no granite countertops!!

[bloodnight]

It is so nice to see a vintage kitchen w/o the "upgrades" deemed necessary by most of the bungalow mags today. We need more options for our kitchens, and images are difficult to find. Articles like this give me energy to talk the kitchen guys out of their "ideas." Yes, I actually DO want linoleum on my floor, not Tuscan tiles! EEEK!:D

[cheapdiva]

bloodnight - welcome!!
You're going to fit right in!!! And since I'm the first to welcome you, I'll tell you the best way to make friends fast here - post pictures, lots and lots of pictures. We're nosey!

A couple of us are in the process of remodeling kitchens right now. I won't be doing granite or a composite - can't afford it and really found a traditional laminate counter that I love. If I had time (and talent), I'd probably figure out how to do poured concrete or look for something vintage.

I am however, going to do some type of press tin on the ceiling (or a modern day version of it!)

Glad you're here!!

[CohenCottage]

Welcome!!

The hubby and I were just talking the other day about how kitchens are starting to look the same in every house. Don't get me wrong, I love me some stainless steel appliances, but you can still have unique.

Our kitchen is new, but it has UGLY cabinets. Paint helped, but I would love to replace them. Probably won't happen unless we stay there forever. We are going to replace or resurface our granite tile counters though. So far the options are:
New concrete - $1100
Concrete resurfacing by a pro - ?$$
Skimstone by DH - $300-500
Ikea butcher block - $486.70 including tax

Here's a link to one of my favorite kitchens ever...Why can't I find perfect vintage cabinets on the side of the road???

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/angel-in-the-details-erika-powells-kitchen-080094

[cheapdiva]

I lOVE this kitchen. Our contractor came over last week to check on the electrician's progress and while I appreciate his comments, he tends to advise on what he wants. I really wish I had the time to do most of the work myself without having to spend months and months doing it. I wouldn't care so much but my husband has NO patience.

I'm getting the contractor to finish up with the drywall hanging but I am going to do the taping myself. I remember those of you who hate doing this but hear me out. We will have cabinets nearly floor to ceiling and backsplash in between. So I am going to only really have to do a great job of taping and covering the screws the foot between the top cabinets and the ceiling. Seriously, we will have very little wall space showing. This will keep our costs down too.

I want to cut a "window" between our kitchen and dining room to use as a pass though - this is not a load bearing wall. I feel confident that with a sawsall and patience I can tackle this. It will take me longer, but I KNOW I can do this. And I think I can handle the trim around the new window and new door.

Suggestions?

[annielinz]

Welcome bloodnight, we are neighbors, I live in San Jose.

I'm still thinking of going the granite route but looking towards honed or antigued. I'm intrigued with the matte finish. I really love the look of soapstone due to its matte quality but concerned with the durability. Still playing around with ideas. My inspiration file is just loaded with pics. I seem to change my mind, but always come back to the dark matte finish countertops. One of my inspirations is Ina Gartens kitchen from the food network. In her kitchen she also has the black and white checkerboard floor I want:D. Heck, her house and gardens is also on my wish list:rolleyes:

[CohenCottage]

I love solid black or light matte granite counter tops b/c they look like slate or soapstone!!! When my mom redid her kitchen at the beach, I tried to get her to go for that look, but it wasn't what she liked...

[smithbbb]

Hey everyone, after months of lurking ( sorry ) I hope you don't mind if I finally chime in now and again.......Anyway, for the kitchen counter at our lake house I wanted a black matte finish because I didn't want any highly reflective surfaces in the kitchen, and I was so intrigued by honed granite or soapstone, but "they" talked me out of these and I went with Corian- Anthricite color. Yes, it is just the look I wanted, but I end up babysitting the Corian because all you do is look at it and it gets scratched- wish I had pursued my first instinct and gone with the honed granite or soapstone.

[annielinz]

Smithbbb, Welcome and don't lurk, come and join the fun :D.
I really appreciate your input on the Corian. I have considered less expensive options to the honed granite, your experience has put another check into the granite column for me.
Would love to see pic's of your lake house too.

