A Moment of Silence Please

SoWal Insider

Mar 1, '08 · 3:33 AM8,112

Say good-bye to granite countertops

High-end kitchen and bath renovations just aren't boosting a home's value the way they used to. Sellers who succumbed to home over-improvement syndrome are feeling the pain.
By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer
February 29 2008: 2:15 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The granite countertop's glory days might be over. :cry:

During the housing boom, updating a kitchen with high end materials like cherry wood cabinets and a Viking stove was a sure bet to boost a home's value. Homeowners often recovered about 80% of the cost when the house was later sold.

But with so much more inventory on the market for buyers to choose from, they just aren't as impressed with the bells and whistles. Now most upscale renovations are returning less than 70% of their cost, according to a recent survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Remodeling magazine.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/26/rea..._ratio_drops/index.htm?postversion=2008022811

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:cry:

Top Ramen will never taste the same :cry:

Edited Mar 1, '08 · 3:47 AM

Replies

SWGB

Mar 2, '08 · 12:27 PM#27

You will have to allow me some time to clear off those countertops.

We got the inspiration for those countertops about ten years ago when we were staying at Seaside. Remember the wine bar, where Cafe Rendezvous is now? We were sitting there sipping our wine and eyeballing the copper countertop bar at the same time (I don't think they ever had anyone examining the underside of the bar, not sober, at least ;-)), thinking that we could do the same. Voila! A roll of copper roof sheeting and ten million clamps later, we had our own. It wasn't hard to construct, either.

It complements our granite countertops beautifully.

Has it aged and gotten any kind of patina on it? Just wondering if regular cleaning will prevent it. :idontno:

beats on hood

Mar 2, '08 · 1:26 PM#28

corian reminds me of what goes in a bathroom for some reason so I never could put it in the kitchen.

Corian was chic and expensive in 1988. Yes, we have Corian in the bathrooms, too. I have been thinking about re-doing the countertops in the kitchen and was about to put in granite. Glad I got the 411 that it's out (according to Southern Accents magazine and this message board). I would have been :pissed:

if I had put in granite last fall when I started considering it.

To save some money, we put Formica in the laundry room/butler's pantry. I have always been embarrassed by it. Guess now it's stylin'!

SoWal Insider

Mar 2, '08 · 3:31 PM#29

Corian was chic and expensive in 1988. Yes, we have Corian in the bathrooms, too. I have been thinking about re-doing the countertops in the kitchen and was about to put in granite. Glad I got the 411 that it's out (according to Southern Accents magazine and this message board). I would have been if I had put in granite last fall when I started considering it.

To save some money, we put Formica in the laundry room/butler's pantry. I have always been embarrassed by it. Guess now it's stylin'!

Quartz composite is a nice clean look, and I think it can be done without seams. If it is too shiny I think you can have it honed but I am not sure. The only things I don't like about formica are the edges (unless you have a rolled top, which is hard to do if you have anything but a straight counter) and the lip around the sink. I like having an undermount sink.

Soapstone is heavenly but it is not for everyone. :wave:

SoWal Insider

Mar 2, '08 · 3:37 PM#30

Also BR I wouldn't worry this time about what is chic, but what suits your beautiful home and what is most functional for you. Granite actually is functional for many reasons but obviously designers have tired of it.

SoWal Expert

Mar 2, '08 · 4:14 PM#31

You will have to allow me some time to clear off those countertops.

We got the inspiration for those countertops about ten years ago when we were staying at Seaside. Remember the wine bar, where Cafe Rendezvous is now? We were sitting there sipping our wine and eyeballing the copper countertop bar at the same time (I don't think they ever had anyone examining the underside of the bar, not sober, at least ;-)), thinking that we could do the same. Voila! A roll of copper roof sheeting and ten million clamps later, we had our own. It wasn't hard to construct, either.

It complements our granite countertops beautifully.

I'll buy the sheeting...you bring the clamps.

SoWal Insider

Mar 2, '08 · 4:39 PM#32

Quartz composite is a nice clean look, and I think it can be done without seams. If it is too shiny I think you can have it honed but I am not sure. The only things I don't like about formica are the edges (unless you have a rolled top, which is hard to do if you have anything but a straight counter) and the lip around the sink. I like having an undermount sink.

