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The Dining Room Cabinet

This is the blog post about when we first started talking about getting a dishwasher.  I had not been willing to give up a kitchen cabinet . . I have so few . . and Vince suggested having a cabinet built along a wall in the dining area.  This is the drawing done by Home Depot for the cabinet we were thinking of getting.

Home Depot Cabinet

There’s a 12′ wall right off the kitchen and we’re thinking of putting an 8′ cabinet along that wall.  There will be 2′ on either end of the wall not covered by cabinet, mainly because at the right end of the cabinet, at the end of that wall, there’s about 18″ and then there’s a window and I don’t want the cabinet covering part of the window.  That wouldn’t look right.

We’ve ended up getting a local cabinet maker to draw up a plan and give us an estimate . . which is pretty similar to the Home Depot drawing.

Cabinet

Cabinet

At the right end, those cabinets are just the side view . . there really aren’t cabinets there.  That’s about where the window is located.  I am going to get him to build book shelves in that 2′ . . between the cabinet and the window and I can put cookbooks and display things there.

The countertop will be used for rolling pie crusts, cookie dough, kneading bread, etc.  There will be no hot pots and no water (except for cleaning).  I’m really struggling with what to use there.  I know granite is the “in thing” but I just don’t see granite in that room.  This is a view of my kitchen when we first moved in . . obviously when I still had the little fridge from the sewing room in the kitchen.

Kitchen

The countertops are individual tile.  The bar is mesquite.  To me, and I’m not a decorator and don’t have much interest in decorating, the granite just seems cold for this room.  My house has such a “ranchy/campy” feel, and granite just doesn’t seem right.  But honestly, there’s just nothing else that seems to excite me.  I’m not opposed to laminate but for rolling pie crust and kneading bread, granite would be better as far as function but I just can’t get over that I don’t like the way it looks.  I guess it all goes back to my love for tone on tone/solid fabrics.  All the mottling and veining causes confusion in my head.

I went to the granite store Monday and this is the one I chose while there but I’m not at all sure it’s a good fit. This is a photo of the whole slab but I’d be getting mainly the top third . . more speckles than veining.  I don’t like the vein but really, I don’t like the speckles either.  Vince and I went back yesterday and he liked it but I just don’t.  I keep telling myself I’ll get used to it and be ok with it but . . what if I never like it?  I surely couldn’t say . . Oh, honey . . can we get rid of that slab of granite and replace it with laminate . . since the laminate is 1/10th the cost of the granite!

Granite

Granite

My guess is that  99.9% of you reading this have or would love to have granite and that doesn’t make me wrong . . it just makes me weird!  🙂

I’d probably be happy with stainless steel for the countertop but Vince said it seems so “institutional” and I probably couldn’t get it made here locally.

If I had to decide right this minute, and I don’t, I’d go with laminate.  I could get a solid or “solid-ish” and I think in the long run, that’s probably all I’m going to be happy with.  There’s no reason I should be struggling so much with the countertop portion of this project, but I am!

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Take a look at Corian Counter Tops. That’s what I chose for my kitchen and it’s great!

  2. You could always try concrete. That is a good thing to do for counter tops these days and you can get them in lots of different colors.

  3. Judy
    You could look at some quartz or solid surface countertops. They feel stone-like so they would be good for bread and pie crusts, but it is man-made so you can get it in plain solid colors, which you might like better. Google Silestone. It costs about the same as granite, but is lower maintenance.

  4. Before you decide, check out corian. You may like it, and it is much more durable than laminate.

  5. What about quartz? I heard it is very durable not porous and seems not so “loud” to me.

  6. I like granite, but it’s not for everyone. What about a quartz or some other solid surface (Corian, etc.). They even have some that are made from recycled materials such as glass.

  7. We put a very similarly colored granite in a new house about six years ago and I’m already tired of it. The graining is very pretty but it’s much too busy. Bugs me that I can’t see if the countertop is dirty. Wish we had picked either a lighter-colored granite or solid surface material like Corian with no pattern. I’m not a decorator but since you already have two different countertops, I’d maybe look for a solid surface in a slightly mottled color that picks up the gray similar to your grout. Your projects and life are always so interesting! Good luck.

  8. What about white marble? My neighbor is going to use marble in her kitchen.
    I have mixed feelings about granite too. I wish I liked it more than I do, and I hope there is a better option by the time we redo our countertops.

  9. I would look at Silstone before Corian. I am probably one of the few who would not buy Corian again! We redid our counters 10 years ago and have had the corian people back out just ahout every year! When we remodel the kitchen ( hopefully this year) it will be silstone or granite.

