Granite counter tops = Passe. So 1990s.

well there is granite and there is granite. I bought a new apt in miami with a granite kitchen and I couldn't stand it. It was smooth, dark and impossible. there were always streaks when you cleaned it. it was brown and it looked like......-----. I just spent a fortune replacing it with......granite. Except this granite is uneven and dark and mysterious. Although the finish feels like silk stone, it is a matte, not a gloss. It is a brushed metallic and looks like it came from a silver mine during the gold rush in california. I gotta say. ... I love it and it does not remotely look like it is dated. the waterfall edges help. A genius fabricator makes all the difference. My snooty neighbors and the craftsmen who installed it go crazy over it. Granite is stone. Stone is Nature. Nature is the divine gift of Source. Install contractors crap and it looks like crap. Install remarkable, beautiful stone and it looks like the gift from the gods that it truly is.

gift from the gods that it truly is? really? maybe all those people on hgtv are on to something;)

Formica is making a comeback.

Agreed that the standard sponsor-reno busy-movement granite is a giant yawn (yes I'm talking to YOU, UbaTuba) but as apt23 aptly points out there are so many choices these days in color and finish. Sounds like the stone apt23 installed is something called Metallicus (of course, goes by various other names depending on the distributor) and if so, lucky him. That stuff is amazing, especially in a honed or leather finish, which is sounds like he chose.

There also some terrific white/gray based granites/quartzites that have an almost marble-like look without the high maintenance headaches of real marble. We were dying to purchase 'Super White' after seeing a fragment at a stone yard--it had a glorious white base with gray striations, very much like Cararra marble-- but unfortunately we could not find a similar slab anywhere in the tri-state area. Apparently this particular stone varies wildly from slab to slab and all that was available when we were looking was very dark gray. Still beautiful, though, and definitely would not have looked dated at all.

There are also wonderful low-movement black granites that in a honed finish with simple edging look very classic. Classic never goes out of style.

I think the things to avoid if you don't want your granite to look cheesy or dated are super-elaborate edges (triple pencil and the like--very passe these days), heavily 'speckled' stone (think Salt and Pepper, UbaTuba and similar--these are the lower-priced options seen in every lower-end reno and condo show house) and highly polished finishes (especially with darker stone).

Formica is making a comeback.

But only because they are trying to make formica look like marble, granite, slate, wood, and anything other material than formica.

Depends on the application and lighting. I have Uba Tuba and 1) you can't see the movement and 2) it masks the dirt very well (non cooking surface).

I inherited heavily polished Uba Tuba from the seller of my place. Is there a way to safely take the sheen off? I think it would bother me a lot less if it were matte.

On the flip side, I have no $ to replace it if the process of stripping the sheen backfires, so I need a sure bet.

thevintagechair said... "I am SO glad they mentioned granite countertops. It seems like EVERY SINGLE NEW HOME IN THE MIDWEST has these... give it a rest, already! Gah! and don't get me started on the over-use of coral... Can we also stop with the lattice-work upholstry? I'm kind of over that too..."

Ceaser stone

Very sexy stuff

Formica is making a comeback.

Formica would come back before corian. Corian was an impulse buy for me that came back to bite me. When I think of the paltry choices back then, corian or marble were the only alternatives to formica.

chattahoochee is coming back too. Look at the floors at pinkberry...

gold countertops.

NYCMatt, the original poster was inquiring as to the aesthetic appeal of granite. Given that new formica is supposed to resemble other materials, including granite, suggesting it as an option is not very helpful no matter how many times it's proposed.

If you are in fact suggesting formica that looks like formica, well that is just cruel. In fact, if you proposed using such formica in your kitchen, not only would my board reject your renovation plans, but we would retroactively reject you and force you out of the building.

See http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/562686-coop-799-park-avenue-upper-east-side-new-york for perfect example of timeless urban kitchen styling. It may not be for everyone, but this basic look has appealed to many people for the better part of 90 years of NYC apartment living. Use carrera marble, a gray Caesarstone like "Pebble" or any other rich white or gray countertop with restrained mouldings, simple shop-painted millwork with inset door/drawer fronts, a running bond backsplash, and counter-depth appliances and you are 90% of the way to achieving a look that history says will remain appealing for a very, very long time to come.

