If you haven't picked out your cabinets yet, then you are putting the cart before the horse. The majority of your budget goes to the cabinets, and a lot of how much budget you have left will depend on how much you choose to spend for them---and your plan may change and you may pick cabinetry that doesn't really go with your intial vision.

I know how you want to plan the budget and figure out how to apportion enough for countertops, but really, a reclaimed corner isn't that much space. Say it's 36" x 36" (being very generous). That's only 9 square feet of counter space increase. Even if you're in the dollar range of $100 per square foot installed, that's only $1k increase to the overall budget. With average kitchen remodels being in the $30K range, that's a 3% budget increase. That's well within the 10-15% "overage contingency" that should be set aside for incidentals in a remodel. If you're not stretched too far in your budget on the front end, then that shouldn't be an issue. If you ARE stretched too thin already, then it's time to rethink the project's elements, or rethink the budget's elasticity.

This doesn't really meet your criteria, but I couldn't afford stone and find I like my stainless counter for rolling out pastry. We had our local sheet metal shop fabricate it over the underlayment/countertop material that my dh precut for them. Then he just brought it home and we dropped it in place. It was $17/sq ft.

You're probably thinking it'd look too modern, but I've seen it in photos of more traditional, classic looking kitchens, and think it works. Farmhouses put function over form, and I think stainless honors that hard-working type of value. I think zinc was sometimes used in past eras, and stainless is a similar look.

You could consider a common dark granite like Ubatuba for less than 1/2 the cost of soapstone. You'd still have the dark color, but not the honed appearance or the pricetag. If you really get into a money pinch, you could consider a nice laminate countertop for now, and swap it out later for what you really want. Or you could do some of your countertops in butcherblock from IKEA for a HUGE savings.

Mixing counters is very retro-farmy. Don't think it all has to be the same, especially if you want some really pricey stuff in there!

Fori's right. Stone for the baking area and wood or something else for the rest?

Lot's of really good advice here from all parties - I have to single out
Live Wire Oak - really sound wisdom...

I am not a designer - just a Fabricator - but That said - I'd think about
maybe a "Danby Marble" too - totally fits into the "time frame" of a "period"
home like the one you have....Looks similar to Carrara, but is from the North East US - Danby from Vermont Quarries... I'll try to post a link...

Plus - Gaining a few square feet of countertop space (in my opinion)
should not make your project jump from "average" to "Taj Mahal".. or unless
I am missing something... My guess is that you will see a modest increase in
cost overall, but not something of a "Goverment Job"... HA!!!

just my .02 cents worth

hope this helps you.......

kevin

Here is a link that might be useful: Danby Marble

Hi Kevin and Live-wire-oak.. the space we got from the chimney and the corner nearly doubled the amount of cabinets and counterspace we can have. The chimney monopolized an entire wall (rendered it useless). The corner conquest also involved raising a window, so we gained a lot of space there as well. I suppose we don't need to use all that space, but it's put us in a different stratosphere.... on the other hand, the difference between a cheaper granite and soapstone for the size of our kitchen would "only" be about 2-3K, so in the big scheme of things, it is not a huge problem.. the problem are all the items that are "only" 1,000 more.. the all add up really quickly.

Danielle00-

I hear ya!!

I am showing my age now,
but I remember Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois saying this:

"A billion hear, a billion there -
pretty soon, it adds up to REAL MONEY!!!"

Maybe if you could post a drawing or layout illustration of the
expanded areas, some of us could give you some insight....

hope that helps

kevin

I am starting out as well and am going for the cottage/traditional look.
Get some back issues of Cottage Living Magazine..they have a kitchen one that I have been carrying around like a bible.

Try open upper cabinets..butcher block...Statuary Marble is NOT crazy expensive.

thanks alterit-- we're planning on integrating some open shelving.. I think we can save there-- butcher block is a great idea. I'm planning on recycling a John Boos block I picked up at Costco last year (really good deal-- $150.. online elsewhere I saw it for $1200).

Kevin,
Our latest "just another 1K" was moving the plumbing across the room.. I've given up the dream of an apron front sink, but am still hoping for a wider window (another 1K+ since it involves dealing with some framing on the exterior wall). My plan is to trim costs where I can.. on the other hand, we don't plan to move any time soon and the kitchen is by far the largest room in our house-- so it's almost like a whole-house renovation..

I'll try to post our final plans by the end of the week (that's when I'll have them).

thanks alterit-- we're planning on integrating some open shelving.. I think we can save there-- butcher block is a great idea. I'm planning on recycling a John Boos block I picked up at Costco last year (really good deal-- $150.. online elsewhere I saw it for $1200).

Kevin,
Our latest "just another 1K" was moving the plumbing across the room.. I've given up the dream of an apron front sink, but am still hoping for a wider window (another 1K+ since it involves dealing with some framing on the exterior wall). My plan is to trim costs where I can.. on the other hand, we don't plan to move any time soon and the kitchen is by far the largest room in our house-- so it's almost like a whole-house renovation..

I'll try to post our final plans by the end of the week (that's when I'll have them).