[yarborough house]

My first choice is always soapstone- that is what is on my island but it does scratch easiely. I love honed black granite as it takes the sheen off- don't like shiny countertops. I love concrete countertops and wonder if they can be dyed all the way through to be black- it would be matte finish as concrete doesn't get buffed - hmmm
anyone know about concrete countertops?

[Heather]

I've heard that cement countertops "may" have food safe issues - not sure...

[CohenCottage]

We are considering replacing our countertops with concrete, and if you have them poured and installed new, they do dye the whole thing. If you do an overlay product like skimstone, then you can just add color (or colors) in layers to get the right effect. You can use skimstone to cover laminate and other surfaces so they look like solid concrete. I believe concrete is food safe if you seal it properly, but I'm about to research that and will let y'all know what I find out...

the website for the overlay is www.skimstone.com. We will probably use it for our guest bath floor and maybe our kitchen countertops too...

[Lisa S]

Welcome to our two new members!

I just found a 1950's refrigerator on Craig's list. My husband and I are picking it up tonight. Woo-hoo! It'll make a great lake house addition. And it's a steal at $50...:D:D

[vintage girl]

Welcome also to the two new members:) I am new here also and love it. Everyone is very friendly and you learn so much. When hubs and I redid our kitchen we put in laminate. Cheap and easy to do ourselves. It looks good and wears well and well with a vintage kitchen it just seemed right. What I really want in the future is a metal counter, sort of a diner look. Great find on the vintage refrigerator. Ever since I got my vintage 1950 Wedgewood stove, I have been bugging hubs for a vintage refrigerator, but have not been able to convince him so far. Craigslist is a wonderful resource. I have purchased almost all my furniture off there and saved thousands!!! I am looking forward to seeing a picture of your fridge.

[yarborough house]

Vintage girl- my last house had an island with a stainless countertop. I loved it but man does it scratch easily and the kids fingerprints drove me insane..I guess I'd consider it again if the kids were gone..haha

[RoseMary]

Vintage girl- my last house had an island with a stainless countertop. I loved it but man does it scratch easily and the kids fingerprints drove me insane..I guess I'd consider it again if the kids were gone..haha

You would miss the fingerprints, Miss Tammy:)!

I've never considered a metal countertop, but it sounds pretty neat. We have pine planks which were supposed to be temporary, but we like them and don't plan on replacing them.

Lisa~great find on the refrigerator. For years, we had one from the 1960s. It was manual defrost and everyone kept saying--get a new, they run so much cheaper. Well, I did get a new one and it cost us $10 more dollars a month to run it. Still have the thing~wish I could afford to replace it with something else or that I'd kept the old one.

Welcome to our new members!

[mavgal]

Interesting post, we need to replace some 1960's countertops and I still haven't decided what to do! I ruled out Corian right away, also granite. Still debating on formica, would love to just use linoleum, but haven't seen any in town, although I know they're still making it. Will probably end up with formica in a flat gray/black finish. Would really like butcher block, but it was way expensive and didn't like the stain color choices. What a pain, making such big decisions!

[mavgal]

Welcome also to the two new members:) I am new here also and love it. Everyone is very friendly and you learn so much. When hubs and I redid our kitchen we put in laminate. Cheap and easy to do ourselves. It looks good and wears well and well with a vintage kitchen it just seemed right. What I really want in the future is a metal counter, sort of a diner look. Great find on the vintage refrigerator. Ever since I got my vintage 1950 Wedgewood stove, I have been bugging hubs for a vintage refrigerator, but have not been able to convince him so far. Craigslist is a wonderful resource. I have purchased almost all my furniture off there and saved thousands!!! I am looking forward to seeing a picture of your fridge.

