Help with Countertop Mixture

17 years ago

Hi all -

We are remodeling the 1906 house we've bought, and the kitchen work is coming up quick. The house has an Arts & Crafts feel, so the kitchen will reflect that, though not really strongly. There will be cherry cabinets (with a medium brown stain probably) and (I'm hoping) antique heart pine floors, with stained woodwork around the windows/doors and along the floor.

We will be doing a light to medium toned granite on the majority of the surfaces (perhaps a light green, not sure yet)but I'm trying to figure out what to do with the upper level of the island (which will be an eating area) as well as the desk area and the bookcase cabinet, which are on either side of the table in the plan below. My cabinet guy is recommending wood tops stained the same color as the cabinet - all I know is I'd like to do something different than the granite. Any ideas?

Thanks so much! (Oh, and ignore the rest of the floorplan - I didn't have time to input the whole floor and I just wanted to get the kitchen in there...)

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Comments (4)

plllog
17 years ago
I think the wood sounds like a good looking option, but when I had something similar planned (a folding table surface attached under the island overhang), I wasn't happy with it being spec'd as the cabinetry material because it became confusing between what was vertical and what was horizontal. I've chosen another material which is in a similar, but slightly darker, tone as the light cabinets.

There are all kinds of great things that you can use on an eating/writing surface that arn't really good for more kitcheny things, and this is your opportunity.

How about slab glass? There are some really exciting recycled ones that could go with that Arts & Crafts feel while being modern.

You could do a lighter or darker wood, with a narrow border stained or inlaid to match the cabinets.

If you're interested in "green" materials, there are all kinds of materials in resin, like paper, wheat, and sunflower seed husks (I'm getting this one), that come in gorgeous colors.

Copper could look amazing with your colors.

Or, if you want something more Arts & Crafts, you could get one of those amazing pewter counters with the fancy borders.

I can think of a dozen things that would look great. Do you have any other parameters?
kerrygw
Original Author
17 years ago
Other parameters.. DH had to agree to it, which is a bigger parameter than I sometimes expect! :-) The only parameters are that it is very durable (3 little kids, lots of entertaining), not INSANELY expensive, and lovely, of course. I'll look into the slab glass - I'm not that familiar with the look. Sunflower seed husks?? Wow - I've heard about the recycled paper and recycled money counters, but I hadn't heard about the sunflower seed husks. I love copper - we have it all over the outside of the house - but I'm afraid with little kids it may not hold up all that well, and with all stainless appliances (and a stainless hood) it may look out of place.. I ran the pewter idea by him awhile ago (or maybe it was zinc, same concept) and the response was lukewarm to say the least. Looks like I have some serious googling ahead of me!!
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remodelfla
17 years ago
Before I finished reading your post and saw that your cabinet guy suggested wood... I thought wood immediately, but not in the same tone as your cabs. I money were no object, I'd say end grain in cherry and maybe walnut or maple depending on how much light your kitchen has.

I love pllog's idea of recycled glass. You could also consider picking up a color in whatever granite you choose and doing a single color quartz surface. Very kid friendly. I think there are alot of options.
kerrygw
Original Author
17 years ago
If we stick with wood, I also was thinking about a different tone from the cabinets... I'm just afraid the same tone would be too boring. I don't think I'd say money is no object, but we are willing to splurge a bit. (We're remodeling the whole house at one time - everything's a splurge at this point!) Now that the holiday weekend is over, I'll have some more time for research.. fun! :-)