Before I tell you about our new granite kitchen island I have to mention this…
Do Your Countertops Match?
We’re having a debate in my house about our countertops in the kitchen and whether or not our island should match the rest of our counters.
When we bought this house in 2010, the kitchen was definitely one of the items that sold us. It was the best kitchen we saw of all the houses we looked at during our hunt.
We came to find out that the previous owner apparently had a grease fire in the kitchen and remodeled it in 2007. There are nice Thomasville cabinets, granite counters, recessed lighting, and bead board on the wall.
We can’t quite figure out what this wall about though. This tile runs along that wall, behind the refrigerator wall, under the sink, and behind the stove. Probably leftover from the remodel and now we’re stuck with it.
Don’t even get me started on the floor. Sigh.
We think that might have been where a bathroom was on the first floor of the house, and it was taken out in the kitchen remodel.
We also have a nice island in the middle of the room. I’ve never lived in a home with one, and they are fantastic for food prep, serving, gathering, and more.
You’ll notice that our island is made of the bead board, which is along the back wall and has a laminate counter, different from the rest of the granite.
We don’t know if this was a money savings during the makeover or if they wanted it to look different. But that this point I think we have just a few too many different surfaces going on in here. From the bead board to the floor, granite, back splash, random tile wall and drywall, there’s a lot to look at.
I’ve been calling a local granite counter top store every few months to see if they have a remnant of the same granite that we can get for the island. The plan would be to remove the laminate ourselves and replace it with the granite.
Sure enough I called last week and they have a piece in the size we need!
So our big debate is, do we replace the island laminate with the matching granite, or save ourselves about $600 and leave it as it is? This stuff is not cheap, even a remnant is about $50 a square foot.
What do you think?
I’m waiting for a quote from the place today and I hope it’s not too painful. My debate is that they might not have this granite forever and if they don’t then we’re out of luck to match it, and I think it would look good in the kitchen to make things a little more uniform.
Hubs’ debate is that this is not really a necessary item and we have higher priorities that we need to get done, like the porch really needs to be painted and the bathrooms reek of 1990. A very worthy and valid argument.
I’ve considered a butcher block , but that would be just one more surface/texture in the room.
So tell me, do your countertops match? Would you replace the laminate with matching granite? Anyone every do this before? Am I being vain about wanting my kitchen to match when we need new toilets? Should I ask my Valentine if I can have a new countertop instead of diamonds?
Discuss!
Oh my, you have put us to the test on this one! Ok, here’s my two bits worth. You’re talking about the island counter top, so you’re noticing it. That means it’s not going to disappear if you decide to leave it as is… you’ll still be noticing it and wondering, what if… The thing with granite is you have to love it, because it’s pretty ‘bossy’ as Maria Killam would say. It dictates the rest of what goes on in the space, and it’s not cheap, as you know. So if you commit to granite, you’re in it for the long haul. I say if you love the granite, grab that piece you’ve sourced, quick before it’s gone! I love the idea of the butcher block, and I’m not one that believes an island surface must match the rest of the kitchen, but with the number of different surfaces you have going on, I would bring the island on board with the rest of the counters. That’s my piece. Can’t wait to see if it’s diamonds or shiny granite 😉 PS – you can always get paint for the porch – paint never runs dry so-to-speak, the bathroom reno will be a bigger leap than $600 I’m guessing, so it’s in a league of its own and one to stategically plan for… and the kitchen is the heart of the home!
I agree completely with Sheila 🙂
Good luck!
I think I would do a stained butcher block counter top that matches your cabinets.
Tough question! I am personally a believer that the mismatched kitchen trend will end up being a trend. So I am a believer in matching, at least in the kitchen.
That said, it’s only worth it if you LOVE that granite. Otherwise, either live with the laminate for a while, or replace it with something inexpensive like Ikea butcher block stained to the color of your choice. We put those in in our last kitchen, and they were great. Easy to work with (if you can cut a straight line and use an orbital sander, anyway), and actually very strong. Especially since yours wouldn’t be around the sink, you’d have no issue.
My two cents. 🙂
I’d say change it! It’ll be worth the investment. I don’t mind mismatched islands as long as the material is the same, only the color is different. So if they were both laminate but different colors, or both granite, I’d leave as is. But since they are two totally different materials, I vote get the granite!
I think you’ll be happier in the long run if you go ahead and replace the island top with that matching granite. It might be expensive but a kitchen is one area of a home that when done right can be one of your best roi when you decide (if ever) to resell. Also – I wonder if it would be possible to cover that wall tile with some of that bead board wallpaper? Or maybe even just paint the tile white so it visually looks the same as the other wall. Just a thought – I have no idea if that would actually work. =)
I actually like when people have a different stone/color on their islands and would paint the island a different color as well; however, not a huge fan of laminate..so if it were me, I would go with a different variation of granite so your surfaces are the same, but the colors are different.
Good luck deciding!
I agree with Sheila as well. I’d finish the kitchen up so that you are completely happy with it before venturing to another room. And any investment in the kitchen will be a good one in terms of resale value. I think you should grab the granite while you have the chance!
Jessica,
I have been trying to match my granite for a breakfast bar I built in our kitchen. I have not been able to I’d it. I think I might have the same granite that you have. What is it called? I promise not to order your slab! Thanks!
Hi Nic, We knew the previous owner remodeled the kitchen at Home Depot so they told us what color it was. This one is called Blue Sapphire, although they told us the name changed to something new recently. They have samples you can take home to match. Or any granite place can do that too, let you take a sample to see if it matches. We ordered a remnant, but I had to wait for one to be available. We ordered it from a local countertop store, since there are minimums at HD and we just needed a small piece. Hope that helps.
P.S I have a post about the new piece here
http://decoradventures.com/2012/08/new-granite-kitchen-island.html