There have been a few very exciting moments in this kitchen remodel: tearing out the living room wall, opening up the dining room wall, closing off the doorway to the master bedroom, getting the floors installed, getting the appliances in… Ok so pretty much the entire thing has been exciting.
The most recent excitement was picking out countertop slabs. My original plan was to put Carrara Marble on the island but I was warned by so many people that marble is not a great surface for a kitchen that gets used. I was warned that gets dents, dings, scratches and stains easily. My fabricator said that honed marble might hold up better –and I was planning on honed but I just didn’t want to spend THAT kind of money on a huge countertop that could quite possibly not hold up well over the years. So we went with a white granite instead.
It’s not marble but it’s really pretty. More pretty in person than in my phone pics from the warehouse. This doesn’t do it justice so you’ll have to take my word for it.
Once we picked out our slabs, the fabricator came out and made templates of our sinks.
It was pretty cool to watch hime work. I was thinking, “I’d be taping that down and measuring…” but this guy has been doing this for years (and years) and was fast, efficient and accurate.
And I even got to go visit when the fabrication took place but I got so cold I left after the first slap got cut down. My toes were frozen for the entire 10 minute drive home. Still, I was amazed watching the huge wet saw cut through the slab. I was like a kid in a candy store, which the guys in the shop thought was amusing. Apparently I am the FIRST person that has ever requested to visit while their countertops were being made.
I can’t imagine why everyone doesn’t visit. It’s COOL. Next time I’ll be smarter about my choice of footwear when it’s 40 degrees outside but I’ll definitely go again. After all, I only got to see half of the process. It did make me very giddy about getting this next phase complete.
I can’t wait to have a real countertop instead of plywood!
So excited for you! We’ve had “temporary” countertops (my husband fabricated them out of furniture grade plywood & I painted/sealed them so they’d look less plywood-like…I always use chopping boards) for almost 3 months and will, likely, have them for some time yet since flooring is next on the agenda in our ridiculously-major-reno! I live vicariously through you…those countertops are gorgeous in the photo so can only imagine how beautiful they are in person! Are you going to paint the cabinet boxes pre-installation?
I bet your plywood countertops look pretty great. We didn’t even bother to finish the plywood we’ve been using. Wish I would have because now that nice plywood is stained. LOL
Haha they mustn’t look too bad as several people have walked in & said, “oh I love your counters”! Maybe they were just being polite
I also find that amazing that no one wants to see the fabrication happen. If that were me, it would be a family field trip! Must have been super exciting!
Very cool! I am sure the marble will look awesome. And when you see a big, beautiful piece why is it we want to just rub it, lay on it…or is that just me? And I would definately be there watching! How cool would that be. I am always full of questions–which I am sure the guys would love. 🙂
That granite looks beautiful, what is the name of it? I’m hoping to get new countertops this year and love the look of marble, but have also decided against it because of the reasons you stated. Did you conisder Quartz? I’m trying to decide between Granite and Quartz…
We just took quartz out of our old kitchen and I like it just fine — other than the color that the builder selected.
I went and saw my bathroom counter top being made. I think it was fascinating as well. I am so excited for you!!!
My countertops have been cement board for a couple of years. I have granite tile waiting for a long weekend that doesn’t have something scheduled already.
I totally would have gone to watch them cut that! I love watching stuff like that!!
How cool and they will be beautiful! I do have to comment on you being frozen in 40 degrees, though. 🙂 Here in Iowa it has been about 4 months since we got that warm! These days we have to be content with a couple of degrees above zero (and that’s on a warm day). My toes are blistered and I may have to go someplace tropical and stick my feet in the sand just to thaw them out. Do you think that is covered by health insurance? 🙂 Glad to see you are making so much beautiful progress. And thanks for all of the wonderful building plans you have been sharing.
LOL I know. It’s amazing how you acclimate to new environments. When we lived in the Chicago area 40 was nothing.
New counters are always exciting I agree, I did a little post on why I chose carerra marble against all the warnings and why I would choose it again , in case you or anyone wants to read it, http://chriskauffman.blogspot.ca/2014/01/why-i-would-chose-marble-again-in-heart.html
Well as you said, you had a big island for all the messy stuff and since this IS my island that I was considering marble for I have no regrets not getting marble. The island is going to get used tons and all the messy stuff will be right there so marble wouldn’t have been a great choice — regardless of how much I wanted it.