Countertop options

Well, face-frames are all stained and finished. By the end of it, we worked out a simple semi-fool-proof method. Also all but the peninsula are actually even assembled. And the peninsula will be first on the list once August gets back from training. Next on the list is to make some of the uppers.. I forsee this going quickly as these are smaller than the base cabinets and there's only four of them.. for now.. A few more later...

In the meantime, we've been investigating countertop options. Originally we had this idea to do concrete, and pour them ourselves. However, that was before we decide to also make the cabinets. Now I think we have enough "homemade" for one kitchen.

Thus, I got a couple of quotes on granite. We have a whooping 27 square feet of countertop (quite small) but 23 linear feet of exposed edges. In the granite world, exposed edges = $$$. The quotes came in at $2100 and $1900. That's $70 / sq ft. Also, granite is HEAVY. What if our cabinets buckle under the pressure? More likely, what if the floor buckles instead? I'm kidding... sort of...

So we considered granite tile. Excellent idea... The tiles are in the $10/sq ft range. We can install them ourselves. Besides, its not like we live in an upscale neighborhood or anything. However, we have SO MUCH exposed edging. And with tile you have a few options:

• do the edging in wood - eh... maybe a little dated... Kinda reminds me of the 80s. (See image on left.)
• ease and polish the sharp edges on the edge tiles - can have a fabricator do this for $10-12 /linear foot. Or get a grinder and DIY... (See image on right, ignore tape.
  

As an alternative option, we are heavily considering going with a compromise: Some companies sell tile with bullnose edges built right in. Its still tile, so we can install it ourselves. The edges will look much nicer. Of course there's a cost associated with that.. We are looking at ~$27/sq ft. Still a little high, but at least we don't have many of those square feet to cover. Here are some images so you can see what I'm talking about.