Countertops Archives - Page 2 of 2

I’m Starting to Groove to Cork

December 11, 2007 RH 1 Comment

Back in November I did an article on cork flooring. I listed the pros and cons, but my own hesitation with cork is that it reminds me too much of the 70’s. I don’t know why I can’t get passed this since my sense of style terminated in the 80’s. But I’m trying.

I just came across cork mosaics at Habitus NYC. They look great, they are waterproof and best of all, you can stain them some funky ass colors! Since they’re waterproof, they can work perfectly in a bathroom or kitchen. I was also informed that they have antibacterial qualities.

The cork mosaics look like penny ceramics and need to be grouted same as any other tile. They’re made from recycled wine stoppers. Since they start at $12 per square foot, I’m thinking of drinking more wine (lots) so I can make my own mosaics.

3 Form Eco Friendly Material Solutions

December 10, 2007 RH

Via Moco Loco

3 Form is the manufacturer of many products: beautiful countertops, backsplashes, room dividers, furniture, hardware and even jewelry. Furthermore, they use a variety of materials, such as resin, glass and gypsum, which makes it difficult to roll into one tidy blog post.

So let’s just focus on the company. 3 Form is on a path to achieve zero waste and low emissions. They’ve recently eliminated the use of all PVCs and their ecoresin products are Greenguard certified. Panels can be returned to the company at the end of their life cycle for recycling.

Design is decidedly modern. Collections include “Storm” (complex and moody hues), “Fresh” (refreshing and calm aquatic tones) and “Flirt” (optimistic and extroverted) to name a few. There’s even “Custom Imagery” or “You Create”

Samples can be ordered directly from the company.

Anatomy of a Brownstone:A&K Tile

December 5, 2007 RH

A&K Tile Studio in Park Slope has allocated 20% of their showroom to recycled tiles. Before sitting down in the lecture hall, I had a chance to speak with Gerrard Owens, the managing partner. He later presented with Jennifer Napoli.

I also saw some of the samples they had on hand. We’ve covered some of the recycled products here in the past, such as Brooklyn manufactured Ice Stone and Teragren Bamboo, but it was nice to see some other items in person that were new to us.

A&K carries lines from the following companies:

Sandhill Industries, 100% recycled glass tiles
Ekobe Coconut Tiles
Wicanders Cork Flooring

So That’s What A Chef’s Kitchen Looks Like

November 13, 2007 RH 3 Comments

I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll say it again. My kitchen necessities: a phone and a microwave. And it has to look cute. Other than that, I don’t care about oven temperatures, layout or warming drawers. Warming drawers? Just stick the dinner back in the microwave. Wine cooler? Isn’t that what the fridge is for? Garbage disposal? Hey, my dogs have gotta eat!

So, when I found Marissa’s Kitchen on Living Well in Westchester, I had to pass along the fine design details to my readers who actually cook. Fivecat Studio’s design features a multi level Fireslate countertop, glass display shelves and a stainless steel recipe hanger, along with bamboo cabinets.

Of all the super duper high end appliances I’m actually only jealous of two:

The Fisher & Paykel dishdrawer, because I’d love to never have to put away clean dishes again.

The Miele Coffee System, because I like my coffee and it’s easier to make a cup at home than to go out for it.

Marissa’s Kitchen
And Blog

Reclaimed Chestnut Countertop

November 6, 2007 RH

So, when I was having fun on Houseblogs I came across an old photographer buddy’s site. Renovator’s Diary chronicles Brooke’s renovation of an 1860 house in Sag Harbor. I’ve only known Brooke as a talented photographer, but hey, she’s got some great design ideas as well!

I was particularly impressed with their choice of kitchen countertop. Brooke and Josh used reclaimed wormy chestnut, which they treated with a solvent free linseed oil.

DIY job. And you know what I’m thinking? Perhaps you can use leftover planks from a floor installation, which means the countertop would be F-R-E-E!!

Counters. Part I
Counters. Part II

DIY Green Bamboo Countertop

November 5, 2007 RH 1 Comment

From Apartment Therapy: Green.

It’s green AND it’s DIY! Teragren is a manufacturer, as opposed to an importer, of bamboo. This means they can control quality and know exactly where the wood is coming from. Furthermore, their butcher block panels are formaldehyde-free and food safe. The panels can be finished with tung oil or other FDA-approved food safe oils, such as mineral oil.

The installation tips seem fairly straightforward. It is only a piece of wood, which is not as scary to work with than other materials. Table, countertop or custom sizes are available.

Atlantic Plywood, with a few locations in the tri-state area, is listing as their local distributor. Other distributors here.

Metal Countertops

October 30, 2007 RH 8 Comments

Zinc

Copper

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of metal countertops may be stainless steel, but there are so many other types available. Stainless is the most durable as it won’t ding as easily as softer metals and it won’t patina. The color can be varied with laminate and finishes can be customized. It is the least expensive of the metals, which is probably why it’s the most popular.

Being an old home buff, I say “Feh” to stainless. Give me something warm and antique looking! Copper is all that and has bacterial properties too. So you can let your cats jump on it while you’re cooking and it will be ok, right? As if I cook. Anyway, the drawbacks are price and the fact that copper is not scratch resistant. Patina is one thing, but scratches may not look so terrific. Bronze has similar qualities.

