Kitchen Design
Remodeling Guides
Alternatives to Granite Countertops, Part II
Still looking for a new kind of countertop? Try sodalite, zinc, limestone, onyx and more
Though there's absolutely nothing wrong with granite as a counter surface. It does its job well and looks great for years. However, its increasing popularity has a lot of people looking for something else.
Here are 12 more examples of that something else. Most counter fabricators will work with any natural stone, quartz composite or solid surface material there is so it's just a matter of looking a little harder when you're in the market for counter surfaces.
There is no such thing as a perfect counter material, everything on the market today has its plusses and minuses. The key is to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of each material and then find the one that will work best for you.
Here are 12 more examples of that something else. Most counter fabricators will work with any natural stone, quartz composite or solid surface material there is so it's just a matter of looking a little harder when you're in the market for counter surfaces.
There is no such thing as a perfect counter material, everything on the market today has its plusses and minuses. The key is to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of each material and then find the one that will work best for you.
The beautiful counters shown here are zinc. Zinc is a counter material that's been used for centuries and and it's made the same way today as it always has been. Sheets of zinc are hammered and fit over a wood form.
The resulting counter is naturally anti-bacterial, resilient and develops a warm, soft grey patina. Its patina is what's known as a living finish. That means that it will continue to evolve and change over time.
The resulting counter is naturally anti-bacterial, resilient and develops a warm, soft grey patina. Its patina is what's known as a living finish. That means that it will continue to evolve and change over time.
This is a counter with a waterfall counter made from Corian, a brand of solid surface material. Here it's been polished to a high sheen here and looks nothing like what most people think of when they think of Corian.
The waterfall counter in the foreground is made from a natural limestone usually called Indus Gold. Limestone shares a lot of the finicky characteristics of marble, so if you're concerned about marble's patina, don't consider limestone.
However, if you like the idea of a stone that will show its age, limestone's a terrific option.
However, if you like the idea of a stone that will show its age, limestone's a terrific option.
The counters shown here are terrazzo, a form of concrete. Terrazzo is made from a concrete base with decorative aggregates added to the mix. After the mix cures, it's polished to a high sheen with a grinding wheel. The polishing is what makes terrazzo.
Terrazzo's been used as a flooring material for the last 100 or so years; its leap up onto the counters is still relatively new.
Terrazzo's been used as a flooring material for the last 100 or so years; its leap up onto the counters is still relatively new.
This counter is made from a mineral sold as onyx. Technically, this dimensional onyx is a mineral called banded calcite and it has a different chemistry from the onyx used for jewelry and inlay work. It's every bit as beautiful as true onyx even though it's made from the same mineral travertine is. It's less resilient, softer and more stain-prone than granite, but it has a depth and movement that no other dimensional stone can touch.
Whether you call it onyx or banded calcite, it's a definite show-stopper.
Whether you call it onyx or banded calcite, it's a definite show-stopper.
Sometimes, a run-of-the-mill granite with a finish other than a high sheen can make it look altogether new and unusual.
The counter shown here is Absolute Black granite with a honed finish. Honed is countertop-speak for matte. Honed finishes on granite make them easier to keep looking clean, and they demand less attention than their shiny cousins.
The counter shown here is Absolute Black granite with a honed finish. Honed is countertop-speak for matte. Honed finishes on granite make them easier to keep looking clean, and they demand less attention than their shiny cousins.
This brilliant counter is made from maple butcher block that's been stained violet. It demonstrates beautifully that wood counters can be just about any color you'd like them to be.
This distinctive counter is made from forged and hammered copper. Like the zinc counter in this ideabook, it's made from sheets of metal fitted over a wooden form. Like zinc, too, it's a naturally antibacterial surface with a patina that will change and grow richer over time.
The counter shown here is made from Formica brand laminate, that unfairly maligned material. Formica brand laminate has been been a popular counter material for the hundred or so years since its invention for a very good reason. It's resilient, heat-resistant, easy to clean and a lot less expensive than many of the options available today.
A lot of people dismiss it unfairly, but this designer suggests that it's worth exploring. It has some patterns and textures that are surprisingly beautiful.
A lot of people dismiss it unfairly, but this designer suggests that it's worth exploring. It has some patterns and textures that are surprisingly beautiful.
The counters shown here are glazed stone. Glazed basalt to be precise. they are made from a company in France called Pyrolave, and the color palette they have available is truly unlimited. These counters are about as good as it gets, and they are priced accordingly.
Pyrolave counters have all the strength of granite without any of the sealing worries yet they have the appearance of glazed pottery.
Pyrolave counters have all the strength of granite without any of the sealing worries yet they have the appearance of glazed pottery.
This is another concrete material made by a company in New York called IceStone. IceStone counters use a combination cement and recycled glass to make what is the one of the most sustainable surfaces on the market. IceStone looks very much like the terrazzo shown in this ideabook but the use of recycled glass gives it a sparkling liveliness all its own.
More: 10 More Alternatives to Granite Countertops.
Are you ready to look at something other than granite? Or does a granite countertop still work best for you?
More: 10 More Alternatives to Granite Countertops.
Are you ready to look at something other than granite? Or does a granite countertop still work best for you?
Sodalite's not as strong as a true granite but its arresting color more than compensates for that lessened strength.