I checked out the kitchens site and found I really liked the look of the cherry counters, especially with the painted cabinets. Our long term plan sounds very similar to yours! Please share pictures!!!!!

I am afraid of the wood in high wear areas and around the sink. I'm thinking of doing a soapstone area around the stove and a soapstone sink. I think soapstone might wear better. That's what old chemistry labs were made of.

I love the look of granite, but don't know if it'll fit with the period look I'm trying to get....

I am also contemplating using diamond shape tile for backsplash instead of bead board for the same wear reasons..... I am putting beadboard on the ceiling and exposed sides of cabinets and wonder if it'll be overkill as backsplash.... Maybe if I paint the backsplash a bold color like red or green hmmm.

I guess I didn't really help, but maybe brought up more questions!

Sorry,
Heather

Lots to think about!!

We did our kitchen several years ago, reworking a 1960's bad idea not well executed. We chose painted cabinets, soapstone counters in the wet/hot areas and cherry counters in the rest of the kitchen. I have one painted counter in the copper sink area of the pantry. All counters have exceeded our expectations. I clean and oil the soapstone and cherry with the same solutions. I just scrub the painted one.

I think our beadboard backsplash is very easy to clean. I have had tile in the past, and I find the painted backsplash easier to maintain. I do have soapstone behind the sink area. We undermounted a deep stainless sink and raised that cupboard height to lessen the bend over zone and to have a transition space where unlike counter materials met. You need to consider different expansion and contractions rates when combining counter materials.

Try a search for "janedibber" on the forums. I think she has a beautiful kitchen with slate counters. Be prepared for kitchen envy!

We will have teak counters on the "L" around the cooktop and old soapstone sink. The buffet area and next to the ovens will be soapstone. The coffee bar will be marble. Our floors are the original heart pine. The cabs will be painted creamy white . Teak is qute a bargain as compared to granite etc and is perfect in wet applications. Hope this helps. Caroline

We are currently remodeling the kitchen of our 1810 house, and our plans are very similar to yours! We are getting off white painted (not glazed) maple cabinets, shaker style. I like your idea of glass knobs. I hadn't thought of that. I am considering pulls on the drawers, but worry about dirty hands that leave junk up underneath the pull that I can't see. (on the other hand, if you can't see it, who cares!)

We are getting soapstone counters. I just love them. I have seen slate too in a friend's kitchen and it was very nice. I guess I like the feel and the texture of soapstone. I am hoping to do a soapstone sink as well, but haven't decided for sure. We are going to go with a farm-style sink.

I was actually toying with linoleum tiles for the floor (something like a checkerboard pattern in black/white). Apparently they are making a comeback and fit in so well in an old house. But I am guessing we will go with hardwood floors in the end because it's just a lot safer.

We are putting on a kitchen addition as well (halfway done right now), so I am gaining a walk in pantry. I don't exactly know what I am going to store in there (vs what goes in the kitchen cabinets) but I love the idea of an old fashioned pantry. Even though I will lose some space, we added a double hung window. I may put the lino floor in here, just for fun.

We are also gaining a mud room. Finally a first floor closet. Rather than buying new doors for the mudroom closet, the pantry door and the mudroom door (to the kitchen) we are reusing some old doors we have stored in our barn over the years. They need some TLC but you can't beat the look.

Isn't it odd however, that I want all new appliances. Although I am reusing those beat-up doors, God forbid I should re-use my four year old dishwasher rather than have a new one!

Good luck!

Yup...all of the materials I love in a period kitchen have been mentioned. We're probably doing soapstone on all four walls of our kitchen, although I've been trying SO HARD to find a match in marble to this old antique table for our "fourth wall"...no luck yet!!

But marble, teak/cherry, soapstone or slate would be awesome in the kitchen! Ours isn't a very big kitchen, so I think we're going to have the teak/cherry option in a really nice cutting board left out on one counter. Our floors are southern yellow longleaf heartpine, so we're keeping those--white recessed panel cabinets, and pewter hardware (to match an old plate that's going up over the cooktop).

I may soothe my lack of carrara/statuary marble by putting a small vanity top in our bathroom upstairs (only going to be 30" or so)--but if you can find marble you like for a not-so-high traffic area, that would look great too!

:)
Sarah

We ended up putting Bianco Romano granite in our kitchen with Bianco Carrera deco style backsplash.

I really wanted carrera marble, chickened out, settled for the next best thing - white granite. We're really happy. Three years later (we have never sealed it) combined with a couple weeks of teenage boys being 'home alone' there is not one stain - our espresso machine is in constant use and it's forever needing wiped - and it is like new too.

I love soapstone but we wanted to lighten up the kitchen a bit and we weren't sure how it would hold up with teenage boys who think they could be the next great chef without any cleanup skills.

O.K. I've called around because I was wondering the same thing- what's the difference???? A place that sells both said: Both are stain resistant and heat tolerant.

Soapstone- needs oiled, will scratch easily can be buffed out easily if the wear bothers you.

Slate- doesn't need oiled, will not scratch easily, but if it does with a little more effort, can be buffed out....

I asked for a sample of never fading green in slate. It came in the mail today and is buttery smooth and in comparison to tile and granite, warm.

I think I'm going to go with slate, the less scratching appeals to me and the no oiling.

Hope I helped. Apparently our house would have had slate if we were trying to keep it period "authentic" since we have a local slate quarry near by and our roof was quarried from there! (It's a solid black though and I prefer the green) Buckingham Slate IS a wonderful place and very helpful if your looking for black- our roof is over 100 years and still looks wonderful.

Love!

Soapstone isn't always easily scratched. I believe it depends upon what kind of soapstone.

I have a 1922 kitchen that was remodeled in the ... 60s perhaps. It's functional, but not very attractive. I'm planning on soapstone for one of my counters.

I want subway tile, too, and Crown Point makes some very nice cabinets. I haven't priced them yet, but I like the look.

Here is a link that might be useful: One A&C style at Crown Point

lhf79, your wish list sounds lovely. Perhaps our experience can help you decide about counter materials.

We have soapstone around our soapstone sink and surrounding the stove with hardwood counters elsewhere. I have been very pleased with both materials.

The wood counters range from 4 to over 100 years old. I really like working on wood.

The soapstone has been in 2 1/2 years. It is a mottled stone that looks much like a back marble with green and white flecks and veins. I oiled it with a couple of coats of the same tung oil I used to finish the wood counters. It just now needs a touch up around the sink.

Soapstone has a lot of useful properties. It absorbs heat and so can be used to thaw foods or set down sizzling hot pots without fear of damage. It also isn't bothered by alkaline cleaning supplies or acidic foods. There was a bit of chipping when it was first installed, because I wanted a slightly eased edge, but there hasn't been much damage at all during the last 2 years, certainly none that is noticeable. I intend to round the edge someday.

We have painted (latex semigloss) beaded board backsplashes right down to the counters. They are holding up perfectly well.

sharon

Could you elaborate on the edge issue. We are about to have soapstone counters installed. Is the slightly eased edge what caused a problem? Would a squared edge be better or worse? thanks

A slightly eased edge is where just the sharpness is taken off a square edge. It exposes the soapstone to more potential for chipping because the point of the square has very little material. Our sink has a rounded edge and has suffered no damage in spite of getting more use than the counters.

Thanks, Sharon

Would you recommend going with a rounded edge, then? Do you have photos posted somewhere? I looked in finished kitchens, but did not find you. I would love to see how these two edges look.

Another option that has a look that's reminiscent of soapstone is paperstone. I've seen it at home shows and thought it looked really good. I like the fact that it's an environmentally conscious product.

Here is a link that might be useful: paperstone