Counterculture? Counterattack? Counterintelligence? There are just too many to choose!
Ok, before we get into more house updates (which will obviously be focusing on counters), I think those of you who missed it on Facebook need to take a second to take in this cuteness:
Gets me every time. Man, I love that little booger!
So, plugging right along on our kitchen updates, we definitely knew that we wanted the laminate countertops to go. There was nothing totally awful about them, but after having stone countertops in our last house and loving them, making the switch was a priority.
I’m sure that I don’t need to inform you about the advantages of granite countertops- durability, resale value, aesthetics…the list goes on and on. But, although there were lots of reasons for us to go with granite again, we didn’t.
Although we don’t know for certain how long we’ll be in this house (the fact that this is house number three after five years of marriage should prove that we’re ok with moving), the current plan is to be here for longer than we were in our last two houses. As a result, although we’re definitely keeping the end game (resale) in mind, we’re also giving priority to making this a space that’s really “us”.
If you follow me on Pinterest, you have probably picked up on the fact that one thing that is definitely my style as far as kitchens are concerned is Carrara marble. I love a white kitchen, and the gray/white tones of Carrara just make me happy.
We knew that we wanted to explore the option of Carrara countertops, but were also concerned about staining/etching/scratches, as we had heard that it wasn’t the most durable. So thankful for Google!
I found several helpful articles in my research, but the ones that helped the most were this one by Erika Powell (who is also one of my favorite designers- if, with all her professional experience, she still recommends it, it’s good enough for me), this one on The Petch House (LOVE his frankness and sense of humor), and this one on Cote de Texas.
Also helpful was my husband’s advice that, “If you love it, we should just get it.” I know, right?! Sorry ladies, he’s taken. :)
When we were looking, we also found some amazing granites that had the look of Carrara and the durability of granite, which, if you can afford it, makes the most sense to me. However, they were about twice the price (aka notgonnahappen).
After doing some pricing and realizing that Carrara was about as expensive as the cheapest granites, we gave ourselves the green light to place the order. We also opted to have it honed (which Stone Top, the company we worked with, located in Raleigh, does as a standard, although you can request not to have it done) and to have a permanent sealer applied that has a 15 year warranty. We also loved that Stone Top offers a 3/4″ bevel (as opposed to the 1/4″ and 1/2″ bevels that most places offer), because it gives a look closer to the upgraded ogee cuts without the upgraded price.
They also did a great job of considering the seam, on the long side of the counter and were able to hide it in the cooktop. That way, we don’t have a big annoying line interrupting the flow of our pretty new marble.
And, here they are in all their installed glory:
Next on the agenda kitchen-wise are lighting and a backsplash, but for now we’re turning our attention to other rooms of the house. More updates to come!
just the right Angle 