Kitchen Countertops Ideas?
Question:Hello…we are looking for some ideas/suggestions from “the experts”. We are looking to update our kitchen countertops using a material that is fairly inexpensive (under $500), yet durable and nice looking. We have approximately 27 sq ft of countertop surface and 3 sq ft of backsplash area. Thanks!
Answers:
Granite is beautiful-- and to reduce the cost you can buy reminants or granite tile. Mix it up with tile backsplash.
I'm not an expert but I would say flormica (if thats how you spell it) looks really good. Also, one time on tv i saw these countertops that looked exactly like marble but they were actually just painted to look like marble. They said it was very inexpensive and it looks great.
I have polished marble counter top´s, and they are very easy to clean and look very nice, expensive , but worth the money
About the only things in your price range are laminate ("Formica" and Formica-like materials) and tile. Laminate is not the most durable, so I think that leaves you with tile.
$500 for 30 sq ft is near the bottom end of the range for tile, so you won't be getting the very best and fanciest stuff.
You can save some money by doing the tile yourself...you might want to consider that.
You are only looking at HPL, high pressure laminate, for counter tops and cheap tile self installed for the backsplash at your price and you probably won't make it then.
We went to a winery recently and they had copper counter-tops. I had never seen that, I was impressed! It was warm and inviting but yet rich looking. The color was varied in the different spots, maybe from spills or wear over the years, but it was all good. I don't know how expensive they would be but when we build, I want something different than everybody else.
Your budget is a challenge, but for something durable and inexpensive what about polished concrete? There's lots of people using that for countertops now - it's poured in place with the proper forms & can be stained, stamped, etc. Not sure how much it would be to have someone do it for you (probably way more than your budget allows) but it's a good option if you don't want laminate or tile and can't afford granite or marble.
I agree with the polished concrete idea. Look it up online. People are doing beautiful things with concrete these days. Laminates are cheap and durable and are becoming more attractive.
If you can spend a bit more you might look into DuPont products like Corian or Zodiaq. They are less expensive than granite or marble and can be lovely.
the cheapest counter tops are laminate tops called post form counter tops they come in a wide range of colors and finishes, FYI Post form tops have the back splash attached and also have a round edge profile, All one piece of laminate from the top of the back splash to the bottom of the profile, I think they range from about $20.00-$30.00 sq ft.
hope this helps
More Related Questions & Answers...