Bathroom Vanity Countertop

last year

last modified: last year

Getting new countertop for honey oak vanity in rustic bathroom(log house). Had a wood countertop, but it's very warn, so we thought a granite or quartz would be better. I am thinking granite would be a bit more durable than quartz. I can't find anything that looks good with the vanity. I don't like black or pure white(marble look), or anything too busy. Alao, I read that the lighter the color, the less dense the granite is. Has to go with cabinet, white sink and floor. Will also be putting in a new ORB faucet Any suggestions?

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dani_m08

last year

last modified: last year

I actually like the idea of a white quartz countertop - that's what I'm installing in my primary bathroom (white oak vanity - real Carrara tile in shower + charcoal real slate tile from Brazil in herringbone pattern on floor).

These cabinets look nice with solid white quartz. Many designers recommend solid white quartz for red oak/honey oak cabinets:

However, I also like soapstone a lot.

Here is a quartz soapstone countertop on a new red oak vanity (it hasn't turned to a honey oak color - or have an orange undertone yet):

Here is black granite on honey oak kitchen cabinets. I would do honed black granite instead of polished.

Here is LG quartz countertop sample with red oak cabinets (honey oak) - the color name is Clarino:

Here are some granites that are recommended for honey oak/red oak cabinets (they could have a different name depending upon the stone yard):

Even though you mentioned that white granite isn't as durable as darker granites - I haven't read posts on Houzz re: people having issues with white background granites (some quarzites - yes - but not granite or quartz countertops):

Here are some quartz suggestions for red oak/honey oak cabinets:

While I know that you don't want marble countertops (although, I have polished Carrara countertops in a frequently bathroom for the past four years - zero issues) - you can find quartz countertops that look similar to the following marble countertop recommendations:

Here are some quartzite countertop recommendations - quartzite is a natural stone - harder than granite (not the same as quartz which is an engineered stone):

Taj Mahal has become a VERY popular choice for countertops - it's also a quartzite (although, there are quartz replicas - not nearly as pretty as real stone):

The next two photos are both Taj Mahal:

This next photo is a granite (or might be a quartz that was made to look like grainite):

This next example is a quartz countertop:

this next one is a quartz with a subtle marble veining in it:

Another subtle marble pattern quartz countertop with a Calacatta marble tile backsplash:

This next quartz was selected by a few designers to work with honey oak cabinets:

Here is the Torquay installed with red oak cabinets and white subway tile:

Sorry for such a long post - but I was recently helping a friend to come up with ideas for her honey oak kitchen cabinets - so, I had looked at quite a few examples.

Since red oak/honey oak cabinets tend to have a busy grain (unless someone selected quarter sawn red oak - a bit unusual), you need to think about whether a busy countertop will work in your bathroom.

Also, it seemed like you wanted to have more suggestions to review - so, here you go!

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Comments (25)

PRO
lisedv
last year
Quartz vs Granite:

You have lots of colours going on in your bathroom: gold tone floor tiles, different wood tones on vanity and doors, gray wood walls. Consequently I'm suggesting a plain white quartz countertop with a rectangular vessel sink to elevate your vanity which seems to be less than 36 inches high.
kathy6421
Original Author
last year
Already bought a new white sink which is same as the old one you see. Brown log wall(just faded) and all wood cabinets, vanity, mirror, base board and ceiling are same honey color except the dark cabinet near the window. The floor is not gold. More brown with hint of purple as is the grout. Don"t know about white counter with white sink. Also, as I said, supposedly, white granite is less durable than darker colors.
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Gina Gilgo
last year
I’d take a door off the vanity to the closest granite yard/dealer to see what might be a good match.
PRO
lisedv
last year
As mentioned above, granite is mostly now used for kitchens as has a heat resistant property but quartz recommended for bathrooms for it's resistance to moisture.

