Help! Kitchen countertops!

6 years ago

I am driving myself and everyone around me crAzy with the decision to upgrade our kitchen countertops! Help please! I have a home built in 2002. My husband and I built it when we were engaged. Everything was decided on a pretty quick whim since I was just 22 and didn't even know what style I liked. Fast forward to today and our formica countertops are really falling apart and need replaced badly. I love the colonial/primitive look. I have been looking at magazines and fell in love with soapstone look. But I came to realize that I do not want true soapstone (even our cabinet guy strongly urges not to go with soapstone). So help!! I was going to go with formica that looks like soapstone, but gosh, a big piece looked fake. So right now, I am leaning towards a Cambria Quartz in the charlestown. I need something maintenance free. Please help! I am pretty loaded up with chores already.... we have 6 children and we farm. And well, cleaning is not one of my strong suits. I was pretty settled on the cambria until last night, when I was hot and sweaty from coming in from outside and I I pushed my fingers against the sample. Ahhhh!! And I gonna be chasing and wiping my countertops all the long day?! Smudges and fingerprints drive me bonkers. We have black slate stainless steel appliances and they are an eyesore in my kitchen from all the fingerprints and smudges and, oh gosh. It drives me nuts!! Are my countertops going to be like this too?? I just really wanted a soapstone look because I wanted something a little bit different than what everyone else has. We have honey oak cabinets (that I cannot stand anymore) but they will probably last a lifetime. My husband is totally against painting or replacing them since they are in good shape. So I had thought a black countertop with white veining will be a way that will help me like my cabinets... hopefully upgrade the richness of oak cabinets. Your thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated! Please help! I am desperate to make a good decision!!!

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Comments (4)

Vickie Dirksen
Original Author
6 years ago
I wanted to add that I really would want a brick backsplash and white wash barn siding wall in my kitchen (to the right)

. Also the island will be larger and painted a distressed blue/green color. And also white farmhouse sink. Here is a pic of my current kitchen.
PRO
EBO Design
6 years ago
I find that dark anything will almost always show fingerprints and smudges. Quartz is definitely a great option if you're looking for maintenance free, but if you're looking for something that doesn't show smudges, you'll most likely need to go light. On a side note, if your husband is against painting or replacing the oak cabinets, I have had lots of luck sanding and re-staining oak cabinets. Removing the honey colour can do absolute wonders.
Vickie Dirksen thanked EBO Design
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Vickie Dirksen
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you. But I had asked my cabinet guy for re-staining the oak cabinets, and he said he would have to remove the doors and rebuild them and stain the cupboards. The price I would put into that would almost equal new cabinets. (?) Maybe he just didn't want to do ththis . Also, that is the same reply he gave when asking about painting the oak. I appreciate your reply.

I am a little heartbroken, I thought I was decided on the Cambria Charlestown.... but now thinking about fingerprints and such, well, I kinda want to cry.
AMS
6 years ago
I went through a similar process as you. I wanted soapstone so badly but it's important to know thyself, and I wouldn't baby the counters and would end up with chips. So then I looked at leathered or honed black granites with veining (like Virginia Mist, or Jet Mist). Many people here have these and love them. I ultimately decided to go with the very simplest thing for me, and that was solid white quartz. No veining, just white. It looks so clean, and any stains I've had have come out with SoftScrub with bleach (I am a tea and red wine drinker, and generally messy, and everything has come out - though warning, on my test sample sharpie would not come out).
Vickie Dirksen thanked AMS