Countertop Dilemma + How I Made My Decision

 I had to decide what to do with the top of my dresser, since I am using it as a kitchen island.  Here were some things I considered.

1. Nothing, leave as is.
2. Reclaimed wood
3. Granite
4. Stainless steel
5. Laminate
6. Butcher block
7. Concrete
8. Reclaimed countertops or marble off of Craigslist.

So let me break it down a little.  *Prices are for my area, and I need 8 square feet.

1. Nothing - This surely was not an option for me due to the abuse the island is going to receive.  I don't care how many coats of polyurethane I put on it.

2. Reclaimed wood- Refer to #1

3. Granite- We have granite already, so we would pay around $33 sq/ft.  = $264  Remnant pieces start at $27 sq/ft. = $243

4. Stainless steel- I was shocked to find that this was going to cost as much as granite, so I kicked this option out.

5. Laminate-   A.  Formica 180fx High Definition from Home Depot $31 sq/ft  (Really???)  = $248

                     

                        B. White Carrarra from Home Depot $21 sq/ft = $168

6. Butcher block from IKEA -   This wasn't much of an option either due to the color.  Natural wood would not look good in my gray, black, and white kitchen.  I guess I could stain or paint it but then I would feel like I was doing #1 or #2.  (Did you just think of the bathroom like I did?)
The cheapest block they had was $59, and I'm at least 3 hours away from IKEA. 

7. Concrete-  If we went this route, Matt and I would have made the countertop ourselves.  When we started to price this out, we were also looking at a countertop on  Craigslist for $80.  We stopped pricing out concrete when we realized we would need two bags of Quikrete Countertop Mix, which prices out $20 a bag.  This doesn't include the tools or TIME to make the countertop.  We thought $80 was waaaaay better than options 1-7.

8. Reclaimed countertop off Craigslist.  I got really excited when I saw this Silestone countertop on Craigslist.  First off, let me just say I was not planning on using a green apple colored countertop for my island, BUT Matt and I both liked the idea of using green as an accent for our kitchen long before I stumbled upon the countertop.  Now, instead of using bits of green here and there throughout the kitchen, this green countertop will take the center stage in the room.  And yes, it is bright green, which changes color throughout the day.  I really like it.

Silestone

Did I mention that I called my local stone shop and they told me Silestone STARTS at $60 sq/ft????  So for 9 square feet, I paid $80.  w.h.o.a.

And wait.  IT GETS BETTER.  My countertop is heavy, so it will not need to be secured to the dresser, WHICH MEANS if I choose to remove it, I can.  In our next home, I can still use the dresser as a dresser.  If the green doesn't go in my next home's decor, I simply store it under the couch until I find something to do with it.