Porch bar with industrial corbels

We had wanted a table with chairs on the porch, but weren't sure about the space.  Instead, we settled on a custom back bar.  Using a long piece of 2 in cedar, we installed this using galvanized pipe as corbels.   They were a bit pricier than I would have liked, but we love the look. And, of course, it wouldn't be complete without our stools from Cameron's!

Giveaway and Countertops

I’ve learned so much from reading The Granite Gurus blog, and they are sponsoring another really cool giveaway.

As we’ve remodeled and redecorated the house, we’ve chosen different types of finishes for countertops.  My all-time favorite is still the Silestone in the kitchen.  (Some pics of the big project are here, here and here).



I love the look and feel of the product.  It was very comparable in price to granite, and I just love how durable it is.  The only maintenance involved is cleaning, and it still looks brand new.  The majority of people that come to the house think it’s granite, which is exactly the look we were going for.  That’s good, too.

Also in the kitchen is an entertainment Center/Bar, we had done at the same time. 



The two smaller side countertops are Black Galaxy granite, and the higher middle countertop is wood.

This is one of my favorite pieces in the house.  I love that it is a bar, but not too “bar looking”.  In some of the older homes in our neighborhood there are bars in the Living Room…most of them wind up with that ‘70s vibe of polyester, ABBA, shag carpet and swingers…that’s not what we wanted.   I hope we pulled it off.

In the Master Bath, we went with a mixture, too.  (see some of the BEFORES here and here)



Crema Marfil Marble on the Sink Countertops and Baltic Brown on the Vanity-turned-Morning-Kitchen countertop.



I think the marble is beautiful, but I don’t love the etching of the surface.  Even liquid hand soap left on overnight will etch the surface.  And while I recognize that is the natural process, it’s not my favorite. 
Which I do find interesting, because I enjoy the gradual “distressing” of a hardwood floor….?

The last countertop we’ve redone is the Family Room Bar.



We went with Granite down here, and it is beautiful.  We had considered Vetrazzo Alehouse Amber, but at the end of the day, the price was right on the Granite.  We use this space a lot: especially the kids.  There’s a microwave tucked under the counter and a stove right around the corner of that arched doorway; it works really well when they need to “fend for themselves” for lunch or dinner.  As such, the space does get a fair amount of abuse.  It’s holding up great, but just doesn’t seem to have quite the same original “Shine” as the Silestone has maintained. 

All that being said, in a heartbeat, I would do the Silestone in the kitchen and the Granite in the Bar the exact same way over again.  Now, the marble in the Master Bath…?  It IS beautiful, and if I was redoing AGAIN, I am not 100% sure I’d go with it again, but, I’m not 100% sure I wouldn’t either.  So, there ya go!

Linked to Remodelaholic's Anon.