Well, I would never choose three, but if I had a bigger kitchen I would use Quartz for the perimeter, a marble topped baking station, and a butcher block island for choppin' stuff. But my kitchen is much too dinky to put three different surfaces in!

I have three. The island was always going to be antique pine for its vintage appeal. Granite is honed Golden Leaf, has flecks of cream, black, brown and blends with paint (wall and cabinet), tile and stain (cabinets). Third is new pine (on the black hutch between kitchen and laundry room). It was selected to blend with the rest of the kitchen and home. Guess you could count a 4th counter with the table in built-in pantry. It's stained butcher block; sturdy, easy to keep clean.

Here is a link that might be useful: my kitchen

Hi Lavender,

I could have posed this question! I have three distinct counter areas and am baffled! Possibly a wood for my eat-at island so plates and glassware don't clink; soapstone serving counter so no worries about Dutch oven right out of 400 degree oven, and something more economical and background-y on perimeter (carerra? quartz?) Cost is a factor, but I was amazed that soapstone on all my three areas is in my budget. But now my DH doesn't like it. And there's nothing wrong with being under budget in some areas...costly surprises always arise, don't they.

I am planning on stainless on the counters flanking my range, soapstone on the rest of the perimeter counters as well as the prep island, and marble on the 2nd island.

I am struggling too! So far, butcher block for my prep island (27" w x 5ft L), marble for my eat at island (4ft w x 7 ft L).

THe perimeter is what is killing me! At first we wanted soapstone, but I think the range and main sink is probably the wrong counter to put soapstone. I would LOVE to find a white quartzite, but am having a heck of time finding one in my area. I am leaning now, toward a very, very quiet granite, or Cambria.

Beth

We have stainless flanking the rangetop for setting hot things off the stove or out of the oven, and easy clean. We had ours done by the local sheet-metal shop, so $17/sq ft made it very reasonable. If we ever did another kitchen, I might consider using stainless for all the counters. But I like the variation the different materials offer, so not sure I could...

Wood on the island for visual warmth and character. Not that it's impractical, though, because the Waterlox finish makes it waterproof and it takes all we've done to it...and there is no babying. I just don't think there is any real functional reason we chose it. It's a-look-without-loss-of-function choice.

The rest of the perimeter counters are laminate, because I've always had laminate and find it to wear like iron. There are a lot of choices in color and pattern, and it's inexpensive to replace if we ever want to. (DH can DIY it in a snap.) Our #1 choice was concrete, but I think the laminate is easier to maintain, less apt to stain, and won't break the glasses/dishes. We made the counters 2 1/4" thick, though, so we can replace someday with concrete (it'll never happen), and meanwhile, it looks hefty like we prefer.

I briefly considered stone, because it was supposedly 'the thing to do.' (There weren't many laminate kitchens being done on the forum at that time, and it wasn't well accepted.) But I couldn't see spending thousands of dollars on countertop I wasn't dying to have. We were on a budget, and preferred to do careful spending on well-performing appliances to suit our family's needs rather than an expensive work surface that didn't offer much more than the laminate would. I really don't mind using hot pads on the laminate and wood when I have to. This isn't at all a judgment of what others choose...it's what was best for us.

Lass: our home isn't done yet, but we are having three different counter surfaces. It kind of happened by accident. It's a large kitchen. Perimeter will be Bianco Romano, 3/4 of the island will be Blue Pearl, and the end of the island closest to the main sink will be butcher block. When I got the initial estimate for the granite, they were able to find a piece of excess inventory for the island. Along the way, there were a few changes made to the plan, and we were unaware (ignorant!) that the kitchen had grown a foot. Thus the island was a foot longer, and the piece of Blue Pearl we had already bought and paid for was now too short. Our builder came up with the idea to put butcher block on the end of the island, and I think I'm going to really like that. It's a large enough kitchen, so I think it will loook fine.

Interesting topic.

For me: metal, wood, and ceramic.

Steel for the functionality (and beauty, to the right beholder).

Wood for the old-world warmth. And DIY-able.

Tile for the creativity and beauty (x'ing fingers on thin, unsanded or epoxy grout solving that issue) and DIY.

All those are, or can be, reasonable in cost.

