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It is Winter 2012. I created The Rock Blog over six years ago. I have been asked several times if I still reply to questions because I stopped posting ALL my replies. Yes, I do. Lately I have been posting some replies but not all of them for privacy reasons. I always reply by email to those that support the Rock Blog World Vision kids.
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Best wishes,
Tom Cordova
May 2nd, 2006 at 8:18 am
Hello Tom, We have had some granite countertops partly installed and they gave us no info on “care of” and we have two grease spots that don’t fade away but if we have a water spot it fades away. Are we supposed to put a sealer on and what is best? Thank you
May 2nd, 2006 at 10:21 am
Hello,
I just moved into a brand new home and the granite that was put in for us has tiny scratches all over the surface – just about. The fellow who put it in claims that is normal for some stones. I am hoping to get the opinion of another expert to see if this guy is cheating me or telling me the truth. Also, is there any way to fix this. Is this something that you could help me with? Thanks so much, Sara
May 8th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
I am working on a scope of work covering the installation of granite and marble countertors in the kithcens and baths of our homes. I want to insure that the insallation is done correectly and a basis for having the supplier and installer back thier work. Can you steer me towards any such document or national product guidelines addressing this. Thank-you.
May 14th, 2006 at 7:58 pm
I purchased a bathroom vanity from HomeGranite.com a while ago and just love it. Hope you can help with a problem I am having with marble that I have in another bathroom on the shower floor with a honed finish & counters that are polished. There are some dulled spots on the polished counters where cleaning solution has left marks. On the honed shower, the finish has either come off or it is completely stained with white. Can you give me an idea of how to deal with this. May we call you an if so, a phone number please.
Thanks for any help you can give – Bonnie
May 22nd, 2006 at 3:33 am
I am installing a bathroom vanity top and I just realized it is 1.5″ to long for the space. What is the best way for me to cut it down by 1.5 inches. What tools should I use and are there any tips or special techniques you would recommend?
May 26th, 2006 at 1:39 pm
We are having our kitchen cabinets refaced and chose a honey oak to coordinate with our Pergo flooring. I had picked out Zeus for the granite but after seeing several websites with a light cabinet and a light top I’m not sure that would be the best route to go. We only have one window in the kitchen with adjacent french doors in the eating area and a little bit of light from the entry way. Any suggestion for a deeper granite without it being too dark. I really like what Heartland has to offer but its so confusing when you look at all the slabs. I’m getting a new stainless steel stove and hood and the dishwasher is black. Want punch and wow without it being too dark. Thank you for your help.
Kathleen Zack
June 1st, 2006 at 11:57 am
I am building a new home and am considering installing granite kitchen couter tops. I have been told that granite stains easily and attracts mold growth. Do you know anything about such problems? I do not want to invest heavily in these counters and have to remove them because of staining or mold growth. I live in Oklahoma which is very humid. What would you advise?
Betty D.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:27 am
I work for a remodeler in Tucson Arizona and one of our Clients wants to use Black Absolute in their new kitchen. Our concern is that they want it honed. What is the porosity of honed versus polished? And how long does sealent last on honed? Does honed granite have a better chance of staining or scratching? Thanks for your help. – Michelle
June 7th, 2006 at 7:11 am
We just had new granite countertops installed in our kitchen, and two seams were necessary because of the size and curves in the countertops. The seams are quite visible, and feel rough to the touch – how can we tell if it was poor installation or if all seams are visible like these? Do you have any suggestions?
June 11th, 2006 at 5:51 pm
I bought a piece of granite approx 40 inches by 40 inches and 3/4 inch thick and was just going to use it as a garden table. It is unfinished (polished on top but raw edges). I can place it on a three brick columns. However, should I worry about providing better support, i.e. a sheet of plywood cut to fit within one or two inches of the edge?
Another piece is 1-3/8 inch and I may use it as an island countertop in my kitchen. It is approx. 30 inches by 40 inches. Will a “normal” cabinet base unit be able to support this weight or should I install 3 or 4 2×4 legs?
