I think it is time that we replace our 20 year old laminate countertop, so today I went out and looked at the options. I thought I wanted quartz but now I am leaning towards granite. Help! How well do you like what you have? And then, sinks? I hate the swanstone sink I have as it always stains but do I want stainless or an undermount composite? Any suggestions there? Too many options!
Lots of these questions have to do with taste and style of room (kitchen?). I love having under mount sinks (4 out of 7). It is so easy to clean the counter without the lip of the sink in the way. I have both quartz and granite. They have each performed well with limited maintenance. Just know that if you pick a “busy” granite pattern, that you will likely be working around it for a long time. The more solid colored countertops are less bossy with regard to flooring, fabric and backsplash. All a question of taste and on a practical basis, how long you plan to stay in the house. Resale considerations might exist. I am fine with my stainless sink; it goes with decor and is easy to clean. There certainly are lots of workable choices, yet I understand the potential for too many options.
Best with it all.
Quartz and stainless undermount. Interesting, our kitchen was re-done about a year ago and my designer didn’t mention composite options for the sink. I don’t know if that means anything or not! I’ve always had stainless and guess I really didn’t consider anything else. I was concerned, perhaps unduly, about possible staining with granite, so my guy steered me toward quartz. Final choice was made based on color and pattern. I was looking for something neutral but with character (!) and did find something neutral colored that has a marble-like pattern that I’ve been pleased with. I found the number of options to be all but overwhelming! I was considering possible resale, so didn’t want anything too idiosyncratic - I think I found something that I like that most potential home buyers won’t find off-putting. Good luck!
I have a Ruvati undermount stainless steel farmers sink which I love. http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Ruvati-16-gauge-Stainless-Steel-30-inch-Single-Bowl-Apron-Front-Kitchen-Sink/7029900/product.html The counters are a dark soapstone without a lot of veining. Which I also love. It looks a lot like this: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,20207908,00.html I dislike granite and the quartz just looks too fake to me though I like it in my hall bath where I have it in white. I also have a smaller undermount stainless steel bar sink which is in a maple butcherblock counter. I’d love it more if I’d sprung for Boos.
My old sink was not undermount - definitely worth it to get undermount.
We’ve had granite plus undermount sinks for 10+ years and they still look great.
Not all granites are created equal. Some are bulletproof and other are susceptible either staining or etching. Your best bet is to visit a stoneyard, pick out a few stones that you like, and ask for samples. Take the samples home and put things like soy sauce, tomato juice, beet juice, vinegar, and lemon juice in different spots. Let sit overnight, then wash off the next day and see if there’s any staining or etching. Most granites should come out pristine; eliminate any that show wear and tear.
We have a Franke undercount sink. I like having 2 separate sinks so we can wash in one (and used the disposal) and use the other for draining some of the items. I dislike having a drain board on the granite counter.
Soapstone with stainless steel undermount for 11+ years or so. Love both. We added a bit of sound dampening insulation to the sink. The soapstone is impervious to stains and we don’t need trivets. We haven’t experienced many scratches or nicks, both of which are to be expected with soapstone. Granite is too formal a look for us; we love the casualness of soapstone.
Do you think you’ll be selling your house at some point over the next 10 years or so? I’ve heard from real estate agents in my area that buyers are beginning to consider granite countertops “tired” and are leaning more toward quartz and other materials. We’ve been very happy with the quartz in our bathroom and plan to use it in our kitchen remodel. The Cambria quartz seems to be a cut above the other brands and is only sold in specialty stores; not Home Depot and Lowes.
Are you concerned about resale value in the near future? Kitchens are very critical to the resale value of the home. I can only give advice on resale value because anything else is based on your personal taste and style, the overall current design of your home and how you use your kitchen functionally.
In addition to resale value, you have to take a guess at who the target buyer market is for your house and neighborhood. Let’s assume it would be a mid-tier family with kids. These are my suggestions for potential resale in the next 5 years (because styles can change so quickly):
Quartz countertops (more contemporary for modern family buyers) with minimal pattern and/or quartz with veining similar to marble in light colors. If you have a high budget then I recommend Carrera marble countertops. Soapstone is absolutely lovely in traditional style homes, but younger buyers are turned off by black countertops based solely on the extreme color contrast against cabinet and flooring colors. Buyers are looking for a lighter, brighter kitchen with homogenous coloring. Pops of color are found in the backsplashes, wall paint and other areas.
Undermount sink is mandatory for resale value. Stainless will do the job for resale value, but for functionality the composite sinks are worth the extra expense. Stainless sinks will scratch and require more cleaning/maintenance. Composite sinks do not scratch, but you cannot set a really hot pot down on the drain flange area of the composite sink.
