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Other unusual counter options besides granite/marble/quartz?

7 years ago

I've been looking around at granite, marble, quartz countertops and none are wowing me. And if I'm going to spend all the time and money on a bathroom remodel, I was hoping to be wowed. Are there other alternative materials I can use for my countertops? If you used something different than what I've listed above. are you glad you did?

Featured Answer

hcbm

7 years ago

Concrete, soapstone, wood, Corian, laminate, glass, tile and I am sure there are many more choices.

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Comments (15)

leela4
7 years ago
We used quartzite . . .
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Granite, any brand of quartz, soapstone, corion, stainless steel. The soapstone will get marks and dents and look distressed over time, so have to be OK with that, corian is more susceptible to burning but easier on dishes, quartz is maintenance free and more heat tolerant and stain resistant, but can still burn or stain beause of the epoxy part of it, but hard on glasses and dishes due to its hardness, and granite varies so much from one variety to another it is hard to generalize. However, in general, with dark colors the granite is mainentance free and most impervious to stains and heat. In white/very light countertops the quartz will be more maintenance free and less prone to stains. Granite is also hard on glasses/dishes due to its hardness. Stainless steel is a very specific look, gets a "patina" from scractches over time, like a sink, and can dent, but will never burn, crack or break or likely get a stain that can't be removed. Get what you LIKE. Especially if cost is not an issue. If it is an issue, go with a less expensive granite, or less expensive color of solid surface like corian. If not, a moderate or higher priced granite or quartz. For less maintenance and more durability pass on marble, Jerusalem stone, (lots of sealing and staining issues with those), tile (grout to clean, can also get broken, chipped tiles over time), wood, and laminate (at least my experience has been that it looses its finish and gets dulled areas over time, looks warn and scratched). If you want to be able to replace it easily and fairly inexpensively get laminate. Sue Sue
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Comments (29)
Fwiw, I just mixed faux-marble quartz (Lagoon) with a Carrera backsplash and at least in it's pre-grouted state, I'm really happy. It was hard for me to find a backsplash that worked well with the grey-ish tones of the Lagoon, mostly because my cabinets are painted taupe. Anything that "matched" the cabinets seemed too brownish for the counters. The Carrera blends the two perfectly. I think it also works because I wound up using a very small-scale herringbone pattern, so the patterns in the marble tiles are less pronounced. Fwiw, I don't see the calacutta tiles that the OP posted working with a greyish quartz that's similar to Lagoon, and I'd also be concerned about pattern overload with a subway tile. But having worried about the fake-next-to-real problem, I wanted to at least add my experience that it can be done. One of the prettiest kitchens on here, done by a pro, is GW user @kompy, who used a different marble subway with Lagoon counters, and it looks stunning.
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Comments (11)
If granite really caused cancer, you'd hear it all over and not just from some guy at work! The many other options are lovely and you should consider everything before you decide what feels right. Luckily, you can see good examples of almost every kind of counter in the finished kitchens blog. You can also find out info about any surface by reading here and asking. Try the search function to see other threads like this. I am sure you will be busy reading for a while, lol...
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@Beth H. - thank you for your comments. I don't think we want to have dark counter tops. The kitchen is open to our family room. The minimal wall space in the kitchen will be painted a light blue color, as will the walls in the family room. We were thinking about: a) white cabinets and island b) the Calacatta gold marble 3" x 6" tiles for the back splash c) light(ish) counter tops on the perimeter and island (perhaps with some grey coming through d) medium brown hardwood floors We thought about using walnut for the island surface, but decided against it due to maintenance issues. If we didn't want to have dark counter tops, are there any other options? Thanks!
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chispa
7 years ago
I would rather be wowed by other things in my bathrooms ... counters should be durable and easy to clean!

You could do backlit Onyx, but be ready to drastically increase your budget for material, fabrication and maintenance!
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m_gabriel
7 years ago
I really like my Curava recycled glass kitchen counters. The variations in the glass and shell pieces in the Savaii color are really pretty up close.
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pamghatten
7 years ago
Avonite solid surface ... http://www.avonite.com/colors/

I've always wanted to use "Bluebell" in a bathroom.
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User
7 years ago
Wood, it's warm and can be stained many shades. I put one in and with the many coats of poly it doesn't warp or have water spots. Plus it looks more appropriate in an older house that would not have had a bathroom.
beaniebakes
7 years ago
A friend of mine has a bluestone counter in his kitchen. It’s beautiful but requires periodic sealing.
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just_janni
7 years ago
I have a black cleft slate in my master. Love it!
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User
7 years ago
Neolith, Dekton and other porcelain countertop brands (not tile).
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User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
What’s your budget? $500sf+? Prexury by Cosentino. Pyrolave Lavastone. Sodalite. Copper. Zinc. Macassar Ebony. Calcatta Gold Premium.

Minimum material purchases are usually required. That can take $500 a sf up to $1500 a sf if you are doing a small vanity.
ekscrunchy
7 years ago
I used white glass countertops in a bathroom and they look great..I posted them a few days ago. They are solid opaque white glass.
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plan2remodel
7 years ago
Here's a beautiful countertop that I saw at an open house. This is a natural stone, probably a marble, maybe Sequoia Brown. Visit more stone yards if you are looking for natural stone.

A few more ideas:

Glass countertop (consider 3Form or ThinkGlass in Canada) for a modern look:

Glazed lava stone, Pyrolave, from France, for the eccentric multi-millionaire:

Matching countertop and floor in natural Zebra limestone:

Works best if countertop and floor are both light or both dark; or if they have strong contrast, such as this Nero Marquino marble countertop with light-color floor:

Fumed black granite:

Another option is a uniform color on the countertop with a "wow" factor on the floor; Honed limestone countertop with marble floor:

Engineered materials: Integrated concrete sink with "wow" factor on the porcelain floor tile:

The Nameeks vessel sink "steals" the show on this natural basalt countertop:

If the mirror above the sink does not expand across the whole wall, can put the focus on wall tile instead of countertop. Here's MTI solid surface ESS sink integrated with countertop, with marble mosaic wall tile as the focus:
fourpawsonetail
7 years ago
i could live in these bathrooms and never come out.................beautiful
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Stacy Rahn-Dennis
7 years ago
leela4 - loved your pic on this thread! not trying to hijack but would you be able to share any more? looks like what i'm trying to do. i found your reveal thread so i'll bump that as well. thanks for any help!
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Fori
7 years ago
I have and like tile with undermounted sinks. Counters don't (or shouldn't) get that icky and tile can be had in extremely durable materials. I'm less fond of tile in showers.

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