Countertop Materials

Soapstone
Stone surfaces have long been a favorite material for kitchen countertops, but soapstone has come into its own in recent years. It’s heat and stain resistant like granite, non-porous (and thus liquid resistant), and has a softer texture than you’ll find with many stone surfaces. Just be careful, as there are two actually different materials that are sometimes called soapstone; one of these is talc, which isn’t going to give you the surface that you’re looking for. The soapstone that you want to get is steatite, which fortunately is much more common when shopping for countertop materials.

Leathered Granite
Granite has been popular as a counter surface for years, but has always had the drawback of being a porous material, meaning you have to be careful with spills. Leathered granite solves this problem while giving the classic stone a modern update as well. The surface of the granite is slightly roughed by diamond-tipped brushes, enhancing the stone’s natural color while cutting back on some of the shine and closing those infamous pores. The end result is a durable stone countertop with a unique look and a slight texture that really does feel similar to leather.

Engineered Quartz
Like granite, quartz has been used as a countertop material for years. So what’s the deal with engineered quartz? Unlike traditional quartz countertops, these are made with ground quartz mixed with resins to create a very hard and natural-looking surface. Colors can be added to create tints to match a wide range of decorating styles. Engineered quartz resists staining, corrosion, and damage from most cleaners. Just keep in mind that, like natural quartz, these countertops can still be damaged by heat.

Solid-Surface Acrylics
There are a few different brands of solid-surface acrylic countertops available, notably including Corian and Swanstone. These countertops mix acrylics with resin to create a stain-resistant surface that’s available in a wide range of colors, and that can be sanded to repair scratches or other small bits of damage. Perhaps more importantly, the man-made nature of these countertops means that they can be easily customized to meet the specific needs of your home. Their main drawback is that they tend to be vulnerable to heat damage, given that they are still made of plastic.

Concrete
Over the last several years, concrete countertops have become very popular in modern kitchens. They can be made on-site to ensure that they match your unique kitchen perfectly, and their dense nature means your countertops can take a beating without suffering much damage. Textures, acid-stained colors, and more can be added to the countertops during the creation process, and additives or sealants can significantly reduce the porosity of the concrete itself. These countertops do occasionally have issues with cracking, though modern methods have reduced this significantly. Even when they do crack, however, most concrete countertops can be repaired on-site.

Garage Door Options

Here are some current garage door trends that could speak volumes:

• Bright Colors. There was a time when garage doors came in muted neutral colors and whites, and absolutely nothing else. Thankfully, those times are in the rearview mirror and we’re living in a far more enlightened – and vibrant – age. Bright colors can help enhance especially interesting woodwork on garage doors, complement homes with a lot of color, like Spanish styles or Victorians, or make fancy hardware pop like nothing else. Be careful with bright colors, though, because there is such a thing as too much; you can end up overwhelming the rest of your home if you don’t use them with caution. White trim on a brightly colored garage door, for example, can help contain the energy if you need to tone it down a bit.
• Sleek Industrial Lines. There’s something about clean, sharp lines that can turn a modern house into an ultra modern one. Those industrial lines are still a hot commodity, as are glass panels in nearly invisible aluminum frames. The look isn’t right for every home, but an industrial garage door can be an incredibly flexible design element, especially when placed against square-cut stone, dark colored shiplap, or natural wood siding.
• Country Cottage Styling. The whole country cottage meets industrial hardware look has really had some staying power. Not only does it give a big helping of nostalgia to a lot of people, it also makes it easier to blend more modern elements into older homes that may have been seriously deprived of any sense of self by excessively generic remodels of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. It may come as no surprise, then, that garage doors that are designed to echo the same look are also super popular. Choose carriage house doors or doors that resemble barn doors for an industrial cottage look beyond the interior of your home. Pairing these garage options with Dutch lap siding or irregular stone or brickwork can really make both the doors and the house pop.
• Natural Wood. Sure, natural wood doors have been available for some time, but never in anywhere near as many designs or tones. Look for solid wood doors for a lot of rustic flare, or choose a synthetic wood door for a modern home to give it a little more earthy feel without all the maintenance. Your industrial homestead can really make a statement with wooden garage doors made from horizontal strips in different wooden tones.
• Asymmetry. Mid-century modern homes are gaining a lot of popularity these days, but until recently there wasn’t a great garage door complement for them. Say hello to the asymmetrical door. With garage windows on one side rather than across the top, these unusual statement doors are perfectly paired with other square and rectangular outdoor elements, just like what you’d find on a vintage MCM ranch style home. Those side windows still let in a lot of light, while allowing a great deal of security and privacy inside your garage. It’s kind of the whole package.

Remake Those Cabinets to Create Your Dream Kitchen

When it comes to giving your cabinets new life, you have options. Some are pretty simple and don’t require a lot of effort; some are quite challenging and may generate a great deal of mess and confusion. They’re all valid options, though, depending on just how much time you’re willing to put into the project.

