Living with Marble Countertops in a BUSY Kitchen

It’s been exactly one year since we remodeled our kitchen.  And yes, I still love it, and no, I wouldn’t change anything. That’s the short answer. Here are some details.

What marble lovers really wanna know is—how has life been with your honed Carrera Marble countertops.  Let me preface my worthless opinion by saying that we are a family of five and we cook a lot. Everyday.  I mean, look at the wicked enemies  to marble just blatantly sitting on the counter? A lemon, greasy frosting, and yes, my kids.

I am to blame as well—rolling out enchiladas with the biggest etching weapon of them all--enchilada sauce splatters.

I bake bread. I roast chicken. I sauté veggies that splatter grease everywhere. This is a working kitchen for sure that is used, abused, and loved. The photos at the top of the post show the counters still perfect with no signs of marble abuse after one year right? Wrong.

For those of you that don’t know, marble is a bit tricky in the kitchen because it is porous, can stain, and can etch with anything acidic like tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice, ketchup. So why not get granite which is easy peasy to take care of? Well, there are no white granites (I looked and looked to find an alternative—there is nothing even close to white to satisfy this lover of white stone) so if you want a white natural stone for countertops you are left with marble. Believe it or not, engineered stone like Caesar stone or Silestone is more expensive than Carrera marble. (We spent $3,800 (counters plus install) and I was told to expect to pay at least $1,500 more for Caesar stone) I went into purchasing marble with my eyes wide open. The marble dealer gave me a small slab to take home and abuse. I did so with stainable sauces and foods to make sure I knew what I was getting into.  I decided that any wear and tear on the marble gives it a patina and over time they’ll change even more and I love that.

Forgive me for posting the below photos which are horrifically dark. The only way to show the etching and streaking is to try to photograph the counters with just the glare of the sunlight on them. (I tried using a flash or brightening the photos but that just made the etch marks disappear.)

The above photos are of  the island, which has the most marble abuse. However, you can only see those scars when natural light streaming through the windows shines on it.  And yes, I see those marks everyday, but not at night.  I am not a perfectionist so this doesn’t bother me. The photo below, with the circled area, is showing the same section photographed above but with regular light.

There are no stains on my counters—and in my book, that’s the more important part.  Streaks I can live with, but I don’t want my countertops to have purple and red spots. I’m supposed to seal them every 6 months and I have been naughty and haven’t even done that. (I promise to do it this weekend as I have the sealer finally.)

The below photos show command central. It’s the spot where grease splatters the most next to the burner I use the most. No stains, no problems here. Etching yes, stains no.

There are however only two things that annoy me about marble that nobody told me about. But because we’re friends, I’ll tell you.

First, there are no antibacterial cleaners that can be used on marble. Nothing that I have found—you can’t use anything with bleach, ammonia, or vinegar to kill nasty raw-chicken germs. I am left with hot soapy water which bugs me because that’s a lot of work. In fact, I don’t think there is a single germ killer out there that can be used on marble. Every cleaner I have encountered can’t be used because it will etch the marble. I really need to do more research on this problem. I made the mistake of using a Lysol antibacterial cleaner on part of the counters when we first had the kitchen and sure enough, it etched the counter—leaving an obvious dull spot that felt ‘rough’ to the touch. That spot has since rubbed out (more on that later.)

Second, the counters are honed, which means they have a matte finish, which I was told would help ease the obviousness of etches, which I think is true, but I also think it makes any oily residue or dirt more visible by showing the dirty/oil and shiny spots on the marble. I wipe the counter day and night to clean them but that does nothing to remove oily looking spots.  I notice the shininess the most when I roll out dough for cinnamon rolls or even regular dough that contains oil/butter.  Using the scrubber side of a kitchen brush with hot water is the best way I know to keep those oily spots to a minimum. But I also have to ‘buff’ the counter every once in a while with a clean kitchen towel to rub out the oily spots. Just like waxing a car—it takes a ton of elbow grease to make the counters look uniformly 'matte’ again. And because I am lazy, and hate buffing anything like nails or shoes, this annoys me. I am almost positive this problem would still exist had I left the counters with a high gloss instead of having them honed. Marble is just finicky.

