I think it looked cool and different at first (though it was not something I particularly liked). You only saw it in high end houses with plenty of room. Now it's become a more mass-aspirational look, so it's lost its appeal with people who care about design- not so much because these folks are snobby, but because they tend to be aware of the trends sooner than everyone and thus tire of them sooner. Also to some extend too- mass proliferation means the design is executed poorly very often and that really starts to sink the appeal.

My problem with it ,besides the ridiculous added cost, is that it instantly dates your home. Along with barn doors, subway tile and shiplap. I can look at a home for sale and tell you when they remodeled. Avocado and harvest gold appliances, shag carpet that needed to be raked, kitchen carpeting, bathroom wall to wall carpeting and more recently, dishwasher drawers. When you remodel, you should rethink big ticket items that are the fads of the year like the new trend towards brushed brass. Everyone got rid of their polished brass and went for oiled dark brown fixtures. That's on the way out and now they want you to use black fixtures in its place. Remember the washer and dryer fiasco? You have to have front loading machines, but now you need to have top loaders. Refrigerators are another yearly fad.

When tiled countertops were being replaced with granite, if you had more money, you would have polished brass railings installed around the edges of the granite to hang towels, etc. It was all the rage. But then again, 4x4 inch counter top tiles replaced formica counters. That was an expensive replacement as well.

Growing up everyone had hardwood flooring and hated them. They bought area rugs and then came wall to wall carpet. Now no one wants carpet and it's back to wood floors. Spend your money only on touches of the latest fad. Otherwise, you'll find that the shiplap you put up destroyed the wall underneath and that waterfall was a total waste of money. My late husband was a contractor. When he saw barn doors, he would say it was a lazy contractor who didn't want to bother with a pocket door installation. It wasn't all that long ago when no one had backsplash tile. It was paint, and if you wanted to be trendy, you wallpapered it. And don't get me started on the wallpaper love/hate resurgence. It's all geared to separate you from your hard earned money. Next year they'll be pushing formica countertops, linoleum and sunken bathtubs again. You can't keep up with the yearly changes, so think about what has endured all these years.

And one more thing, please rethink using mosaic tile in your shower. Think about the grout problem ahead. The bigger the tile, the less grout to manage. Don't hate me because I'm old lol.

Janice Jones, thank you so much for the insights. Please feel free to start a thread with some of what you think is enduring. Sometimes it's hard to see what is happening when you don't have enough context.

Have you seen this beauty?

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/beyond-the-waterfall-counter-dsvw-vd~5663316?n=14

The thing that gets me is that you use an expensive, high performance material in a place that doesn't require high performance. I definitely see the value when used as a countertop. I have the same problem with stone slab backsplashes.

Rita, thank you. I can tell you that over all these years, chrome fixtures have endured. It's no coincidence that high end hotels used chrome . If you don't like chrome, then go with brushed nickel. I don't like the faux marble quartz counters. I love a white marble, but the quartz "marble" reminds me of fake designer handbags. I do like the waterproof laminate for floors and carpet in bedrooms. I use a textured low pile carpet with a good pad in my bedrooms. I don't like hard flooring in bedrooms. Growing up the hardwood was in all rooms except for the kitchen and bathrooms. People bought "scatter" rugs that you would trip over and they would move. Carpet in a bedroom is a must. I really don't like gray painted walls. They look cold and remind me of cement. My favorite color for living areas is Sherwin Williams Realist Beige. It's light and has no yellow or pink undertones. It's pleasant and clean. For bedrooms, my favorite is Behr Bakery Box. It's just a hint of blue and is restful and makes me happy. I try to keep walls, window treatments and floors neutral with timeless finishes. My sofas and chairs are neutral as well. I love white plantation shutters because I have allergies and it keeps the dust down and controls the room temperatures. They are timeless. I always paint my ceiling ultra white with ultra flat paint. It brightens every room and hides flaws. My trim and doors are always ultra white as well.

When I see a new trend I like, I will buy pillows, throws, artifacts and small touches of that until the trend is replaced. Area rugs that aren't very expensive and that I can clean at home by myself are easy to change out. Towels are always white as well as sheets. Decorating around neutrals is easy and inexpensive. I use duvet covers to change the look. I change my decor that way each season. I use creamy whites and light aquas for the summer, bring out the warmer looking things for the fall, burgundy touches for winter and florals for spring. I keep my dining table set and change that look out for each season as well. My home look is always evolving but with good neutrals to work around, my home's entire look changes and people think I've completely remodeled. The neutrals are the constant. I rearrange furniture and use pieces in different rooms in different ways.

It took me a few years to decide to buy a SUV before I was sure it wasn't just a fad. Unfortunately, they're trying to bring back station wagons now! It's hard and expensive to keep up with changing fashion. Look at clothing styles each season. What we loved, they made us get rid of, but it's all come back over and over again. It's how they get us to throw our money away. I refuse to be a slave to trends, but I dip my toe in carefully and suspiciously until the next craze. When you research the past, you will see all these things making a comeback, but hopefully not the horrible ones. And you'll save yourself a ton of money and regret. But that's just me.

Okay, I'll bite. I've never liked waterfall countertops but I have one. When we renovated our kitchen my DH had virtually no input, but when we looked at soapstone (my choice) he really liked the soapstone sinks (also not my choice) and the waterfall countertops that he saw in the showroom. We now have both. Will it/has it dated my kitchen? I'm sure it does, but so what? I like it. He loves it, and the last thing I am interested in is building for a future owner. We enjoy it and if/when we sell, the future owner is likely to demolish the entire kitchen..... waterfall and all.

