hate it or love it, the underdogs come out on top...

"Hate it or love it, the underdogs come out on top."
-50 Cent

For anyone who has been house hunting lately, I am willing to guess you are about as over granite counter tops as I am. Now, I mean no offense to anyone who has these- they are a lovely upgrade option in any home but in this world of mass produced homes and their "upgrades" I am loving that some unlikely materials are finally getting their due and breaking into more main stream homes...  So as the summer comes to a boiling point and drives you back inside and you start to ponder ripping up your kitchen consider using a less traditional material.

Stainless Steel- the material de jour for your kitchen appliances has hit the counters as well! They are sleek and hard working and scream that you know what you are doing in the kitchen. Stainless Steel will not patina and it is non-porous making it a great antibacterial and stain resistant option. It does scratch fairly easily so you will need a cutting board around constantly... but it adds character when you do mar the surface a bit...

Eleek tiles are 100% recycled aluminum and offer a slightly easier install than a solid surface like the stainless steel. However, these babies run about $95  per square foot so they are a really great statement for a small kitchen.

Zinc has a bit more of a traditional feel to it, especially is you let it turn to the blue-gray patina... a staple of oyster bars, it makes a great statement in a house- especially for a large center island.

Alkemi is one of the most fun new products on the market...scrap aluminum shards are sunk into resin forming the unique squiggle pattern that gives depth of pattern but also reflects light and gives a bit of shimmer to a kitchen.

Keeping with the more modern feel, glass is appearing all over the place as an option for counter tops. It is sleek and cool and very low maintenance. you can also use lighting under the counter to create stunning visual effects in your kitchen that you would never have conceived before...

For a truly gorgeous traditional touch consider pewter. A more formal and decidedly french touch, the edges are often molded into a decorative pattern and left untreated it turns to a soft charcoal patina that hearkens the romance of a french bistro or brasserie...

And my current favorite underdog...copper!

Not just for pennies, this super material is perfect for counter tops...it is highly antibiotic- without any extra help e coli dies on copper within hours of contact (it can survive on other surfaces for months-gross!)

You can keep it polished to maintain the golden glow or let it turn into its unique patina of burnished greens and browns- even the living finish maintains its antibiotic traits!

So as you sit around enjoying the AC during these dog days of summer, consider giving your kitchen a truly unique upgrade with a new counter top that I guarantee your neighbors will not already have...