[…] HOME POSTS: Quartz Countertop Review // DIY Planked Walls // Pergo Flooring Install // Farmhouse Dining […]
Home // Why We Chose Quartz: Quartz Countertop Review February 15, 2016
Thank you to for helping me create our dream home!
I’m finally sharing some kitchen details today! A lot of thought went into our kitchen because I’ve envisioned my dream farmhouse kitchen for quite some time now. I wanted to do everything “right” the first time, and didn’t want to have any regrets for not doing what I TRULY wanted. I’ll be sharing about choosing our farmhouse sink and how we painted our cabinet another day, but today we are focusing on why we chose our quartz countertops.
I had originally wanted butcher block countertops, and while I still LOVE that option, I realized they require some maintenance. And I’m not a maintenance girl. I can barely keep a plant alive, I cannot be worried about my countertops, especially when they will be so frequently used! This is also why we chose Pergo for our flooring. So I started researching maintenance-free countertops, and came across quartz as an option. Granite is gorgeous, but is actually very porous and can suck up liquids, as well as bacteria. It also needs to be resealed. And while I LOVE the carrera marble (my second choice), it’s also not stain resistant and can scratch very easily.
Once I found out that quartz countertops can look similar to carrera marble, I was sold. Here’s why quartz is so great:
– It’s non-porous, making it naturally antibacterial and more hygenic.
– It’s the most durable because its stain AND scratch resistant.
– No sealing is needed.
– The seams are less visible, and there are also no striations which lead to cracks.
– NO maintenance is required.
– BONUS: it comes in a VARIETY of colors.
Pretty perfect, right? And worth the cost seeing as there will be no additional maintenance. I came across Wilsonart’s gorgeous selection of quartz, and fell in love with their Haida slab. It’s bright white with slight black fine veining, making it somewhat similar to the carrera marble look I love. Wilsonart put me in touch with a local fabricator, T N B Marble and Granite LLC based out of Hartford, CT, who came out to create a template based on what I wanted. (Before this was done, we had to have our farmhouse sink installed so it was in the proper place. I’ll go more into detail on that in my sink post). In just a few short weeks, our slabs were made and installed! The installation process went way quicker than I imagined, and the fabricator did an amazing job.
We’ve been living with our countertops for a few months now and I have no regrets! They’re holding up beautifully, and we’ve had no issues.
I highly recommend Wilsonart for your quartz countertop needs. Their customer service was outstanding, and they clearly pay attention to the fabricators they work with because it was the best experience I’ve had so far with our home renovations. Everything was on time (something that never happens with home renos!), and everyone was so professional. And I highly recommend choosing quartz! Especially if you don’t have time for high maintenance!
I’ll be talking about how we painted our countertops and what to know when choosing a farmhouse sink in the upcoming weeks! Go here to see how we installed our plank backsplash.
Sarah J. says
Hey Lauren, we are trying to decide on countertops now for our reno in DC. I love the idea of white quartz with our light gray cabinets, but am nervous about red wine stains! Thoughts?? Have you had this problem yet?
Lauren McBride says
Nope! The beauty of quartz is it isn’t porous, so it won’t soak up any stains! You will LOVE it! Text me if you need anymore help! Miss you!! <3
Lesley says
Hi Lauren, I’m in the process of building a home and wanting to find low maintenance but beautiful countertops. Have you noticed any damage to the Wilsonart Quartz countertops due to hot pots or knife scratches at all?
Lauren McBride says
Hi Lesley! Sorry for the delay! We LOVE our countertops…no scratches or anything! I’m still careful with hot pots, but they’re in perfect condition and look just as great as when we got them a year ago! 🙂
Emily Crall says
Thanks SO MUCH for this review! I was picking between two different quartz colors and Haida was one of them. I didn’t love it until I saw your kitchen and now I’m ordering it immediately.
Lauren McBride says
YAY! This makes me so happy! So glad it helped! We love them!
Lisa Ross says
Hi, I like Wilsonart products. We have Cafe Di Pesco laminate in our bathrooms and still love it after two years. I found Andorra Shadow laminate for my kitchen. We will put in satin white cabinets and we like the contrast. I was also looking at their quartz. Closest I can find to Andorra Shadow is Dinant quartz. My kitchen is small. What are your thoughts on this and what are your thoughts on the Wilsonart quartz quality.
Thanks, Lisa Ross
Lisa Ross says
Ps: forgot to mention my floor is ceramic tile that looks like marble. So it’s white with streaks of grey and black
Heather Ziolecki says
Hi, my husband is a great cook but not a careful one. Does this quartz counter top hold up to tomato sauce and hot appliances such as an air fryer or crock pot?
Lauren McBride says
Yes! It holds up AMAZINGLY well! It’s nonporous!