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What kind of counter tops?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Greetings! It's been so long since I've been on these forums.

We have an 1890s Folk Victorian house. 12 years ago we stripped it down to shiplap, most rooms we have since finished. A few we have not. We never finished the kitchen, but now we need to replace the counter top. I don't know what kind of wood it is, the cabinetmaker swore it was like a ship....he was wrong. It hasn't held up well at all around the sink or dishwasher (the ends are still beautiful).

I love the look of the wood, but am skittish to go with any wood again. We'll be getting an inset sink, but none of the counter tops I've seen look right. The cabinets are staying - they are not flat, but kind of rounded (deeper in the middle).

Suggestions for counter top material that would work well with these cabinets in this old house that isn't wood?

I should add, the house is urban, in an historic district, and while we don't attempt to keep the inside entirely historic, most of the options I've seen scream "suburban" which just doesn't work.

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Comments (4)

cookncarpenter
8 years ago
Soapstone goes back hundreds of years as a counter material.

I think it would be perfect and period correct for your vintage kitchen and house.
motherwallace
8 years ago
Another vote for soapstone. I put it in my kitchen and love it. Another option would be stainless steel. While pricey, if done right they are gorgeous and certainly "urban". I think they would look great on your cabinets.
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That's normal. I have a 40 year old slate entry way, and it's covered in a fine patina of nicks, dings, and gouges. I wouldn't ever call it a hard stone. Hard compared to wood, yes. It's about like soapstone. Some cuts are harder, some softer. Not anywhere as hard as granite.
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for the handles, may I suggest something to pick up on the hues in the flooring? A little more copper toned. you have light cabs, light floors. I think throwing in a dark ORB w/o actual copper highlights would be too much of a contrast. IMO. cypress park Sandra, I like the porcelain one better than the other one. Does the backsplash have to be done immediately? If the tones in the porcelain tile you picked clash w/the ivory tones in the counter, it could be a problem. However, I did find some copper toned ones that should be avail. these are porcelain/SS, and treated so as not to stain or tarnish. I LOVE these for your kitchen. timeless and gorgeous. They are probably not super cheap, but it would be worth it for me. http://www.miusartmosaics.com/arabesque-lantern-beacon-copper-tile-in these would also work. the site is here: maybe they have them in stock.http://www.westsidetile.com/arabesque-tiles/ i like this one too. notice the copper faucet. beautiful w/the glass mosaic. if you got the cream countertop, this would look amazing w/your floors. this last one is a copper colored slate/quartzite.
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mama goose_gw zn6OH
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Your kitchen is reminiscent of a design by Louis Kahn. The Esherick house has beautiful wood counters, mixed with copper. What about the wood on the ends, but copper around the sink area?

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Urban Lavaca
Original Author
8 years ago
That's beautiful! I'm not sure how practical that copper counter will hold up, and honestly, I'm done with the wood. We're going to salvage the good bits to make a separate table top/counter in front of the window (which is 8ft tall and 2 ft off the floor).

I'm not concerned with "period correct" as the cabinets are not period correct and I have no desire for an 1890s style kitchen. We've maintained the historic integrity of the house (trims, wood floors, windows, doors, and most importantly, layout) but have mixed it with modern (non-suburban) elements.

I do like the look of soapstone, will see it in person to see how it'd look with the cabinets. I'm looking at composite stone now...

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