Kylewest,
Great example, great taste

I think the kitchen is a good example of careful remodeling. And tasteful. The common wisdom is "do whatever you like because when you sell trends will have changed and no one else will like it anyway." I disagree. Some choices are better and relatively timeless. Restrained, tasteful, classic mouldings, for example, in a prewar apartment will not go out of style. Some may want to rip them out, but the vast majority of people have, do and always will love the detail. In a bathroom, nickel plated cross bar faucets are as admired today as they were 100 years ago. Paired with a pedestal sink, running bond tiles in mostly white or grey with some black, white appliances, and some glass for sparkle, and you get a bathroom that would be at home in a home in the 1920's, the 50's, or today. Cheap is cheap. Tasteful true style that knows what its doing is practically "forever." Personally, I never liked all that large flecked weird colored granite in kitchens. You could never tell when it was clean, things disappeared on it, food looked awful on most of the colors, and it just looked so....well, suburban in a bad way. Same with most wood cabinetry, imo. How 1998-2007 does cherry cabinetry look in a kitchen today? Yet, if you see millwork like the kitchen in the link above, what date do you peg the place to? None. Because it isn't a trend. It's good taste. Which is timeless.

KYLE- I usually really appreciate your comments, but you're starting to sound a little insufferable. As in YOUR taste is the only GOOD taste. Seriously?

A disco ball for a dining area chandelier?

"Paired with a pedestal sink, running bond tiles in mostly white or grey with some black, white appliances, and some glass for sparkle, and you get a bathroom that would be at home in a home in the 1920's, the 50's, or today." Oh really. Maybe not. Acting like you have some kind of timeless taste-barometer is kind of tasteless. Actually, people have different preferences. Kyleposter is usually measured but sometimes just goes overboard, as in the "shame on you, shame on you" posts about tipping or whatever it was.

Sorry, Kyle, usually I think you're reasonable (okay, I vaguely recall being very put off when you were saying "shame on you, shame on you for people who didn't share you view of paying tips or babysitters or whatever it was) , but I think dictating some taste standard that is eternal makes little sense in NYC, of all places.

I actually agree with Kyle that there is a formula to appeal to the masses over time. Whether that's good taste or boring taste is up for debate. (I side with both!)

I'd argue that certain modernist styles, e.g., Bauhaus-inspired, are also fairly timeless, though they may have a smaller pool who find them appealing.

But I tend to do whatever I like anyway. :) I do try to pick "versatile" major elements, though, and save wild ideas for paint, hardware, decorations, furniture and other items that can be easily changed.

Let me be the first to say I didn't/don't make every design choice simply to achieve a "classic" look. Crystal globe chandelier is a case in point. I loved it, wanted it, got it. Also used 1"x2" glass tiles as a back splash. Husband loved them, I liked them, makes us happy. Most universal appeal in 10 or 20 years? Probably not. Don't care. No problem to go one's own way. No rule says renovate to "timeless appeal" only. But plenty of people ask if others think something will become dated. And the truth is most things will, but not all. The likelihood is that certain time-tested standards in good taste and design remain relatively constant. Before breaking the rules, it is worth understanding what they are. That is what I was getting at. If every kitchen looked like the link provided it would be a very boring world. Still...at the risk of being boring, I'd love that kitchen! At the same time, fwiw, I've always found 95% of granites kind of pedestrian and ugly--especially with the fussy edge designs.

PS: how nice to have a thread that isn't about the economy.

Formica is timeless.

And ERSATZ stone is SO much nicer than real stone, right Kyle?

Oh wait, I forgot that WHITE Carrera marble is the approved real stone.

To me, the kitchen in 799 Park Avenue #8D appears very ... 1994.

Y'all are funnier lately. PH: you have such a studied memory of what I write on these threads--it's so flattering that I make such an impression on you. I can't believe you remember my light (which is beyond fabulous): http://www.lightingshowplace.com/schonbek-dv1818-crystal-eighteen-light-multi-light-extra-large-pendant-from-the-da-vinci-collection/p1525893 NOTE: Ours is the smaller 12" version and we certainly did not pay that price on the link.

Anyway, sorry PH if I hurt your feelings about most granite and those silly edges people put on them.

No Kyle - you certainly didn't hurt my feelings about granite (which I love) and those "silly edges people put on them", which I didn't. And somehow, having an all white 12'X18' eat-in kitchen (even with very large windows) just didn't seem very cozy or inviting to me.

