Home & Garden Bianco Antico Granite: Love it or Hate it?

[Jesssh]

I'm thinking about getting Bianco Antico granite for my kitchen. Do you love it or hate it? Why?

I'd post a pic but you really have to see it in person. Ikea, Home Depot and several major kitchen remodel places have samples. It has a white base with high contrast taupe splotches and rivers, a few crystals and maybe a little cinnamon. Definitely makes a statement.

Others I'd consider are pure white quartz (worried about yellowing in the sun) and black granite (might be too much black in the open floor plan, and I love white).

I have a black floating glass fridge which is the monolith in the room and is staying cuz I love it. Am open to cabinet colors. All trim is white. I want to start with the countertops and build from there.

TIA!

 

[cakegirl]

It is very busy, even for granite (which i find busy already.) To me, that would completely dominate the room. Of those choice, I would prefer the white quartz. I like solid, light colored counter tops or those with a very subtle pattern. I prefer them for cooking and it is easier to see that they are clean. I do like black granite if it is honed rather than polished.

 

[Cheryl]

I like it, I would be careful with your other selections though, Lower key backsplash, flooring, etc.. the granite makes a big statement and anything else busy will compete with it.

 

[HauteMama]

I could never live with that sort of contrast in countertops, but I have seen it done well when it is allowed to be the focal point of the room. It limits all your other choices, but if you love it enough, then it is worth it.

I personally favor black, but granite is too pricey to get something that someone else loves. In my own kitchen, black countertops worked to open up the space in an interesting way, and it is always the picture I've had in my head for the room. But it sounds like that isn't right for how you view your kitchen, so don't go that direction simply because someone else likes it or finds it more versatile.

I'd favor white over the bianco antico, and that would leave all your other options wide open as far as cabinet finish or flooring (if you are replacing that).

 

[betty.lee]

i don't hate it but i probably wouldn't use it. i'd go with the quartz. the granite could yellow too if it's not sealed properly or well cared for over time. the quartz is like anything else, proper maintenance can go a long way.

 

[Jesssh]

It is very busy, even for granite (which i find busy already.) To me, that would completely dominate the room. Of those choice, I would prefer the white quartz. I like solid, light colored counter tops or those with a very subtle pattern. I prefer them for cooking and it is easier to see that they are clean. I do like black granite if it is honed rather than polished.

Thank you! I do love the idea of the white quartz. I was concerned about the resin turning yellow since everything petroleum-based turns yellow over time, especially in that room. However I need to get new windows which could help filter the light.

Carrera Marble would be my ideal if it were practical. A glass top made of Corelle could be interesting too if it existed. The Silestone White Zeus quartz that Candice uses is my top quartz choice so far - it is pure white.

The honed black granite could be interesting, but I look at that counter all the time and I'm afraid I might get depressed. Probably should stay away from black.

 

[Jesssh]

I like it, I would be careful with your other selections though, Lower key backsplash, flooring, etc.. the granite makes a big statement and anything else busy will compete with it.

Thanks! The flooring is natural oak - I'm thinking about staining it cherry or cinnamon. The backsplash will be a big deal since I will be minimizing the upper cabinets. Just don't want a boring wall as a focal point in the room, so I'm thinking about a stainless and glass hood over the stove, and a full tile wall with some minimal color accents. Now I'm thinking I might prefer a decorative tile treatment over the granite which I never loved. (I had always had a carrera marble countertop in the back of my mind but that is just impractical coming from laminate, which takes a beating and never ages.)

 

[Jesssh]

I could never live with that sort of contrast in countertops, but I have seen it done well when it is allowed to be the focal point of the room. It limits all your other choices, but if you love it enough, then it is worth it.

I personally favor black, but granite is too pricey to get something that someone else loves. In my own kitchen, black countertops worked to open up the space in an interesting way, and it is always the picture I've had in my head for the room. But it sounds like that isn't right for how you view your kitchen, so don't go that direction simply because someone else likes it or finds it more versatile.

I'd favor white over the bianco antico, and that would leave all your other options wide open as far as cabinet finish or flooring (if you are replacing that).

Thank you! I tend towards a modern aesthetic, and I agree that the black would be cool. My kitchen is small and I already have the black fridge which I love. I guess I don't love the patterned granite - it's just the only one I liked even a little. Hard to find plain white granite.

The Black I would like if I didn't live at my kitchen countertop. I had a dark wall in the dining room next to it which recessed the wall and was kind of cool. But when I painted it a lighter color, the whole room lit up. Now I'm obsessed with white - not white drywall or appliances, but white wood, glass, trim, etc. I even have a white iPad which I prefer to use more than my silver laptop or black android. Color affects me in weird ways.

