I’ve been seeing this more and more, just today in Tustin Fields, can they really call this granite?  Common…

Who cares about granite countertops? Very passe.

Looks like granite tiles to me…  It’s the cheap and easy way to get granite.

Yeah they can use granite tiles and still say it’s granite even though it’s not granite slab.

Anyone else sick of granite?

I like the flat matte look of limestone and when it’s sealed regularly it doesn’t stain.  I can’t really think of any other natural material as an alternative to granite.

Every surface has its drawbacks, but I like butcher block.

It’s all about the eco-slabs, like the one’s you can find at urban slabs here in good ol’ Santa Ana.

roundcorners - 23 March 2009 02:33 AM

I’ve been seeing this more and more, just today in Tustin Fields, can they really call this granite?  Common…

That’s the cheapo version on granite counter-tops…might as well call it a tile counter-top.  Give me a slab or give me death.  haha

I had a bad experience w/ slab, though. Mine cracked. At least with a tile, it’s easy enough to replace a cracked one. You don’t have to rip out the entire slab and break out all the backsplash too.

I heart formica.

http://www.formica.com/

I also love avacado green and bell bottoms and Donny Osmond.

As long as you show it a reasonable amount of care, formica lasts for a very long time.

SoCal78 - 23 March 2009 05:00 AM

I had a bad experience w/ slab, though. Mine cracked. At least with a tile, it’s easy enough to replace a cracked one. You don’t have to rip out the entire slab and break out all the backsplash too.

That is usually caused when the surface that the granite is placed on is not perfectly level.  The guy that put in my granite counter-tops spent hours sanding down the plywood surface to insure a perfectly level surface.

ha clearly granite tile.

If youre into burning money, may i suggest pyrolave?
http://www.pyrolave.fr/pyro/eng/index.htm

graphrix - 23 March 2009 04:37 AM

It’s all about the eco-slabs, like the one’s you can find at urban slabs here in good ol’ Santa Ana.

Awesome, Graph. Thanks! I would like to point out that eco-slabs do not require that you bring
a geiger counter to the showroom.

nice slabs!

i still like corian and formica is fine by me, but there is no accounting for taste.  I also liked stainless and butcher block during my cooking days.

but you couldn’t pay me to take tile with grout.  that has to be the biggest pain the rear known to man

graphrix - 23 March 2009 04:37 AM

It’s all about the eco-slabs, like the one’s you can find at urban slabs here in good ol’ Santa Ana.

Do you have these at your home? How are they?

If I ever become an IHO again… I want to put something like this in (I was looking at poured concrete) but it’s gonna be hard to convince the sigoth.

Has anyone tried Grenite?  I’d like to when I buy in the future.

Very cool Graph! I was looking at recyled glass last year but everything I saw was so modern looking. I really like tile with pieces of hand painted (or looks like it was) tiles in kitchens. Somewhere I read that ceramic tile is the most eco friendly thing you can do, but not sure if that’s the case. I want something that is going to be timeless. While it may not appeal to all tastes, particularly those into what’s hot now, it seems that certain styles never look outdated.

The granite tiles featured here seem really tacky to me and I suspect that it won’t be much longer before granite altogether will start giving us the same feeling as orange shag carpet. Once the masses do something, the trend moves away from it. What kinds of counter tops and backsplashes fit the timeless and eco friendly category?

I think tile is pretty timeless…......but a major pain in the a**. I’ve had tile in every house I’ve owned, would love to get rid of it but I’m not sure what to replace it with since my house was built in the 30’s and I hate it when people put in modern things in their vintage homes.

tmare - 24 March 2009 01:53 AM

I think tile is pretty timeless…......but a major pain in the a**. I’ve had tile in every house I’ve owned, would love to get rid of it but I’m not sure what to replace it with since my house was built in the 30’s and I hate it when people put in modern things in their vintage homes.

butcher block.

freedomCM - 24 March 2009 02:58 AM

tmare - 24 March 2009 01:53 AM

I think tile is pretty timeless…......but a major pain in the a**. I’ve had tile in every house I’ve owned, would love to get rid of it but I’m not sure what to replace it with since my house was built in the 30’s and I hate it when people put in modern things in their vintage homes.

butcher block.

On all your countertops?

freedomCM - 24 March 2009 02:58 AM

tmare - 24 March 2009 01:53 AM

I think tile is pretty timeless…......but a major pain in the a**. I’ve had tile in every house I’ve owned, would love to get rid of it but I’m not sure what to replace it with since my house was built in the 30’s and I hate it when people put in modern things in their vintage homes.

butcher block.

Butcher block splits when the counter top is wet and a hot pot is placed on the wet surface. Moisture forces the wood to expand on the surface while the bottom is fixed, The expansion would look like a Chinese paper fan. The problem is the individual lamination could not retract to its original form thus leaving gaps that trap food and bacteria.

bkshopr - 24 March 2009 04:21 AM

freedomCM - 24 March 2009 02:58 AM

tmare - 24 March 2009 01:53 AM

I think tile is pretty timeless…......but a major pain in the a**. I’ve had tile in every house I’ve owned, would love to get rid of it but I’m not sure what to replace it with since my house was built in the 30’s and I hate it when people put in modern things in their vintage homes.

butcher block.

Butcher block splits when the counter top is wet and a hot pot is placed on the wet surface. Moisture forces the wood to expand on the surface while the bottom is fixed, The expansion would look like a Chinese paper fan. The problem is the individual lamination could not retract to its original form thus leaving gaps that trap food and bacteria.

Ok, bk, then what is someone who lives in a house circa 1939 with white kitchen tile who actually can’t stand tiles in the kitchen supposed to do? Thanks for the info on butcher block, I was getting close to doing some research on it, but if the great bk says no, I will listen. I guess I really don’t hate tile as much as I say I do, I don’t mind how they look, I am just jealous of those who don’t have to clean grout like I do.

tmare - 24 March 2009 04:27 AM

I guess I really don’t hate tile as much as I say I do, I don’t mind how they look, I am just jealous of those who don’t have to clean grout like I do.

Use lemon juice. Hat tip to EvaL for that one.

Easy, my dear.

Modern grout and sealers.

no_vaseline - 24 March 2009 05:32 AM

Easy, my dear.

Modern grout and sealers.

Or that.

graphrix - 24 March 2009 05:31 AM

tmare - 24 March 2009 04:27 AM

I guess I really don’t hate tile as much as I say I do, I don’t mind how they look, I am just jealous of those who don’t have to clean grout like I do.

Use lemon juice. Hat tip to EvaL for that one.

graphrix - I’ll see your lemon juice and raise you. 

tmare - the Tide “bleach pen” is your friend (gets the grout and doesn’t oxidize the finish on your tiles).

Also, you may be interested in some details in the publication associated with this site:  www.oldhouseinteriors.com

Just promise not to go crazy with the embossed tin backsplash (like the stuff that still hangs in my grandmother’s Long Beach kitchen).

-IR2