You’ll have the most flexibility if you’re working with wooden cabinets, whether or not they’ve been painted previously. Laminated cabinets (also sometimes called MDF) are a bit of a different beast, and are very difficult to change once they’ve been installed. Here are a few things you should consider, depending on your cabinets:

• Swapping Hardware. Sometimes, the thing making your cabinets feel old and dated is the hardware. It might sound like a small thing, but heavy cabinet hardware from the 1970s has a whole different feel than more streamlined contemporary hardware. If you’re on a small budget, or you can’t have your kitchen torn apart for an extended period, investing in new hardware could give you a whole new look.
• Repainting. This is generally only a trick to try on cabinets that are made of wood, but if you use specially designed paints and primers, you can often make paint stick to laminated or metal cabinets. Choose a paint that’s self-leveling and dries hard, like a latex-based enamel cabinet paint, along with a bonding primer, for the very best results.
  • You’ll need to take the doors down, sand the existing finish just enough to rough it up, and allow for plenty of dry time, but because these paints are tintable, the sky is really the limit. It goes on just like other high grade paint, so mix and match colors, paint two-tone designs on your existing cabinetry, or freehand it with fancy designs for a look you really love.
• Restaining. This will only work with wood cabinets, but you can really change the look of a room simply by restaining your existing cabinets. It’s possible to strip old paint off of painted cabinets, but be warned: it will be a lot of work and mess, so do it outside as much as you can.
  • Once you have all the old stain or paint sanded off, apply your new stain per package directions. Today’s stains come in a lot more than traditional “wood” colors; many can create simulated whitewash or aged wood, or add a thin tint of color that will still allow the wood grain to show through.

If redoing your cabinet doors seems like it may be more mess than you’re prepared to deal with, or you want to change the actual design of your cabinet doors, another viable option would be to order all new cabinet doors. You may still need to paint or stain the cabinet bases to match, but a whole new design is a lot easier to achieve with new doors, and replacing those doors is a lot simpler than replacing all your cabinets.

Siding Choices for 2021

Although you can side your house in an amazing array of materials, from metal barn siding to asphalt shingles, there are definitely options that are far more effective and attractive than others. Siding options haven’t changed a lot this year, but there’s plenty to be said for the materials that are widely available today. Common siding choices include:

• Vinyl. Although vinyl is final, it’s not always the most durable material out there. There are a range of grades of vinyl siding, and which you choose matters. Look for a heavier option, with a longer warranty, if you want to ensure your siding will be around a while. Higher end vinyl siding comes in a wide range of patterns, too, including imitation shakes and fish scales (rounded shingles), plus it can be oriented either vertically or horizontally, depending on your home’s style and your personal preference. On the other hand, while vinyl may be the most versatile material for the money currently on the market, if you live in an area where high winds are a problem, it may be difficult to keep vinyl siding attached.
• Fiber cement. Made from a combination of cement and wood fibers, fiber cement siding is durable and long-lasting. Unlike its predecessor, modern fiber cement no longer contains asbestos, but does still retain the same unrelenting strength. It’s a heavy duty siding, however, so expect to pay more for installation. You’ll also likely be needing to repaint it occasionally. Fiber cement costs more than vinyl siding in general, but has a useful lifespan of 50 years or more, so if you plan to stay in your home and are looking for an alternative to stone or brick, it might be the answer.
• Wood. Good old-fashioned wood siding has been a popular choice for generations, but modern homes have steered away from it for a variety of reasons. Because wood siding requires a lot of maintenance, many homeowners simply don’t have the time to reseal or repaint it often enough to maintain the original look, and over time this lack of care can lead to insect infestations. Wood siding is great for some applications, but it’s only as good as the care you give it. If you’re prepared to go the long haul on your home, or just want a small accent, wood might be a great option. The cost will vary considerably depending on the thickness, style, and species of wood you choose.
• Composite. Composite, also known as engineered wood, is a compromise for homeowners who want a wood look, but don’t want all the upkeep of real wood. It’s still going to need more care than other types of siding, but you can still expect to get 20 or 30 years of use from it. Unlike real wood, which can be sanded and refinished if you get lax in maintenance or simply want to give it a different finish, composite siding is kind of a set-it-and-forget-it option. It will be the color or stain you chose initially unless you remove it all and start again.
• Brick or Stone. Brick and stone go hand in hand when it comes to siding choices. Both are sturdy materials that require an expert mason to install properly, so if you’re considering a DIY siding job, these may not be the right option. Considerable skill goes into properly creating a stone or brick siding, and without the proper prep work, your siding can simply slip off your house. It’s not a pretty picture. On the flip side, stone and brick are pretty much forever, requiring only minimal tuckpointing for maintenance. So, as long as you don’t decide to paint brick or stone, you’ve got siding you can trust for a lifetime.