Our Cabinets
Thoughts on Counters
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Ecological Cabinets

(click on photos to enlarge)

An undermount sink in a Vermont slate counter,
with a builtin drainboard to the side.

Linoleum counter: softer to the touch, but quite tough,
and a more natural product than laminate or solid
surface. The section to the right is a custom cherry
top built in our shop.

Thoughts on Counters

We provide all sorts of countertops. We use a lot of maple butcher block, and make hardwood tops in our shop in most any wood. We can make laminate tops, which are very affordable. As mentioned elsewhere, we can make a plywood top that looks terrific, and is quite cheap.

In the last few years, I’ve become enamored of undermount sinks. It’s so much more convenient to be able to just sweep water and debris into the sink, rather than have to contend with the rim of conventional drop-in sinks. And they look really neat. You can undermount a sink in a wood top, and we have, but a waterproof material works much better. The photo shows a counter of Vermont slate, made by Vermont Stone Arts, in Barre, Vermont. I like slate, and also soapstone, much better than granite- which feels cold to me, particularly in large quantities. 

We’ve also made several counters out of old-fashioned linoleum, bonded to plywood, with a wood edge. Marmoleum makes this product in many patterns. It is made from jute, stone dust, linseed oil, and other natural materials. It’s rugged, and somewhat heat resistant. I like it because it’s softer,warmer, and more forgiving than laminate. Many people like that it’s a natural product.