Something thing that folks forget is that keeping the countertops they already have truly is the most eco-friendly solution.

while PaperStone is wonderful (and IceStone too) it chips REALLY easily on the corners. A designer I know packed them in her carry-on for a flight to show a client and when she unpacked them the corners were chipped.

I'm with bepsf. Feeling overwhelmed? Sometimes the best solution is to do nothing. Now if I ever found my countertop was no longer functional (lol), this would be an attractive option. I'm bummed to hear that it chips easily, though.

to add to my previous comment a great alternative to the "traditional" counter is concrete. It can be made locally and stained and stamped to look like almost anything else besides concrete.

To second bepsf's comment, I envision an period where we are all clamoring for vintage Formica countertops on Craigslist or proudly showing off our 30-year-old, light-colored-tile-with-dark-grout counters and forgetting all this home renovation I-must-redo-my-kitchen/bathroom/whatever-because-I'm-vain-like-that garbage.

amen, bepsf.

Well, I am someone who recently remodeled my 60 year old kitchen with Paperstone. And there is no problem with chipping. The counter is solid as a rock - in fact more so, granite counter tops are not as thick as the lip of the counter top makes it appear, but my paperstone is a solid 1 1/2 inches. I can't imagine what would chip it. It is very similar to wood, but very dense and heavy. This person may have had a problem with the thin demo chips, but I still can't imagine that. I dragged those things around for 2 months before I made a decision and they looked exactly the same.

I found paperstone to be the most durable and easy option of all the green choices. I also don't like the feel or sound of stone, glass or concrete (too cold). I wanted a warm feeling counter top.

However, I do have one word of caution. The dark colors show water marks very easily. I have black and every little water drop shows. It is easy to wipe away with surface cleaner, but a pain the but if you are OCD like me and want the counter looking perfectly clean all the time.

side note: one reason we bought this house was because the kitchen was original, in horrible shape (fire hazard), and we could remodel a new kitchen the way we wanted. Not that I feel defensive (ok maybe I do a little), but I do think that there are a lot of people who really think about the full impact of their choices. But, I am a believer that people should never remodel unnecessarily.

RobbyB--

I totally get what you're saying regarding redoing a kitchen that's non-functional - ie: broken down cabinets, appliances that don't work, insufficient work/storage space, leaky fixtures, hazardous conditions, etc - That makes total sense to me and you shouldn't feel the least bit defensive about that.

It's the folks who have perfectly functional kitchens/bathrooms but rip them out for the sake of fashion - "1990's Maple/Corian/Black Glass is outdated so let's put in 2000's Cherry/Granite/Stainless Steel" - They're the one's that get me.

I'm in Robby's situation -- we bought a nice, solid mid-70s house, but the original owners put in the shabbiest cabinets available, nor did they take care of them. We had five cabinetmakers come out to look at repairing them, and all five told us the cabinets were not square and made of shoddy, visibly warped wood. (One of them had put new doors on the cabinets in my previous home, so I know it was something he was quite willing to do.) Also, the laminate countertops are literally coming apart. So bepsf, sometimes remodeling is the only way, which you acknowledge. Right now I store my food in a closet hallway and my dishes & cookware on a tall bookcase in the kitchen.

I agree with you about the useless remodelers -- where do they get the money?!? And why do they waste resources? I plan to invest in quality so this will last for decades. (That's also why I have all-white appliances -- they don't date, IMO.)

I love concrete countertops, and the recycled glass and concrete mixes. I have lots of questions about the problems with concrete: concrete is responsible for upwards of 5% of global CO2 emissions. But this site, and who knows if it's paid for by the concrete industry, tries to put it in perspective;
http://www.concretethinker.com/Papers.aspx?DocId=312
I guess there is more homework to do..

scmtngirl sounds like a lot of fun

Greenlight--

Although cement is responsible for 5% of global CO2 emissions, it's only 1% of US emissions - Inefficiencies of production and transport in the emerging countries of China and India have alot to do with that as well as the major building booms going on practically everywhere else on the planet.

That said, your concrete countertops will last a lifetime and are highly recyclable - plus, the more aggregate you put in them (glass/crushed stone), the less cement you'll end up using for your project.

I really like the colors available with paperstone; but it does need to be sealed to avoid staining.

