This could be fun!

[Italiahaircolor]

I''ve noticed a few threads lately talking about granite, quartz, corian and other solid countertop surfaces both here in Hangout and also in Family, Health & Home...so I thought it would be fun to share pictures, names, and why you selected the shade/pattern you did!

Also, for those starting new kitchen remodels, I''ve included a poll so you can see if people would choose granite again, or go with something else....

 

[asscherisme]

I love my granite! Would do it again in a heartbeat! I bought it from a place I got to choose my own slab. You can't judge what it will look like from a little tiny sample. You need to see the actual slabs! It totally transformed the look of my kitchen.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

I have granite...and I love it!

I chose to go with Verde Butterfly, which I selected because it had the dark green tones, a large mica pattern, slight garnet chips, but also the cream tones of my cabinetry. I also selected it because it tends to be a more popular stone, and I have been able to easily find accesories for my kitchen, like the lazy susan.

My home is full of oil rubbed bronze finishes, and warm chocolately tones, and lots of texture... so this color and pattern played into my scheme really well. I just love it.

I love to bake...so I added a cooled part of the countertop so that when I roll cookies or dough, I flip a switch, and it remains a nice cool 55 degrees and the dough is easier to work with and doesn''t reach room temp.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 11/3/2008 3:11:35 PM
Author: asscherisme
I love my granite! Would do it again in a heartbeat! I bought it from a place I got to choose my own slab. You can''t judge what it will look like from a little tiny sample. You need to see the actual slabs! It totally transformed the look of my kitchen.

I was told you should never buy granite if you cannot pick your own slab because of the individuality of the stone

 

[Elmorton]

The granite was in the house when we bought it. I think it''s gorgeous to look at, and yes, I do dig the compliments when people walk into my kitchen. As our house inspector said, "This is a show-stopper." I think that''s true.

But...if it had been my choice, I think I would have looked into other materials. I have a couple major complaints with the granite. First, it''s like camofluage (sp?). I''m constantly wiping it down because I honestly can''t see where I''ve spilled things. Tomato goop (ya know, the stuff that without fails leaks off of your cutting board) is next to impossible to find. That freaks me out for sanitary reasons of course, but it also drives me a little nuts. Second, it can be really slippery if wet. I''ve always been used to the cheap formica stuff I guess, but if I''m washing dishes and set something down on the counter next to the sink, it will slide. And third (this is really picky, probably), I really don''t like the sound dishes make when I set a glass or plate down. I also have ceramic tile in the kitchen, and I feel like I''m constantly aware that if I drop anything, it will probably break. I''m also a little nervous around my granite because the seller told us that it is breakable. I''ve always had a habit of jumping up on the counter to talk to DH when he gets home, and apparently, that''s a bad idea with granite (?). I also worry about breaking off one of the edges. I know it would be difficult to do, but it''s like chipping your diamond - it could happen if you''re not careful.

Since I never really got to go shopping for it, I''m not sure if there is a better alternative, though. After getting used to the granite in the kitchen, the regular counter tops that I grew up with do seem lesser quality for sure. I told DH that I''m not sure I''ll ever be happy in another kitchen I''ve seen quartz on HGTV, and I''d probably look into those as well, but if your budget allows it and if you''re okay with a little more maintenance, I''d go with the granite probably.

Here''s a pic of my kitchen. I think I have an up-close shot of it floating around here somewhere. I''ll try to get you the link to that as well. It is really pretty

 

[Elmorton]

Here it is I pretty much know nothing about granite, so I also know nothing about what I''ve got (colors, type, etc).

 

[Tuckins1]

Here are a few pics... We have been renovating (Took 18 months just to get into the house, and we are still doing finishing work...) Here is my breakfast bar from my kitchen looking into the dining room. (We still have some work to do, so forgive if it doesn''t look finished)

 

[Tuckins1]

Here is my new downstairs bathroom.

 

[Tuckins1]

And finally my re-done upstairs bath.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Elmorton, you have Saint. Cecilia granite...which is really pretty, BTW

 

[Italiahaircolor]

here is my granite ... you can see a bit of the chocolate floor too.

 

[purrfectpear]

Over the last 15 years I''ve had Corian, Swanstone, Granite, and currently Carrerra Marble.

I never really liked the synthetics because they look manmade. The granite was fine, but stylewise it''s jumped the shark at least 5 years ago.

I much prefer my marble. That said, it is not low maintenance by any means. No spilling of acidic liquids, and no spilling of red wine especially.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Purr, I went with marble in 2 of my 3 bathrooms...and I love it. I choose a bricklay yet solid surface marble for the master and guest...it''s so beautiful!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I have granite, and while I love it, I would have gone with a less busy pattern (I have Cafe Nero also sometimes sold as Tan Brown) next time. I would definitely do granite again, but this time, with a lot more variety.

I'm also in love with soapstone now, and since I spent some time around Italy's marble quarries, I have a newfound love of Carrara marble.

