When it comes to countertop materials, the one-size-fits-all concept does not apply to multifamily builders and renovators faced with a host of choices. Installation cost is a prime concern, of course, but maintenance and customer preferences also factor into the decision. The trick is to straddle the various concerns and come up with a product that makes sense for all parties.
For David Nischwitz, a vice president at Mid-America Apartment Communities in Memphis, Tenn., who handles the company's interior renovation program, one recent decision came down on the side of laminates. The company spent about a year testing some countertop options out on a handful of communities, choosing surfaces available in bulk quantities through Home Depot and Hughes Supply. "Based on our price point and availability, a laminate was the best fit," Nischwitz says. "We went with a blended earth tone that has some variation in it, which allowed us to accessorize the units with more flexibility." That test has now been embraced as a stepped-up program for more than 1,000 renovated units.
Key to the decision for Nischwitz was availability and turnaround. "In this world, when you're talking about a resident who has a problem with something or moves out, you want to turn that unit [around] quickly. You've got to be comfortable about getting a quick replacement countertop."
DESERT DRAMA: The desert landscape provided the inspiration behind three new colors in the DuPont Corian Private Collection Artisan Series of solid surfacing: earth, sagebrush, and tumbleweed. Corian's new color palette includes more than 100 colors, from "extra lights" to "extra darks." For more information, call 800-426-7426, or visit: www.corian.com For Washington-based PN Hoffman, countertop decisions are driven by its high-end customers who, according to Josh Dix, vice president of development and acquisitions, want just one thing: granite. That squares with what Liz
St. Rain, a designer with Montgomery Kitchen and Bath in Gaithersburg, Md., has seen. "In my world, granite is king," says St. Rain. "But people have to understand that no countertop surface is going to be without any kind of drawbacks. If someone tells you something is the ultimate choice, you need to ask around. Everything has pros and cons."
Kathleen Stanley is a freelance writer in Washington.Desert Drama: The desert landscape provided the inspiration behind three new colors in the DuPont Corian Private Collection Artisan Series of solid surfacing: earth, sagebrush, and tumbleweed. Corian's new color palette includes more than 100 colors, from "extra lights" to "extra darks." For more information, call 800-426-7426, or visit www.corian.com.
For more information, call 800-426-7426, or visit www.corian.com.