I bought a 1956 Hotpoint refrigerator and we are using it in our vintage kitchen. But, it's too small so our old one is the basement as a backup, (so much for energy savings!). It's sooo cute though! But, it is not without problems. It has a big, cool looking handle that pulls out and the handle broke one day. Could not open the door and had to pry the handle open, and of course, chipped the door doing that. Hubby spent weeks trying to fix it, thought it was fixed, put it on, just to break again 2 days later. So, had to remove it again (no small task) and he had to MAKE a part to fix it. For 2 months we had to go to the basement for ALL our refrigerator/freezer needs, boy did I get lots of exercise! Anyway, this time it worked and has been ok for a month. But now my "perfect" refrig has lots of little nicks in the porcelain and a couple broken plastic parts due to having to take it apart so many times :( Then just this week we saw that the back inside panel was freezing up, noticed the door gasket was not tight on the bottom of the door. So, he takes it apart once AGAIN, to adjust the gasket, and it seems okay now. I still love it, just loved it more before the dings and cracks.;)

[BettyGsdoublewidecottage]

I still have the original counter tops in my kitchen. For that matter-the original kitchen, complete with turquoise and chrome trim-vintage 1964. When I get my kitchen looking spiffier, I'll post a pic! I would really like to upgrade-so that's why I am here. I figure you gals will lead me in the right direction! ;)

[oxide]

Even now granite countertops are beginning to look dated. And they are high maintenance. I'd rather go for cheap laminate. But then, I want something that can't be stained by blueberries. I'd go for tile, but I don't like that it's bumpy and grout is a neverending battle. Well, it's off in the future. Maybe someday I'll be able to afford engineered stuff.

[Lisa S]

I tell ya: wood is timeless. I love our wood countertops.

[CohenCottage]

I found this great pic of wood counters this morning...

[cheapdiva]

okay, say it with me . . . .

ooohhhhh, ahhhhh!;)

[Lisa S]

Ooooohhhh, ahhhhhh!

Love it!

[oxide]

My goodness, that wood beam is a monster! Either it's pieced together, or it's salvage wood.

That Apartment Therapy kitchen a few pages back is awesome. They say it looks like a lab. Well, it looks like an expensive lab. Labs tend to have black soapstone counters and either wood or painted aluminum cabinets. Never stainless. Like all the sinks though. I spend a lot of time washing veggies and the multiple sinks would be nice.

[koolmimi]

Hi Everyone - I am brand new here. We are building a new house at the lake. My head is spinning from looking at flooring, faucets, lighting, etc. So far I haven't decided on kitchen counter tops. I looked at granite, Corian and Stilestone. I would like concrete, but since we are out in the boonies I'm not sure I can find someone to do it. I need something easy to care for that won't break the budget. Any ideas for me??? Also want an apron farm sink. Why are they soooo expensive??

[ChapterTwo]

Welcome, koolmimi!

It always seems that whatever is new, fresh, and "currently in style" is more expensive. That's the way "they" plan it. ;)


I don't ever seem to be in sync with what everyone else likes/wants (I guess I walk to the beat of a different drummer!), and when I recently redid my kitchen, I used good ol' Formica. Some people hate it and some people love it. It costs about $15 a square foot and is good for staying on budget. They even have laminate that looks like granite, if you want to go that route.

[RoseMary]

Hi koolmimi~welcome to the forum! I don't have any advice on the counters. Mine are pine, which goes well in my home and I like them, but they are not a style that everyone would like. Some of the other girls will come along and give you some great advice soon. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your house~again, Welcome:)!

[CohenCottage]

koolmimi - have you checked out the apron sink at ikea? heather and tammy have one and they look great! we have granite tile, and i hate it. the grout is so hard to keep clean. if i had a huge budget, i would pick marble or a nice matte black granite. we are planning on getting ikea butcher block counter tops when we redo our kitchen.

