I'm not a fan of brick in kitchens; particularly around cooking appliances. Gross.

I like the first one best too! Great choice. It’ll be beautiful

The sparkle quartz-would look better in more of a modern style kitchen.

That traditional brick calls for something different.

That first one looks similar to this one

Is this the only stone place in town?? there are plenty of other marble-look quartz materials you could use.

Shop around and don't settle for the knock-offs (that it appears you are getting)

MSI Calacatta Laza

one of my faves. and very popular.

Or, even a granite, Blue Galaxy or Blue Flower is this name

has those brown tones to match the brick

this one too. Blue Roma, Rome Blue,

TajMajal quartzite?

Soapstone?

or, a quartz look alike would be Silestone Eternal Charcoal

Brittanica Warm is a nice quartz

same one here but paired w/a charcoal glazed brick tile. I really like this.

Lastly, Porcelain slabs. these have come a long way. affordable too. come in all sorts of patterns. I actually thought this one was real calacatta marble. this was at my stone/tile place. cost was $2300 for the slab

suggestions on the arched stove insert. don't over look that as a feature. add some inset shelves

Love this one w/the black stove and black top

or do a niche behind the stove (not in brick)

do you love the brick?

does the brick look like this?

you could do a plaster or mortar wash on the brick.

what about something like this over it?

more of a plaster look

tried to give you a photoshop. shown here w/dark blue. (if you keep the brick do a black cab

then I'd do a really cool tile. (either a zellige, or that Cloe tile has this square)

limewash or plaster in white, do some wood insert shelves/niche, the black countertop, and either a tile or a marble full wall backsplash, like shown here.

stunning

NO OFFENSE? Quartz is the least of the problem

The real issue is right here.....and a far less than ideal layout.

Cook in a doorway...among other issues.

Don't know the original situation, the plan or anything else.....but. Not good.

Agreed with the poster who was against brick in the kitchen, especially in a small kitchen it really cramps the space and creates hodgepodge

Agree that something a bit less slick & modern will jibe better with the brick - are you able to have other options?

Thanks for everyones input.. I didnt post pics of kitchen now but it has cherry cabinets. yes we could knock the brick out and a wall and configure a whole new layout in the kitchen, but we are selling in a couple of years and i definately dont want to out the money into this kitchen which isnt the kitcehn of my dreams. just fixing up to sell. As far as the brick, we love it and it kind of goes with the house. We dont want quartz that has the veins in it. Our counter is pretty small and im afarid once its cut may not look great. Also, i do like granite, but what im hearing is quartz is more durable and does not have to be sealed. Resists stains better. Correct me if im wrong.

Since the brick feature wall is staying, I'd opt for soapstone to better mesh the styles of the two sides of the kitchen. Incorporate brass hardware, sink pendant lighting and a brass gallery rail on those open shelves to tone down the slick modern side.

You're doing this to sell.

I am not an oracle, but it is safe to say, this is a fair amount of money for a couple of years....to put a cook surface in a major traffic area. Let alone in a brick wall.

I'd think long and hard on that one.I really would.

This isn't "negative advice"...... it is the quite negative layout, sorry: ) almost anyone would see.

Quartz is made with resin and ground up stone. The small percentage of resin binds it all together. It is a man-made product. Maybe you already know that. My girlfriend didn't, and she is not lacking in IQ. Granite is a natural stone. Granite is not man made.

Beth very generously!! gave you some wonderful ideas of what to do. If you go with an essentially white quartz countertop without doing "something" to the finish of the brick, it will not tie together and look a bit jaring, which will hurt your resale. So if you stick with the white quartz, then I suggest you whitewash the brick.

My recommendation would be to go with a granite that has bits of your brick color in it. In my opinion, that will help to offset the darkness/heaviness of the brick and tie everything together. I've had granite countertops for many years. They carve statutes out of granite because it is a great, durable stone. Your worries over granite are misplaced. (Marble countertops in a kitchen are a different story.)

Jan Moyer. The cooktop is already there. we are basically just doing cabinets and counters. And we have spoken to our agent that says the kitchen must be updated somewhat. Drawers are missing, cherry cabinets outdated, etc. Id like to enjoy the kitchen a little before i sell. Im sure the next person can paint rhe brick, and maybe we will do beofre long.

First of all, sealing some countertops is really no big deal at all….we had granite in our last house and had zero issues with it. (Here we have Taj Mahal, sealed 18 mos ago, also no issues….not one stain or etching, nothing.) I do agree that the brick, at least in its current red state, would look better with a natural stone, not a very light quartz. Also, quartz comes with other possible problems; we had quartz tops similar to what you’re showing with the little “flecks” in our last house’s laundry room, and a couple of the little stone chips at the surface just popped out, simply while wiping the top. You say the brick goes well with the house, so I’m guessing the quartz would be the odd man out. Good luck! (I agree with Jan re range location….probably not the best spot, near that arched entry. If your current range is in the same location and you have no problems with it, then it shouldn’t be an issue for you.)

Sorry….I see it’s a cooktop, not range. And if it’s already there and you’re just updating to sell in a couple of years, then I’d go with a relatively inexpensive stone top and paint the brick to complement it, need be. If you’ve already chosen the backsplash tile (and purchased) then that will dictate those choices, or else you try to return them if you find they don’t work with a slab you like.

"Beth H., Kudos to you for posting positive, helpful suggestions and not giving negative comments!"

Karen:

If you want solidarity, ask your mom for remodeling advice please; she likes all of your decisions.

If you'd like honest and fair advice which may not be delivered as tactfully as possible but could save you from making a very serious, possibly life-threatening design mistake, you're in the right place.

In fact, this is the very reason Houzz is valuable. You don't get to pick your responses. You may hear what you don't want to hear. Some of us feel an obligation to deliver it, unapologetically.

Im happy to read all of these. I mentioned to my husband we dont know alot about all of this. But there is something called being tactful in your words. Also I don’t think a desgn flaw could be life threatning . im a nurse. I know what life threatning is.

Kel, granites get sealed once upon install and that's about it. I had mine for 14 years, sealed it once, and never had one stain. if you go w/one of the very light/white granite, you might have to seal every few years. no biggy.

the black granite in honed finish would be a nice choice. Virginia Mist or Jet mist, or Negresco, are the names of a few. Absolute Black is the other, but it can be more money. Of course Soapstone is always a nice choice.

quartz can chip very easily. (i've got 3 chips in mine) You can't set a hot pan/pot directly on the surface. on my granite I could. A plain white quartz is rather blah. That's why I gave you the other suggestions, especially about the brick. It's plain, old red brick. nothing special about it. if you were redoing the entire kitchen in an early 1900's design w/the proper cabinets and marble/soapstone countertops, then maybe it would jive a bit better together. But you want to do a modern day man-made material. It can work, but everything should tie into that brick. that's why I said the sparkle quartz does not. too modern. your brick isn't even circa 1910, but more like 1960. Avocado appliances and formica would really work w/your kitchen!

you're doing modern white shaker cabs. (if they were 1920's full inset w/the period style hardware and feet, I would say maybe the brick can work)

You want to do white on white w/white tile and over on this wall you have this huge monolith of red brick! Do YOU think it works? honestly? You're worried about buyers??

BTW, can that doorway be closed? Jan has a point.