  10. I think you should check out the suggestions of corian. I don’t have it buy my neighbor does and she loves it.

  11. qyartz. much better choice than granite. my brother in law has a shop, gh wood design (facebook it) and they just did a very prestigious job, the pasadena showcase house for the arts, and they did 2 rooms–one being the laundryroom where they used–quartz. it is MUCH better wearing than granite.

    i do have to say that the wood counter is gorgeous!!! matching that would be wonderful to look at!

  12. quartz….
    and, dont know if you posted and i missed it or not, but are you painting the new cabinet to match the kitchen ones? sure would be gorgeous and unifying….

  13. Judy, I also vote for Corion, it is wonderful. I have a home ec teacher friend who put that in her kitchen and loves it. Also love your blog.

  14. My Mom has Corian and has found that it can scratch easily and she can’t put anything warm down on it. I don’t like granite either. If you aren’t sure, go with laminate – then you won’t feel bad when you find what you do want and replace it.

  15. We decided to just go with laminate when we re-decorated our kitchen. I figured I could get tired of the color and replace it 8 to 10 times for the same price as granite. I’ve been pretty happy with it and twice over the past 15 years we have replaced it just to have a new color . Super easy way to update the room and NOT feel guilty about the cost.

  16. http://www.wilsonarthd.com/

    I have Wilsonart HD laminate in my kitchen and love it! I even use it as a cutting board sometimes. Last week, I rolled dough on my countertop. I’ve had the Wilsonart HD for about four years now. and it is holding up beautifully.

  17. Judy, when we remodeled our kitchen I did thorough research on the countertops. We picked Zodiac – a quartz product over granite. The only granite I liked was beautiful and very expensive. Our Zodiac (just like Ceasarstone or Silstone) has been in for about 7 years and still looks brandnew. We love it. Great for kneading or rolling out dough. It was about the same price as the entry level granite. Hot things can go on it but I have been careful. I do wipe up water right away. Use a Granite or solid surface cleaner and polish about once a week. Easy peasy. I was so glad to be rid of our laminate and there are plenty of pretty ones out now. We just adore the Zodiac and would install it again in a minute. You would love it. It is not as busy as granite either.

    Good luck in your search. Zodiac may be made by Corian. We saw a Corian countertop in a large kitchen the other day. Friends just moved from a large, fancy country club home and downsized to a very nice place. The countertops are scratched, gouged, burn marks. She can’t wait to rip them out and put in quartz. She had granite in the last kitchen but wants something that is easier to care for. Hope this information helps.

  18. Judy, it may just be me, but I don’t think I could live with that particular granite. Marble or quartz is a better idea, but if you want granite for rolling dough why not just get a granite slab that can be hidden away when not in use? I know it will weigh a ton, but better than putting up with an entire counter top you may grow to hate so much you will try to avoid the kitchen. Been there, done that.

  19. I love my kitchen granite! Maybe something with a rust tone in it to get that rustic feel?

  20. We are in the process of re-doing kitchen and bathroon countertops. I have chosen a natural granite for my kitchen (& have to re-do the backsplash, since it won’t “go”) and smaller bathroom but in order to get the colour that I want in the master bath, I have picked a composite, my contractor prefers it to granite…..says it’s stronger. Check out any major home renovation store…..huge selections, many solid colours.

  21. Just went to look at the Zodiac counter colors -very nice-more like a tone-on-tone fabric. Check them out.

  22. Have you considered Ceasarstone or one of the other quartz products. I am not a fan of granite but love my Caesarstone counters. No maintenance and many colors that should blend with what you have.

  23. Zodiac is made by DuPont (they also make Corian). Nice color choices.

  24. We put in Silestone when we updated our kitchen several years ago and it’s maintenance free and have had no problems. I have a very large kitchen and chose it over granite. Much less maintenance than granite or marble. I’m all about ease of cleaning. No stains, cracks or burn marks.

  25. The Zodiac countertops are nice. The cost is a little more than typical laminate, but not as costly as stone. They also have a lot of tone-on-tone patterns or you can get colors that make it look like real stone.

    If you want to go with a natural look, you could also take a look at soapstone. We put it in one of our bathrooms and love it. Its a little bit softer than granite (and not as expensive) and you can pick the slabs to either have a lot of veining or hardly any. We thought the neat thing with the soapstone is that you can leave it bare and it has a bit of a grey look to it, or you can “seal” it (basically use beeswax or mineral oil) and it turns a very lovely dark grey color and the veining shows up more.

    If you could find another piece of Mesquite, that might be really nice since it would tie the “old” kitchen in with the new cabinets to make a more cohesive look.

  26. If you don’t like the granite, don’t get it! The countertop is for you, not anyone else (well maybe Vince!!) but there is no need to get what’s “in” unless that is what would make you happy.

