Kitchen progress update (slow) and question for counter material

12 years ago

Well, the kitchen progress is s.l.o.w.l.y. moving along. *sigh*. Cab guy is no speed demon but oh well. The range hood was to have been delivered last Saturday afternoon but no show thus far.
I've been focusing on packing and moving household items the past couple weeks so the whole thing is moving forward. Anyway, we've gotten one cabinet installed: the liquor cabinet in the pantry alcove. It had to be installed before the trim guy could finish out this area. We've bought barn door hardware and will have a sliding door over the food pantry part of this alcove and there will ultimately be glass (TBD) in the cabinet doors.

The light is an antique reverse painted fixture that I found at a rummage sale years ago and the mirror is one that I've had for a long time... glad to have found a spot for it here! (Picture fresh flowers instead of the pile of bowls and crap that you see there now, lol)
For anyone that remembers, we supplied white oak planks (that DH cut years ago) for the kitchen cabinets. There is quite a bit of quarter-sawn in some of the boards, so we thought to use that for this cabinet, since it's removed from the kitchen cabinets proper and sort of marks our 'dining area' in this teeny house. I had him use a chestnut stain as well... the kitchen cabs will be a lighter pecan stain. We're happy with how it turned out but now the question I have is about the counter for this cab. I need a piece of something about 30" wide x 12.5" deep and I really would like to find a remnant of rainforest green (still have never gotten sixtyohno's counter out of my system) but I've been unable to locate anything other than 12" rainforest tiles locally. Does anyone have a source anywhere in this country for some rainforest remnant OR any other ideas for what would look nice here. I'd like to pull some colors from the Bradbury paper over this area (which is why the rainforest would be so cool, IMO). Would a rainforest tile counter look clumsy with 2 seams in the top and front edge in such a small space?

The counter in the kitchen area is 98% decided to be luna sand Formica solid surface, if that matters, but as I said this cabinet is kind of it's own little island in the kitchen design.

Any ideas or opinions about my counter question?

Here is a link that might be useful: sixtyohno rainforest counter

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Comments (14)

onedogedie
12 years ago
I'm thrilled that you have decided to go with the Luna Sand for the kitchen proper. For this beautiful cabinet why not use copper? It would make total sense with your copper farmhouse sink.
Bunny
12 years ago
deedles, that little cabinet is a beauty. I just love quarter-sawn oak!! Copper would be nice. How about soapstone? Although the Rainforest is stunning, I think there is already enough movement in that space with the wood grain and the stuff behind the glass.
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deedles
Original Author
12 years ago
Hmmm, copper is a neat idea and kind of does make sense! DH is not a soapstone fan, unfortunately. But copper...

So, a copper wrap or copper tiles? Or Sheet copper on the top and some small nifty copper tiles on the edge maybe?

Have to ponder this....

keep 'em coming!
User
12 years ago
Sweet cabinet! Your cabinet maker does excellent work. We have a 1916 quarter-sawn oak sideboard.

I would have used an oak top, but I'm assuming you want something water-proof for pouring drinks. Won't copper get rings all over it?
deedles
Original Author
12 years ago
Well, I'd like a patina'd copper anyway. This cab is so shallow, I don't really see much drink-making happening there... but, who knows? I also was thinking about a wood top, too. Thought maybe a hunk of reclaimed elm or chestnut? Or oak. We have plenty of that and some of it is 2" thick which would be a nice, chunky top. That would be easy and cheap to do oak, actually, which is good since we're getting a bit tired of spending $$ at this point in time.
romy718
12 years ago
Your cabinet maker might be pokey but that's a beauty. Love the hardware.
cluelessincolorado
12 years ago
How about Rainforest Brown?
http://www.pinnaclestoneworks.com/remnants/photo/N00674.JPG

Here is a link that might be useful:
cluelessincolorado
12 years ago
Also meant to add - that cabinet is gorgeous!
Fori
12 years ago
That's so nice. And it's great you're doing the important cabinets first! Fridge: check. Liquor: check.

Could you do a stone mosaic there? Not super practical but that doesn't matter! Of if you do go with the RF tiles, chop them up into diamonds or something so that it looks more deliberate than two seams.

But, knowing how fast I like to move, I'd just slap a big cutting board there and keep shopping the remnants until the perfect one shows up. Could be years.

And yes, nice thick matching oak (maybe with a sturdy poly finish) would look absolutely perfect there as well. You could even make a nice trivet to keep there out of an oak trimmed rainforest green tile. Orrrr...embed two perfectly sized tiles INTO the oak top. With an oak strip between them.
lavender_lass
12 years ago
I'm no granite expert...but if water rings wouldn't show (from flowers) I'd choose absolute black granite. It would be pretty with your other choices, but not detract from them. And if your DH is not a soapstone fan, it may win him over to a similar look. Very sleek and masculine, but easy to maintain, from what I've read.
deedles
Original Author
12 years ago
Hey, thanks for the ideas and nice cabinet comments, guys. All good. I'll check that rainforest brown, too. Um, it's not really grabbing me like the green does but good thought, thanks CIC!

Romy: I loved the hardware until the first screw stripped out and then a handle snapped off the first time I pulled on it. Oh well, that's what you get for buying cheap crap hardware from overseas. I needed something with a flat projection and that seemed to fit the bill. They are sending replacements, no questions asked, though.

Now Fori, you are on to something with that embedded tile thought..... I'll have a wine tonight ;) and mull over that idea, but I like it! Maybe we could cut the tile so it was more rectangular and inset one into the center of the oak? Oh! I have so many tile samples of all sorts that might work for this... have to drag out my box and look through it.

(what does one DO what all the samples when the remodeling is done, anyway? There's a thread to start....)
deedles
Original Author
12 years ago
Hey Lav, just posted while you posted but re: my last comment to Fori about the inset tile, we used absolute black granite tiles under our wood stove (WORST IDEA EVER looks clean for about 2 minutes after you wipe it off) and we do have several left over, I'll enter those into the inset tile sweepstakes along with the rest. Good idea.

There is always the left-over pebble tile, too. Too bumpy, probably.
lavender_lass
12 years ago
I can see why it would be a problem under the wood stove! Black always shows the dirt, but in a little area and with that wood...it would be very pretty. I can see why you like the green, too. Would a green ceramic tile be a possibility?
andreak100
12 years ago
What a lovely cabinet! I really think that copper would be wonderful for it...something a little different, but not crazy.