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Our Caesarstone Countertops: A One Year Review

Choosing countertops was one of the biggest decisions we made during the renovation of the IDCO Lake House. They are a big expense and one of the most-touched surface in the home, so getting them right feels really important! I am drawn to natural stone, and it was a big part of my initial inspiration for the Lake House kitchen, but something about it gave me pause. We have honed marble in our Austin kitchen and I love it, but part of our long-term goal for the lake house is make it available to friends and family and possibly renters, so we wanted a material that would be easy to care for and super durable.

Revisit the lake house reveals:

Entryway + Dining Room + Kitchen + Primary Bedroom + Living Room + Exterior + Bunk Room

Why Choose Quartz?

Until I started shopping, I didn’t fully understand what a ‘quartz countertop’ was. Quartz is a broad term that encompasses many counters that are engineered using the natural raw mineral, quartz, transforming it into a super-durable surface. The result is a dense, nonporous material that is harder and stronger than natural stone. Since it is nonporous, it doesn’t host bacteria or mildew and it’s impervious to stains. It’s also heat- and scratch-resistant, which makes it easy to use and clean and virtually maintenance-free.

I looked at dozens of samples from several vendors before settling on Casaerstone’s Arabetto 5171. We chose 3cm slabs (we used three total) to give it some visual weight, and wrapped the backsplash up the wall and topped it with a single open shelf. The backsplash made the Caesarstone a textural focal-point of the kitchen, which I love. And the single shelf is on-trend but still feels really classic.

How it’s working for us

We just celebrated our one-year anniversary with the lake house. Of course, the finished kitchen hasn’t been in use for quite that long, but it’s still gotten tons of action, especially now that we are into summer entertaining mode. The Caesarstone is a dream! We just use common-sense cleaning methods like wiping any wet stains as soon as possible and using a little soap and water on anything stubborn. I love that I don’t have to explain a complicated routine to our guests or worry if I am not the one doing the washing-up. Even with many different folks in the kitchen, they still look as lovely as the day they were installed.

I’m so, so happy we decided to remove most of the upper cabinetry and run the same material up the wall as a backsplash. Not only does it reflect light so nicely (a bonus since we have black cabinetry!), it’s easier to care for than a tile backsplash with grout lines, and is much more wipeable than a painted surface.