If I had the chance to do it over again, I would change my decision and not get granite on our kitchen counters.
When we bought our house, the builder offered white ceramic tile as their standard for the kitchen counter. I knew I didn't want ceramic tile with a bunch of grout to clean... so we opted to upgrade our kitchen counters to granite. Via our builder this was not a cheap option, but granite was the popular decision so we went with it. When it came time to select the type of granite we went with a somewhat busy speckled grainy pattern, a mix of neutral and darker colors. The granite we chose is called Santa Cecelia (pictured). It looked so beautiful... and once it was installed my husband and I both absolutely loved the look. If we lived in a model home where we didn't actually use the kitchen, it would have been an amazing choice. However, being that we actually do cook in our kitchen, I admit that I am not loving the granite. Not at all!!! If I could do it over again, I would definitely not select any kind of speckled counter top surface.
When you look at this picture, can you tell if the counter is clean or dirty? Neither can I...
I do like having a solid surface counter. However, what I don't like (in fact, I can't stand) is that you can't see crumbs and small spills that happen all over the surface. They completely blend right in. The granite does a great job of hiding food, bread crumbs, spills, splashed spaghetti sauce and such. If you don't wipe up something the second it happens you won't even see it. Next thing you know there is junk stuck to the counters and it is hard to clean once food is hardened onto it. I know that sounds disgusting, but it's the truth.
I admit that I don't mind floors hiding dust and crumbs, but the one place that I do want to see and know if it's dirty is the counters where we prepare our food. I want to see every splatter and spill, and know they are there so I can wipe them up right away. Unfortunately in our house, all too often, when someone makes something in the kitchen, they don't clean up their mess right away and then since it is hard to see, they forget about it. The number of times I go to prepare dinner and find stuff stuck to the counter tops drives me crazy.
Once upon a time, I had a white laminate counter top in the kitchen of an old home. Yes, it was cheap and boring looking, but it was the easiest thing to clean!
If we had a solid color or a light color counter we would know immediately if something was on it that needed wiping up.
Choosing the darker speckled granite was a big mistake!
If you are considering new counters in your kitchen you may want to consider what I am saying... Like I said, if I had the chance to do it over again, I would NOT buy granite. Expecially not for the kitchen!
I would probably go with a light color quartz or even something like a Corian surface. These may not be the most popular option, but knowing now what I've learned, that would be my choice.
I wish I would have done more research on the subject or someone would have told me to consider this before we had picked them out. By sharing this information here, I am hopeful that it will help someone who is trying to decide what to use for their kitchen counter surface.
Blessings,
Diana
When we bought our house, the builder offered white ceramic tile as their standard for the kitchen counter. I knew I didn't want ceramic tile with a bunch of grout to clean... so we opted to upgrade our kitchen counters to granite. Via our builder this was not a cheap option, but granite was the popular decision so we went with it. When it came time to select the type of granite we went with a somewhat busy speckled grainy pattern, a mix of neutral and darker colors. The granite we chose is called Santa Cecelia (pictured). It looked so beautiful... and once it was installed my husband and I both absolutely loved the look. If we lived in a model home where we didn't actually use the kitchen, it would have been an amazing choice. However, being that we actually do cook in our kitchen, I admit that I am not loving the granite. Not at all!!! If I could do it over again, I would definitely not select any kind of speckled counter top surface. When you look at this picture, can you tell if the counter is clean or dirty? Neither can I...
I do like having a solid surface counter. However, what I don't like (in fact, I can't stand) is that you can't see crumbs and small spills that happen all over the surface. They completely blend right in. The granite does a great job of hiding food, bread crumbs, spills, splashed spaghetti sauce and such. If you don't wipe up something the second it happens you won't even see it. Next thing you know there is junk stuck to the counters and it is hard to clean once food is hardened onto it. I know that sounds disgusting, but it's the truth.
I admit that I don't mind floors hiding dust and crumbs, but the one place that I do want to see and know if it's dirty is the counters where we prepare our food. I want to see every splatter and spill, and know they are there so I can wipe them up right away. Unfortunately in our house, all too often, when someone makes something in the kitchen, they don't clean up their mess right away and then since it is hard to see, they forget about it. The number of times I go to prepare dinner and find stuff stuck to the counter tops drives me crazy.
Once upon a time, I had a white laminate counter top in the kitchen of an old home. Yes, it was cheap and boring looking, but it was the easiest thing to clean!
If we had a solid color or a light color counter we would know immediately if something was on it that needed wiping up.
Choosing the darker speckled granite was a big mistake!
If you are considering new counters in your kitchen you may want to consider what I am saying... Like I said, if I had the chance to do it over again, I would NOT buy granite. Expecially not for the kitchen!
I would probably go with a light color quartz or even something like a Corian surface. These may not be the most popular option, but knowing now what I've learned, that would be my choice.
I wish I would have done more research on the subject or someone would have told me to consider this before we had picked them out. By sharing this information here, I am hopeful that it will help someone who is trying to decide what to use for their kitchen counter surface.
Blessings,
Diana
lol Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteWe moved into a new house 3 years ago. I loved my new kitchen with granite counter tops very similar to yours. It didn't take long for that love affair to end. Like you, I soon discovered that crumbs and spills were very difficult to see. After spraying and wiping I would frequently find spots I'd missed despite my best cleaning efforts. If I had a choice, knowing what I know now, I would never choose a solid surface with that color/pattern. Anyone trying to decide on a counter top should heed your advice.
ReplyDeleteSuch truth! And I'm not sure why more people don't voice this -- it sure would be helpful. I'm in the process of choosing new counter tops right now and have been leaning towards stainless -- this is just another check in the column of "not going with granite". Thanks!
ReplyDelete