HOW I CHOSE MY KITCHEN COUNTERTOPS






I know you guys are curious about what I chose for my countertops.  

Drumroll........Caesarstone!  

And not without a gazillion hours [I'm not kidding] of research either.  If you think I agonized about the sink.....well the countertops took few years off my life also.  It's a little more permanent than running up to HomeGood's and buying a pillow:)  Duh.

Here's the deal....remember the House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year that Matthew Quinn designed...well little does he now how much he helped shape my decision.

After I saw them I was obsessed.  That soft honed finish was everything.





  I had to do a little research about Caesarstone quartz countertops.

1.  It comes in slabs and 2 thicknesses: 3/4" and 1 1/4". 

2.  You have the choice of polished or honed.  [Not every quartz manufacturer offers a honed product]

3.  Endorsed by the National Health and Safety Foundation to be used in hospitals, restaurants, hotels and more.
       
4.  Caesarstone surfaces are nonporous and prevent the growth of surface mold and bacteria due to the use of quartz as a key ingredient.            

How ya doing?  Falling asleep yet?  Well those things are definitely important.  Especially the honed part:)  After having shiny granite for 13 years I was all about that satin finish!

5.  How about a lifetime warranty?

Still not convinced?

6.  It's resistant to staining from coffee, wine, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar and pretty much anything else you could throw at it.

That got your attention right!
           
NOW....now let's talk about the look!

Hubba Hubba.

This is from the website and below from my own kitchen!  It's called Calacatta Nuvo



If I was doing an industrial kitchen I would definitely use either of these which also
come honed...

Raw Concrete
Pebble


Just in case you are keeping track....new cabinet doors, countertops, and sink......check! 

Say goodbye to the light fixture, the backsplash and the faucet.


It goes beautifully with my cabinet color BM White Dove!  I could lick it.



Above is the layout of my kitchen.  I wish I could have reworked the whole space but that just wasn't in the budget.  



So after 13 years the granite has gone bye bye and I could not be happier.  Let me know if you have any questions about it.

What's next?  The faucet and light fixtures....plus some killer ideas from "builder extraordinare" Michael Ladisic 


As you know I am a pretty classic girl....I picked white cabinets and white Corian  [I changed out the countertops to granite after 9 years] 22 years ago and it has served me well.  The backsplash has been there for the whole 25 years. 

So it's definitely time for some updating!

Stay tuned......

Shatakingtheleap










17 comments

Flournoyfrance said...

How did you find someone to change your cabinet doors...ours are terrible but we don't want to change the cabinets????

Help...

Your choice of countertop is very interesting...yet another thing to research!

Thanks for posting all this information...

Anonymous said...

Love your blog and your wonderful sense of humor! I am bookmarking this for future kitchen remodel info. I am just like you in the decision making department. I don't want to regret my choices so I take my time when I can. I'm glad to see there are others who research everything to death before they decide something! It is going to be beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Love the countertop!!! When I did my kitchen 5 yrs ago, I really wanted marble but thought it too impractical.I found granite I liked but now that I see yours I could just rip them out and start over.Sigh......

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the share, it looks gorgeous so far. I have a quick question: did you have new cabinet fronts installed and if so who did you use?

Summer said...

Wow! Love your counter tops ♥

summerdaisycottage.blogspot.com

Nancy said...

I'm drooling over your new counter top. We used Caesarstone in London Gray for our kitchen reno a few years ago and I still love it but that Calacutta Nuvo, hubba hubba indeed! That must be a new color!?! Looks amazing! Love the new cabinet doors as well.

Kathysue said...

Sherry it is beautiful!!! Quartz is wonderful and you will enjoy the lack of maintenance you will have. You are moving right along and it is looking great so far. I know how excited you are to be able to do this!! Enjoy the process!
Kathysue

cindy hattersley design said...

Oh my you made a fabulous choice. I am glad to know that you have lived with your granite for
over 20 years that makes me feel better. I am finally getting rid of my "pink" cabinetry in my laundry room that has been there for over 30....

Unknown said...

Funny - my current kitchen countertops are almost identical to the ones you're replacing and I'm dying to rip them out - my mom just redid her kitchen with a similar Cesaerstone and I LOVE it and hope to go that route when I get to demo mine! Can't wait to see your finished kitchen!

Unknown said...

Sherry, Love the look of the honed countertops! I didn't know that was even an option. I did a mini - makeover in my brother's kitchen and had grey Silestone countertops installed in late June. To my absolute HORROR, there are already two large chips on the edge from a minor mishap with a bowl of ice cream (totally my fault). Like you, we were sold on the "warranty" and durability of quartz. After some online research I am finding out that Silestone can chip rather easily and you can't put heat directly on it (meaning no crock pots, etc). Have you heard of such?? It looks like I am going to have to pay to replace the chipped slab (if we can find one that matches) but now I am worried there will be more chips/cracks in the future. :( SHA-BUMMED!!!

Unknown said...

I used Caesar stone to top my vanities in the powder room and master bath. In the former, the creamy-beige color works beautifully. In the master, I used a darker taupe color and while the look is great, it shows EVERYTHING: toothpaste, soap splashes, even water seems to dry leaving a mark that has to be wiped. For your sanity, stick with the lighter tones.

LilyBart said...

Looks really great! I'm going to have to check this out for my bathroom projects. I have marble in my masterbath, and its just too precious - would never do it again. Now I'm renovating the baths for my daughters and guest rooms - this looks like it might be my answer!

Poulin Design Center said...

Love it!! Looks soooo inviting!

North East Factory Direct said...

absolutely gorgeous! thank you for sharing!

Furniture Store Denver said...

Great post and the kitchen and counter tops looks lovely. thanks for sharing it.

Terrie said...

I did a search on Pinterest for honed quartz countertops and yours was the first to pop up.I am so glad. Yours is beautiful. I am reading in the literature from Caesarstone about the honed finish and this is what it says, "Due to the nature of the surface design, it is recommended that common household spills like liquid droplets and rings are dried immediately. Additional care and maintenance may be required." What does this mean? I'm so nervous to do this. Help!

Billi said...

I’m going to use Caesarstone Statuario Nuvo ...I think! Any suggestions for a subway tile backsplash ??

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