Lastly, I have etched the counters as is obvious by my photos but weirdly enough, the horrible etches created by Lysol (see above) eventually wear away. I will confess to you my worst sin thus far: We were going on a vacation for a week so I made sandwiches with sliced tomatoes for the long drive. I left that cutting board on the counter, and the tomato juice ran off the cutting board and made a 5-inch scar of etching on to the counters. I gasped when I came home a week later and discovered my stupid, stupid mistake. But within 2 months that spot just rubbed out. I guess because marble is stone it will wear and patina and change along with my messy family. And  that’s why I still love them and would do it all over again.

(To see all the details from our remodel, including sources for cabinets, counters, and wall tall, click here.)

Kitchen Remodel Part 4

In case you missed the exciting other posts about our remodel: Kitchen Remodel Part 3, Kitchen Remodel Part 2, and the first one Kitchen Remodel part 1

Well, we are at the end of the remodeling process for our kitchen. There are a few minor things that need to be done, but hopefully you don’t notice them in these pictures.

AFTER: Lots of light with white cabinetry, turquoise tiles,  and Carrera marble countertops.

BEFORE: Plenty of darkness: dark cabinets, dark counters. And this photo below is after I dressed her up! See the end of this post for what it looked like when we bought this house. Warning, it ain’t pretty.

BEFORE: 30” range, and awkward corner to left of sink that “jutted” out and ruined that counter space as anything but useable. (Not of big fan of lazy susans, which is what was in this corner.) In this photo you also can’t see where I melted my solid-surface countertops by the KitchenAid. Don’t forget to turn off your electric pancake griddle unless you want a replica of the San Anrdreas fault line in your countertops.

AFTER: 36” dual fuel range, nice square corner to left of sink makes that spot very usable for prep work now. Oh, and those are my same utensil crocks. I took the old ones outside and sprayed them limey green with a $3 can of spray paint. Super happy with how they turned out.  I liked my stainless hood but love the cabinetry holding the hood insert way more. Of course this is vented outside as well. I’ve never understood hoods that are not vented--that just ‘recycle’ the air and spit it back into your house. That does nothing. I like to roast butterflied chicken at 500 degrees. And for that, you need a vented hood,  unless you like the sound of smoke alarms. Done that before.

Before: An awkward island that had only two big sections meant always getting on my hands and knees to dig out pots and lids. Always a treasure hunt. (I did paint the island white last summer in an attempt to pacify my need for white cabinetry. It didn’t work.

After: An island made of quarter-sawn oak that looks like a piece of furniture, full of drawers and pull outs for a super efficient use of space. Room to grow!

Before: The pantry did provide lots of storage, but our fabulous cabinet maker, Ben Blackwelder, threw out the amazing idea of removing the pantry and adding a cabinet style pantry. Yes, I would lose storage, but gain counter space and make the kitchen tons better. (I have another pantry under the stairs.) I thought about it for a day or two and realized I would love that extra space for the kitchen instead so adios pantry! My yellow walls didn’t look this garrish. See this post for the etsy article feature that shows how nice the yellow actually did look.

After: The cabinet style pantry is eye candy and our same refrigerator looks like an expensive built in. Oh yea! The tile in the pantry and entryway from the garage was removed and is now all hickory stained a medium brown. (I don’t like natural blond hickory. Gag.) The arched drop ceiling leading out into the garage was removed and a lovely chandelier added.

Okay, that’s it for BEFORE and AFTER shots, now just some more after shots.

I’ve always hated the look of microwaves. I don’t think there is anything pretty about them. I’ve always had mine hidden in a pantry and luckily our cabinet maker agreed to keep it hidden because he too hates the look of microwaves. It’s just personal preference people, if you love your microwave, good for you!

