Kitchen counters - color?

[Susie]

We are currently actively house hunting, and plan to list our house for sale if/when we ever find a house to buy.  It could be this year, hopefully no later than 2022.

Our kitchen has laminate counters that are 1985 original.  Near the sink, there's a split in the bevel where it has gotten wet and swollen over the years, and there's really no way to fix it.  It's not really hurting anything, but it really dims my view of the kitchen.  As I tour houses that are for sale, I'm very aware that if I were a buyer looking at my own house, I would notice, and it would leave a negative impression.




We're able to get a good deal through a family connection on Corian.  For roughly $1500-2000, we would be able to replace the counters and the sink with Corian counters and an undermount sink, either stainless steel or Corian.  SS sink saves $125 vs. Corian.  Corian isn't my favorite material choice for counters, but it's a nice compromise on price and improvement, and definitely nicer than the laminate that's there.

I am leaning toward going ahead with it, and doing SS sink.  I've had a Corian sink before, and didn't like how it took on color from food.  I am not sure what color counters to do, with the warm greenish gray cabinets, and the cooler gray in the backsplash grout and accent tiles.  The white in the main backsplash tiles is bright.  Obviously I am aiming for broad appeal here.  WWYD?

[simpsongal]

Hmmm...I agree w/upgrading your counters. Can you price our quartz or granite just to compare? I just got a remnant of quartz delivered and installed for $550 (it was counter depth and 72" long, so not a small piece).

If you go corian, I'd go stainless steel sink, and a light/taupey counter color (like off white) - that might help bridge some of the undertones. Your current color looks pretty good in the photos.

Could your current realtor provide guidance too?

[froggy76]

I would also check on granite just to compare. We did granite in our last kitchen (similar size) for about $1800, but that was several years ago. I think granite will be more attractive to buyers than corian. I definitely would not do a corian sink.

White counters are super popular right now. I prefer dark counters, but for resale, I'd probably go with something very light without a lot of speckling, think like a consistent color or something with some marbling.

[lessel]

I'm looking at Corian's website and it also looks like they have quartz? Is that an option?

Either way, I'd agree to go on the lighter side. Summit White and Venaro White look like choices that would go with your current colors. Rain Cloud looks a bit speckly which might be nice without overdoing it with something too dramatic.

[icedcoffee]

Yeah--normally I am not a fan of upgrading things just to sell, but I agree that you should redo the counters. That would be a huge turnoff to me as a buyer.

I'd do stainless steel with white Corian.

Also--I agree with others that I like granite more and it's probably not a TON more expensive, but (no offense) I also don't like the backsplash so I kind of feel like don't bother with the more expensive granite because you're really not redoing the kitchen, more just patching it. Which is totally ok I think for purposes of reselling, but a future owner will likely eventually redo it anyway.

[winecat]

Is the mdf under the existing laminate in decent shape? You could install new laminate on your existing countertops?

[Susie]

Ok, good to hear ss sink seems pretty unanimous vs. Corian.

In this specific instance, I am not really all that interested in quoting granite/quartz for the counters.  We did quartz in our bathroom reno and I love it, and if I were doing a total reno of this kitchen, quartz is what I'd do.  But I'd also change want to change the layout in a couple ways, do new cabinets... and so on, which would change the counters.  Since I am not doing that, this is just another band-aid on the current kitchen, to go with the paint on the honey oak & MDF cabinets and other cosmetic fixes.  Someone else will probably do the big reno in the future, and it would be such a waste for them to throw out quartz cut to the current configuration!  I really want to keep this as inexpensive as I can, I just wasn't sure I could stomach going as low budget as laminate.  It's too bad about the split, because otherwise we'd just leave it alone.  The split pushes it over the edge though.  (winecat, no, the MDF isn't salvageable.  Once the bevel split open it got wet.  That's kind of game over for MDF.)

Fortunately, I think Corian will be fine for the neighborhood I'm in.  There aren't any houses for sale right now, but within the last year or so, I've seen some with granite tiles, some with laminate, some with ceramic tile, maybe some granite, and no quartz that I can remember.  Can't remember any Corian either, but I'd say Corian is mid spectrum, with laminate on one end and quartz on the other.  That seems like an ok mark to hit.

I do like the idea of white, maybe some subtle gray marbling.  

[penguingrrl]

Honestly, I would go with laminate again. That’s what I have and it’s fairly new and I don’t mind it. I honestly didn’t notice when we were looking. I would have noticed the warped counter, but the laminate in good condition was fine with me. And our kitchen had been done more recently (somewhere in the 2003 range we think) and we had and have no immediate plans to redo it.