 

[oobiecoo]

When DH and I buy or build a house, we will probably get a recycled glass countertop. I think its really pretty, comes in different colors (I believe it can be customized also) and its eco-friendly!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Have you seen this in person? A company that does this locally is called Granite Transformations...we looked into it because we thought it looked cool in pictures...but up close we were highly disappointed.

 

[blondebunny]

We have granite in our apartment right now and absolutely love it! But Ive been seeing Granicrete on those Flip that House lately... and its looks pretty cool especially if u cant afford real granite But we will definitely probably do granite when we buy a house in the next couple of years

 

[onvacation]

Date: 11/3/2008 6:22:00 PM
Author: Italiahaircolor
here is my granite ... you can see a bit of the chocolate floor too.

Ooh, IHC, I just had to comment that I loooove your flooring! Very rich and cozy.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 11/3/2008 7:26:00 PM
Author: onvacation

Date: 11/3/2008 6:22:00 PM
Author: Italiahaircolor
here is my granite ... you can see a bit of the chocolate floor too.

Ooh, IHC, I just had to comment that I loooove your flooring! Very rich and cozy.

Thank you...it was quite the job getting it done. It''s actually a handscrapped plank flooring that we found thru a distributor in CA. We were told it was "vintage" but we''re not sure what that means since it''s wood...all we know is that we love it very much.

 

[Tuckins1]

Date: 11/3/2008 3:43:08 PM
Author: Elmorton
Here it is I pretty much know nothing about granite, so I also know nothing about what I''ve got (colors, type, etc).

I think this is the stuff I have in my downstairs bathroom! It''s so beautiful!

 

[oobiecoo]

Date: 11/3/2008 7:18:41 PM
Author: Italiahaircolor
Have you seen this in person? A company that does this locally is called Granite Transformations...we looked into it because we thought it looked cool in pictures...but up close we were highly disappointed.

Are you reffering to the recycled glass? Yes I''ve seen it in person and really liked it. The manufacturer I''m familiar with is Vetrazzo.com so maybe that makes a difference.

I also really like concrete for countertops

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Yes, the broken glass. We considered it for our bar ... using broken liquor bottles. But up close it wasn''t for us at all.

 

[oobiecoo]

The vetrazzo comes in pre-made slabs so unless you do a custom job then you can''t choose the types of glass that go into the mix other than choosing from the finished product color samples. I agree its not for everyone, but I personally don''t love granite (for myself) and things like Corian aren''t quite as durable so this is a good alternative. The DuPont Zodiaq looks nice as well and is recycled stone I believe.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 11/3/2008 7:12:22 PM
Author: oobiecoo
When DH and I buy or build a house, we will probably get a recycled glass countertop. I think its really pretty, comes in different colors (I believe it can be customized also) and its eco-friendly!

Oh my gosh, I LOVE THAT!!! Is it concrete with glass in it? I showed hubby and he thought it was super cool too; I love that it is eco friendly! Awesome!

 

[Skippy123]

We have granite and I love it; we chose our slabs (we needed 2 slabs). I agree you need to see the slab not just a square.
I do love that recycled glass look though.
This picture was taken before we put in the faucet and window treatment.

 

[joflier]

We just have plain old formica, but we''re redoing the bathrooms very soon, and they will definately be granite!!!

 

[Haven]

I love that recycled glass counter!

When we add on to the house and redo the kitchen we''re going to do wood counter tops, I''m thinking mahogany. I love the granite look, but I fear that it will look dated in a number of years. (Every newer or updated home that we saw when house hunting had granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and cherry cabinets.) Hubby''s family is in the furniture business, and they specialize in kitchens, so his father is always on trend alert; maybe I''ve just let him taint my views, though, because granite is gorgeous.

 

[butterfly 17]

I have granite, but I don''t know what the name is. I attached a picture. I have granite backsplash and a custom made matching granite table as well.

It came with the house that we bought and was a selling point. The owners threw in the custom table as well since they had no need for it.

I don''t know if I would do it again if given a choice because I find that I am constantly worried about chipping it, scratching it, etc. It is super shiny and dust seems to show up right away.

The house we had previously had formica and we never had worries with it.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 11/3/2008 8:56:43 PM
Author: butterfly 17
I have granite, but I don''t know what the name is. I attached a picture. I have granite backsplash and a custom made matching granite table as well.

It came with the house that we bought and was a selling point. The owners threw in the custom table as well since they had no need for it.

I don''t know if I would do it again if given a choice because I find that I am constantly worried about chipping it, scratching it, etc. It is super shiny and dust seems to show up right away.

The house we had previously had formica and we never had worries with it.

Do you have the full backsplash or quater?

We went with a full backsplash...and its been pretty awesome!

Skippy...we needed 2 slabs too...I was nervous about the two blending perfectly..it looked good in the end tho.

 

[butterfly 17]

Here''s the table. I probably should have cleared it off, but you can see how it looks. The edging of the table also matches my counters and island.

Still, I am not sure if I would have done it if I was doing a kitchen makeover myself.