I hope the tone of my suggestions don’t sound like I’m the world’s expert on kitchens or functionality, but I do a lot of remodels specifically for resale value. So, these are just my suggestions based on buyers in the California real estate market. My suggestions might be different if you were in an urban, hip, young buyer market.
I agree with mathmom that quartz looks too fake. I like soapstone and granite, and prefer stainless sinks. My beloved sink is a very large and deep two-bowl top mount that I will reuse if I ever get to redo my kitchen. It’s from the Elkay Gourmet line.
We remodeled our kitchen a couple years ago & have Cambria quartz countertops - love them! We have an undermount sink … Blanco. It’s great, although I do use a stainless steel rack manufactured to fit the sink (to keep from scratching the surface). Not sure whether or not I need it, but my parents had a sink they used a rack in & it was in great shape. After my mom died, my dad took it out … the sink ended up all scratched in a couple years.
I didn’t do my kitchen for resale. There’s a lot about it a future buyer will hate. (Hardly any upper cabinets, open shelving all around the fridge.) But those are the things I love most about it. It’s very bright and airy. I like one bowl and since I compost all of my vegetables I don’t need a garbage disposal.
We have granite counters and a composite sink. I love both.
If I ever get to redo my kitchen, it will be for me, not for some hypothetical buyer.
I think you should get what YOU want. Perhaps some future buyer will like it too. Perhaps they won’t. You have no control over it. There will always be some things that individuals may not adore but can live with, and others that are deal breakers unless the price allows for changing them. There is no way to know what will appeal to whom in advance.
Coralbrook does a really wonderful job with her flips, but she has yet to do a kitchen that I would consider adequate for my needs. But I’m not in the market for the kind of houses she does. it’s all very idiosyncratic.
We just remodeled our kitchen. I’m happy enough with our choices but ecstatic that we’re through remodeling and can use our kitchen once again.
We have granite and an undermount stainless. Still love them after 16 years, but if I could do it over again I would not select black granite…every spec of dust is visable.
I love my undermount sink. I used to hate all the crud getting around the rim/lip. I got white porcelain after years of stainless steel. Will go back to SS in the future. Pans leave marks and I’m constantly scrubbing the white.
Have Zodiac Quartz which I do not like. Should’ve gone with granite. I love love marble but don’t think I’d like the etching. The Quartz is too resin-y and fake looking.
I used a light colored quartzite, whitish with veins of gray and beige. Encore Cameo crackle tiles for backsplash.
I absolutely love soapstone, but in FL, dark colors don’t work. I also love marble, especially Carrera, which I have on dining room cabinet, but would turn off young buyers, cuz of the upkeep. I have white quartzite in one bathroom, and white with tan specks in an other. I must say, the Quartz countertops that mimic marble are nice.
I have dark gray Cambria counters and a gray composite undermount sink (don’t remember the brand) and it looks great with white cabinets. Couldn’t be more pleased with it.
Moved and renovated a 1987 kitchen. Asked realtors about quartz vs granite and was told it didn’t matter where we now live. Do NOT do a Corian (or similar) kitchen sink! A neighbor here did and boiling water caused cracks. YOU may never break the rules but someday someone will. We chose the integrated-sinks Corian for our bathrooms- no seams for grunge. Also chose Corian for a kitchen area on one wall away from the rest because it is softer feeling- writing…
At the time I debated between granite and quartz but chose granite because of the available patterns then. Some of the newer quartz (like Corian can be now compared to decades ago) has some flow instead of the older patterns. Costs depend on the patterns. Post # 16 makes me feel better about my granite.
I also dislike dark counters (our granite is lighter with some nice flow patterns that goes with our honey spice maple cabinets). Coordinate (not matchy-matchy) counters with floors and cabinets. I dislike black granite, btw. The good news/bad news with our choice is that it doesn’t show the spills/crumbs/dirt- good so they don’t show, bad because you can miss them and not clean up. More solid looking surfaces- black, white do show more.
I have a stainless undermount sink. Had to choose if the counter overlaid the sink edges or not. Went with the less seen metal and not the visible seam that would potentially catch grunge. Did 3" granite backsplash instead of the more expensive tiles up to the cabinets (paint works for me).
Even if you deal with someone else pick the brains at your local Home Depot/Lowes stores. Read the once or twice a year Consumer Reports issues in the library for pros and cons. There is no one best choice- depends on your taste, local customs and costs. A year later you will see the product you wish was available when you redid your kitchen and wish you had chosen the other of your choices. Like what you chose- there were good reasons.