Luxury Countertops
Ever thought about stepping up your countertops with recycled materials? Well, not only are traditional countertop materials considered somewhat passé as design elements, they’re also largely made of nonrenewable resources! This will be a guide to assist you in finding a solution to both problems: a unique countertop piece that can be sustainably produced.
First, let’s look at our options for recycled luxury countertops.
There are plenty of other eco-friendly choices as well, but just looking at recycled materials we have: reclaimed wood, glass, paper, and plastic.
Wood: can be salvaged from nearly anything, so there’s lots of design potential! It does have a tendency to chip, and needs frequent resealing. Has a wide price range, from sourcing your own to custom cut slabs.
Glass: made of glass pieces mixed into concrete & porcelain, looks like natural stone. No need to seal, nonporous, hard and durable. Notable drawbacks are difficulty to find, and the comparable price to granite.
Paper: a solid slab of compressed paper, sealed with natural resin. As it uses so much paper, this is a very eco friendly option. Easy to keep clean, tolerates heat, and only needs a fresh mineral oil seat every 6 months or so. Budget friendly!
Plastic: a near endless design range can be matched to any space. Very durable and easy to clean, but prone to burns and scratches. Also budget friendly!
As you can see, each material works beautifully for its specific purpose, and none of the workarounds are particularly difficult. To me, some regular resealing is well worth it for the impact of using environment-conscious materials! Earlier, I mentioned there being some eco-friendly but not recycled materials as well, perhaps the best of which is our honorable mention:
Bamboo: the plant grows so quickly without stripping its soil, making this a highly renewable resource. Like wood, it can look a variety of ways, and can be easily sanded down to remove imperfections. Requires regular sealing, and can be incredibly easy on a budget!
Check back next month for more cost-effective and eco-friendly home building tips!