Let's Talk Counters
Hello, friends! I was planing on sharing a few cozy fall additions in our family room, but we've had a couple gray days with more in the forecast, which, as you know, doesn't bode well for interior photos. Instead I'm going to attempt to walk you through the decision making process for our kitchen counters. Hopefully, it will help others out there in the same conundrum. I had hoped to have our new counters installed when I wrote this so I could vouch for my decision, but they are taking longer than I expected. Hopefully, next week. I'm praying, next week. Because without counters I don't have plumbing and a kitchen without plumbing is not easy to live with for a long period of time. This marks my third week in case you are counting. :)
Before I begin, a BIG Disclaimer: I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THIS SUBJECT! This is just a collection of information I used to help me make a decision. I'm sure others have had different experiences with the same materials.
When we first decided to redo the kitchen I was interested in butcher block counters. I thought they would be a cost effective option that added warmth and suited the farmhouse style of our home. However, my main concern was wear and tear. I especially worried about the wood around the sink and potential warping over time. I am admittedly not the world's most meticulous housekeeper, making me shy away from things that require additional upkeep or maintenance. I considered using a different material on the counter shared with the sink and limiting butcher block to my island. I like this look a lot, but my kitchen is very small and having multiple counter surfaces felt too busy. Butcher block - out.
Then came Holly's visit. She suggested soapstone. Not really suggested, I think her words were "and you'll be using soapstone for the counters, right?" To which I replied, "of course!" Ha Ha. I LOVE the look of soapstone. Again, it seemed perfectly suited to the style of our home and it reminded me of kitchens in New England. Soapstone is a soft, non-porous, highly durable, stone. Meaning it will scratch and potentially chip. I happen to find the scratches and little imperfections part of soapstone's charm. I know that is a deterrent for others. It is impossible to permanently stain, but it can show marks that will wear off over time. Soapstone is typically oiled with mineral oil when installed and periodically thereafter. The oiling is not for protection, rather for aesthetics, to show off the veining and to speed oxidation {the darkening process}. Soapstone starts off a lighter gray and then darkens to a charcoal, almost black color over time. Certain soapstone is more black and others more green. There is natural white veining that can range from prominent to more subtle. All soapstone for counters is now quarried in Brazil.
A few variations...
Before I begin, a BIG Disclaimer: I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON THIS SUBJECT! This is just a collection of information I used to help me make a decision. I'm sure others have had different experiences with the same materials.
When we first decided to redo the kitchen I was interested in butcher block counters. I thought they would be a cost effective option that added warmth and suited the farmhouse style of our home. However, my main concern was wear and tear. I especially worried about the wood around the sink and potential warping over time. I am admittedly not the world's most meticulous housekeeper, making me shy away from things that require additional upkeep or maintenance. I considered using a different material on the counter shared with the sink and limiting butcher block to my island. I like this look a lot, but my kitchen is very small and having multiple counter surfaces felt too busy. Butcher block - out.
Then came Holly's visit. She suggested soapstone. Not really suggested, I think her words were "and you'll be using soapstone for the counters, right?" To which I replied, "of course!" Ha Ha. I LOVE the look of soapstone. Again, it seemed perfectly suited to the style of our home and it reminded me of kitchens in New England. Soapstone is a soft, non-porous, highly durable, stone. Meaning it will scratch and potentially chip. I happen to find the scratches and little imperfections part of soapstone's charm. I know that is a deterrent for others. It is impossible to permanently stain, but it can show marks that will wear off over time. Soapstone is typically oiled with mineral oil when installed and periodically thereafter. The oiling is not for protection, rather for aesthetics, to show off the veining and to speed oxidation {the darkening process}. Soapstone starts off a lighter gray and then darkens to a charcoal, almost black color over time. Certain soapstone is more black and others more green. There is natural white veining that can range from prominent to more subtle. All soapstone for counters is now quarried in Brazil.
A few variations...
Majestic Soapstone
Hazel Eyes Soapstone
Brenton Brook Soapstone
I fell in LOVE with a sample at a design center that was the perfect dark gray with very subtle veining. Unfortunately, it came from a quarry that had closed a year earlier. I was crushed. I was sent a large sample of a potential substitute soapstone. I lived with the sample for a week and just didn't love it the way I had the other. I tend to prefer soapstone un-oiled, but found it showed every fingerprint and smudge. We put drinks and food on it and all left marks. Marks that easily washed up, but I didn't want to be constantly wiping the counters down. When oiled the sample looked greener than I wanted and the veining too pronounced. Here are some examples of oiled vs. unoiled...
{this sample is lighter than what I would have wanted, but you see the difference the oil makes}
{this is exactly the look I had wanted}
Click here for a gallery of good examples of soapstone counters.
Even with those concerns it wasn't until we had our lighting installed that I decided soapstone just wasn't going to be the right choice for our space. Our tiny kitchen really needs lighter surfaces to reflect and bounce light around the room. Dark, matte counters would absorb light. This is the challenge of pinterest and magazines, you ultimately have to take into account not just the style of your home, but the amount of light, the layout, etc. What might look gorgeous in another space isn't always the best choice for your own. Soapstone - Out. Sniff. Sniff.
So, two options shot down, what's a girl to do?!! I was confident that light was the route to go. I think marble looks beautiful, but I worry too much about staining. My boys sit at our kitchen island all the time and spill and draw and who knows what else, on that counter. I think of the pile of lemons I found that Andrew had sliced directly on our counters to make fresh squeezed lemonade last summer, that sat there for several hours before I discovered the mess and how I might have reacted if that mess had been atop marble. It would have been ugly my friends!! I know that with time, stains, even the etching from acidic foods on marble, all add to a pretty patina, but, in the meantime, I would zero in on them and potentially regret the decision. Sooooo....the look of marble without the worry...my searching lead me to quartz. Quartz requires no sealing, no maintenance, is non-staining, non-scratching and heat resistant. However...it is not a perfect marble substitute. If you've forever lusted over marble this won't cut it. But, if you want to get close to the look without the worry this may be worth checking out. My favorite in the store was the Cambria Torquay, but my favorite at home was the Silestone in Lagoon. I also brought home the Silestone Lyca which has more noticeable "veining" but to me it looked more unnatural under my lights. Here are some examples in other kitchens...
Cambria Torquay
Quarzite in White Macubus Calacutta {info on quartzite vs quartz here}
{taken with my phone}
Silestone Lagoon, Cambria Torquay
The above is the look I'm hoping to achieve with my counters. A soft light gray, with no visible veining from a distance, that looks marble-esque. Stay tuned to see how it actually turns out!!