Thanks,
Don
Seattle, WA
June 11th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
We just had a piece of granite installed in our new kitchen in our home. Seeing other granite counter tops I expected the finish to be like a piece of glass. The granite top I have has little rough spots on it all over that look like the granite maybe was not polished correctly or it is possible a lot of soft stone. What ever it is the top is not completely glossy it has imperfections all over on it. Is this normal and if not is there anything we can do to help solve the problem? We had the top sealed twice but still have same look. Thanks for your help we are very discouraged. Mike
June 12th, 2006 at 2:04 pm
Thanks for the answers to my support/weight questions. I do have two small follow-up questions. I am guessing that you are specifying stainless steel angles for rust/corrosion resistance but would wrought iron be acceptable? I’m thinking of just finding a table about the right size and placing this granite on top.
The second minor question has to do with anchoring the kitchen island granite piece. Would you use, say, construction adhesive on battens to keep the piece from shifting. or?
Thanks again,
Don
June 13th, 2006 at 9:33 am
Hi Tom,
I just installed Emeral pearl granite on my kitchen countertop and my vanity. I am very concern because I hired an installer using pre-fabricated granite to do the job. (Only the island used a big slab).
Not only was I dissatisfied with how the installer joint/connect each pieces, I saw lots of scratches and layers of grouts material (I am not sure what it’s called, it is the material than joint one piece of granite to the other).
Can you please help my with my questions:
1. Do you know of a brand product that could prevent scratches or make scratches go away?
2. How do I prevent future scratches or damage to the granite?
3. Is Emeral pearl granite toxic/dangerous for babies?
4. Will sealant help with scratch/damage to granite? What brand of sealang and cleaning product should I use?
5. How do I get the layers of grout material away from my granite?
6. Do you have any recommendations how I could enjoy the beauty of my granite?
I am sorry if I overwhelm you with my questions. I am very sad of this matter because I had spend a lot of money to install them in my kitchen and all my bathrooms countertop.
Also, at the time of installation, I saw the installer use a small piece of blade to clean the glue like grout. Is this normal?
Thank you for your time to read my email and respond to all my questions.
Sincerely,
Caroline
June 30th, 2006 at 7:51 pm
We just had granite put in the kitchen (countertops & backsplash) unfortunately we were putting another microwave in other than what our builder offered. Because of miscommunication they put the backsplash behind the stove and up where the microwave would be. Since we had the microwave hood already installed it just comes to the bottom of the hood. Is there a way to install the microwave now? Can holes be drilled into the granite to mount the microwave? The name of the granite is tobacco and we got it I believe from Arizona Tile. We have the new house in Queen Creek, AZ. Thanks !
July 6th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
Hi Tom,
I was cleaning my Ubituba granite countertop with water and a microfiber cloth, (my usual method of cleaning) and noticed some dull marks on the shiny surface. Earlier I was using Crazy Glue, and used a paper towel to protect the granite. I’m thinking that the glue was absorbed not only into the paper towel, but also into the granite. The granite is 5 years old, and was sealed last year. The dull marks are smooth to the touch, yet dull and cloudy. How can I safely remove them from the granite without harming the stone? Thank you in advance for your response.
July 11th, 2006 at 9:42 am
Hello Tom,
I just had my Granite Counters installed, (picked 3 slabs at AZ TILE, no polishing or deep scratches ). My fabricator apparently gave 1 of the slabs polishing scratches (circular and very light, very numerous on Black Maroon Cohiba granite) while making the edge. Even though the scratches are light and very fine, they are very obvious and run 3″ x 90″ on the edge of one of my kitchen counters. From reading your great web site, so informative, are these the type of scratches that can not be fixed. Once that fine ‘gray line’ is in there, is it for good?
July 15th, 2006 at 10:55 am
Home granite installed my countertop on year ago. I used the granite sealer you provided to reseal the countertop. When you put on the original, it stayed moist for half the day.
When I re-apply the sealer, it sinks in within a few minutes. I tried a second coat, but it dried quickly too. Is it still resealed properly?
July 25th, 2006 at 11:08 pm
Hello Tom,
Looking at installing Fiorito Granite for my kitchen, where the longest dimension is 119 inches. Does Fiorito come in limited slab lengths, and if so what is the maximum length I can go before needing to have a seam?
Thanks!
July 28th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
Tom,
I’m looking to complete a fireplace surround project. The original brickwork face has been finished with ceramic tile.