No Kyle, you didn't hurt my feelings. I love granite, and don't have "those silly edges people put on them". And heaven help me, but having an all-white (or white and gray) 12'X 18' eat-in kitchen just didn't seem that warm and inviting to me.

If there IS such thing as a timeless kitchen, I think it's a great design to go for. Does anyone have a better picture of the style of kitchen that Kyle posted? I want more clear photos and details. I might redo my next kitchen in exactly this style.

http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/562686-coop-799-park-avenue-upper-east-side-new-york

dealboy, check out the kitchen photo in this listing. Not sure how much I like the design choice for the island, but you'll know why I sent you here: http://www.robilotti.com/property-dsp.cfm?ID=226

That is definitely NOT a kitchen that says "come in, read the newspaper, have your coffee and cereal" or, "hey guys, come in and hang out with me as we're cooking". Very uninviting, though it may not just be all the blinding white, but could also be that awful island with the terribly chic but uncomfortable looking barstools. Is it "awful" to actually have a table and chairs in a kitchen? to actually be comfortable. I mean, I can see having to have counter height stools at a COUNTER, but otherwise WHY?
It's not as if there's not enough prep counter space in that kitchen already.

Why don't we do a "my favorite timeless kitchen/s" contest and see who wins?

I like this:
http://hookedonhouses.net/2009/05/04/the-beach-house-in-somethings-gotta-give/

and this:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/real-estate/julianne-moores-west-village-townhouse-092115

and this:
http://realestalker.blogspot.com/2007/10/gwyneth-paltrow-gets-all-fancy-in.html

also these:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/kitchen-design/city-kitchen-country-kitchen-ina-gartens-two-kitchens-082845

something gotta give house is a really nice kitchen except for the corbels under some cabinets which look out of place and phony to me. Nice millwork and all in the others but I don't like open shelves--grosses me out as I picture all the cooking causing stuff to settle on the shelves and all the stuff so the stuff you don't use much is completely disgusting when you go to reach for it once a year. That's the germaphobe in me.

Saying granite is dated, or passe, is like saying marble is dated. Just a dumb comment. These are timeless materials. Indeed, there are certain "looks" that come into vogue, so one should be careful in choosing colors, veining patterns. However, granite will never be passe.

You really can't go wrong with this timeless look:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3217/2723113161_3005931e59.jpg

This is a beauty. Too small but LOVE the combination of materials.
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/775831/list/Kitchen-of-the-Week--A-Fresh-Combination-of-New-and-Old

It's lovely, but I can't think of a more impractical material for a backsplash than stone. How would you ever clean it??

who cares. you would obviously pay someone to figure that out ;)

this one is also stunning
http://roomsbloom.blogspot.com/2010/08/tommy-smythe.html

and finally, if I really had to...
http://www.housebeautiful.com/kitchens/dream/kitchen-oty-connecticut-0507

uwsmom, I like your last one. In NYC. I want that kitchen, with those windows, on a high floor in NYC!

>SE is NOT your private message board

Really, please stop the off-topic drivel that no one cares to read.

ok sorry, i wont do it again, i promise. truth we know eachother because i figured out who he is, followed him around to confirm, and we became friends. mostly because he has no choice but be friends with me as i know his secret. thank u for asking, this area was crazy! i am frankly amazed they restored power as quickly as they did, there are STILL damaged branches falling into the wires. crazyness!

That Connecticut kitchen is fabulous. The floors having been lifted way past looking like bathroom floors with those incredible inlays. I was so curious about the doublesided "custom" Traulsen that I googled it. It seems traulsen makes those for commercial applications. Would think there's very little call for them in residential, unless you're lucky enough to have your "main" kitchen adjacent to your "prep" kitchen. Anybody think Bloomberg has one?

Oh wait, Bloomberg wouldn't be thinking about convenience for his chef

A Traulsen is AWFUL in a home. What makes it commercial is that it maintains the temperature virtually no matter what you do to it. So if you open the door for 5 seconds, the compressors fire up like the engines of a Boeing 777 and return the interior to the set temperature in about 2 seconds. They are made for restaurants where interior temps must be maintained despite opening and closing the doors constantly. In a home they are just enormously noisy every time you open the door for a second and they suck power beyond belief. It may sound like a cool idea to install one, but in practice in a residential kitchen they are ridiculous.

> but in practice in a residential kitchen they are ridiculous.

Which is precisely why they are a massive status item!

Especially when it's "custom" made!

"The crazy ones are always the best."

mom says i can't play with you anymore, so you're dead to me.

uwsmom, your first one reminds me of the kitchen in this very old house that some friends bought for peanuts in the poconos and renovated. they built in a range with some bottom cabinetry into the fireplace and it has that similar midieval kitchen look with the arches and combination of stone and wood, but the walls are white and they put in lots of windows, very open and light. it looks great. they did sacrifice the first floor "great room" fireplace, but they opened up a part of the second floor to the downstairs and made a little loft area with a small fireplace up there and a seating area with a tv. they also put a huge wraparound deck with a big outside fireplace for parties. a very cool little house.

i like ina's country kitchen the most. others are beautiful but too "designed" and staged, i think. who would dare actually cook in those. you'd probably feel a subconcsious pressure to only make foods that coordinate with your kitchen.

Back to reality. This kitchen is part of a year-long reno with more down to earth $$ numbers.

http://www.brownstoner.com/windsor-terrace-reno/2008/02/nearly-finished-kitchen-minus-one-lightb/?stream=true

The owners recovered the tiles from the backsplash from an original bathroom.
"Semi" custom kitchen (Kraftmaid?)

Alrighty!

So in Italy (where the genuine Tuscan kitchens are) they seal the stone countertops every year or so.
They mix a home-made solution of -- I don't know what that stuff is-- but it smells O.K.

They refer to sealing the stone as "rubbing the stone".

I would give you the Italian translation but then we might have a stevehjx vs bjw translation run-off marathon.

Truth, good to hear from you!

Simple one for typical sized NYC galley kitchen.
http://www.woodesigne.com/#/kitchen/traditional/111

mutombo:
Thanks, same here to you.

Matt was merely putting it into historical perspective.

See the movie that came out this past summer: "The Help".

http://www.marthastewart.com/sites/files/marthastewart.com/images/content/pub/ms_living/2008Q2/mla103203_0408_kitchen_xl.jpg

http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/2010/07/guest-post-anns-less-is-more-galley.html#.Trc3gUPtRGQ

http://homeforthebetter.blogspot.com/2009/09/carol-glassers-galley-kitchen.html

Truth, no hard feelings!

those light blue cabinets are beyond beautiful. i will one day recreate this in my kitchen

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42374297@N04/3932439360/

carol glasser - more pics
http://homeforthebetter.blogspot.com/2009/09/carol-glassers-galley-kitchen.html

15 W11 has great hinges.

mutombo: Of course not. Matt seems O.K. with it.

lucille: Love those light blue cabinets!
And you won't have to ask/get approval to do it. You get to make your own choices now.
You go girl!

thanks truth but mr. bluth never cared about the kitchen cabinets. and that why this marriage is in the crapper! no it isnt but thank you.

The marriage should not be the crapper over kitchen cabinets. Your kitchen will look nice if and when you complete it.

don't worry about lucille, she'll find another.

lucille a foxy "mama?"

mutombo - seriously?

after all this time, you still haven't figured it out?

lucille isn't a "mama"

lucille is more of a "man"a.

her "divorce" from her "husband" is more about leaving NJ, with its laws, and coming to NY, with its laws.

hunter - should you really have posted that?

10023 - the windsor terrace brownstone is lovely, the kitchen very tastefully done, but the location, size, layout, and mismatched flooring make me a little sad. where was the original kitchen located? i looked through many of the photos but not all of them. i read that they put new plumbing throughout the entire house, so...
what are they doing with the opposite wall? dining area? did they add that door on the left? it doesn't look like it was there originally. how about the adjacent bath?

i think i've answered all of my questions :). i see they moved this mirror to another room: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefanier/349301535/

a kitchen built around those windows would be fabulous. maybe that wasn't possible (i'll keep reading).

>lucille isn't a "mama"
lucille is more of a "man"a.

>ph41
hunter - should you really have posted that?

um, I'm allowed to say that, it's absurd enough, plus lucillebluth is me and I'm lucillebluth and Jim_Hones (and buyerbuyer too). If you would just listen to columbiacounty just once, you'd already know that.

hi lucille!
hi huntersburg!
hi jim_hones!
hi w67thstreet!
hi buyerbuyer!

we are all the same person, right? look, I'll even repeat this post under one of the other names

[come on guys, play along]

mutombo, the answer to your question in "yes". otherwise no comment.