 

[Jesssh]

i don't hate it but i probably wouldn't use it. i'd go with the quartz. the granite could yellow too if it's not sealed properly or well cared for over time. the quartz is like anything else, proper maintenance can go a long way.

Thanks, I think you "sealed" it!

Bottom line (what I am hearing) is that the bianco antico granite will take over the room. So if I don't love it, go with neutral.

Right now, I have a black and white kitchen. I painted the ugly cabinets just to have something different. I like the color story a lot, though I may get tired of it.

So if I go with the white quartz counter, the black glass fridge, stainless/glass hood, cabinet hardware and accessories, the question is, how do I tie it together? I was thinking about cherry lower cabinets and floor. Probably need to bring some pattern and color into the tile backsplash and lighting over the peninsula. I was thinking about aqua glass accents (my favorite color, not worried about resale) on mostly white or gray marbley tiles.

Thank you everyone for your help!

 

[betty.lee]

Thanks, I think you "sealed" it!

Bottom line (what I am hearing) is that the bianco antico granite will take over the room. So if I don't love it, go with neutral.

Right now, I have a black and white kitchen. I painted the ugly cabinets just to have something different. I like the color story a lot, though I may get tired of it.

So if I go with the white quartz counter, the black glass fridge, stainless/glass hood, cabinet hardware and accessories, the question is, how do I tie it together? I was thinking about cherry lower cabinets and floor. Probably need to bring some pattern and color into the tile backsplash and lighting over the peninsula. I was thinking about aqua glass accents (my favorite color, not worried about resale) on mostly white or gray marbley tiles.

Thank you everyone for your help!

how about a grey lower cabinet. I love colored glass backsplashes but if your worried about getting bored with it why don't you go with a carrera mosaic on the backsplash. that would also tie everything on nicely.

 

[Jesssh]

how about a grey lower cabinet. I love colored glass backsplashes but if your worried about getting bored with it why don't you go with a carrera mosaic on the backsplash. that would also tie everything on nicely.

I think carrera is definitely in the cards for the tile. I saw a 3D basketweave mosaic with aqua glass and carrera marble. Beautiful, but a pain to clean. I think we'll design something with stripes or borders and accents and mosaics and maybe larger white-ish tiles. I'll play with it in photoshop after I do more shopping.

I'll check out the gray cabinets, too. Thanks!

 

[Elara]

Personally, I love it. I think it makes a statement, and as long as you aren't going crazy elsewhere in the room you're using it in, it looks fantastic.

 

[betty.lee]

I think carrera is definitely in the cards for the tile. I saw a 3D basketweave mosaic with aqua glass and carrera marble. Beautiful, but a pain to clean. I think we'll design something with stripes or borders and accents and mosaics and maybe larger white-ish tiles. I'll play with it in photoshop after I do more shopping.

I'll check out the gray cabinets, too. Thanks!

happy to help. can't wait to see how it all turns out!

 

[habanerita]

For White Counters, Carrara Marble or Caesarstone Pure White. Caesarstone Blizzard is nice also, but Pure White delivers more of a punch IMHO.
For Black Counters Soapstone is beautiful as is the pure black granite.
Limestone slabs also make very nice countertops, although not pure white in color.

For Backsplash in a small kitchen, Glass slabs backpainted are amazing. The glass is in one slab, backpainted in white but wheninstalled is a blue tone that sort of the blue/aqua is gorgeous. Also slabs of Carrara rather than small tiles. The Glass slab look is really gorgeous and most glass companies will make them, super easy to clean and maintain and always fresh looking. Goes well with the stainless/glass hood you had in mind. If you go with white counters or black counters and your kitchen will be contemporary, I would stain the floors dark, Expresso if using white cabinets, or leave them light if using dark wood cabinets.
There are several manufacturers who make stainless steel with fluted glass upper cabinets, and incorporating a couple of those would be gorgeous. I can give you the name of one manufacturer that will build them from your measurements and ship to you. This is only 1 of the many, many colors that glass slabs can be made


http://glassbacksplashpaint.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/kitchen-aqua-blue-glass-backsplash.jpg

 

[Jesssh]

Personally, I love it. I think it makes a statement, and as long as you aren't going crazy elsewhere in the room you're using it in, it looks fantastic.

YES. They had a big island with ogee edges done in the bianco antico at my Home Depot. Very elegant and dramatic.