[libbygrl109]

Even though it’s not the most pleasing choice, I would do laminate, too. There are so many patterns to choose from. This is ours that we put in 15 years ago when we did some minor updates to our kitchen. (Excuse the mess - can’t wait to get rid of the clutter when we do our kitchen). Considering the age of yours, it would probably do very nicely for now.

[Deleted]

If I were you, I might just look in to doing new laminate. My current countertops are laminate and original to my house built in 1973. I don’t love them, but they’ve held up great.

That said, my Mom has Corian in her kitchen and has for over 20 years and still looks brand new.

Which ever you choose, I’d do a white/off white color, pretty much what you have now.

[hazelden]

I would also price out laminate. We did a small refresh in our powder room and got this piece of laminate for $35. Were saving our money for a planned remodel in like 10 years, so I'm making thrifty decisions until we get to that point. There's some nice looking "high definition" laminate choices out there - lol.

ETA - I just remembered! We're going to replace the current laminate counters in our kitchen with butcher block. That's our next refresh project! A new apron sink and butcher block countertops. I think it will be less than $1500 for all of it. And the sink will probably be about $500 of that.

[macmars45]

Replace with laminate for sure. My current house is the first house I've ever lived in with something other than laminate. Honestly I prefer laminate. We have quartz now and everything is so loud when you set it down normally on quartz (and granite or tile). I have to make an effort to be extra gentle when I set things down. I'm not a fan.

[icedcoffee]

I didn’t even think of laminate. If it’s cheaper than the deal you got then just do laminate. Before we sold our condo we did a quick bathroom refresh with that and it honestly looked great for that purpose and it was so cheap.

[hazelden]

Could you fix that with an apron sink? It looks like it'd be close! An apron sink and some caulk is my new suggestion.

[lolalolalola]

I think Coriander and a SS sink is a great idea if you can get a deal and better than laminate. I’d choose a white/off white colour.

Are you sure you can replace laminate with corian and not damage the backsplash? I’m not sure clearance requirements, etc.

[circa1978]

If you think the next owner is going to just rip the counter out, I'd be concerned about environmental impact and do butcher block.

[Susie]

Mar 8, 2021 22:27:40 GMT -5 hazelden said:

Could you fix that with an apron sink? It looks like it'd be close! An apron sink and some caulk is my new suggestion.

I think doing an apron sink would require more changes to the cabinet below than I'm comfortable making.  They are 1985 original too, and painted 10 years ago, so I'm trying not to mess with them.  I'm really trying to keep this project as isolated as possible to the counters.

For those who mentioned the backsplash... yeah I don't love it either.  When we bought the house it looked like this, and I just could not with the flowers.



We had like no money at the time though, so instead of replacing the whole backsplash, we chipped out the flowers, replaced the accent tiles alone, and re-grouted.  And then 10+ years went by, and I stopped noticing it.

The current backsplash for sure wouldn't be a selling point, but I was figuring it was at least reasonably neutral, it goes with the cabinets, and wasn't too aggressive, plus tile is such a personal choice.  So I figured it was better to leave it.

I think fixing the counter is a must, if I have to choose between messing with the cabinets or messing with the backsplash, I'd 100% change the backsplash.  I can do some kind of inexpensive subway tile and be done with it.  I'm just hoping not to have to.

[sandandsea]

If you’re moving, I’d set a budget first and pick a nice looking neutral laminate (or corian if you get a good deal) with budget as my first driver and the one I liked the best as my second criteria. Id go with a light neutral color that is universally acceptable.

[bridge5]

We replaced hideous blue laminate counters with Corian about five years and sold a year later. One thing I didn't realize is that the Corian is thinner than the laminate; they can build out the front so it looks deeper but that's more expensive and we weren't interested in that. They also recommended at least a small Corian lip on the back for ease of cleaning, even with tile. So the thickness lining up with the backsplash is something to be careful of.

We ended up going with beadboard for the backsplash b/c we had delayed and then needed something right before we put the house on the market. It was cheap, easy diy, and looked fine. Not sure about long-term durability but that wasn't a concern for us.

[Susie]

Mar 10, 2021 10:36:13 GMT -5 freshsqueezed said:

I’m not a realtor so maybe this isn’t a more appealing option to the masses, but personally as a potential buyer, I’d prefer to come in and see a note of a $2,000 credit or something towards the kitchen than for you to bother replacing these countertops. Countertops changed or not (especially if we are talking just changing to solid surface), I’d walk in and view this as a kitchen gut job. I don’t want to offend you so I hesitated to comment but also thought well if it could possibly help...