I like soapstone too, particularly for the integrated slab-built sink possibilities.

Hi Lavender! Good question. I've been debating where to put my Carrara and what could mix with it. Some of my various configurings in my head led me to three different top materials, which sounded like too much. My kitchen is good-sized, but I'm not sure its big enough to carry off three tops. Or maybe it is. My Carrara would be so gorgeous on the island with the veining in it, but that's where all the prep will happen with the etching substances I cook with, and I'm not sure I want the eating area with the stools to have cold marble. I could put the marble on the peninsula where I plan the baking area and buffet service. Then I could do a warm wood on the island like I've been thinking about. But then what to with the rest of the perimeter around the rangetop and cleanup sink? More marble? A third material? DH is digging the soapstone idea, but I'm not sure. I'm just NOT used to nice materials, new things, or anything but a poorly laid out and ugly kitchen so this is all confusing to me. Thanks for letting me talk this out! After reading the posts above, I think 3 materials could work.

My kitchen will be a U with island and we are thinking of Ikea butcherblock with Waterlox for the perimeter, though I'd like to have small sections of marble flanking the range. In my current kitchen I've gotten used to an old piece of stone next to the stove, formerly the back step of local newspaper office : ). It's some kind of granite, I think, with a very rough, bumpy surface but it's beautiful and perfect for hot pots, which also cool down quickly there. And the office staff were getting tired of slipping on the step in the winter.

For the island, honed marble, with, maybe if we can swing it, a piece of John Boos 3" or 4" butcherblock on one end. Am not planning to baby any of the surfaces so they will probably all be functional and ultimately well-patinaed (if that's a word!).

If money were no object, marble on the entire perimeter and a 4" John Boos butcherblock on the entire island!

Breezy- I think a wooden island and marble baking area are wonderful ideas! The soapstone or a black granite (white cabinets right?) would look beautiful with your other surfaces. Soapstone can have a lot of veining (like the marble) so if that's something you like...great, if not, maybe the granite :)

Hey, I forgot to tell you. While in the shower yesterday, I realized that my MIL has blue laminate counters. They remodeled their house more than a year ago. In the process, she changed her decor from more French-like Europeany look to Mexican. Out went the copper molds on tbe walls and in came the handmade green-glazed Pi�as and ceramic geckos. Anyway, I wanted to tell you about her blue counters in case you are still thinking about going that way.

I would choose soapstone for the perimeter and marble for the island. For the counter on the buffet I would choose walnut.

Breezy- Thanks, but I had a bit of a revelation, over on the small homes forum...and have changed my colors, a bit. Now, I'm going for a soft turquoise/blue on the walls, with creamy white cabinets and trim. The yellow is more sensible, but I've always loved that blue, so with lots of plants, and lavender, pink and yellow accents, it should be pretty cheerful :)

Everyone has such interesting, functional and beautiful ideas for countertops! I don't know what to pick, but I do like the idea of a counter, between the range and wall oven, specifically for hot dishes to be set on, without worry. I'm also leaning towards a farm sink and prep sink, so now my counter choices are all up in the air. I'm becoming a total GW convert...and next I'll probably start looking at granite! LOL

Something like this, but a little bit lighter. Pretty with the white and pink though :)

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Lavender--I see. I thought I remembered that you were thinking about going another way. For my kitchen, yes to the white cabs. I wouldn't want a soapstone with crazy veining to compete with the Carrara veins so it would have to be quiet if we go that route.

Cookie--were you making suggestions for me? I don't want to ignore you if you were, but I don't want to look stupid if you were talking about your own kitchen! I just can't tell as those were the materials I was mentioning.

Breezy- I was, because I thought blue walls might be too cold and I was trying to use yellow walls, and still have some blue. Then, I realized I wasn't going to be happy with yellow walls and neutral counters will be much easier to live with! Thank you for telling me about your MIL's countertops :)

I thought Cookie was talking about your kitchen, too. I think the marble might get a little etched, on the island or the buffet, but that's part of having marble...and it's a beautiful piece!