I’m thinking of:
- a granite mantle, 7″ wide by 5′ 6″ long, bullnosed to hide the 1/2″ exposed original brickwork behind the tile
- 2 matching granite vertical trim pieces, each 5″ wide by 4′ long, bullnose facing frontwards
- the granite pieces woul be attached with construction adhesive to the original masonry and the ceramic tile
(1) Is this plan feasible?
(2) Any issue with construction adhesive bonding granite to ceramic tile? Would etching or some other type of roughing the tile surface be required?
(3) The mantel piece will overhang the masonry by about 2-1/2″. Will the construction adhesive be sufficient to hold the mantle securely, or would some other or additional fastening be required?
Thanks in advance.
Kirk Spence
West Linn, OR
July 29th, 2006 at 9:19 am
Hello Tom; I enjoy reading your articles and your advise and coments . I would like to know if you know about a Granite tile system from Benissimo Granite? I plan on having it installed by a tile installer with a very good history in tile. I will be using the “Fiama Rialto” color. Your advise and oppinion; please on this product and the need to seal this granite. Would the granite tile need to be sealed prior to the “epoxy grout” between tile; or after the tiles are grouted? What type of prep work should be used for the underlayment? The installer has said that he can remove the Laminate counter tops presently in place.. cut off the back splashes.. rough up the laminate surface in to use a “certain” motar mix to install the Benissimo Granite Tile . Thank you for your time and keep up the fantastic work.. ps. I found your Radio show on last weekend (7-22-06) and marked my calender for the next time you are on . !
July 31st, 2006 at 3:07 pm
What is the ususal warranty for granite countertops? Aside from the thickness, is there a structural difference between 3/4″ granite and 1 1/2″ granite? Also, I noticed somewhere that there are different finishes for granite like polished, honed and something else. What are these differences?
Thanks.
August 1st, 2006 at 7:22 pm
We are purchasing a home and having the kitchen re-done. We have chosen Sahara Gold from http://www.damarstone.com. It appears to be a great color for what we are looking for. It comes from India and I was wondering what the durability of it was. A friend of ours said that he wouldn’t get granite again as it chips easily and if you set a glass down to hard, the glass shatters. I don’t know what kind of granite he has. He was thinking of a synthetic stone that looks like granite but is more durable. He thought the name was Cordova or Cordoba (he couldn’t remember exactly). Are you familiar with this and what are your thoughts?
Thanks!
August 8th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
We are in the process of remodeling our kitchen & have looked @ granite countertops @ Home Depot. We are looking @ tropical brown. What should are main concerns be about making this purchase from Home Depot?
Thank you.
Sherry Scofield
Topeka, KS
August 25th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
Hi there,
We purchased some granite and wanted it to have a “polished” finish, instead, it came out with a “honed” finish; but they assured us that they could seal it to give it that wet look we were looking for. So they did that and it did look better. Now, 3 weeks later, it looks dull again…but they say they can reapply and that it usually takes a few coats; but will then provided lasting results for the “wet look”.
What do you think?
thank you,
Rob
August 28th, 2006 at 6:14 am
I have an all glass Sunroom. My problem is: a few of the ceiling seams leak when it rains. Is there a sealent I can apply myself to the seams to stop this?
Thanks,
Geri
August 28th, 2006 at 9:17 am
Hi Tom,
We are in process of getting bids to install about 63sq ft of Nova Venezia granite in our kitchen. We are also doing ceramic tile backsplashes. One fabicator suggests not templating over our exisiting formica countertops. Although this means we will be with out countertops for 3 weeks, he says the chance for error be be lessened. However, the other supplier we are considering says we can template over without a problem. What is your advice? Many thanks!
Pam
August 28th, 2006 at 9:51 am
Hi,
We had granite countertops installed in our new home. They said the color is indian copper.
Our problem is that the entire surface has rough dull spots in it. When outside light is shining in it looks like water spots all over the surface but they are not water spots it is those rough spots that are dull that reflect the light that way. There are also a couple of spots that are so rough if you run your fingernails across it you can feel the rough spots. Is this acceptable or did we get really poor quality granite. Do you have any suggestions?
August 29th, 2006 at 7:24 pm
I want to install new granite countertops for my kitchen. I have a top mount granite silica double sink.
Because the length of my countertop is 12 ft, I need to introduce a seam on the countertop. Could I have the two pieces join beneath the double sink? This way, the exposed seam would only be a few inches instead of the full 26″.