Since we are among friends, I will admit to being a complete idiot. Guess what I have? Yup, a soapstone waterfall. It's not a feature. I did not choose it- it was the PO's doing. I reworked a bit of the kitchen, added a wall of tall cabinets where the skinny run is, removed a sink, changed some appliances and kept the waterfall. I think it makes the super skinny island look more finished. The narrow island acts as a counter run in a galley kitchen. The kitchen is closed. Here is a real estate photo. Hanging my head in shame for speaking before thinking. Had I not read sherri's comment, it would not have dawned on me to fess up.

Ok. Now I have to rework my kitchen. What’s with all the soapstone waterfalls? Who knew?? We kept our leftover soapstone and now I want to check to see if we have enough to add a waterfall. ;p. Rita - your kitchen is gorgeous.

And to answer the OP, if given a choice I would say no to the waterfall concept but in the right kitchen (Rita’s, for example) it is the bomb.

Oh Rita, that's too funny!! I also have white cabinets and I never thought of the waterfall as a "feature". I really just wanted my DH to feel like he was included in the decision making process..... because he sure was not going to get a say in which appliances I bought, or how many drawers I installed! I also agree that it gives a more finished/grounded look to the island.

Sometimes it looks right. I have storage on the ends of my island though.

Oh how I love waterfall countertops and wish I had one. I also love black on most surfaces because it is such a fantastic backdrop for just about anything dramatic. That orange door is fab. Rita I love your kitchen.

I love bronze/gold/brass because it really pops against black.

Honestly I rarely think about resale until its time to sale. There are so many things that I love that are a complete turnoff to most folks that I would hate every inch of my space if I tried to decorate for the masses or a future sale. It would take a really "special" buyer to walk into my home in its current state and love it. But I love it and thats all that matters at the moment since its not for sale. I dont think I get caught up in fads and trends only because I never know what the current fads and trends are. I just know what I like and go for it even if I happen to find out down the road that it is/was trendy.

Janice Jones - Like Rita said, please start a thread on what is enduring. That would be really interesting.

I honestly don't get them, either. In my mind, they take up an end of an island or peninsula that could be better used at least as a bookcase. :-) But, then again, I have a small problem with cookbooks. WAY too many. I'm always looking for more storage.

Of course, I also don't really go for the whole late 20th century cabinets-nailed-to-every-vertical-surface kitchen. I'm much more of an unfitted kitchen kind of girl. "Modern" or "trendy" things make my teeth itch. Janice and I would probably get along find.

Speaking of, we could start that thread, Janice, with a link to Laurel Bern's newest post on timeless kitchens:
https://laurelberninteriors.com/2019/03/27/20-timeless-kitchens-youll-love-forever/

I guess I just don't think they are timeless, maybe that's my hang up. I don't enjoy seeing expensive design that isn't timeless because I think about the wastefulness instead. Waterfall counters in particular seem like a contemporary trend that won't last and could be challenging to update on the future.

Whatever people enjoy is great. I just imagine one more place to stub my toe.

-Clumsy

That is because, Thor, little toes are geolocators for finding fixed objects in the dark. :-)

I'm right there with you. I actually wonder how I would do in a kitchen without toekicks. I like the look, but I'm afraid for my toesies.

LOL maybe this IS a pointless thread. Mainly I wondered where the idea of waterfall counters came from. Is this a totally new design idea or is it a re-boot of 80s contemporary design?

This is a design forum. It's perfectly rational to ask where a trend came from, or what it's pros and cos may be.

On a cursory search, it does SEEM to be a newish thing for countertops. Although it puts me in mind of old waterfall furniture.

Interesting that waterfall furniture is more or less "out" - or at least must be painted, and yet waterfall countertops are the trendiest of trendiness.

I suspect it's more that we've gotten to the point that the materials and techniques exist to do this and really make it look good. Proponents state that it's clean lines enhance modern design. This could be true. Modern is not really my bag, so I couldn't say.

The cons would probably be the expense, the difficulty in getting a good match like the one Joseph posted in a lot of materials, and that it could deprive you storage capacity in some designs.

I love the European monoblock islands. They don't seem to get much traction here.

pippabean, no one is trying to trash anyone's taste and no one is forcing or not forcing anyone here to do anything. As I've said, this is MY opinion and a result of living a VERY long, but observant life. My husband was a contractor for many celebrities and I was their designer for many, many years on the west coast. I was merely sharing what I know. If I offended you, I apologize. However, I thought this was a place for "discussions" and advice. It's okay to agree, and it's also okay to disagree, but I don't understand why you felt attacked. Have a wonderful week.

janice, none of my posts addressed any of yours...

PS Here is a mono block island for example:

That is interesting. I wonder if it was small enough to make the whole thing from one slab, given how well it's matched? And what the other end looks like. :-)

That said, I still think they look more like the the registration desk of a fancy hotel than a kitchen.

The island looks normal from the working side. I like the way it makes a barrier with the eating area- in this case there is a breakfast table on the far side- the side facing the range has drawers. I have seen them with cooktops, sinks, etc. There is one made of machined stainless steel from Bulthaup. It looks like a piece of modern art. But of course, now I totally see the reception desk here ;-)

Bulthaup

They are not at all my taste, but I think they can be quite striking in the right (usually quite modern) kitchen. Our designer actually proposed one and I vetoed it. And I hadn't even thought of the toe stub risk. Now I'm especially glad that we didn't do it, as I would undoubtedly break a toe.

Perhaps its about what you want your kitchen to say. That monoblock island sort of says, "Hello, guests. I care about your comfort and style, so please stay on that side of the island while I carefully prepare a meal for you."

Les formal islands say, "Step into the heart of my home, roll up your sleeves, and help with the meal."

Just two different approaches.

I've seen some beautiful ones. But what drives me nuts is the veining on many quartz slabs used for waterfalls. It just looks unrealistic, almost cartoonish. Like it came off of a home printer.