Kitchen Design
Remodeling Guides
Alternatives to Granite Countertops, Part III
9 more reasons to rethink the granite kitchen counter
While it's true that there's nothing wrong with granite counters, the fact that granite's so popular has a lot of people looking elsewhere for new countertop materials.
Well, folks looking for something else will be relieved to know that there's a world of options out there. What I find interesting is that the more I look, the more options I find.
Well, folks looking for something else will be relieved to know that there's a world of options out there. What I find interesting is that the more I look, the more options I find.
This matte black kitchen counter is made from a material called Richlite. Richlite is a blend of wood pulp and polymers that's as resilient as it is sustainable.
A perfectly smooth counter material is less important in a bath than it is in a kitchen so why not use tile?
The glass tile used on this counter and backsplash adds an interesting texture that wouldn't be possible with any other material.
The glass tile used on this counter and backsplash adds an interesting texture that wouldn't be possible with any other material.
Even though this is a granite countertop, it's not the granite you think you know. This is Absolute Black granite that's been given a flamed finish. Specialty finishes like flamed, brushed, leathered and honed are giving even the most common granites a new life.
There hasn't been anything really new in counters in longer than I can remember, but what's shown here is definitely new. So new it's not available in North America yet but it will be here this year.
This is a 1-centimenter deep porcelain material that's already popular in Europe. It's scratch-proof, stain-proof and kid proof. I've always said that there's no such thing as a perfect counter material, but porcelain is as close to perfect as it gets.
This is a 1-centimenter deep porcelain material that's already popular in Europe. It's scratch-proof, stain-proof and kid proof. I've always said that there's no such thing as a perfect counter material, but porcelain is as close to perfect as it gets.
Though it's an easily overlooked category, few materials offer the options of texture and color that ceramic tiles do. A smooth surface is important in a kitchen but in a bathroom it's less of an issue.
Glass is a surprisingly resilient material, and when it's etched it has an ethereal quality that can't be match by any other material.
This is an acrylic from 3Form that's usually used as room dividers and sliding doors. But when it's used as a counter it creates an otherworldly air that's not possible to achieve with any other material.
Do any of these alternative materials speak to you, or are you sticking to your granite?
More:
10 Alternatives to Granite Countertops
Alternatives to Granite, Part II
Do any of these alternative materials speak to you, or are you sticking to your granite?
More:
10 Alternatives to Granite Countertops
Alternatives to Granite, Part II