Do you recommend the pieces be joined underneath the sink? Will the epoxy be strong enough to hold the two pieces together? What installation precautions should I apply?
Thank you for this informative site.
September 1st, 2006 at 7:06 am
Tom,
We have about 110 sf. of laminate countertop that we are considering replacing with 1 1/4″ granite. Most of the counter configurations seem pretty straight forward, but we are having trouble getting clear answers about how to support the overhang/bar area at one end.
The area is an island that has back to back cabinets with a full height support fall between them, that are also offset from each other. The overhang area is 14 inches for a full cabinet depth of 24 inches, and then it steps back to a full 29 inches accross the wall thickness of 6 inches plus another cabinet depth of 24 inches . This overhang area accomodates 3 bar stools (2 on the 54 inch side and 1 in the 29 inch side).
We also are having difficulty finding anyone who can give us proven options on how to deal with the overhang support issue without losing our 3-seat capacity.
Also, can we purchase an additional piece of matching granite to use as a table in the kitchen too? This would only be about 36″ by 48″. How would we apply the legs and what type of legs would be best? Where can we get this type of hardware?
Help!
Thanks,
Brian & Sharon – Western PA.
September 1st, 2006 at 2:22 pm
We moved to a new built house with granite countertops in the kitchen. . The granite is a lightish slab “beige light brown” with gray and orange running through it and is sealed. If water spills on it, it leaves a dark spot but eventually evaporating. However, we noticed lately the area around the faucet is discolored even after it dried out for more than 24 hours. We believe the discoloration is caused by water splashing onto the granite countertop surfaces while the faucet is turning on. It seems to me the water is already penetrate the stone. Is there any solution to withdraw that “wet look” from the stone before we seal it.
Thanks for your help in advance.
September 1st, 2006 at 3:26 pm
Hi tom: I just had a new asphalt driveway intalled with a granite belgian block apron at the front. Apparently the wheel barrows leaked the dark brown oil or tar ( whatever liquid is used in asphalt) onto the new granite stones. How do i remove these stains from the rough granite surfaces of the blocks? (The driveway contractor knocked $ 150 off the $ 10,000 cost of the project as compensation — but I have do the cleaning. jack
September 1st, 2006 at 4:00 pm
Hi Tom
We are having a granite counter installed next week. My question is should we have them put the seam(1) at the sink (undermount) or should we have them put (2) seams one each close to but not on the corners?
September 4th, 2006 at 9:28 am
Tom,
OK…I really need your help now. My builder has agreed to replace all of the granite in my kitchen. I have to go pick the granite slabs this time. Please tell me some granites that you would recommed. I would like a beige to brown with a little bit of black in it as my sink is black. I know that different places call granite different names but if you can tell me some names of stones that do not have a lot of pitting in them in this color range I would really appreciate it. Also is granite graded by the availability of the color or by the quality of the stone? Is it just different more rare colors that cost more or is the stone just a better quality?
September 4th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Dear Tom,
We have been told by our general contractor that our granite countertop edge will have to be 2 1/4 inch thick. Because we are installing a gas cooktop directly over a built in electric oven and the two appliances need some clearance our contractor installed double plywood. We are not happy with the bulk of the edge however, since we have no choice can you recommend an edge treatment that would look less bulky.
Thank you,
Joyce Polter
September 4th, 2006 at 5:37 pm
Dear Tom,
I just had colonial cream granite installed. The next morning we woke to find 50 – 60 large brown spots. It has been 5 days now and the spots have not gone away. The installers would like to send a granite restoration company out. The stains are from the adhesive used during installation. They said the restoration company has some type of chemical they can put on the spots and then use a torch on them to remove the spots. Will this damage the granite or hurt the integrity of the granite in any way. I paid for new granite not restored granite, I’m not sure what I should do?
September 5th, 2006 at 10:30 am
Hi, Tom. I will be tiling a tub surround with granite tiles. Can you please tell me what, if any, differences there are between ceramic tile installation and granite tile installation? Is moisture-resistant sheetrock sufficient, or do I have to use Hardyboard? Will thinset hold granite? Any special instructions because it is a high-moisture area? Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Vera Starr
September 6th, 2006 at 9:25 am
We did not seal our granite countertops in the bathrooms when we had them installed. Now two years later there is a white water mark from the calicum from the water near the faucet handle.