Am I imagining that you were considering blue counters at one point? Anyway, your colors will be so pretty together. Definitely cheerful for your dark and long winters, and also very fitting of your farm location. Neutral counters give you more options in case you decide to change your color scheme in 10 years. I can see a farm sink there too. LOL on the granite! Would you have to go to Spokane for slab yards?

Three seems busy to me, but I suppose that's because I have a small kitchen with no island. I'm hoping to get all wood countertops for the beauty, warm & cost, but if we were planning on this being our "forever" house, I'd want stainless steel along the sink & stove areas and wood on the rest.

OT--Lavender, that photo could be my bathroom, except that my paint is a lighter blue/gray and my floor is slate. I didn't know, until I saw your picture, that what the room is missing is pink tulips!

Mnerg- LOL! Pink tulips, yellow daffodils, purple dutch iris...they all look so pretty with that soft blue :)

We did three different countertops:

Soapstone on the perimeter counters-
Stainless steel on the island (too big for DIY soapstone without seams)-
Butcherblock on the lowered baking/prep counter at the end of the island-

I'm with Cookie08 -

Soapstone on peninsula and main counters
Carrera on Baking Perimeter
Walnut on Custom Dining Table (because I had to have all three)

Carerra gets templated tomorrow.
Haven't even ordered the Wlanut yet.
Soapstone installed two weeks ago looks fabulous.

I didn't want three, but ended up with them anyway. It was all about the function. I would have been fine with all tile, but the keyhole shaped sink in my island meant I would have had to have the tiles custom made to fit and I was already so far in the hole with handmade tiles I just couldn't go there.

So then I thought I should have stone for the island, especially having given up on having a dedicated baking center. I tried really hard to like granite. Really hard. I loved soapstone, but wouldn't like the color or the scratches. Then I finally found the mythical hard green soapstone. It does exist! So I was sold on that.

But then what to do with the table? It's really a counter at table height, that folds flat against the island. The brackets will take a lot of weight, but that allowance shouldn't be all taken up with stone, the stone might break, it wouldn't lie flat, and it would probably be too heavy to lift up and down. Same with tile. So I needed board. There was no way I wanted wood on the island top and my cabinets are bamboo, and that would look dumb, so I got sunflower seed husk board which looks good next to the green soapstone. And put it in the butler's pantry too so it wouldn't look too much like an orphan.

I think one or two surfaces look a lot better than three, unless the three are handled as part of a total design scheme that's proportional and balanced. So it's not my favorite thing in the kitchen at all. But it works, and function comes first. :)

I plan on using more than three, largely because that's what I have on hand to work with.

This is a farmhouse reno, so what looks right to me in this case is the repurposing of materials we already have, in the authentic "use it up/make do/or do without" rural tradition. If I didn't have these components, then I guess I'd likely use fewer different materials, merely for simplicity's sake.

My kitchen plan is basically three parallel runs of counters (two along the walls and a narrow island in the middle).

1) On the western-most perimeter run, the clean-up zone will have a zinc counter because I need an easily sanitized, water-friendly surface since I do a lot of food preservation and a bit of dairy work in my kitch. Zinc is seamless (well, nearly so, the seams are soldered/welded), can run up the wall a bit, can have marine edges to help contain water and handle undermounting of farm sink. Can't have runnels, though, as far as I can tell, which is my main regret. The zinc will be a DIY project, I hope. I considered stainless, but I think zinc with its (eventual) darker color and added patination fits in better and looks less clinical. This will be new material, bought on purpose. This is surface #1

2) The eastern-most perimeter run with range and surrounding counters is the most complicated. On the right of the range is a baking and prep counter that will have:

a) a recycled slab of much-used, antique, VT white marble counter (#2)from my MIL's New England kitch and next to it is

b)a huge slab of mahogany (#3)from my childhood kitch in the tropics.

Using these two legacy pieces is really important to us in order to incorporate their respective sentimental and kitchen mojo, and this is the best arrangement for them we could work out. So now we're up to three different materials.

2b) The range itself has a remnant of black granite, shiny black with tiny specks of silver and gold (name unknown to me), fitted over the second from the right pair of burners on this (nominally) 8-burner beast. This pair of burners was orginally a char-grill which it turned out I didn't like, so many years ago I had the gas lines capped and had the granite fitted in the space as mini counter in the middle of the range top, which is also shiny black enamel. The granite more or less visually disappears in the range, so maybe it's not really #4, just maybe #3.25 of my surfaces?