Still with the floor colour, wall colour (which shows mostly gray on my laptop), and honey coloured woods, I would still recommend white for the countertop, no veining, just plain white (some of the white options have slight flecks).
kathy6421
Original Author
last year
I:ve heard quartz is not as durable as granite. Also, white drop in sink with plain white counter? I've also heard white stains more easily than darker colors. Oh, and vanity is 36" high.
kathy6421
Original Author
last year
Better photo of floor color.
kathy6421
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
What about getting hairspray on granite or quartz? Esay? Hard? to get off? Will it do anything to either? Also, do I nedd to use a special cleaner on either or just bathroom cleaner?
kathy6421
Original Author
last year
Anyone have a photo of something that would look good? Anything other than plain white, but not busy?
PRO
lisedv
last year
kathy6421 thanked lisedv
kathy6421
Original Author
last year
Other suggestions? Anyone have quartz or granite in rustic bathroom?
PRO
lisedv
last year
Keep in mind these are the materials you're working with in your bathroom:

And just so you can visualize, here are examples of wood vanities with white sinks and countertops:
kculbers
last year
Several years ago I had 3 bathrooms renovated. I went to a local stone shop and purchased lovely quartz remnants (at quite a cost savings) for the vanity countertops. I chose Thassos Pental white quartz for my gray vanity and Emerstone Crema Marfil quartz for my 2 sage vanities. They look as good today as the day of installation. No chipping, no scratching, no staining. Easy clean up with dishsoap and water. Best of luck on your journey.
kathy6421 thanked kculbers
enduring
last year
Ok, I say soapstone. Have it honed to a rougher surface, like 60 or 80 grit. I did my own soapstone counters and sink out of remnints. It is rustic, non reactive to products (used on chemistry lab tables historically)

here is my bathroom that I did in 2012 or so, when Gardenweb was around that is now part of Houzz.

This is a light soapstone and I didn't oil it. there is a lot of blue/green and gray in this soapstone. It can also be blackish. When sanding soapstone the powder that comes off even if blackish, will be green in my experience. This was a beloved project for me. I made the sink and the counters, all remnints, the largest was the bottom of the sink at just over 18x18. That dictated the size. The other larger components have been glued with a 3 part stone glue from Germany. I spent $5/square foot for these pieces. I have another counter in the room too. IIRC this was hand sanded to 60grit. I used a hand held circular saw outside. No need for water. I cant remember the blade I used. Soapstone can be hand carved an is a joy to work with. Just dont drop heavy things on it as it will dent and chip.
kathy6421 thanked enduring
PRO
lisedv
last year
Here's an idea of the look with a soapstone countertop.
enduring
last year
last modified: last year
I might paint the cabinets too @Lisvd. there are a lot of competing elements in the room. As you illustrate in the mockup, I don't like the soapstone, but I think soapstone is a wonderful counter material for rustic sites. Maybe its that theres not enough contrast between the stone and the vanity for my liking.
kathy6421
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Probably bad pics, but all the wood is exactly the same honey oak, including ceiling, except the cabinet by the window which will be gone and the log wall behind sink will be varnished which will turn it a darker brown. There are not a lot of different colors going on. As I said, all the wood is exactly the same color as you can see better in this picture. I am actually looking for something a bit warmer than plain white if possible.
kathy6421
Original Author
last year
Anything other than a white countertop?
Kendrah
last year
I'd look for a silver grey granite. It will have a rustic soapstone like look but won't be as dark as black. It will have the same muted vibe as the rest of the colors in your room. A pure white or even pure cream is going to pop too much against your muted tones.
kathy6421
Original Author
last year
What about a darker brown?
kathy6421
Original Author
last year
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Theresa Peterson
last year
I think this is a job for simple white Corian.
ladybug A 9a Houston area
last year
I just put honed virginia mist. Second the recommendation to go lopknfor remnants..
just_janni
last year
I think I am going to answer "leathered Uba tuba" granite until someone finally puts in this beautiful, underdog stone that got such a bad rap in the 90's.

It's warm, bulletproof and cost effective.
gdionelli
last year
I have similar flooring and used Viatera Clarino Quartz. It's got a bit of gold-ish veining that pulled out the colors in the floor.