Our granite is a dark color (don’t remember the name). What do I clean it with to get the white haze off? I will definately seal it, once it can be cleaned.
Thank you, Janet LaCorte
September 7th, 2006 at 1:59 pm
I have just remodeled my kitchen and some parts of my granite countertop feel grainy. Should it feel grainy?
September 8th, 2006 at 2:06 pm
Hey Tom -
We are having travertine installed for the first time, and are not 100% sure that
the job is a good one. What are industry accepted tolerances for travertine
installation? In other words, nothing can be perfect, but how much variance in the hight of one tile to the next is considered acceptable? These are 18″ tiles, honed and filled.
Thanks in advance
September 9th, 2006 at 9:58 am
Hi Tom! We just moved into a house with a fireplace in the family room. It has travertine surrounding the fireplace on all sides and a wooden mantle (60″ long) over the top travertine. We would like to add wooden legs (40″) to match the wooden mantle but we’re not sure how to install it. The travertine length also covers 60″ X 40″.
Do we drill holes on the travertine to install the legs or do we have to buy a longer mantle (possibly 72″) and install the legs outside of the travertine area? Thanks for your help.
September 9th, 2006 at 2:02 pm
Tom,
Should there be a seam in a countertop with undermount kitchen sink for a 128 inch long and 25 inch deep and 3cm thick countertop working from a full slab? For a master bath vanity sinks how far should the bowls be apart on 78 inch countertop? Should there be any gap between the bartop and the backsplash on a island counter? How do you end the back splash where it meets the ogee counter edge with the bartop 5 inchs above? Are there any tricks to look for? Thank You Bill Van Horn
September 9th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
How do I remove a grout nightmare from my very pourous Indian, multi-coloured, un-sealed, slate tile? The genius who installed it, left the gour over-night and now my floor is wrecked!!!!! Help… Please!
September 10th, 2006 at 10:44 am
Hi Tom,
I have a 15 year old home and the kitchen counter tops are a multicolored red-black granite.
I’ve noticed surface of the most-used counter top has a cloudy appearance to it. I am thinking this is due to vinegar, as this has been used repeated to clean the surface recently.
I’ve recently learned not to use vinegar as a cleaning agent for granite, so I will stop immediately.
Do you have any suggestions on how to remove the cloudy spots from my counter?
Thank you for your kind consideration.
Sincerely,
Suzanne
September 10th, 2006 at 10:01 pm
I noticed that you mentioned that “all granite should be sealed”. I have heard from experts in the granite industry that say that black “granite’ is the exception to this. Since black granite is not a “true granite” and is one the densest, darkest, and least pourest — you should not seal it. They say all other granite should be sealed. Do you agree?
I am having major issues with the constant daily maintenance of my Absolute Black Granite counters. I am just tired of cleaning them several times a day to rid the finger prints, marks, etc. I am thinking about just spending the money to have them replaced with another granite or other surface. I have Merrilat White Cabinets, and I am afraid there will be damage to my white cabinets if I replace these. Can I have them replaced by a professional without damage to the surface of the base cabinets? Someone once told me that “you are stuck with your granite countertops” once you install them. I hope not – because I’m tired of the Absolute Black.
What do you suggest using on daily cleaning of my Absolute Black counters?
September 11th, 2006 at 5:43 pm
Hi – We are considering installing honed Verde Maritaca granite for a kitchen countertop and have received conflicting advice re the possibility of staining. What is your adivce? Thanks, Katie
September 12th, 2006 at 2:11 pm
Hello,
I recently started to look at tile for floors and countertops for renovations at my home. While at the store the salesperson pointed out a remanent of ‘fired granite’ that I love.
I have tried to find information on ‘fired’ granite and have been unsuccessful. Any info you have would be great.
Thanks,
Cheryl
September 12th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
Today I had someone come in to clean and seal my vermont soapstone counters in the house I recently bought. Afterwards I found that they used a floor sealant called ZEP to seal and despite the various marks did not sand down at all before sealing. The questions that I have are:
Couldn’t they have sanded down the entire counter-tops (as opposed to particular areas which may leave indentations) and wouldn’t this likely get more of the marks out than the scrubbing that he did; and
I am quite concerned that the sealant he used is for floors and therefore is potentially toxic for areas where I do food preparation. I can already tell that the waxy finish will peel off when a knife touches it and am worried that those flakes will enter the food and may be toxic to us or our kids.