[vintage girl]

Welcome:) Not sure where you live, but craigslist is a fantastic resource for sinks, fixtures, etc. I redid my kitchen recently and did get granite. It looks r more like marble, which is the look I was going for. In this current economy, granite in most places is now very affordable. I was quoted $4000 a few years back, but just had it done in November and it cost less than $1000. As far as concrete, many people do their own. You can check it out on DIY.com and see if this is something that you think you could tackle. I am looking forward to pics of your lake house.:)

[koolmimi]

Hi Everyone -

I am rather new to all this. I posted a message a month or so ago about building our new house and making choices for the kitchen. I wanted to let you know I decided on Silestone for my counter tops. It will be multi-colored with black, gray, and white. I think it will look good with my white cabinets. I have been thinking about having beadboard on the front of the cabinets. Do any of you have that? Is is hard to keep clean?

[Gigi]

I don't, but they sound like they are going to be beautiful with white cabinets!

[shabbychick]

My sister has beadboard cabinets, and though they're beautiful, they're not always as clean as one might like them to be. For one thing, I don't think they painted them with oil-based paint, so the paint doesn't last like it ought to. For another thing, they've got two teenage boys and a beagle, and that's hard on any kind of cabinet. I've tried cleaning the cabinets from time to time when I housesit, and it can be a chore to get drips out of the grooves. Not impossible, just inconvenient. But if you're neater than teenage boys and beagles, then maybe you won't have that problem. I adore the look of beadboard.

[CohenCottage]

Shabby , my mom had beaded board on her cabinets at the beach and has a similar issue. There aren't any dogs there but my two nieces (2 1/2) get the lower ones pretty dirty. Every time I'm there I scrub them. Last time I used Windex and a damp microfiber cloth and it worked pretty well. We are considering painting our lower cabinets a dark color at home. The dogs get them so dirty, and I'm sure it will only get worse with the baby.

[Heather]

How are baby things going CC? Are you going to share the work you've been doing on the nursery so we can all "oooo" and ahhh"?

[koolmimi]

Thanks for the info on beadboard on cabinets. No teenagers in the house, but one German Shepard, one Golden, one Schnauzer and one black cat. I love to cook and I'm probably the messiest cook on the planet. So I've decided against the beadboard. I don't want to spend my time cleaning cabinets.

[CohenCottage]

well, there isn't much to photograph yet heather! just a room full of junk. we are going to get the floors redone the weekend of the 24th, so then we can really get rolling. do you think i should post the link to that bedding i picked? is tammy back yet? i was kind of waiting so she didn't miss the big announcement.

[Heather]

Nope she hasn't posted yet since she went away.

[yarborough house]

I'm back CC so post away girl..

[Heather]

OK CC you heard her! Are we going with pink or blue???????

[Bungalove]

Here's a thread I started about painting old countertops. We love our new look!

http://cottagesandbungalowsmag.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1019&highlight=Giani

[Rory Bremner]

I'm looking at renovating my kitchen this year sometime. I have to confess, granite and stainless appliances are probably going to feature in this project, I like them. :)

[canadiyank]

I like the look of granite but it was wayyyy out of our budget. I also liked the idea of stainless countertops but dh didn't (he worked in fast food places with them so had a negative association...I think they are wonderful and fabulously easy to clean, but anyway)...we went with a granite-looking laminate...

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f145/canadiyank/House%20pics/20867_406015083545_655413545_4485679_6775533_n.jpg

[Rory Bremner]

Looks good too!

[canadiyank]

Thanks, they certainly work well, and were priced right, but I admit I have granite-envy. :D

[yarborough house]

We had stainless on our island at the last house and man it was a chore. Fingerprints all the time but more so all the scratches when kids cut fruit or you slid a plate or pan across it - never again. We have butcher block from IKea and I love them..

[canadiyank]

Sounds like a pain! Was it brushed or shiny stainless?

[Bungalove]

canadiyank, your kitchen is beautiful. I really like how your cabinets go all the way to the ceiling -- more storage and no extra stuff to dust.

[canadiyank]

Yes, exactly! They're 9 ft. ceilings on the main floor, so those are some high cabinets, but I've got a step stool, a tall husband, and lots of lovely storage. :)