kitchen counter top decisions

I saw this article today on the popularity of granite.
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/109831/whats-the-most-popular-countertop-for-kitchens?mod=family-love_money

No matter what surface you choose there are advantages and disadvantages.
Granite is a great staple and will be around for a long time. From a design standpoint, it has become a bit "ordinary" and as designers we are always looking for new things. The nice thing is that each piece of granite is unique and there is a large array of colors and textures.

The quartz is becoming more popular. While we have been having a lot of fun with texture, clean lines, less texture, and more drama are becoming more popular. Quartz also allows for a solid color with limited texture that you don't get in granite.

Concrete is also slowly gaining popularity. One of the great advantages of concrete is that you can mold it to be whatever you want. You can have a continuous sink, like you can with Corian without the disadvantages of Corian or other manmande solid surface products. Concrete can be stained and creates either a very rustic look or a very modern look depending on what you do with the color and texture.

Some people really love the look of marble. While it's pretty, it is porous so if you cook a lot, you need to be aware that it will get damaged. However if you like to bake, it is ideal. Rolling dough on marble is much easier than the other surfaces.

The "Green" movement is also gaining in popularity and it's influence is seen in kitchen countertops. There are several environmentally friendly materials that are made of recycled glass or plastic.

Stainless Steel countertops are also popular as people want "restaurant quality kitchens". It also provides a very sleek modern look.

Another fun option that I have seen at designer showrooms for that special island. It is slate with fossils embedded in the counter. Always a conversation starter.

This is a more expanded list of your choices. There are more....Whenever you do something in your home, don't do it because that's what you saw at the local home DIY center. Many of these other options cost the same as granite and give you many more options as far as the look and function that you want to achieve. Do your homework, ask some questions and decide on what the best product for YOU is, not what is easiest for your store or contractor. Ask a designer to help you with this part if you need it. Counters are very expensive and not something you want to replace very often. Better to be more informed.

color impact

I love color! I know this is far from a secret but it is incredible.
Thought I would tell a favorite story of the impact that color can have.

I walked into a client's home and she gave me a tour through the home. When we got to the master bedroom, I noticed that there was an extra bed in there for the youngest child who was 7 years old. I asked her about that and she said that kid was too scared to sleep in her room, too many nightmares over the twin towers falling on 9-11.
While that was a day none of us will ever forget, it had been several years since it had happened and I found it odd that a child watching it on tv and no relatives involved would be so impacted by it.

We continued the tour and talking about the daughter. Apparently the daughter had a bit of dyslexia and it was hard for her to study. When I saw her room, I knew what the problem was immediately. Mom had wanted to do something wonderful for her, painted her room fun and girly and wanted to create a fun kids room. She had painted wide stripes and thin stripes on the wall in alternating colors, pink and purple. While it did look like a fun little girl's room it was the worst possible thing for this little girl. First of all, because of her dyslexia, the stripes were always shaking. So in her world, the big purple stripes were a constant recreation of the towers falling. No wonder she couldn't get it out of her head.

The dynamic, bright colors created a lot of contrast and energy in the room that made it even harder for her to think straight. Many studies have been done to prove that yellow can actually enhance learning abilities. So I suggested that we select a yellow that would be helpful to her. Mom then mentioned that she had another room that was yellow and that was where the child spent all of her time.

They painted the room, the child's grades improved, the parents got their master bedroom back and life was improved for all.

It's truly amazing what a can of paint and a weekend can do!