Getting ready to remodel and I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for materials (flooring, counters, etc.) that are easy to keep clean with the usual children, pets, working from home, visiting family type messes. We have an older home with hardwood floors (which I love) and tile with thick grout (which I don't love) and granite counters and white cabinets and nothing ever looks clean. I'm daydreaming of an entire house made of some sort of glossy formica that I can spray and wipe and have it shine. Of course, that would be ugly and tacky so not really. Any suggestions?
in terms of countertops, I've found quartz to be the easiest to maintain (silestone, ceasarstone, etc.)
I'm a designer and second this. Quartz is definitely the most durable.
Though so is granite, so I'm not sure what the issue is with your current countertops, other than that they might look dated.
i find granite can be very streaky, especially darker colors
OP: thanks. Yes, they do look dated and I hate the color but I also find that when things spill, the counter gets really sticky and it takes more work than you would think to scrub it. Maybe they weren't sealed properly?
Quartz is very durable but if you like the look of real stone, Quartizite looks very much like marble but is much less finicky.
As for flooring, they make wood look vinyl flooring that is waterproof and very easy to clean. It never looks or feels like real wood to me but I'm very picky about these things.
Not sure why your white cabinets don't look clean.
I remodeled recently and replaced our countertops and backsplash with a quartz that looks like marble with big veining. It's fantastic and cleans with windex.
My dream kitchen is going to have soapstone counters with honed edges so that I don't get so many of those tiny holes in my tee shirts.
I find wood floors and white cabinets easy to clean, as long as they are well-sealed and smooth. Bead board and mouldings are definite no-nos.
OP: I think its the sealing and not being smooth that's the issue. Cabinets have been painted over many times and stain and look dingy. Counters get sticky. And the wood floors have wide spacing between planks that traps dirt. I think the house is just OLD.
@Anonymous Ok so its not the color of the cabinets that are the issue. If you buy from a cabinet manufactured, they will be painted and sealed. It won't be an issue to keep those clean in any color.
Probably not what you want to hear but we hired an interior designer and it has turned out to be a godsend. I don't know crap about countertops, or anything else house related and she has BTDT, speaks to all the manufacturers / stores, screens samples of what she thinks we might like, then brings us the contenders. It is a major time saver and so far very much worth the money.
I hate cleaning the gas stove-top and would love to have a ceramic one. It wipes clean so easily, no need to move the metal parts.
haha, I feel you. My oven came with these large grates that cover multiple burners. Won't do that again.