Soapstone is heavenly but it is not for everyone.

yes, I'm holding out for soapstone eventually.

beats on hood

Mar 2, '08 · 8:46 PM#33

Also BR I wouldn't worry this time about what is chic, but what suits your beautiful home and what is most functional for you. Granite actually is functional for many reasons but obviously designers have tired of it.

Right now I just want something timeless that won't look dated in 10 years. But maybe that's impossible.

SWGB

Mar 2, '08 · 9:42 PM#34

Stainless steel counters are beautiful, but in the wrong light you'll go blind.

beats on hood

Mar 3, '08 · 7:47 AM#35

We rented the Pappas house on Eastern Green at Rosemary once while we were building. They have (or had) stainless steel counters. They are impossible to keep clean and streak-free. I would buy a bottle of Windex a week if I had stainless steel counters.

BTW that house is gorgeous!

I read that stainless steel appliances were going out because they're so hard to keep streak-and spot-free. What's the alternative to that? I saw in a magazine -- can't remember (Southern Living?) that had brown enamel appliances just like we had in our first house. I've also heard that gold and avocado green appliances were coming back in. Yikes!

How about marble countertops? That's what my sister put into her spec house in Seagrove. They look great.

SoWal Insider

Mar 3, '08 · 8:19 AM#36

I love the look of marble too. The traditional white with grey veining.

Beach Fanatic

Mar 3, '08 · 8:32 AM#37

I have tried it all the the countertops around including cement and all the various shades and materials on appliances--I have permanently settled now forever on all matt black appliances and Zodiac countertops.

SoWal Insider

Mar 3, '08 · 8:43 AM#38

I have tried it all the the countertops around including cement and all the various shades and materials on appliances--I have permanently settled now forever on all matt black appliances and Zodiac countertops.

Zodiaq is a great choice! It's been a couple of years since I researched this, but I do remember that Silestone was significantly better priced than Zodiaq (it's because of the Dupont name), so if you can find an equivalent in Silestone you will save some bucks.

Marble countertops are stunning (and I definitely want some someday) but you need to do two things so you lessen your chances of going crazy: hone them to a matte finish and then seal the heck out of them. The same goes for limestone, which is also a gorgeous but very brave choice for a counter from a maintenance perspective.

Honing the stone means that any etching that happens when the counter comes in contact with something acidic (lemon juice, wine, etc.) will be much less noticeable. If you install shiny marble counters, the inevitable etching will make you crazy.

Honing does open the pores of the stone more, so proper sealing (reapplied when necessary) is what you need to do if you to avoid stains. Stains and etching are different things but can be equally as annoying if you are a perfectionist.

Soapstone :wub:

does not stain, but to get that velvety black oxidized look you need to oil it, at least at the beginning.

Mermy I am so impressed with your countertop ingenuity. :clap:

SoWal Expert

Mar 3, '08 · 8:59 AM#39

Right now I just want something timeless that won't look dated in 10 years. But maybe that's impossible.

Anything that is tasteful, functional, not matchy-matchy, and not the inferior desecrater finish du jour won't look dated.

I love a mix of stone (especially soapstone), butcher block, concrete, and laminate countertops depending on their location and function. My grandmother's white laminate kitchen counters are on their 4th decade!

Tile countertops always looks uneven or I worry about keeping the grout clean/uncracked. Metal countertops (esp. copper) are cool, but not very functional IMO.

Beach Fanatic

Mar 3, '08 · 1:51 PM#40

Here's a couple of other suggestions for counter top alternatives. IMO granite is over done and it's certainly not an environmentally sensitive material, though perhaps there will be a great use for all those granite counters that will be ripped out over the next 10 years.

