Kitchen countertops can add budget style
Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2008
When putting in a new kitchen, some people try to impress with their choice of appliances. But only serious cooks need a high-end commercial range, right ? If you really want your kitchen to sizzle, focus on the countertops. Custom-made solid-glass countertops from ThinkGlass are different and durable. A 1 1 / 2-inchthick countertop can handle temperatures up to 700 degrees, so hot objects won’t harm its surface. Glass is also pretty easy to keep clean, as its clear top and textured underside help mask any scratches and fingerprints. It can, however, chip if you drop something on it, which is why many homeowners reserve its use for nonutility areas of the kitchen, say, a wet bar or the top of an island.
Other companies that make solid-glass countertops include Ultraglas and Duncan Glass. All offer smooth or textured tops with polished or textured edges. The only downside is the cost: roughly $ 300 a square foot, including shipping and installation.
Luckily, there are plenty of options for homeowners who are looking for high style on a smaller budget. This latest generation of countertops includes ones made of bamboo, recycled glass, scrap metal, lava stone, and even recycled paper and linoleum.
These materials are growing in popularity because as consumers increasingly look to go “green,” they seek out environmentally responsible products. Even if they weren’t sustainable, notes Janice Donatelli of Artemis Environmental in Lawrenceville, Pa., they would still draw a crowd because they’re so beautiful. PaperStone is a scratch- and stain-resistant composite made from recycled paper and a water-based resin. Initially used for skateboard ramps, this durable surface has the sumptuous look and feel of soapstone. At $ 30 to $ 55 per square foot, depending on thickness, it’s half the cost of natural stone. It comes in more than a dozen colors, including cabernet, indigo and straw.
Another option is Marmoleum, a natural linoleum that comes in sheets and tiles. Naturally stainand germ-resistant, it comes in scarlet, watermelon green and midnight blue. Cost: $ 2 to $ 3 a square foot, plus installation.
Plyboo Strand is a laminated bamboo plywood that’s harder than oak ($ 225 for a 30-by-72-inch piece ).
Kirei board is a lightweight woodlike product engineered from stalks of sorghum.
Alkemi countertops, crafted from curls of aluminum scrap mixed with polymeric resins, are also a cool, modern spin on the solid-surface look. Available in colors ranging from silver and bronze to blue, they are priced at $ 80 per square foot.
Funkier still — and more expensive — is 3 form, whose translucent resin panels are imbedded with leaves, beads or fabric. It runs $ 600 to $ 1, 800 per 4-by-8-foot sheet, depending on thickness and what’s inside.
SOURCES Alkemi — www. renewedmaterials. com, (301 ) 320-0042 Artemis Environmental — www. artemisenvironmental. com, (412 ) 353-0197 Cabinet Sales Plus — www. cabinetsalesplus. com, (412 ) 231-4046
CaesarStone — www. caesar stoneus. com, (818 ) 779-0999 Duncan Glass — www. dun canglass. com, (206 ) 571-5746 EnviroGLAS — www. en viroglasproducts. com, (972 ) 473-3725
IceStone — www. icestone. biz, (718 ) 624-4900
Kirei — www. kireiusa. com, (619 ) 236-9924
Marmoleum — www. the marmoleumstore. com, (866 ) 627-6653
PaperStone — www. paper stoneproducts. net, (360 ) 538-9815
Plyboo — www. plyboo. com, (866 ) 835-9859
Pyrolave — www. pyrolave. com, (919 ) 788-8953
ThinkGlass — www. think glass. com, (877 ) 410-4527
Sonoma Cast Stone — www. sonomastone. com, (877 ) 283-2400
3 form — www. 3-form. com, (412 ) 443-9649
UltraGlas — www. ultraglas. com, (800 ) 777-2332
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