The cabinet maker suggested we use big drawers like the ones below to store all the everyday dishes that we unload 1-2 times a day from our dishwasher. Once again, super efficient idea. Everything is easily accessed for the children now as well. It’s always a bonus when my 8-yr old can unload the dishwasher without needing to reach high up to put heavy plates away.

I’ve always loved subway tiles. This is the third time I’ve used them in my house(s). See this post with cream subway tiles in my last house. The soft turquoise tile is the perfect compliment to the Carrera marble counters. (And no, the green apples are not a prop. I am going to make a German Apple Pancake for breakfast Saturday morning.) Yes, I know, one of the outlet covers is white and not stainless. It’s on back order.)

l didn’t want a white island as I know from experience the island gets pretty beat up from the children sitting at the counters and just general wear and tear for being in the center of the kitchen. I asked Ben Blackwelder to suggest something. He suggested something timeless like quarter-sawn oak. It’s so classy. It looks like a piece of antique furniture from the Arts & Crafts era. And because it’s not stained, it will age over time and get a gorgeous patina. Ben says it is treated in an ammonia tent which naturally changes the color of the wood. Ooooo, chemistry is magic indeed!

I wanted contemporary pulls and knobs in polished nickel to go with the more traditional/transitional cabinetry.

Speaking of polished nickel, these are the pendants that just make the kitchen pop. I spent hours and hours looking online for the perfect pendants. They needed to be contemporary, a little bit glam, and still look kind of vintage. These are the only ones that made me gasp with happiness when I saw them. (Do you like my reflection in the shiny pendant?)

I knew I wanted a one-bowl sink again. I put one in in my last house and I have missed it for 5 years. There’s nothing like hiding dirty pots and pans in a big sink. Great for soaking the crusty junk on said pans as well. The faucet was a tricky one to find. I insisted the control be normal—meaning hot is left, cold is right. I do not like the new faucets where the control is attached to the right of the faucet and therefore back is hot, forward is cold, or something confusing like that.  And I already had a kitchen faucet before where hot/cold where two separate knobs and hated it. They are gorgeous, but completely impractical when you have raw chicken or enchilada sauce on your hands—hmm, let’s get the temperature correct, a little turn of the knob on the left, a little turn of the knob on the right, nope too hot, let’s try again. That faucet was the first thing to go in this house. This faucet (pictured below) is  the only one that fit my requirements. I wish I could’ve found one a bit more contemporary, but in this case, function trumped fashion. I love the dish soap dispenser on the left too.

An open shelf was suggested by the cabinet maker to break up that huge wall of solid cabinetry. I think it’s the perfect place to add some bright colors, show off my mom’s china (that she recently gave to me—my Dad bought her this china in Japan in 1970 while he was in the Air Force during the Vietnam war) and store a few cookbooks. Some have asked why this little cabinet doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling. I don’t think it would look like a piece of furniture then. It would look like another cabinet. I love it as is.

There you have it, my dream kitchen. Demolition began December 27, and today is January 27th, 2012, so not too bad. Living without a kitchen was no fun. At all. I think I’ll write another post about all the microwave meals that were a hit/bomb from Costco.

I believe in living better, not bigger. I have no desire to have a bigger house. Our house has good bones and we love it here. I just want it a bit more personalized to our liking. Please don’t think I am bragging in this post, I really am very grateful for all of this. My husband Paul and I worked really, really hard to save our pennies for this project. Paul is the happiest accountant ever and I run my own embroidery designs website. We have no debt (well, a few years left on the house) and we live frugally to avoid a few little luxuries like this kitchen. It took 5 years of living here to figure out how we wanted the kitchen and almost as long to save. That’s the bonus to remodeling vs. moving. With remodeling you can live in the space first and decide how to change it later.

Oh, and by the way, one of my new favorite color combinations is gray walls and green furniture. In case you can’t tell.

All homes have potential so don’t move, remodel! This is how the house looked when our realtor took us through way back in April 2006. I kept telling myself, “the house has good bones…..we can change all this…..”

And change it we did!

Sources:

Contractor: L&D Construction, Provo Utah.  801-836-3560. Leah Passey is the best. She always goes the extra mile for us and her prices are super fair. We’ve used her company before and we surely will again.

