Kitchen Counter & Backsplash Recommendations please

9 years ago

My husband and I bought an old farmhouse 13 years ago and have done a lot to it, but have yet to tackle the cosmetics of the kitchen. We took a wall out between the kitchen and the dining room (now turned living room) shortly after we moved in, removed wall paper and painted, added tile look laminate floors, and updated the light fixtures. We brought my almond bottom freezer fridge with me from our previous place and eventually added the stove and dishwasher in almond to match the fridge.

I believe the kitchen was last updated in the 80's by the look of the cabinets, the wallpaper and lights that I removed, the current brick backsplash, and the countertops. The part that is removed behind the stove was a plastic panel covered in floral wallpaper... Who knows?!?

We are leaving the current oak cabinets because there is enough old oak trim in the house, as well as a little flooring, that we feel it will take away from the overall look of the home if we remove or paint it. We looked at newer ones but they are all made so much more cheaply now that I'm not sure I'm interested in spending the money on them.

We are however, adding a drink station finished in espresso to another wall of the kitchen, and the same finish to the back of the island (also extending the island for a trash can.. Yeah!)... Can't stand that paneling any longer! We looked for cabinets to match our existing and were unable to find them so we are going with different and contrast. So expresso panels will go on the back of the island, and the drink station will be mission style cabinets in espresso.

We are thinking about doing either diy concrete counter tops (I must mention that we are handy diy'ers that have done several property renovations and 2 home flips, so we are not new to projects- and I have already done loads of research).. or laminate countertops. In our area, I think granite, marble, etc, may be overkill as our market doesn't ask for that and I would rather spend my money on other projects (like new carriage style garage doors for starters). Our island is quite large as well, and I'm expecting a solid surface would be pricey.
If we do concrete, I want to be very careful about not adding any too much red in regards to stain... that's where I'm finding the hardest time about concrete, is with coloring. I'm so used to laminate, although I hate the style I currently have, I'm not sure about having a cold countertop but I'm intrigued by the project idea and the chance to do something custom. Part of me says laminate would just be so much easier though.

As far as the backsplash goes, you can see the metal tile leaning up to the right of the stove. That is currently what we are considering. We thought it would be an easy fix for now to help bring in a more modern element, stainless, that is easy to change if/when we get new appliances. If one of the major appliances goes, we will likely upgrade to stainless or black (see my sore thumb of a microwave.. egads). Anyway, then we will re- address the backsplash idea. We will be installing under cabinet lighting when we tackle the backsplash.

Another thing I have always wanted is a farmhouse/apron sink. I have only found two drop in's that would work in the event that we do laminate counters.. Kohler in stainless but it is very modern in lines, and Ikea has one that is white but not sure how that would go with my current appliances.

Colors I've considered in laminate countertops are Formica 180fx in Antique Mascarello, Lapidus Brown, Carrera Pearl or regular in Butterrum Granite for the island and drink station, and something darker on the outer cabinets like Basalt Slate, or something with little pattern but darker than the island counter.

The lighting is not good today as it has been raining for the majority of the day. Usually my kitchen is full of light until evening from all of the window to the east. I will likely be painting the kitchen as well... something neutral and probably light to counteract some of the dark that will be added.

Thanks for any input you have :)

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Comments (4)

