Now this farmhouse kitchen ain't fancy.
This farmhouse kitchen has to fit us, and we ain't fancy!
We don't ride around in a Caddy (not that anythin's wrong with that, it's just that we're Chevy people!) and we don't have aspirations to look as if we're tryin' to be on LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS....(is that on television now or am I dating myself here!?) we're just plain old people, not the granite or travertine sort of people. Not that I don't like those; they're decidedly gorgeous. They just don't fit this house or us.
All this is to say that I'll be having Formica countertops. The question is: solid color or a pattern?
My reason for wanting a solid color? So that my accent color will POP.
Is that a good enough reason?
I found the most gorgeous solid color that's the right color and I wonder: will it drive me nuts to have every crumb and every scratch stand out? I've never had solid color countertops before. So..help!
I need your help with three questions:
1.) Will solid color counter tops drive me nuts with showing every little thing?
2.) Back splash of Formica from the counter top level up to the base of the upper cabinets or just partial back splashes?
3.) Or, should I get partial back splashes on counter top areas, but a full back splash behind and above the stove? (There is no vent hood in this old house.)
This farmhouse kitchen has to fit us, and we ain't fancy!
We don't ride around in a Caddy (not that anythin's wrong with that, it's just that we're Chevy people!) and we don't have aspirations to look as if we're tryin' to be on LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS....(is that on television now or am I dating myself here!?) we're just plain old people, not the granite or travertine sort of people. Not that I don't like those; they're decidedly gorgeous. They just don't fit this house or us.
All this is to say that I'll be having Formica countertops. The question is: solid color or a pattern?
My reason for wanting a solid color? So that my accent color will POP.
Is that a good enough reason?
I found the most gorgeous solid color that's the right color and I wonder: will it drive me nuts to have every crumb and every scratch stand out? I've never had solid color countertops before. So..help!
I need your help with three questions:
1.) Will solid color counter tops drive me nuts with showing every little thing?
2.) Back splash of Formica from the counter top level up to the base of the upper cabinets or just partial back splashes?
3.) Or, should I get partial back splashes on counter top areas, but a full back splash behind and above the stove? (There is no vent hood in this old house.)
What say YOU?
The to-do list is still quite lengthy...but here's our progress so far:
And tomorrow morning bright and early, the ceiling guy is going to show up and I hope to have you some good before and after pictures of that tomorrow night. (You have no idea how the sight of that dishwasher makes my heart sing!) He should be done around lunch time and then we can get back to the plumbing, resetting a heat vent, and leveling and installing the lower cabinets (they're just sitting in their places right now). It's coming along! I'm so grateful for the progress.
Then, when the "business end" is done, the other end of the kitchen will get a big pantry installed on the large wall with a small desk area next to it. That pantry is something else with flip-out racks for canned goods and shelves behind each for boxed goods and overhead doors for larger items. I cannot wait to use it! The little desk area will be a place for recipe books, laptop, a small television and drawers below it for bills and pens and stamps.
Modern cabinets have their advantages!
Then, when the "business end" is done, the other end of the kitchen will get a big pantry installed on the large wall with a small desk area next to it. That pantry is something else with flip-out racks for canned goods and shelves behind each for boxed goods and overhead doors for larger items. I cannot wait to use it! The little desk area will be a place for recipe books, laptop, a small television and drawers below it for bills and pens and stamps.
Modern cabinets have their advantages!
13 comments:
Only if the color is dark will it drive you nuts. Only go up partially if you don't ever plan on changing it (personal experience!) If you're renovating you might as well put in a vent as this will help keep the grease down. I once did mirrors on the wall in back of a stove and loved it. Easy to clean with Windex. But it's all up to you, sugar. Think the pros and cons first before deciding.
xoxo,
Connie
Your kitchen is coming along nicely! What a great space its going to be when you're done! I don't know what to tell you on the countertop dilemma!
The way our old house is built, (1898) there is no way to install a vent hood. The stove does not sit on an outside wall. I WISH we could have worked it out!
OOOhhh girl I can't beleive what you guys have done in less than a week...its just awesome my friend...and dark counter will show everything and also the lighter the color the bigger it will look..they have formica that does look like granite also...my friend have it and its wonderful looking...and I'm so happy to see your dishwasher after so many years without one I know you will enjoy it...May you have a great week girl...good luck...hugs and smiles Gl♥ria
I am soooo excited for you! It all is coming along beautifully!
My only recommendation is that you avoid dark counter tops. When that sun starts setting in my kitchen windows, it reveals everything!!!
Thanks for sharing the progress!
I have solid white countertop and I love em-I can SEE when they need to be cleaned. I dislike colored and especially those stone-patterns.....who wants to put their food on a counter that may or may not be clean?
Put in a partial backsplash and tile the rest. Wall tile is very easy to do. It's coming along beautifully.
- Suzanne
Found the marbled Blue; It's Wilsonart 1753-01 Canyon Blue. I can get it if you can't find it. "01" happens to be a gloss finish, which you DON'T want, but it should be available in a matte, also. I've seen countertops done in it; wonderful color! I see you got your oen way with the desk! That "microwave cabinet" will work wonderfully for a tv.
Prefer lighter colored countertops (like white)--I think they give the kitchen a cleaner and brighter appearance (an advantage during those dark fall & winter days).
Oh--partial backsplash which you can accent with tile or not depending on the look you are going for.
Love the kitchen thus far:)Good luck!
Blessings, Aimee
LOL! Totally agree with your philosophies! Your kitchen looks wonderful so far, and I can't wait to see the finished product! I have a dishwasher (which is old and needs replacing, and which I use when I have a crowd), but mostly I wash by hand. I agree with Connie and others, solid is great in lighter colors. I have a partial back splash, and love it except for one thing... its the old style with squared off edges that more easily collect gunk more easily. If I had a choice right now, I'd put in a rounded edge.
Good luck and I look forward to the after shots! XX Vicki
It's going to sound strange but I've lived in a lot of houses and I know kitchens. The solid counters might drive you nuts if you are a very neat and clean person. I have had both and I prefer pattern over solid. Whatever you decide I wouldn't get anything light or off white.
For easy clean ups I would suggest a backsplash and based on your kitchen a partial might look nice. I wouldn't do something really dark or too light again they show everything. Above the stove I would put a full backsplash unless you want to just leave the paint. Without a hood you'll be scrubbing the surface for sure no matter what it is.
Good luck!
Carey
My vote is don't go with a solid color formica, get something with speckles or faux stone look, do a partial back splach, not all the way up, and put tile (you can do it!) behind the stove for an accent. When you guy is done, put him on a plane to Kansas okay?
I agree with Acorn Cottage, no solid formica and you can even do the counter top flat with NO back splash and just do a double row of tile and do the same tile high in a pretty pattern behind your stove. It is actually pretty easy to tile and you can find nice reasonable prices on tile too! I am getting new granite counters in a few weeks...I can't believe it since they have been Sooo expensive. We found a good deal and jumped on it! I had planned on putting in formica brand in "Silica Quartz" # 3519-46 as offered at Lowes. I really like it...you would almost swear it is real quartz. It is mostly light colored with some blue flecks/splotches in it. I bet you could find it online if you wanted to see it. Good luck!!
Blessings~LillySue
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