  27. I have some Corian on two counters and I hate it. It is a solid cream. Can’t let water dry on it.
    If you are “Suzie Homemaker” it might be OK…I would NEVER use it again.

  28. We just remodeled our kitchen in January and there are pictures on my blog of the finished kitchen. We used Staron which is just like Corian but by a different manufacturer and a little less money. So far, I love it. Yes, you can’t put anything really hot on it and it does scratch but it can be repaired easily if you forget and mess it up. I have used it to roll out bread dough and pie crust. It works great and cleans up easily. There are lots of colors and patterns to choose from. The best thing to do is shop around, investigate all the options and choose what you like best. I don’t like granite either, just don’t like all the veining and colors and the busy-ness of it. You can go to my website and check out the kitchen if you like. It’s the speckled surface behind some of my fabric and quilt pictures or the whole post is the second one down.

    http://sunshine-marsha.blogspot.com

    Take your time and find something you really like. When you are spending that much money, it pays to shop around and check out all the options. Good luck! ! !

  29. I love our Counter tops,It’s corain, and we let water dry on it.! It’s White, (DH’s fav white and wood!)I use bleach on it if it gets a stain, and it can be sanded out. It doesnot need to be sealed. I roll doughs out on the Corain all the time.
    I really don’t like the stone that you picked out either. It just doesn’t look right.
    I’m sure you will find what you are looking for. marble is good for rolling doughs out too.

  30. I have 3 kitchens with solid surface materials. The first was coriander. The next two were quartz. I like the choices of color best in the quartz. We just put a granite counter in a bathroom and I really like its distinct veining. It is a personal choice. Granite is expensive. Make sure you are going to love it before committing. Also go to more than one supply yard to look at slabs. There is quite a bit of variety out there.

  31. If possible you might find something in granite that you like at a larger granite store. My nephew just put granite with a leather finish in his house in Tyler. It is really dark and very solid looking theirs is almost black, but it comes in shades of brown also.

  32. When we built our home 4 years ago, the builder wanted us to use granite, but I “just don’t like it.” We went with a textured laminate with a fancy “bull-nose” edge and I know I made the right choice. It’s everything I want in a countertop!

  33. You don’t HAVE to do granite….I do not like it either….you have many other choices….Corian was mine and I love it….or use quartz….I do not recommend granite if you aren’t happy with it….takes sealing and care…others do not…..just my opinion!

  34. why couldn’t you use wood there? if you got a slab of wood and the color sort of matched what is in the kitchen…..would that work?

  35. I love the color you selected – it goes well with the bar top. I have granite in my bathrooms and wouldn’t do it for the kitchen for many reasons. It has a pattern which means there is potential (already happened) to tire of it. Also, at the sink faucet we’ve experienced mineral deposit built up from water. They also need to be sealed a couple of times a year. I would, however, consider quartz/Silestone. Have you thought of putting marble on the new counters and then something else in the kitchen that matches it and the bar?

    You don’t like it – that’s reason enough to go in another direction!

  36. I so agree with Maggie! It’s YOUR kitchen with primarily you working in it and you’re planning on being there forever (hopefully), so do what pleases you both in look and function. I do like granite, we put it in our bathroom and still need to do the kitchen, but after a recent issue with hubs, I don’t even want to do our kitchen anymore – and it’s 40+ years old and I’m using a toaster oven for lack of a ‘real’ one! Concrete, butcher-block, a combo, I love white enamel and that’s what would have been the ‘backsplash’ behind my stove if/when we do proceed with our kitchen.

  37. I have lg imac. It is like corian. Don’t like it, it scratches easily. If I had a do over I would chose quartz. It does not scratch and does not have to be sealed. Cheaper than granite.

  38. Judy, we replaced our laminate countertops with granite and I’m not happy with it at all. We have now had it for about 4 years . We have cracks in it and it is not smooth at all. Granite is not the best surface for rolling out crusts. A smoother surface might be a better option for you.

  40. When we redid our kitchen I had Corian put in on the cupboards but on my island I have a wooden butchers block. That’s where I do 99% of my meal prep, bread kneading, canning, etc. It works out great and the more I use it the more “homey” it looks.

    • The thing with butcher block, though, is that because of the tiny crevies it has, you need to sanitize it regularly if you are going to put food directly on it.

  41. I had laminate put on my kitchen counter tops but I had all the ends done with a piece of oak trim – I loved it! Easy to clean all around!

