Down with Granite Counters
February 25, 2008
I’m going out on a limb and predicting that granite kitchen counters are dead. Trend over, move on. Why would I say something this crazy? Granite counters are the gold standard for kitchen remodels in this town.
Well, I read articles written by Alison Rogers who’s a licensed agent in New York. She wrote a book called Diary of a Real Estate Rookie, available at Amazon. This morning I read an article she wrote for Inman News which mentioned granite counters. She says: “The kitchen countertop trend is for ‘anything but granite.’ Anything that can be labeled ‘green’ or environmentally friendly is big…”
My logic here is admittedly flawed and based on anecdotes alone. If granite counters are dead in New York, I bet they’re going to be “out” here in the Valley of the Sun in a few years. Although we’re the nation’s 5th largest city, Phoenix is dismally slow at picking up pop culture trends. Trends out of Los Angeles hit us quicker, but it seems to me that trends out of New York take 2 to 4 years to get here. I’m just supposing it’s the same with trends in the home remodeling world.
I remember watching Carrie on Sex in the City drink cosmos for at least a year before they became the drink of choice in Philadelphia where I lived in the late 90′s. I was drinking Philly cosmos for at least a year or two before I moved back to Phoenix in 2001. Couldn’t get a cosmo here to save me back then.
Course, I could be utterly wrong. Disagree with me about granite counters being over? Let me know, leave a comment.
Cover my behind legal mumbo jumbo: Today’s image provided by www.hilolani.com/granite.htm. I’m not affiliated with them or with Alison Rogers, or with Amazon.com
February 25, 2008 at 6:44 pm
I think trends do move throughout the country and can see a difference from North and South and East and West. As a community has new development comes the more modern ammenties as granite. Once people in a community see it when they renovate they want this surface also.
I think granite is here for a while but many like the manmade Zodiac surface and Corian which is pretty pricey as well.
I grew up in an older home over 100 years old so we had an old kitchen with custom wood cabinets made by hand. We did after many years add a formica countertop when my parents remodeled. I imagine by know someones has added granite to it and I think it would still look good.
February 27, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I totally disagree with you on this subject. Granite has been used for centuries for building and can withstand the test of time and most weather conditions. While the green movement has gained momentum and popularity recently, I don’t believe it will make the interest in stone and granite countertops go away. In fact, the stone industry, including the Marble Institute of America, and The Stone Council, are working hard to gain Leed points to make the use of granite countertops more sustainable for future green applications and continued granite countertop growth.
Please see my blog for more information and links on the subject.
http://www.paramountgranite.com/blog/2008/02/27/granite-countertops%e2%80%94here-to-stay/
Thanks!
Barb
March 3, 2008 at 12:40 pm
I think going “green” is the future of building and new real estate growth and tend to lean towards it as a durable product also and with the LEED approval I am sure this will happen.
January 30, 2009 at 9:05 am
Very interesting post you wrote. Glad I have stumbled upon it. Cheers!
April 27, 2012 at 11:10 am
Agreed that this post is intersting. I think going green is the future for all home remodeling projects. However, I will state that I purchased new granite countertops in long island and I am very satisfied with the look.
October 22, 2009 at 12:47 pm
I sell Granite Counter tops in Chicago. I am torn on this issue. I feel the green movement will impact the industry in that granite dust is deadly and fabrication produces a lot of waste. However, regardless of your faith one cannot deny the beauty that mother earth produces. In fact, many man-made materials would not even exist if they weren’t trying to duplicate this beauty.
p.s. Wanna spice up your kitchen? Google petrified wood or amethyst.
April 28, 2010 at 3:22 am
A countertop material that is gaining in popularity is quartz, a natural stone that is as sturdy as granite. However, it is nonporous, so it does not require sealing.
August 26, 2010 at 12:31 am
Agree, nice post, and you know Alison Rogers is right about granite counters, each day more and more companies offer new kinds of countertops which look like a real stone, but cost less money. And i’m pretty sure that this trend will develop in this way.
But if you still a real stone lover, i guess you’ll be interested to find out how to take care about granite countertops
May 24, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Interesting article from 2008. Do you think you can give your point of view now in May 2011? has anything changed? is granite still on it’s way down?
It would be sad though, a granite kitchen countertop is such a beautiful product for your kitchen.
October 31, 2011 at 11:37 am
granite countertops r ugly, & everybody wants because they r sheep!!!