2c) (Still with me?) The material of the counter on the left of the stove is still TBD, but it will either be another kind of stone (for hot pot-setting) or BB/wood of some kind. It's not a very big run, only 18-24". This surface would not be matching the granite-on-the-stove piece because I don't even know if I could match it and, for various reasons, I'm no longer interested in purchasing stones from overseas. If I did make it a stone, then it would either be the gorgeous, nearly-local (for me) gneiss from Ashfield, MA (Zelmar gave me the lead there -Thanks, Z!) or Albernene SS from near my late mother's farm in VA, chosen for sentimental reasons. If I go with stone I'd probably change out the black granite on the stove in order to make the two stones match. If I decide to stick with wood, then it would match whatever is on the island. This would make either material #4 or #4.25

3) So, now we move to the center island: long and relatively narrow with an undermounted SS prep sink at one end. Initially this will be a piece of IKEA BB for reasons of economy because if the island turns out not to work well, I will need to think of something else very different. I am not troubled about the water/wood connection. If the island turns out to be as useful as I hope, then I would use a different wood to make a thicker, more permanent, counter. I'd make it either from a maple or cherry tree harvested from our farm woodlot or made up from the teak boards used as packing crates when my family came back to the States from overseas in the 50's. (You can see I get my save-and-use-what-you-have tendencies from my family as it was my Dad who made the customs guys break open the crates v-e-r-y carefully so that the wood would be reuseable, more than 50 years later! LOL). Anyway you look at it, that means I'm up to #5, or #5.25.

4) But wait, there's more (I figure in for a penny, in for a pound!) I just realized a month or so ago that I had some farm-auction plunder of salvaged bluestone curbing: stones 1.5" thick by 8" or 12" wide by four and five feet, with one long beveled edge on each slab, that will make wonderful pantry shelves. I have two matching, wider (14") stones that will serve as a counter within the pantry area. Cool stone buttery/pantry shelves are a time-honored, pre-electrification way of keeping things cool which fits right in my kitch. So, that makes #6 (or #6.25), right?

OK, by now you are thinking it will look like a crazy-quilt kitchen. And it may well turn out to be so. (And I promise, you will all get to see, in the end.) But I hope it may also have the look of having been organically collected over time - as indeed this stuff has been. That will fit my 19thc house well, too. It also gives me enormous pleasure to think of where all these pieces have been and now to fit them into our current lives.

The one unifying concession I will make is to try to stain at least the IKEA BB to match the color of the mahogany slab. The teak is an odd species which naturally finishes up with a nearly mahogany look to it, so it will blend in as well, if I choose to use it.

But, at the very least I will have a zinc/metal counter; a mixed old white marble (not shiny at all) and mahogany run; something stoneish on the stove, perhaps matching the adjacent counter if that is also stone; a wood-surfaced island; and open shelves made of bluestone.

That's my plan, and for now, I'm stickin' with it!

L

You've got me hooked and I can't wait to see your 'crazy quilt' kitchen, Liriodendron! With the design sense and knowledge you seem to have, I have confidence it will look great in the end. Mostly, I love that you're using pieces that mean a lot to you.

Ours doesn't have a lengthy history, but our wood island countertop, like all the trim throughout our house, came from trees that were cut and milled from our site before we started building. It's more of a character grade Doug fir, than it is vertical grain, but I like it better because of it being native...The trees, then the house, grew out of the same place. (And frankly, it's more interesting visually.)

stone, wood, stainless

because that's what I like !

Soapstone, carerra marble, butcher block.

Our perimeter cabs will have soapstone and the island will be marble, but if I had it to do over again, I'd top most of the island in butcher block and have a lowered section with marble for working with dough. I'm having countertop-choice remorse, but it's too late to change it without massive expense.

Ahhh Liriodendron you and I have the same ideas as to crazy-quilt kitchens that fit an old house. Our 1890 bungalow was just begging for a working kitchen with multiple surfaces that spoke to their uses and origins.

