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Light colored countertops that are not quartzite/marble?

aimskitchen
11 years ago

I'd like to put light colored countertops in my kitchen when we finally renovate. It's a small, L-shaped room in the center of the house without a lot of natural light, (thus the light color) and is a workhorse of a room, due to multiple food issues in our large family - so I've ruled out marble and most likely quarzite due to durability/staining issues. Can anyone recommend (and share pictures?) of something that could acheive the same sort of look, with great durability?

I've not ruled out laminates, but have so far only seen darker colored ones I've liked. I've seen some nice corian, but KDs seem very down on its function and durability. Any thoughts/ideas?

Comments (17)

  • juliekcmo
    11 years ago

    What about porcelain tile? Ours is commercial grade porcelain floor tile. It has been in for about 10 years and we like it a lot. It was about $2-3 per tile.

    Our island is butcher block

  • suzanne_sl
    11 years ago

    We chose Kashmir Gold which, despite the name, is very light and not particularly gold. We chose BM Bavarian Cream as our trim color because it best matched the light color in the granite, and it's really a white. Kashmir Gold, at least ours, has quite a bit of blue, so that is the color we used on the walls. This granite has had absolutely no issues with staining, etching, etc.

    (That hall wall is *not* green-it's the same blue as the wall with the photos on it.)

  • ar84
    11 years ago

    I think one option for you would be a white quartz. I think I remember being told that it is pretty durable. It is manmade, so some people don't like it for that reason.

  • Circus Peanut
    11 years ago

    3Form Chroma?
    {{!gwi}}

    Richlite?

    Brushed stainless steel?

    Recycled glass?
    {{!gwi}}

  • modern_mom35
    11 years ago

    we have white quartz -- Cambria Torquay -- and it's gorgeous! we have only been living with it for a couple of weeks, but so far it seems bulletproof. no issues whatsoever and my kids spill everything. it was pricey, but totally worth it. I am in love!

  • mskathyny
    11 years ago

    We have a very light quartz - Hanstone Aspen - which is similar to the Cambria Torquay. I truly love it! I originally really wanted marble but after testing many, many samples and seeing the etching, I knew I couldn't live with it. For me the Hanstone is the perfect solution. I've had it for a year and it's been terrific. In fact, I'm also about to put it in a summer house kitchen.

  • PRO
    Tom Carter
    11 years ago

    as others have mentioned, I would suggest looking at quartz countertops (manufactured from crushed quartz and epoxy), (not quarzite, which is a natural stone). They are very durable and come in tons of colours. My favourite "brand" is Cambria...the seemed to have a nice selection of more "natural" selections.
    caspian

  • mskathyny
    11 years ago

    We have a very light quartz - Hanstone Aspen - which is similar to the Cambria Torquay. I truly love it! I originally really wanted marble but after testing many, many samples and seeing the etching, I knew I couldn't live with it. For me the Hanstone is the perfect solution. I've had it for a year and it's been terrific. In fact, I'm also about to put it in a summer house kitchen.

  • maryl1
    11 years ago

    What color will your cabinets be? There are quite a few light color granites that others here have used. One is Blanco Romano. I have Ivory Fantasy and no problems in the 3 years since our new kitchen was put in. Quartz is a great option also as noted by the others.

  • Ann Scheley
    11 years ago

    We have Caesarstone quartz. Blizzard on the island and Pebble on the range wall.

    Blizzard:
    {{!gwi}}

    Pebble:

  • jessicaml
    11 years ago

    I love everything posted by circuspeanut; but I'd add that there are some light & pretty shades by Corian, too (heck, with the right cabinet color I even like the basic white). Rain Cloud was used in some pretty GW kitchens.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Colors of Corian

  • MeMcG
    11 years ago

    Our Kasmir White granite was installed today and it is GORGEOUS!

  • Pipdog
    11 years ago

    Don't give up on quartzites! Not all of them have durability issues. Our Madre Perla/Mother of Pearl is holding up beautifully with no etching or stains and lots of hard use.

  • kathec
    11 years ago

    I just grabbed a bunch of white/cream granite samples. Of course you can't tell what the whole thing will look like, but it might give you a starting point.

    Left- Yellow River Light, top- Bianco Romano, bottom- Kashmir White

    Top-Cold Springs, bottom- Snow Drift, right - White Springs

    Another few to consider are River White aka Valley and Delicatus.

    http://www.granitegurus.com is a blog that is incredibly informative and worth checking out.

    HTH
    Kathe

  • melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
    11 years ago

    I LOVE it! Not cold, no stains, doesn't break your dishes, easy to keep clean, no sealing, no grout, integrated sink (awesome feature, no caulk to clean OR nasty lip to deal with)...it scratches, yes, but not very noticeable on a light color. And you will need trivets under your hot things. But, seriously, if we had a stone or tile counter I know we'd have fewer dishes. I often accidentally crack them against the counter when unloading the dishwasher. Don't rule it out just because it's manmade and un-trendy. I'm a busy mom of two little boys, 7 and 3, and it's been a wonderful counter!

  • susanlynn2012
    11 years ago

    I love all these beautiful counters! I especially love the Snow Drift, White Springs, Kashmir White shown and the Delicatus mentioned which I think is also White Alaska! Thanks for sharing.

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