So, a few things.  

You say "as a potential buyer, I'd prefer..." but backing up a sec, it matters who my buyers are when considering what they're most likely to prefer.

We are probably going to list for around $290k, and we are currently shopping for something up to a ceiling of about $510k.  I can definitely speak to the difference in expectations/finishes/features at divergent price points like that!  There is so much about my current house that I've lived with for 12+ years, and it's fine!  It's my home.  But it's not what "as a potential buyer I'd prefer."  

Inventory is low right now so who know for sure what will happen.  But looking at the odds, I am probably not going to have a serious buyer come in and decide they like my house, but omg, gut that kitchen immediately.  That would take a buyer who has a house budget of $325k or so, enough to purchase and reno.  Someone who has that house budget is probably just going to buy a different house.  

That amount would be enough to get a 3 or 4 bed/2 bath house, maybe a 4/2.5 project house.  Most buyers in that zone won't even look at a house with 4 beds/1.5 bath, like mine.  Conversely, most buyers who are willing to accept a house of this approx. size with only 1.5 bath, don't have the budget for a fancy kitchen reno.

There's also the fact that we aren't going to list until we find a house to buy, and there's like no inventory, so that's not imminent.  We might get more total mileage out of spending $1500 for Corian (or less for new laminate) and enjoying it for 2-12+ months plus whatever extent it helps with the sale, compared to just handing our future buyers $2k.

The tl;dr is that yes, we have thought about a credit, but no, we don't think it's the best option here for a number of reasons.

Separately, I'm trying to see good intentions in your post, but you basically just responded to "what kind of counters should I go with?" by saying "even if you bother to change the counters, I'd walk in and deem it a gut job. No offense, HTH!"  Well.  Glad you won't be walking in!

[freshsqueezed]

Mar 10, 2021 13:20:36 GMT -5 Susie said:

Mar 10, 2021 10:36:13 GMT -5 freshsqueezed said:

I’m not a realtor so maybe this isn’t a more appealing option to the masses, but personally as a potential buyer, I’d prefer to come in and see a note of a $2,000 credit or something towards the kitchen than for you to bother replacing these countertops. Countertops changed or not (especially if we are talking just changing to solid surface), I’d walk in and view this as a kitchen gut job. I don’t want to offend you so I hesitated to comment but also thought well if it could possibly help...

So, a few things.  

You say "as a potential buyer, I'd prefer..." but backing up a sec, it matters who my buyers are when considering what they're most likely to prefer.

We are probably going to list for around $290k, and we are currently shopping for something up to a ceiling of about $510k.  I can definitely speak to the difference in expectations/finishes/features at divergent price points like that!  There is so much about my current house that I've lived with for 12+ years, and it's fine!  It's my home.  But it's not what "as a potential buyer I'd prefer."  

Inventory is low right now so who know for sure what will happen.  But looking at the odds, I am probably not going to have a serious buyer come in and decide they like my house, but omg, gut that kitchen immediately.  That would take a buyer who has a house budget of $325k or so, enough to purchase and reno.  Someone who has that house budget is probably just going to buy a different house.  

That amount would be enough to get a 3 or 4 bed/2 bath house, maybe a 4/2.5 project house.  Most buyers in that zone won't even look at a house with 4 beds/1.5 bath, like mine.  Conversely, most buyers who are willing to accept a house of this approx. size with only 1.5 bath, don't have the budget for a fancy kitchen reno.

There's also the fact that we aren't going to list until we find a house to buy, and there's like no inventory, so that's not imminent.  We might get more total mileage out of spending $1500 for Corian (or less for new laminate) and enjoying it for 2-12+ months plus whatever extent it helps with the sale, compared to just handing our future buyers $2k.

The tl;dr is that yes, we have thought about a credit, but no, we don't think it's the best option here for a number of reasons.

Separately, I'm trying to see good intentions in your post, but you basically just responded to "what kind of counters should I go with?" by saying "even if you bother to change the counters, I'd walk in and deem it a gut job. No offense, HTH!"  Well.  Glad you won't be walking in!

That’s why I deleted because I really didn’t mean it to offend (and decided it would) but just as another thought that would be less work. Saying that it was just a band-aid put in my mind that it was time for the other updates but didn’t want to since it will be sold. Either way, agreeing or not, I could see how it could not be helpful necessarily so I deleted.

[larzhope]

Susie, have you asked a realtor what they would recommend? That's where I would start before dropping any money or making a decision I thought was best. Especially since it's not for you to enjoy in the short or long term.

