Getting estimates on granite counter tops and looking at this... right now, the counter tops are white with white cabinets and white appliances and a tan/brown ceramic tile floor.

...right now:


Might replace sink with under-mount style as well, seems all the top-dollar houses are going with this. Nice clean look and brush the crumbs right in.

So, what is a good price per sq for granite top?
(I think the local joint has a special going for $43 with free installation.)

Any other do's and dont's?

As a suggestion, get the biggest sink you can. Also try to get one with a 60/40 split. Or if possible, a three part sink. I'm always wishing I had a bigger sink. Allows more dishes to be ignored.

Way too clean!

You have a dish-washer, right Matt?? 3-part sink, huh... never used one of those.



What's your KLR look like right now?

the plants are dying

the knives need sharpening

tell the Misses to stop hanging her dirty laundry on the oven door, tacky !!

has that hospital kinda look, in white

Check out Silestone before committing to granite. Just built a house and used Silestone, I believe it is cheaper and just as nice.

Cheers
Kinley

Actually they're called three-bowl sinks.



It's easy for me to make suggestions, it ain't my kitchen. Nor my time & money. But here's a couple of other things that come to mind.

Would the backsplash also be granite? A complementary tile might look good. But I like contrasts - both in texture and color.

Concrete countertops are currently fashionable. Stained concrete makes a nice countertop - good texture and coloring. I have no idea about pricing though.

Someday I'd like to have stainless steel countertops, with nice 1" rolled edges of course.

Another nice touch is a 6" diameter hole in the countertop. In the cabinet below is a trashcan. You simply sweep crumbs, trash, etc right into the hole.

That's different!

Doors are Cupped
Also there are the Synthetic marble and granite lookalike tops as well. When I used to be a cabinetmaker I used quite a few different ones -Corian and Avonite to name two , These products look like Stone and are very hard wearing and can be manufactured with "cabinet"type power tools and is usually a lot cheaper than stone

Alrigtht!! Some more great ideas!

Stopped by the "place" tonight, but they closed 15 minutes before said close time. They had measured once already for a estimate, guess I'll check back with them another day.

Corian is about the same price here as stone, I don't like the dull look that it has either. The Sillstone is a manufactured product and has a lot of colours, real nice and like corian has the colour all the way through so you can 'buff' out any fuck ups.

2cents


clicky

With Corian and all the other resin based imitation stone tops they can be buffed to be as shiny as you want, more so than stone I installed some bar tops at a Golf club years ago with a Black "granite" look top and it was buffed to a gloss sheen but like anything shiny and black 6 months later it was covered in fine scratches from glasses etc But it is good that you can just get a buffer and some compound and they are like new

Also if you get Corian you can get a built in sink that has no seam. Its literally one piece with your counter. No place for all the crud to build up like it can with a traditional sink.


Here is our kitchen with our crappy dull Corian.

Nice kitchen Brett,

Is the floor vinyl or tile, hard to tell from the photos.

I'm also a big fan of recessed lighting. Your choice of wall color really makes the ample molding really pop, nice job.

Was the photo taken before you moved in? If not, you're a serious clean freak.

Yeah it was taken before we moved in.
The floor is tile. Its perfect too because we have 3 dogs and the color hides dirt really well. The wife is really good with colors but that paint was done by the builder. I like the recessed lighting too but unfortunately all 9 cans are tied into 1 switch. Definitely a good place for the compact florescent bulbs.

Here are some more normal photos. Sometimes its way dirtier...sometimes a little cleaner.

I see your deck is right off the kitchen. Mine is too which makes it very easy to have dinner or breakfast on the weekends outside. And fall is a great time of year for that.

Wish I had room for center island... those are sweet for taking 6 things out of the fridge at once, turn and drop. Nice kit. Brett.

This is no rush project I guess, since the white top still works. We'll see how it goes on various countertop estimates. I have used corian at friends' and like em.

Consumer's Report had a whole section on kitchens last month, I believe. You can find a copy in your local library. It covered all the countertops, pros and cons, and expected price ranges.