  42. What a dilemma for sure .. Gosh I guess if it was me: I would make sure its what I really want and if not I would look for other options .. but that is just me … LOL

  43. I love quartz, its not so chaotic. That would me my choice if i EVER get new counters!

  44. I do not like granite or those others either. I went with a black laminate. Turned out gorgeous and my doughs and such roll out just fine! People told me black would show every speck of dust, but I figure I wipe it down all the time anyway, so what the heck. I love it. Good luck!

  46. You can find granite in less busy options. We have a black granite (called Black Pearl) on our kitchen island, and it almost looks like a solid. Quartz is also a great choice if you want something less busy.. I would not have Corian again. We had it in our last house, and it does scratch.

  47. I’d probably go with one of the synthetic solids like Corian, Zodiac, etc. A little less care than granite, and you can pick a more homogeneous color.

  48. I am a funeral director and granite reminds me of headstones at cemeteries. It was a no brainer for me when we did a kitchen remodel….laminate all the way!

  50. Okay. I haven’t read all the comments so if my suggestion is a repeat of others’, please forgive me. If I could have anything I wanted, I’d go for Silestone. Durable and beautiful, and you can get whatever “look” you want. I’m like you with the granite – I just don’t like it! I don’t like the speckles, I don’t like the veining, I don’t like the “coldness” of its appearance. Guess I’m more of a tone-on-tone kinda gal too. I just realized that. LOL! Good luck with whatever you decide you want!

  51. As the wife of a monument salesman/grave stone engraver, I can tell you that the particular piece of granite you are showing has an extreme amount of veining and speckling. As some mentioned earlier, you can get granite that is more solid and tone on tone looking.. And there are a wide variety of colors and “grades”. If there are any monument dealers or shops nearby that you can visit, they should be able to show you samples and order what you want. It may have to be custom cut elsewhere but the dealers would be able to arrange that for you.
    There are several varieties of red granite. Maybe you could match Miss Hattie!

  52. We recently re-modeled our kitchen and went with Wilsonart HD laminate. Absolutely love it! Have gotten lots of compliments on it, and many ask what it is, doesn’t look like the old laminate we tore out at all! You might look at it before you make a final decision. Although I really do like the looks of the wood countertop in the kitchen photo…beautiful!

  53. I just showed my DH th pic of your granite choice. He says it doesn’t look like it’s a ‘tight-grained’ granite and you definitely do NOT want to be preparing food on it. He says one way to tell if you have the right surface for food prep is to run your fingernails across the surface. If you can feel cracks or if it’s like going across a chalkboard, then it’s marble or loose-grained granite.

  54. Judy, don’t just satisfy for something you don’t like. You will be having it around you for years to come and you want a top that you enjoy working on, showing off, etc. Take your time and look, look, look. It may take a while but the time will be well spent. I love what all you have done to your house and yes, you do have decorating skills.

  55. there are some nice edge finishes to laminate that you can choose from. i went through the same confusion when we redid the kitchen and i chose the laminate as a wait-and-see option, but i loved it and have ended up replacing it twice over 17 years. with white, if you go that route, you can bleach out any stains. i do use a hotplate, but that never bothered me. i chose a beveled edge with an accent stripe each time. choose what makes you happy.

  56. I dislike granite too. Silestone is way less busy and I’ve put it in two kitchens and love it. It holds up well.

  57. Check out Corian. it comes in colors, is less expensive and is really tough.

  58. I think that granite is ugly.
    i would go with corian or laminate better choicies.
    and it is smoother too.

  59. A Quarts product, Corian, or concrete… I’d pick any of them over granite – I never did jump on the granite bandwagon and now I’ve read that some specialty granite surfaces are emitting radon… crazy huh?

  60. I’m not sure if you’re looking to be talked into or out of the granite. 🙂 I know what you mean about granite seeming cold, but I think you made a good choice. It reminds me of a river bed or creek, so it fits the decor as best I can see. I don’t always love new things, but I think you have to at least like them. Sometimes it’s just the thought of getting used to something new for me, and sometimes I’m just sad at getting rid of the old. I know it’s weird, but I can’t help it.

  61. How about if you get laminate counter tops with a stone (that you actually like) inlaid into the
    laminate counter top? After all , you would only need a small area for rolling out dough. If it were my kitchen I would redo all the counter tops with laminate so that all the counter tops in the kitchen matched. I love the mesquite wood you have in your kitchen.

  62. Silestone or the like. My friend is putting tops over her corian which is really worn.after 15 years. Mine are 8 years old, and look new.. For the cost, you could probably redo the small amount of counter that you have in the original kitchen, then have only the bar to need to blend with. I’ve had tiles before, and wouldn’t keep them for a minute with silestone available. JMHO

  63. I’m a little late to this discussion and someone else may have mentioned it but I understand soapstone is perfect for baking. And it is solid in color, too.

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