, like Virginia/Jet Mist & Ocean Green, or even Nordic Black which give you the look of soapstone without the concerns of it being chipped or scratched.

On a personal note, I have soapstone (Green Mountain Original) and I don't baby it at all, and it's been fine. It doesn't etch and is impervious to staining, and I rarely oil mine but like it both ways. If you shop around and find one of the harder varieties you may find you love it. It's not nearly as hard as granite, but it never has to be sealed either.

If you do visit the kitchens forum do a search for some of the honed granites people have used and you may find you fall in love with one of those.

I have a friend with marble and it does etch, so if you will have an area in the kitchen that won't be used for much prep work maybe you could consider using it as an accent. I really love the look of tiger maple so that's what I did, I put it on a small hutch as an accent.

Linked below is a "too die for" kitchen with Ocean Green honed and the stone yard may not be horribly far from you either, not sure, but I know she loved working with them!

Good luck!

Kat :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen with honed Ocean Green Granite

I have marble in my bathroom and hate it. I had no idea how quickly it would scratch and with the skylight in the ceiling the scratches always show.

I know you mentioned that you didn't want granite- but have you considered the granite that looks like carrara marble?

Thanks everyone, and especially lesmis because that really is a nice granite! Funny thing is, the place where the granite was purchased is about 15 minutes from my home in MA. It's actually where I got the granite for my kitchen there! I've been thinking more about granite today and thinking that a honed granite might be a nice option. I don't need "pristine" but I think multiple obvious marks or stains on (expensive) marble might make me nuts. I also sent away for a sample of Wilsonart "oiled soapstone" after reading several posts about it.

sueb20, here is a link to one of my all time favourite kitchen's. She wanted marble but it wasn't in the budget. Instead she got a special laminate that looks like marble. Might be worth looking into.

Also, my friend just got Caesarstone in the carrara finish and it looks great, but darker than the carrera I have in my bathroom.

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

Budge, that laminate is pretty impressive!

I agree!

I can tell that with this whole renovation, the darn kitchen counters are going to be the toughest decision. Oh wait. I also have to pick tile for 2 bathrooms. I have a hard time with tile, too.

Forgot to mention that in the kitchen, I'm going for a retro-beach-house sort of look (house is a 1930s Cape style).

Sueb20, how exciting to get to redo the kitchen & bathrooms!!

When we are at the lake....the last thing I want is added upkeep!!. I am exhausted when we come in off the boat and when it is time to clean up, I want it simple & easy. Also, I tell guests at the lake....they are not guest..... to help themselves!! So, I wouldn't want to worry about anything that is precious at the lake - it is about having a good time! We have laminate & it works just fine - a little 409 & it's good to go!!

What about the science lab counters? Is that soapstone? I always thought the lab counters were pretty cool....& if they can hold up to kids that do all kinds of experiments on them?

Smiles:)