Custom Cabinets: Benjamin Blackwelder Cabinetry, Orem Utah. This guy has vision. His crew was awesome and they were super easy to work with. Cabinet color is ‘White Dove’ by Benjamin Moore Paints. (Jones Paint & Glass in Provo is the only place locally to get BM Paints.) Ben is the one who let me know that custom cabinets are only about 10% more than regular ones you’d get at Home Depot. Giddy-up!

Range: Kitchen Aid 36” Dual Fuel Range.  I paid $2,000 less than MSRP at Mountainland Supply in Provo, Utah. I’ve only seen comparable prices on Ebay. The hood insert and sink are from Mountainland Supply as well. Good deals at that place!

Hardwood floors: Pioneer Hardwood Pleasant Grove, Utah (801) 830-2115. Bobby re-finished our floors last year as well. He is a perfectionist, and it shows.

Pendants: Benson Pendant in 7” size in polished nickel from Restoration Hardware. Chandelier next to refrigerator is from Lowe’s, click here. Gorgeous at night all lit up! Knobs and Pulls are “Strande” also from Restoration Hardware in polished nickel. Gray wall color is “Whipporwill” by Millenium Paint. Just tell that to the friendly folks at Lowes and they’ll mix it right up. I love that you can get ANY color in small $2.50 samples at Lowes. Way better than buying a whole quart to sample. This is the perfect gray—it has just a touch of green to warm it up so that it doesn’t look so, well, gray.

Tile Backsplash: This is a 3”x6”glass tile by Dal Tile. The color is called Whisper Green but I would rename is Dreamy Soft Turquoise.

Kitchen Faucet: Delta Single Handle Pull Down with soap dispenser

Countertops: Carrera Marble through MGS Countertops. BJ is the owner and he is great to work with. He made sure I knew all about the pros and cons of Carrera. He even gave me a sample to take home and stain/etch so that I would have no regrets. I “spilled” raspberry jam, lemon juice, oil, and milk onto it to see the effect. He said it will take a year or so to develop a patina. Until then, some of the minor scratches/stains may bug me. I’ve never been fussy about having something look perfectly clean so I doubt I’ll be bothered. Ask me in a year if I feel the same way. In this last week we’ve already made some marks on the marble but they just leave a gray cast, which hello, the countertops are already white/gray anyway. There are no white granites (less maintenance than marble) and an engineered quartz stone (Silestone, Caesar stone) was $1,000 more than the Carrera. Gulp. Natural stone is less than engineered? Yup, I was shocked too.

Yes I know, the black barstools don’t go with the room anymore. But it’s January and it’s too cold to paint. I’ll spray them a fun color this summer when my Dad visits. Or better yet, purchase these.

Bon Appetit!

 

KITCHEN FOLLOW UP: LIVING WITH MARBLE COUNTERTOPS ONE YEAR LATER

Kitchen Remodel part 3

It’s coming along! We’re so close to being done.

The cabinets are in now.  Here’s a little timeline of photos. The time between the first photo and the last is about 9 days.

Doesn’t Paul look happy to be standing in the construction zone?

The kitchen was masked off and ready for painting. The painting of the cabinets took place Friday and Saturday morning. I’ve smelled paint before—but this was lacquer, as in the smell of nail polish. The fumes were so bad we had to go stay with a family member Friday the 13th (appropriate day for bad luck) because it seemed as if a thousand bottles of nail polish were shoved up our nose for our enjoyment. Not exaggerating. At all.

The island is quarter-sawn oak. I didn’t want it painted white as I figured it would be hammered by this family of 5. Something classic like quarter-sawn oak was suggested by our cabinet maker. That made me happy. I used to have this piano pictured below  in my house, which is an antique made of quarter-sawn oak and I loved the grain. Timeless. Oh, excuse my adorable niece sitting at the piano. The piano now belongs to my sister-in-law Ilene. She had to send me this photo as I never took a picture of the piano when it lived in my house for many years. Gorgeous huh? The piano too.