[Susie]

Mar 10, 2021 15:51:27 GMT -5 larzhope said:

Susie, have you asked a realtor what they would recommend? That's where I would start before dropping any money or making a decision I thought was best. Especially since it's not for you to enjoy in the short or long term.

Yes, I asked our realtor.  She has generally been recommending making it as move-in ready as possible, and said she'd look at some comps and get back to us with a rec on Corian v. laminate.  I'm open to color suggestions either way.

[dontlook]

White/off white/ something light and neutral. It’s the most inoffensive option IMO. It might not be what someone else would pick but it isn’t bright orange and something that would make someone want to tear it up.

[nicolewi]

I like the Corian with stainless undermount sink, and I would do a very light neutral similar to what is there. Or laminate, if that saves you money, and if laminate, one of the new ones that looks like stone, maybe. Marbled a bit or something.

This is project-creep, but I would definitely price doing the backsplash at the same time. As long as you are doing counters, might as well, and I think it would do a lot to improve the look of the kitchen. I'd do something really plain and just a cheap tile in a white/neutral color--like subway tile or whatever. Right now the tile definitely looks like it's been patched in. With new counters and backsplash, the kitchen would have a whole new look and would be an asset in selling instead of a trouble spot.

[heygrey]

I would do laminate, and I would go with a darker warm grey. Your kitchen has as very similar light tone from the floors, cabinets, counters, backsplash. I'd try to put a darker colour to break that up. You're right to replace the counters. Any sign of water damage is alarming to potential buyers even if it is explainable with old counters, basic use over decades.

My family is in upstate in a similar demographic and I think in your price point people want 'nice enough and I can update in a few years'. Laminate gives them a good look without being $$$ for you. At that price I'd be happy to buy a house with new laminate counters and know that I could live with it for a few years and formulate how I would like to update.

[Deleted]

I want to add, that as someone who bought a house at a lower price range that needed tons of updates, a functioning and non-offensive kitchen was all I was really interested in. We bought out house with the intention of updating ourselves and were able to get in to a great area at a lower price point because the house hadn't been updated since the 90's. Actually, my kitchen is original 1970's with updated appliances. The kitchen has served me well for the last 5 years and will continue to do so for another 2-3 years until we can afford a full kitchen reno. Your kitchen as is, once the countertop is fixed, would be very appealing to someone like me, it's not offensive and it functions. Don't sink any more money in to it than you need to.

[Susie]

We sat down and talked through this last night.  In order to do laminate, we'd need a right hand mitered piece and a left hand mitered piece, and would end up with a 45 degree seam in the corner to the right of the range, because just barely, the counter makes the corner.  We'd probably spend around $350 on the laminate pieces that way, and honestly I'm not sure it'd look great.  Alternatively, to avoid the seam, we'd need an L shape or some kind of wider piece, which would probably be a little more.  Say $500?

We'd need to find a color that works with our existing sink (cream) and backsplash (bright white) to keep the budget to just $350-500.  That's not super likely.

So we either add $200-ish for a stainless steel sink to work with white instead of cream, or $200-ish for materials to redo the backsplash cream instead of white.  Now the project is around $550-1100, for counter with new backsplash and/or sink, to avoid looking super cobbed together.

$1283 was the number we got if we went with a Group 1 (cheapest group) Corian color, inclusive of SS sink.  Colors by group here:  www.hllmark.com/News/2021%20Corian%20Solid%20Surface%20Color%20Sheet.pdf

Options are pretty limited at the Group 1 level, but I'm thinking of doing linen.



The grays and bisques won't go with our cabinets, and even though this isn't really for us, neither of us really wants solid white counters for the next 2-12+ months in a house with red wine, raspberries, pasta sauce, etc.

We're also thinking of just redoing the backsplash for a finished, coordinated look, and to save ourselves the trouble of trying to get new counters in between existing cabinets & backsplash.  We'd do inexpensive subway tile, most likely white, possibly cream.  If white looks ok, we have some that's leftover from our 2018 bath reno to start with.  With FIL's help we can DIY the whole thing and probably keep it under $1500.  

We'll think about it a little more, but I think maybe that's where I'm leaning.  I've gotten used to the existing backsplash, but it does look kind of weird, and this feels like an opportunity to really improve the visual appeal.

[Deleted]

Based on your update, the Corian seems to make good sense. Would you be doing the two small pieces on the other side of the kitchen as well?

As for the backspash, what about beadboard? It is super inexpensive, you can paint it what ever color you want, and I actually think that the look would look great with your current cabinets.