On the sink and cooktop run I have teak. My cabinet maker called a friend who had 2 pieces left and was able to secure them and make them into a countertop for me. I have an antique soapstone sink mounted in the sink run. Don't know what kind of soapstone. It came from the salvage place I used in New Hampshire. That is 2 .

The baking run is made of 2 remnant slabs of 30" wide soapstone from the salvage place I used in New Hampshire. I have no idea what origin. That makes 3.

The coffee counter is Sylacauga Alabama marble. It has a lot of history. It was a piece salvaged from a building in Columbus GA, 45 min away from us. I found the piece in a field, in a pile of salvaged stone out in the country near our home. The man had purchased all that he could find at a GA salvage yard and let me pick out one piece I could carry home. I love it. It has the original beveled edge placed to the front. That makes 4.

My movable island work table is a utility piece from Tabco tables and has a BB top and galvanized metal shelves. That makes 6.

My adjacent sunroom/potting room seen from the kitchen , is where I do a lot of utilitarian cleaning up and prep of messy things when I am canning etc. I have a different soapstone, don't know what kind, that has a lot more veins but it looks wonderful with the huge Alberene soapstone sink. This sink has the metal makers-mark still affixed to the front. That makes 8. In the center of this room is a small antique work table that I purchased from a friend's flea market shop, it is made of oak and has a porcelain white metal top. So that makes 10.

I too derive much pleasure from the collectedness of each piece and its history, although I don't have the wonderful personal history that you are so lucky to have. I look forward to seeing your kitchen and delight in reading your descriptions. c

Another vote for the classic combo: soapstone, wood (edge grain walnut,) and marble.

Hi Lavenderlass,
Great topic!

I wish I had three. If I could I would have warm brown
walnut, white calcutta marble with veins that have subtle
beige and Virgnia Jet Mist granite with the white swirls.

~boxer

I have 3 different color cabinets, so I went with one marble everywhere to somewhat unify the look. I love my marble and would definitely use it again, but if I had to chose another surface? Maybe a walnut or a mahogany somewhere? Soapstone perhaps?

LavenderLass.What a great question...Hope you got your answer! BTW...Love your new colors for your kitchen.

Linodendron and Trailrunner - I envy you both for the treasures you have or will have in your kitchens. Makes me want to run out to a salvage yard and dig around...but even that would not hold a candle to the history and the stories you have living within your kitchens.

If the tiny kitchen in our 1680 saltbox ever gets a redo - we hope to be reusing some old pine from the attic on the pantry and hutch side, some honed Vermont Danby or Vermont Eureka Danby on either side of the sink run and soapstone or zinc on either side of the gas range... at least that is the plan so far.....

I have stainless on my clean up run, quartzite my L shaped run, and will have walnut on my island. I considered using quartzite or SS on my island, but felt it would be too much, so I'm going with wood for warmth. Seems like the classic combo reading this thread: stone/metal/wood.

beachpea...1680 !! ?? WOW ! Oh how lucky you are to have such history surrounding you ! I would love to see pics...my house seems like a baby compared to yours.

I used Nor'east Salvage in NH. They are a delight to work with. I am in AL and I picked out a ton, literally , of things from them...windows, sinks a tub, builtinchina cab.,soapstone slabs .I used some of the old windows as my cab doors in the kitchen and the last set for a freestanding cab in the master bath. They sent me pics and descriptions and then when I was finished shopping, it took 6 months, they shipped it all in a container on a Roadway truck. Very reasonable prices. Everything was as described. I have linked them below.

Please do post pics of your home and kitchen. You comments are so kind. We finished our remodel 5 yrs ago. There are tons of pics in my photobucket linked on " my page". c

Here is a link that might be useful: Nor'east Salvage

Around my sink and on one run of cabinets also under the window, I have hand hewn cherry. For my built in hutch corner, I have pewter. In my pantry, leftover pine wideplank flooring from my floor. Built in to my range top, stainless steel.

Then I have a work table and a copy of an old general store counter. The general store counter top is a marble called Dolomya that looks old but isn't. The work table top looks very worn and misshapen and is patched .. it is some sort of metal with a wooden shelf and legs.

So, let's see, that's six!: cherry, pewter, pine, stainless, marble and mystery metal (maybe zinc?).