Particular grandmas and polished black granite countertops are a very sensitive combination.
Nana Cherie in Calabasas is a good example. Every time my little girls visit, I’m constantly erasing their greasy fingerprints from the expansive kitchen island, but the marks resurface just like the countless Z Bar wrappers and bagel crumbs in the back of my car. Nana doesn’t like such messes. (She hasn’t raised young children since the Ice Age and, as a designer, she likes her things just so.)
That’s why I’m pointing clients with young kids in the direction of impossible-to-fingerprint Eleek countertops. Eleek’s line of recycled aluminum is sustainable and affordable. The material is lighter than stone, heat resistant, and remains at room temperature because of the conductive nature of aluminum. It’s soft to the touch for little hands and a viable alternative to costly, high maintenance, porous stone.
Husband and wife team Wric Kaster and Sattie Clark founded the Portland-based Eleek Inc. with the goal of producing recycled materials that correspond with their personal values. Their line includes green-sourced electric light fixtures, counter and floor tiles, award-winning cast metal sinks, and stylish door hardware, switchplates and serving trays.
The aluminum finishes, which include Marsala Red, Antique Black, Golden Amber, Vintage Silver and River Rock, have a powder-coated option, which can be cleaned with any gentle dish soap and a soft cloth. The company also offers waxed and raw bronze finishes, as well as a "living finish" which evolves over time in various climate changes. There’s even a customized artist patina available, in which each piece is uniquely hand painted and torched by one of Eleek’s on-site artists.
The countertops are all 1/4" thick and made in sections up to three feet wide. Some clients also order cut-outs for sinks, faucets and appliances. Sections are seamed without a grout line using a thin bead of clear silicone. A designer also can have frontwrap, sidewrap and backsplash features built in for a clean, modern aesthetic.
This is a company that runs its shop in the most eco-friendly way possible, using recycled metals and metal remnants for its castings, buying supplies within 50 miles of its factory, and relying on reclaimed and salvage lumber for all architecture features and furnishings at its headquarters in Portland.
West Coast sources for Eleek include Greenspace in Santa Cruz (831 423-7200) and EcoHome Improvement in Berkeley (510 644-3500). It’s also sold through other venders thorughout the U.S.
Image: Eleek