apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That photoshopped blur is giving me a headache!

Hey, what about concrete??

"glazed Volvic lava stone from France" -- now that's really going over the top. What about pressurized coral from the great barrier reef? Seriously, it's just a kitchen counter, but it's become a status symbol competition for those who can get the most exotic material possible. Granite is SO plebian now, it's even in tract homes! Sorry, but granite is good enough for me.

I am just aghast that the majority of the materials discussed as possibilities for countertops seem to have properties that should bar them from even being considered for countertops. How can it possibly be reasonable to have a countertop that stains if you spill on it, that molds if it gets wet, that has to be oiled or sanded or re-sealed, or that will break if you drop something on it? Don't people use their kitchens for cooking in?

End rant.

The IceStone looks beautiful, however it seems really impractical. I prefer a smooth, sealed surface :-)

Ice stone is actually sealed and we even use it in commercial aplications. It is buffed and has a finish that feels like granite.
The photo is decieving it looks rough...

hejiranyc,

concrete is not a great countertop material because it needs to be resealed all the time. It's also porous, which means it holds moisture and harbors bacteria.

I like the resin countertops that can be sanded if you get a burn or a ding.

I too am so tired of seeing Granite and Marble everywhere - particularly the stuff that's been hauled halfway around the planet just so that someone with more money than taste can get a "pretty color" in their "Trophy-Kitchen".

I'm loving the terrazzo w/ embedded glass - but I'd be perfectly happy with butcherblock, PaperStone or even plain white laminate on a birch plywood substrate with exposed edges...

I like the idea of Ice Stone, but I think they used it in the cafe at my gym (Equinox in NYC) and it's not wearing well. The concrete part of it is actually wearing away at the edges and in the most-used parts. It doesn't look so durable.

I LOVE IceStone is a great alternative to those “smooth” “stainproof” petrochemical carcinogenic plastic countertops….I’d rather seal and be healthy! Granite is imported and they are coating it in plastic now too!

sorry - reposting due to formatting problem in previous post:

I LOVE IceStone. It's is a great alternative to those so-called smooth and so-called stainproof petrochemical carcinogenic plastic countertops….I’d rather seal and be healthy! Granite is imported and they are coating it in plastic now too!

Love the look and feel of soapstone. Soapstone counter tops are soft to the touch, but not absorbent. Perfect for achieving warm "old fashioned", "rustic", "early American" look. Seen it used in Mission style kitchen design and in this classic Shaker kitchen