As a Director of Original Programming for HGTV, I get to watch lots of my favorite shows every day of the week — after all, it’s part of my job! And yet, I still hem and haw about the spaces in my own home…and today’s dilemma is this: “To granite or not to granite — that is the question?”
I know one thing’s for sure — I hate my laminate countertops. They came with my house when I bought it three years ago…and they’re one of the few remaining eyesores that continue to haunt me every time I walk into my kitchen.
According to the shows Designed To Sell, Secrets That Sell and My House Is Worth What? — all shows that I manage — kitchens and baths sell homes. And you can’t go wrong with granite, manufactured quartz or any stone countertops that will appeal to the mainstream home buyer.
Personally, I LOVE concrete countertops, but in a city like Knoxville (where HGTV is based), that is just not a mainstream-enough type of surface. So instead, I’m opting for some sort of stone — still not sure which one…and haven’t committed to color just yet.
I’ve been checking out some cool sites for inspiration including this countertop guide, which offers a grid that helps you compare all sorts of countertop types based on your particular needs. I’m hoping you’ll find it as helpful as I did. I also loved watching the Kitchens & Baths 2008 special on HGTV (which re-airs on October 27 at 4/3c) to get even more state-of-the-art ideas.
If you LOVE or HATE your countertop options, please let me know…and if you have pictures, even better. I’d love to see them!
I love granite countertops and have them in my home. However, granite seems to be so mainstream it has become passe for many high end homeowners. If you look at kitchens featured in Architectural Digest over the last couple of years, for example, 9 out of 10 will have a countertop other than granite. Examples include stainless steel, manufactured quartz, marble, and concrete. Another thing you’ll notice is that modern styles and architecture are becoming more prevalent. Kitchens in these homes tend to avoid granite. Despite this I still think nothing compares to the natural beauty and variety present in granite.
We just went through a total kitchen remodel in our 1930′s bungalow. With a very small budget and low return on investment where we live (Indiana), we decided to go with a solid black laminate counter. We chose a square edge and a lot of people have mistaken them for corian or stone. Here is a link to a photo if you want to check it out.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7178715@N07/2270781715/in/set-72157594572760176/
Mandy
I do understand your frustrations regarding which counter top to get. I am having the same issue plus mine is a financial issue as well. It seems what I would like to have I can’t afford it. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting it..LOL
I would love to send pictures of what I am dealing with but I don’t see how I can.
Thanks
Charmaine
I have black granite countertops and while they look dramatic and beautiful, they show every smudge and fingerprint. I find my self wiping them hundreds of times a day to keep them looking good. On the other hand, they have been indestructible to heat, stains, etc. I wouldn’t not get them, but it makes you think!
I’d like to hear the HGTV hosts/designers who praise granite countertops (and that’s ALL of them!) address the issues of radion emissions from some types of granite countertops.
i would like to know if my thought is correct about granite: it seems like everytime you knock over a glass or slightly drop a plate, it would shatter as opposed to on formica type laminates, it would only bounce and not break most of the time. that is the only reason i hesitate to remodel with granite if i am going to live in the home rather than sell.
I worry that granite and stainless steel are just trends, and 10 years from now, will be looked at with the same disdain as formica countertops and avocado green appliances. To me, black and white is the one thing that seems timeless, can be retro and chic at the same time. I actually love the new “green” materials coming out, and think my next countertop and floor will be from recycled materials. Those are trends that I hope will last a while.
We recently installed mottled blue/gray Silestone kitchen counters (while keeping the 1990s golden oak cabinets); the counters get raves from everyone who comes into the kitchen. I like that it’s pretty much impervious, but while it always looks clean the pattern is so busy that it’s easy to miss crumbs, dirt, smudges, etc. when cleaning up. That is my only gripe with it, and I would definitely get it again as long as I could avoid the newer version that has an antimicrobial in it. I personally feel that granite counters are on the way out (and that stainless appliances are going to be the harvest gold/avocado of the 1990s/2000s).
We updated our kitchen and did another laminate counter top in a black marble color. Cost was one reason and I am so glad we did it. It looks great and I won’t mind changing it again in the future when I want to update again. Although granite is nice, I think the cost of will not allow people to replace it as often as other materials. And we all know that styles and colors change, so before you know it, that expensive countertop is out of style!!! I’d like to see more recycled materials used.
I’ll second the black granite comment! They show EVERYTHING! However, I wouldn’t change the surface itself…just the color.
Marianna
We just remodeled our kitchen and baths. We put Silestone countertops in the kitchen and I LOVE them! They look just as nice as granite, have similar qualities,no maintenance and not quite as expensive. We have solid-surface laminate (HD Wilsonart)in the bathrooms to keep our cost down. They look better than the standard laminate countertops and have somewhat of a “stone” look to them. I agree, granite is passe, especially since everyone is watching their pennies!