Zinc and Pewter have similar tones to one another. They differ from stainless in that they have a grayish hue to them, therefore giving them a less modern look. In fact, it’s pewter that is used on many bars in France and Italy. Zinc is often used on Oyster Bar tops for it’s antibacterial qualities.

These are costly countertops if you have a pro fabricate it for you. My thinking is…you buy the sheet and do it yourself. Even better, see if you can find recycled sheet metal! If you screw up the edges, you can put some molding around it and voila, there’s your beautiful, inexpensive metal countertop!

DIY Forum
HGTV article
Sheet Metal Supplies
Recycled Aluminum
Brooks Custom, Mt Kisco
Handcrafted Metal
Purcell Murray

Recycled Countertops: The Ones We Missed

October 17, 2007 RH 3 Comments

We’ve been breaking down our countertop reviews by material. The Kitchen Designer has the complete guide posted this week. Apart from the old standbys, Paperstone and Icestone, there are some companies on there that we’ve overlooked (or didn’t get to yet).

The most impressive one to us was the Craft Art wood, because the reclaimed counters had an antique look to them and we like anything that looks weathered and beaten. Kitchen Designer sites that there are 8 new reclaimed species available. Craft Art sources new exotic and domestic woods upon request if the species is not endangered.

Trinity Glass Recycled Countertops

October 10, 2007 RH

We recently wrote about Squak Mountain Stone and Kliptech countertops. Over the weekend, Treehugger reported that the two companies have merged to form Trinity Glass. Amee Quiriconi and Joel Klippert were constantly meeting up at events and exchanging ideas, so it seemed natural to merge.

Trinity Glass is a composite of 75% glass from recycled beer bottles, plate windows, wine bottles, etc from Seattle and 25% low carbon cement.

Kliptech
Squak Mountain

Recycled Glass Countertops

October 1, 2007 RH 2 Comments

Icestone

Of the three larger companies fabricating recycled glass composite countertops, Icestone, the best known, is also the only local one. The product, made from 100% recycled glass mixed with concrete, is manufactured in a day lit factory in Brooklyn. The chemical composition is benign and 99.5% inorganic. Icestone comes in a variety of 23 colors. Local showrooms include Chelsea Arts Tile and AK Tile Studio.

Vetrazzo

Vetrazzo is composed of 85% recycled glass with a binder of cement, additives, pigments and other recycled materials such as fly ash – a waste by-product of coal burning power plants. They do not utilize synthetic, petroleum-based resin binders. The product comes in 16 colors and is manufactured in California.

EnviroGlas

EnviroGlas Slabs are made of 75% post-consumer and post-industrial recycled glass and 25% binder by volume. They do use resin in the process. There are 22 standard resin colors or you can formulate your own design. The company is based in Texas.

Recycled Metal Countertops

September 26, 2007 RH 3 Comments

Alkemi is actually recycled composite material as it’s composed of 60% post industrial scrap aluminum and polymeric resins. Internet photos do not do it justice. You have to see it in person to appreciate it. Best way to find a dealer is to contact the company directly.

Eleek manufacturers tons of cools home fixtures, but we’re focusing on countertops today, so let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. Their recycled aluminum countertops, backsplashes and tiles are made up of at least 70% post consumer product. The entire company is run with sustainability in mind. The website lists Virtue Tile in Summit, NJ as the closest distributor.

Cement Based Recycled Countertop

September 21, 2007 RH 3 Comments

Ameé Quiriconi founded Squak Mountain Stone in 2003 after preparing an assignment for her Master’s Degree. The assignment: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age.

What is Squak Mountain Stone? From the website: “A Fibrous-cement material comprised of recycled paper, recycled glass, coal fly-ash and Portland cement. Material is hand-cast into “slabs” as an alternative to natural or quarried stone. Resembles soapstone or limestones. ”

Be sure to check out the “Oops” factory seconds link on the product page!

Local retailer: Bettencourt Green Building Supply

Recycled Paper Countertops

September 18, 2007 RH 4 Comments

The look: A cross between soapstone and formica, if that makes any sense.

We’re aware of 3 companies that manufacture recycled paper countertops.

Shetka: Shredded Counterfit $

ShetkaStone has a 100% sustainable life cycle. Products are manufactured from pre and post consumer waste paper and all by-products can be recycled back into the manufacturing process. ShetkaStone is made from all types of paper, including magazines and telephone books. The color selection is limited, but this seems to be the “greenest” of the paper based countertops.

PaperStone

*Note: At the time of this writing, Paperstone’s website was hit or miss.

Paperstone Certified, by Kliptech, uses 100% post consumer waste paper. The resin is water-based and petroleum-free. PaperStone Organic contains 100% bamboo fiber and a 90% organic resin made from cashew-nut shell oil. Paperstone has a wider color selection than Shetka.

Richlite

Richlite is primarily paper treated with phenolic resin and baked to create a solid sheet. The paper comes from pulp that is derived from trees, which are harvested from certified managed forests in North America. Richlite is less expensive than PaperStone and has the sleekest look of all three, but it’s the least enviro friendly. Go figure.

reclaimedhome.com

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