RichLite makes a composite counter top from cellulous and resin. http://www.richlite.com/

Fireslate is another interesting alternative, also a sort of concrete composite...think old school lab tables. http://www.fireslate.com/pages/home.cfm

and...

last but not least, for an affordable countertop, 3/4" birch plywood with a plaster and water based urethane finish (my special blend). This is what I put in my home for under $200 in materials with the intention of ripping them out as soon as I figured out what I "really" wanted. The thing is, I get so many compliments on the counters and 4 years later, they still look great. I'll probably do a light sanding and throw another coat of matte urethane of them later this year. People can't figure out what it is...looks like slate, or could be concrete, but it's warm to the touch and has a thin profile. It's definitely not for everyone. Just another idea.

SoWal Expert

Mar 3, '08 · 2:02 PM#41

Here's a couple of other suggestions for counter top alternatives. IMO granite is over done and it's certainly not an environmentally sensitive material, though perhaps there will be a great use for all those granite counters that will be ripped out over the next 10 years.

RichLite makes a composite counter top from cellulous and resin. http://www.richlite.com/

Fireslate is another interesting alternative, also a sort of concrete composite...think old school lab tables. http://www.fireslate.com/pages/home.cfm

and...

last but not least, for an affordable countertop, 3/4" birch plywood with a plaster and water based urethane finish (my special blend). This is what I put in my home for under $200 in materials with the intention of ripping them out as soon as I figured out what I "really" wanted. The thing is, I get so many compliments on the counters and 4 years later, they still look great. I'll probably do a light sanding and throw another coat of matte urethane of them later this year. People can't figure out what it is...looks like slate, or could be concrete, but it's warm to the touch and has a thin profile. It's definitely not for everyone. Just another idea.[/quote]

Got pics?

Beach Fanatic

Mar 3, '08 · 2:05 PM#42

Ohhh...want fireslate. We've frequently talked about how it would be neat to have lab counters as kitchen counters.

Beach Fanatic

Mar 3, '08 · 4:35 PM#43

Ohhh...want fireslate. We've frequently talked about how it would be neat to have lab counters as kitchen counters.

That would be really cool. I have a mental flash -cooking in white lab coats, reducing on a Bunsen burner in beakers, mise en place petri dishes hmm.

SoWal Guide

Mar 6, '08 · 10:46 AM#44

Anything that is tasteful, functional, not matchy-matchy, and not the inferior desecrater finish du jour won't look dated.

I love a mix of stone (especially soapstone), butcher block, concrete, and laminate countertops depending on their location and function. My grandmother's white laminate kitchen counters are on their 4th decade!

Tile countertops always looks uneven or I worry about keeping the grout clean/uncracked. Metal countertops (esp. copper) are cool, but not very functional IMO.

yes, a mix of texture in the kitchen sounds ideal. would not want a butcher block top, but I do have a very large butcher block piece that sits on top of the counter that I can not live without. also cannot live without my funky laminate. but would like to add something different to the mix. no metal please. no tile (done this - not for me). but not sure what.

SWGB

Mar 6, '08 · 6:23 PM#45

Ohhh...want fireslate. We've frequently talked about how it would be neat to have lab counters as kitchen counters.

That would be really cool. I have a mental flash -cooking in white lab coats, reducing on a Bunsen burner in beakers, mise en place petri dishes hmm.

A science themed dinner party, that could be fun. I wonder if any of the medical pros on here could scare up dinner service for 8?

Beach Fanatic

Mar 6, '08 · 10:40 PM#46

Say good-bye to granite countertops

High-end kitchen and bath renovations just aren't boosting a home's value the way they used to. Sellers who succumbed to home over-improvement syndrome are feeling the pain.
By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer
February 29 2008: 2:15 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The granite countertop's glory days might be over.

During the housing boom, updating a kitchen with high end materials like cherry wood cabinets and a Viking stove was a sure bet to boost a home's value. Homeowners often recovered about 80% of the cost when the house was later sold.

But with so much more inventory on the market for buyers to choose from, they just aren't as impressed with the bells and whistles. Now most upscale renovations are returning less than 70% of their cost, according to a recent survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Remodeling magazine.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/26/rea..._ratio_drops/index.htm?postversion=2008022811

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Top Ramen will never taste the same

.

Well, if it makes you feel any better I for one would buy the Viking stove and granite kitchen over the laminate and whirlpool.....Just think of it this way...Your's might sell may not be netting more $$$ but it may sell before the other. :idontno: