stone - dont fancy that, waste of resources, hard to work with. Heavy (I have to be able to move one) wood - looks durable but scratches? Then there's stains, turmeric or saffron, beetroot? Hot pans? laminate over chipboard - the old cheapo solution, but isnt it best?
If you want sheer utility - stainless steel - same as professional kitchens.
Can't disagree about the weight, but why a waste of resources? They're only wasted when you throw them away...
Edward
whats the average life of a fitted kitchen? 5 -10 years or something, when you see stone with fossils in or something it seems a waste to me.
I'm happy with mine. We tried slate - never looked good and scratched easily. We originally had pine but the soft parts scrubbed away leaving it very textured.
Nothing wrong with laminate as a working surface: durable (I've been using ours for about ten years and it gets hard, daily use; easy to clean; smooth; lots of designs ...
Mary
Our slate had fossils in it, it had been a bath panel. It's now a bath panel again at a son's.
No idea of the life of a fitted kitchen, I've never had one, but I bet the next owner of a house would throw out a stone counter :-(
Mary
Don't disagree. Just got an Ikea "custom" worktop which is laminate top with a wooden edging; looks perfect in our kitchen, and cost about
40% of a stone worktop.Matt
But use better materials and it will last a lot longer than that. I was surprised the other day to realise that our kitchen (solid wood units, granite worktops, limestone floor) is now ten years old, because it feels as if it's still in its infancy.
Stainless steel is hell to keep clean, just touching them leaves a mark. I think the best is laminate, though choose a smooth, not textured finish, for ease to clean.
Unless a new owner doesn't like it ...
Our kitchen is much as it was in 1937 ...
Mary
But not glossy, whatever you do... those get scratched by being *looked* at.
David
Ours hasn't got scratched over several years of hard use. It still wipes with a damp cloth, no scrubbing ever needed.
I don't know what make ours is, it was an offcut given to us by a neighbour.
Mary
Well I'm sure we must be talking about different things then! David
Perhaps - but does it really matter?
:-)
Mary
Well yes probably to the OP because if he were to end up with whatever you have, it sounds like he'd be fine; which is more than I can say about the glossy laminate stuff which I'm on about...!
David
Really. Was the house built in 1937, or was the kitchen "refitted" then ? Any chance of a description or some photos ? I've demolished the back of our old kitchen to make way for an extension (the old wash-house and pantry area). There is still an old ceramic soap dish recessed into the kitchen wall behind the current sink unit, so I guess there would have been a white sink their originally, but it is quite low down. I wish I could go back and see what houses were originally like. It's a real mystery when you see some of the old lead pipes and rubber wiring wind around the house and appear in strange places. Simon.
My present kitchen came with the house, and must be about 25 years old. The worktops are a slightly textured wood-effect laminate. No prizes for fashion, but that are easy to clean, don't show marks, and display no visible signs of their age.
We are planning a re-fit, and if I can get a similar quality in granite-effect, I will probably use it.
Chris
There was one of those recessed soap dishes over our bath but it was broken when we replaced the bath :-( We do have a recessed toilet roll holder in the lav wall.
There was a deep Belfast sink with a rotting wooden draining board, they've been replaced with a stainless steel double drainer sink, still in the same place. The taps came out of the wall behind the sink, through the tiles. All the tiles are still there, so are the threaded tap holes but we have a pair of swan necked taps for the sink now, the originals would have been in the wrong place.
A floor to ceiling cupboard with glass doors was altered to make an overhead cupboard for infrequently used items, the counter was shortened so that a high fridge could be put under the cupboard.
There were shelves along the inner wall, they're still in use but without the sliding doors, they're just open now. The cupboards under the counter had sliding doors too, one had to go to accommodate the washing machine so that has a swing door now. Washing was done originally in a gas boiler with wringer, they're both in the garden now serving different purposes.
A ch boiler has been added on a wall, a 90cm cooker instead of the old standard small one and a hood over it. I don't think there were any power points, there are now eight, so really quite a lot has been done - but it could be restored very easily to the original. The pantry is exactly the same as ever, with its green tiles on the stone and two tiers of shelves. I refuse to remove the tiles, both in the kitchen and in the bathroom and I wouldn't be without the pantry.
We have no more lead plumbing in the house, it was perforated when we moved in, I think the fireback boiler is still there though. We also re-wired the house so it has no more twin flex or rubber sheathed wire - some in steel conduits. It was an interesting exercise.
I know that most houses in the street have virtually been gutted to make them 'modern'. I'm not modern so why should I live in a 'modern' house? Some modern appliances are desirable, their presence doesn't usually interfere with the fabric of the house.
Yes, It's fascinating. Even more so when you look at a building which is centuries old - and in ruins! But it's amazing how much can be gleaned from what's left.
Mary
No - what I meant was does it matter that a shiny surface remains shiny? I mean - how much time do you spend looking at it ?
:-)
Mary
Just purchasing a kitchen :o( .
The salesman was kind enough to say "don't buy the shiny ones, they scratch too easily and look rubbish after a while". We have gone for a more matt effect instead. On inspecting the ones in the showroom, the shiny ones were scratched and did look rubbish.
Can't afford Corian or other things unfortunately.
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