During the last two days Carrara marble was installed.

Along with the hardware.I was so excited last night I started loading up my dishes.

Final post next week after the backsplash, plumbling, and lighting is finished.

Kitchen Remodel part 2

Missed Kitchen Remodel part 1? Click here

Living without a kitchen is the worst. These pictures tell the sad tale.

Six months ago our dishwasher leaked and ruined our hickory floors. It took months for the hickory to dry out so that they could be resanded/refinished, but by then we were close to starting out kitchen project so we thought we’d do it all at the same time. Lucky us, our subfloor got ruined as well and had to be replaced. Thank goodness for homeowner’s insurance.

The above picture is the gaping hole when the rotted subfloor was cut out. The below picture is after it was replaced with new plywood and new hickory floor. The peachy stuff is the wood filler drying before the sanding occurred.

 

This is how we eat these days: frozen food galore.

 

This is my makeshift kitchen. Really, all one needs is a microwave and toaster to maintain survival. Happiness is not maintained, but survival is.

 

We took the kitchen apart before Christmas and stashed its contents into three rooms and one hallway. For crackers, spices, and baking products you’ll need to enter the office. Sadly, we never found the cinnamon last night for arroz con leche.

For fine china, a rolling pin, and a teapot,  you’ll need to enter the master bedroom:

Is living this way as fun as it looks? Nope.  Just look at Hallie’s face.

Thankfully it will all change this week as the cabinets are being installed. Sadly, 10 more days after that is the normal time for marble countertops to be cut and installed.  Kill me now.

Kitchen Remodel part 1

Five and half years ago we moved into our lovely home. The first thing I said to my husband when I walked through this kitchen is, “You gotta let me paint these cabinets.”

This is the picture I took on our first walk through.  It’s ok if you gasp, I nearly cried. Diggin’ the purple/brown walls, huh?

I am so not a fan of the rustic look. Nor knotty alder. After we moved in Paul said he liked this kitchen and therefore crushed my dreams of having a white kitchen. I am not sure why. After all, this is how we transformed the brown kitchen cabinets in our old house:

Lots of beadboard and glossy paint. And then some subway tiles.

I am still proud of the above kitchen. I remember we spent $1,000 on the above remodel—paint, backsplash, and granite tiles. That was a lot of money! Look hard I am working putting up the backsplash? You can read about it in this super old blog post from 2005. I saw the below photo and that’s what inspired the red lower cabinets:

I didn’t care if I got tired of the red because hey, those were probably $800 dollar cabinets. It’s not like I was ruining anything valuable.

Ok, Ok, back to my current kitchen, if you are still reading.

I’ve talked about this in a previous blog post so I’ll quit the whining. I don’t want to sound ungrateful. Because I am grateful I have a nice place to cook meals. This kitchen just isn’t my style. At all.

I’ve done what I can by adding a white subway tile backsplash, adding a hood that actually vents outside (microwave is in pantry) and painting the island white. (I painted the island white just six months ago thinking it would calm me down.) But it’s time for a change. These cabinets have fulfilled their knotty alder destiny. At least in my home. They are for sale now. $2,000 or best offer.

Maybe being from California is the reason I am drawn to a coastal look—white cabinets and bright tiles. So we’re moving forward! I hired the talented Benjamin Blackwelder (his website doesn’t work in internet explorer) after seeing the below kitchen he designed in the Parade of Homes 6 months ago.  (You can read all about the kitchen by clicking here.)  I walked through this kitchen gasping. Finally a cabinet maker in Utah that wouldn’t try to talk me out of a white kitchen. (I asked about white cabinets in our first home in 1997 and allowed the idiot salesman to talk me out of them. “Oh they are too expensive, you don’t want them.”)

I am so excited. This kitchen has been a dream of mine for at least 8 years. I have worked so hard this year on my business saving all my pennies (a few nickels and dimes too). I have my range picked out, the Carrara marble for the counters, and the tile.

Demolition begins the week after Christmas, stay tuned!