lam702
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Why are there only 2 sinks that will work with laminate? . Of course, I don't have a farmhouse sink so I can't be sure, but I thought if you were getting new counters, they could cut the sink hole for almost any top mounted sink. We have the antique mascarello laminate, I am happy with it. When getting my mothers house ready to sell, we put new counters in her kitchen, in butterum and that was nice too, also cheaper than the fx180. A lot of GW'ers don't like laminate, preferring stone but I am one of the few that still likes laminate. Not that stone counters aren't gorgeous, they certainly are but there are things I really like about laminate. Your cabinets look to be in great condition and although everyone seems to want painted white cabinets today, I think the oak looks really nice in a farmhouse style home.
User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What if you only replaced the island with new cabinets? The advantage of buying new frameless cabs is they hold so much more. You could get a mixer lift cabinet for your Kitchen-aid and move a few things out of your prep corner between the sink and stove.
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First, cool hanging light fixture :) What do you think of white Shaker cabinetry with concrete counters. I think the copper sink may be hard to decorate around; I can't really tell from the pics how dark the copper is, but if it's deep brown, then I think it'll go with the concrete. As for backsplash, glass subway tile is a nice contemporary look if you'd like to pull in a contemporary element. You could also go with white or pale gray tiles in something like 3 x 12 stack set. Then grout in white. Under cabinet lighting will make the glass tile sparkle if you opt for that. I'd stay away from marble, as much as I love it, because it may be too much of different stone types with the slate floor.
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the countertop is fine. wait until it's installed before finalizing your tile choice. LED lights in the 4000K range will bring in a neutral daylight. anything lower than 3500K has a yellow tone to it. The type of marble you choose will also matter. Carrara, true carrara marble, has a blueish undertone. a very cool tone marble. Calacatta is bit warmer toned. I don't know how much sq footage you need, but choosing cheap marble isn't the answer. cheap marble will discolor and sometime rust. (I don't know where you got you tile from in the picture, but I'd keep looking) I understand money is an issue, so check around for sale lots (sometimes if they only have 30-50 sq ft left of a lot, they mark it down). For instance,,,Tilebar has 22 sheets left of this tile. 1/2 price. it's a great deal. all carrara. good carrara! They're 12"x8". if you have a smaller backsplash, it'd be perfect. $500. https://tilebar.com/kihari-carrara-and-halley-gray-marble-tile.html they also have the flower one. only 62 sheets left. Carrara and white Thassos (and their shipping is only $10) https://tilebar.com/highland-zinnia-thassos-and-gray-mirror-and-marble-tile.html This Calacatta mosaic is also on sale. Calacatta leans a little warmer toned rather than the cool blue of the carrara. https://tilebar.com/aspekt-calacatta-marble-mosaic-tile.html check craigslist. I've found great deals from people who buy too much and can't return it. Are your cabinets also white? if so, you're going to have 3 diff shades of white all next to each other. That's why I said to wait until cabs/counters are installed, your lighting is up to date and then you can bring home samples to see how they look. I can show you plenty of other marble sample tiles
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Suziqzer1
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks for your responses :)

hpny2.. Thanks for the up vote on the oak cabinets. I decided that as soon as I went white that the trend would change and I would wish I hadn't. They go well with the rest of the house & I'm happy with them. I'm also glad to hear you still like laminate. One reason they appeal to me is their durability. I can in the summer and don't want to have to worry when I spill some tomato juice on the counter.
Because of the way laminate counters are made, with the particle board under the surface, if you mount a sink undercount or surface mount it will very likely be damaged with the first bit of moisture that eventually gets through any caulk along the sides. There are very few top mounted, or drop in, farm sinks available. I did find a few more online but for their price I would probably be better off with a solid surface countertop.

We were able to find a couple of samples of the 180fx in town today & my husband was with me .. I was glad he got to see how different the sample piece looks than a full counter as it really makes a difference in what you think of them. We found a display with a small bit of the golden mascarella and thought we liked that but managed to get large printed samples of that and the antique and I think we will have to wait to get the drink station cabinets to see which color works best with it.

May flowers.. I didn't know they made frameless counters. I will have to look into them, but I doubt we will spend the $$. I have a vision of making a pocket door for the kitchen aid since the garage is on the wall behind the stove. With a door and a cabinet behind it, I could have hubby build me a drawer on wheels to pull it out when I want to use it. With the metal backsplash, I might even be able to hide it pretty well. Part of my clutter on the counter is because I just bought a new set of bakeware that needs to find a permanent home :)

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Lowes had one of the options for the drop in laminate farm house sink made by Kohler. It's a little more modern looking than I had envisioned, & stainless, but Hubby seems to think that w/our drink station being a little more modern that it wouldn't hurt if the sink boring a touch of that in too.

I have to admit that I'm a little bummed that we are leaning away from concrete. Hubby is mostly concerned about the weight of it on the floor than our ability. I was looking forward to getting all crafty/creative. Oh well, we have another kitchen we will eventually be doing for a rental that is on a concrete slab foundation and that might have to be my chance to play with that idea.
Jillius
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I've always thought soapstone counters looked nice with oak cabinets like yours. It ties into the black cabinet pulls, and to me soapstone walks the line between modern and rustic well. Makes the kitchen look updated and sleek without making it look like you forgot to get new cabinets.

Here's a bunch of examples of that look: https://www.google.com/search?q=oak+cabinets+with+soapstone+counters&espv=2&biw=1777&bih=840&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=dIgSVLS_ArjbsASi3oCQCQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&dpr=0.9#imgdii=_

And here is a kitchen with black laminate that very successfully pulls off a soapstone look:

Here is a link to all the details of that kitchen: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0218124620479.html

Kitchen Counter & Backsplash Recommendations please

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lam702

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lam702

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