I’m begining to wonder if your show gets a kick-back on every granite countertop sold. True, some of them are beautiful, but they are also too expensive for a 79 year old widow on a fixed income. I would like to see you make alternate suggestions for an acceptable, lower cost, countertop.
Granite does make sense as it is low maintenance and long lasting.
We are in the process of renovating our kitchen, and are planning to go with granite. I personally love the way granite feels and am looking forward to bringing in more natural elements. As for cost, after checking with most “retails” I decided to find someone independant. We are getting our granite for 1/2 the price of the retailers. It will be even less than the retailers charge for the basic solid serface materials.
I personally dislike the “slick” look of granite in a kitchen, it doesn’t seem homey to me. I went with a gray Corian that looks a lot like concrete, it is a beautiful color that is durable and impervious to stains and bacteria. If you don’t like granite, Corian is worth checking out. It comes in many colors and finishes and it doesn’t absorb food odors like granite can.
I say you should go with what you love, if you can. We just installed Verde Butterfly granite, a mainly dark green with white and a bit of gold granite that has a pretty even pattern overall. (No veins, for example.) I think it looks fantastic with natural maple cabinets. We used the same combo in the old house when we remodeled, and liked it so well we nearly duplicated the whole package in the new house. For smaller kitchens, the local granite yard sells remnant granite (some in pretty big chunks) for $7 a linear inch, even if the stuff originally sold for $240 a square foot! So if you ask around, bargains can be had. The “green-ness” of granite is tricky, though. It IS a non-renewable resource, but my bigger concern is the human toll on acquiring it. Something to research before buying.
We’re building a new house and using granite (again) in the kitchen and baths. I researched the radon issue. It’s a non-issue from everything I could find out. As far as granite becoming passe, it’s been around forever, is classic, elegant and easy to clean if you just use granite cleaning spray and wipe down with paper towels. No streaking-works like a charm. I think people should have whatever they like and can afford.
Thank you all for the incredible suggestions…from Mandy’s gorgeous laminate (which was not something I had considered, but now might) to Sherry’s gorgeous granite color (I looked it up!) – you all are the best…and your comments really mean the world to me!
I have just changed over from granite countertops after 15 years of excellent performance- no fuss, the speckled patterns hid streaks and drips and I could even chop straight on it – you will never be able to do that on stainless steel !
The new kitchen is white gloss, sleek and modern- no handles and no fiddly moulding – I am over cleaning country style cabinets. We chose an off white manufactured quartz- with a subtle speckle for the countertops and a toning shade for the splash back from bench top to ceiling . it looks fabulous, cleans well and always looks smart.
We recently built a new house due to losing ours to a fire in January of 2007 and after much looking and comparing went with a Cambria quartz countertop. Although the quartz is higher priced than the laminate and about the same as granite. We won’t have to have ours sealed and I really am pleased with the look and ease of cleaning.
I’ve had black granite with blue flecks, really pretty, but needed polishing. We downsized to a smaller and newer house, now have Corian, grey with black speckles. I really love the Corian, especially the molded sink.
I like it better than the granite, but having granite helped sell that high-end home.
We needed to get rid of the off white 4×4 tile on our counters, but couldn’t afford granite. We also wanted something more in a “green” product and found a manufacturer that makes granite tops that fit over your existing ones. They use the left over granite from the quarries and make a composite. It is very pretty without being overly fussy. Plus there is no maintenance like polishing, it’s durable, and imperious to stains and scratches and takes heat, something I was use to with our tile. With the off white tile on the back splash and honey colored oak cabinets it makes the kitchen look warm and inviting. This is about the best way we could go in using a “green” product.
Granite is a great choice because it is resistant to high heat and, with proper sealant, resists stains very well; however, there are reports of toxicity in its emissions. If this is something that concerns you, check it out.
Marble is always a good choice, I think. It is prone to stains, even when sealed, but this can add a patinia to your space. This is one case where staining isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Hi All,
Great comments so far! I have Baltic Brown granite (black/brown) and have had it for 3 years. I had a granite island in my previous home that was white/black/grey speckled. The Baltic Brown is a bigger more random pattern. In either case, I think granite is easy to care for, I have 4 kids, and shows little off the mess hubby and kids leave behind. It helps that my current granite is dark in color.
We have friends with a cream/gray granite who have a stain due to cutting strawberries on the counter. I’ve had no issue with stains, but again, I think that has to do with the dark color.
Anyone with lighter granite colors should be careful with stains. Our friends were quoted over $1000 to have theirs fixed!!
I do love some of the quartz composites, and those recycled materials with colored glass…and I am also a fan of the concrete counters. None were offered by our builder, but if I were remodeling or building I’d look into those too.
I do think granite has become a little passe, but yes, timeless. Backsplashes offer a great opportunity to do something fun and creative. I just love ours, hard to describe, but I’ll take a photo and upload it. It combines bronze colored picture molding tile, with “abalone” liners and textured cream, and metallic bronze tiles. Very, very different, but totally “us” as we have a subtle sand/shell motif through most of the house.
Best of luck!