Re: the unneeded remodeling. I think a lot of design magazines promote this idea. I always read articles where people say "I hated the recently remodeled kitchen when we moved in and I just HAD to change it."

Stet - I have the black paperstone (I think it is called slate in the 100% recycled) and nothings stains it (i think you have to be careful with the lighter colors). The only thing that would be considered a stain is any oil or fat. It will suck it up. BUT, the good news is it can be prevented and it goes away. I treat it like wood and rub it with mineral oil once a week after giving it a thorough cleaning. You can buy expensive paperstone cleaner, but I found that cheap 100% mineral oil (the kind used for cutting boards) works better. And it will burn if you put something hotter than 400F on it - I haven't had this problem, I have a big trivet next to the range. However, the beauty of this product is that the color is solid all the way through and you can just sand the area that has the stain, scratch, burn etc. I think it is very sustainable in this sense.

Great product, but don't let the 'uninstalled' price fool you. It is more expensive than a lot of granite you can get today (probably because it is for sale everywhere). But it is a small, independent company and the product is great.

Wilsonart laminate is quite a bit cheaper than any of the alternatives listed ($100 a sq foot? for a counter?), and it's easy to install.

But remodeling a house you own, and consider an investment, isn't a crime. If you're going to live there forever, you might as well enjoy your space.

If you rent, you're young and hip and not home much anyway, right?

I always read articles where people say "I hated the recently remodeled kitchen when we moved in and I just HAD to change it."

Robby, those people are best described by my Depression-baby parents: They have more money than sense.

Vertrazzo at $100 a sq. ft. -- that is outrageous!

Don't forget about bamboo!

The winery I work for has a countertop made of recycled aluminum can shavings and other metal scrap. It is produced by a company called Alkemi.

I only see one photo in this post, and it looks like Vetrazzo - am I missing something?

Anyone have experience with Vetrazzo? I agree it sounds expensive, but I'm still in love with the photos (and I have a small kitchen).

Also worth googling "enviroglass" - my favorite of the recycled glass countertop manufacturers. They do floors, too.

We just bought a 30-year-old home with an original but functioning kitchen, and we will be ripping it out as soon as our budget allows. Our new kitchen will better fit our lifestyle - both functionally and aesthetically. We specifically chose a home that had been cared for but never updated rather than something with hideous recent updates.

We did the same with our last condo, which we were able to sell in about a month at 96% of our asking price. The condos in our building that hadn't been updated are STILL on the market if they haven't been taken off already. There is no doubt in my mind that our renovation and selection of finishes are why our place sold so quickly.

We plan on staying in our house a long, long time - and we want to LOVE it as much as we loved our condo. We walking into a smelly, dark, awkwardly laid-out house and had a vision of how it could fit our lifestyle perfectly with just a few walls knocked down, walls put up, plumbing moved, popcorn scraped, etc. etc. etc. And our new kitchen will definitely be the centerpiece of the house. If our house had been updated at all, we couldn't have afforded it.

Oh, and it will probably have Blanco Maple silestone - indestructible, cost-effective, and it is so bright it practically acts as its own light source. Shaker cabinets, because they're timeless and fit with many design styles. Slate floors. More functional and ergonomic storage. Better lighting and more efficient appliances. Unfortunately, I think a lot of these green materials are too fadish...

Every Squak Mountain Stone concrete slab is hand-finished so it has a unique character similar to that of natural stones such as marble, travertine, and limestone. Squak Mountain Stone is generally used in kitchens and bathrooms as a counter top, table top or vanity top. If you haven't seen the "new" Squak Mountain stone you really don't know what you are missing out on! Tiger Mountain Innovations, LLC has recently made some great product improvements to their Squak Mountain Stone product. The coal fly-ash previously contained in the material has been substituted out with more recycled glass. Portland cement was substituted for low-carbon cement over 2 years ago as low-carbon cement releases much less co2 into the atmosphere during the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the slabs are available in a nominal 56"x96" size at 1-3/8" thickness. Slabs are gauged on the backside to ensure consistent thickness and ease of seaming for fabricators. A state-of-the-art vibration technology is used to minimize pinholes and give a more consistent character from slab to slab.

Eco-friendly counter top cleaner is important too. Rock Doctor as a natural cleaner in a non-aerosol can. You can buy online: http://www.rockdoctor.net/products/natural-granite-cleaner