Am I being overly paranoid?
Thanks
Mike
September 12th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
What kind (chemically) of sealant or filler material should be used in granite joints on outdoor facades of buildings?
September 14th, 2006 at 7:27 am
I have Honed Black Pearl granite and for the most part I am delighted with it. It was sealed when it was installed a year ago. I have strong lights in my kitchen and at night, when I look into the kitchen from my family room, you can see the reflection of the light in the granite surface and that surface is gray and hazy. (There is alot of “pearl” in this granite and that might be the source of the grayness.) Anyway, is there any way to treat the granite to eliminate the hazy grayness (short of cooking in the dark at night!)
September 16th, 2006 at 9:40 am
I had violetta granite countertops installed about three years ago. We sort of put the cart before the horse because we didn’t replace the kitchen cabinets at the time. Now, we are replacing the cabinets a) because they are older and can’t be refinished easily and b) because the new appliances we would like won’t fit.
My question: How difficult is it to remove existing granite countertops and reinstall them on the new cabinetry? The overall footprint will remain the same with a few minor adjustments.
I am having the original installer over to look at the job but I would like to be prepared for what he might tell me.
Thank you very much for your time.
Deb
September 16th, 2006 at 6:52 pm
Tom,
We are in the process of replacing our solid surface counter tops with granite. On the breakfast bar the granite will have a 12″ overhang. The granite fabricator recommended that we install corbels for support. What is the best way to install the corbels to ensure that they will support the granite overhang? Is there more than one way to install the corbels?
Thank you,
Carl Wallace
September 17th, 2006 at 5:20 am
Hi!
We had Madurai Gold granite countertops installed in our kitchen about 10 months ago. We noticed recently that the joint/crack between two pieces of the stone (where two pieces were used to cover a long counter area) was not properly sealed….a small space or crack had developed. Before we were able to correct, I spilled some cooking grease in that area about 1 week ago. At first I did not notice a problem. The grease wiped up quickly and did not leave a stain. However, since then a dark spot is radiating from one side of the crack. I assume that the grease seeped into the crack and is being absorbed through the granite from the side. Any suggestions on fixing the problem or removing the stain?
Thanks!
Amy
September 17th, 2006 at 8:43 pm
I just came back from a home show and was impressed by Granite Transformations ( countertop that fits on top of existing counters). Do you have any experience with this product? I can’t find out much because it seems to be a relatively new product. Thanks for your response.
September 17th, 2006 at 8:58 pm
Two years ago I installed Granite Tiles, “Amarillo Gold”, on my kitchen
counters. They surface has held up well, but after 2 years should I
reseal them? In preparation for resealing them I cleaned them with
“concentrated all purpose “Awesome” cleaner which contains no ammonia,
acid, or bleach. Will Awesome hurt the granite surface? What non-toxic
product should I use to reseal with. The granite is has a shiny finish.
September 18th, 2006 at 10:39 am
We recently purchased a home with a shower stall that has 12 x12 granite tile – Emser Bianco Catalina from Lowes. At the bottom of the tile it looks as if it is absorbing the water. There was a baseboard around the bottom of the tile, I have removed it and we have not used the shower for 3 weeks. Some of the tiles have and some have not. The tile had been sealed 2 years ago. What do I need to do to get the tile to dry out before sealing. Thank you
September 18th, 2006 at 11:11 am
Dear Tom,
I love the look of carrera marble and soapstone. You know, that old fashioned farmhouse look. I am planning creamy white mission style cabinets with walnut stained hardwood floors and slate tile in the entry. The faucets and cabinet hardware will be bronze. Can you suggest a granite with better durability than marble or soapstone with a similar look? Would the stone be honed or polished? Thanks for you help.
Diane
September 18th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
Hi Tom,
We are having our laminate kitchen counters replaced with granite. The problem we have is that there is a strong pink tint to the ceramic tile floor. It has been suggested that Giallo Veneziano would be a good choice. After going on the internet to read about it, every site says that it is yellow or gold and this would not work with the pink. However, after looking at many pictures of slabs of this granite, a lot of them appear to have pink in them. I would appreciate your comments on this and also any other suggestions you might have with regard to other granites that would blend with the pink.
Thanks for your help,
Sonja
September 18th, 2006 at 7:40 pm
I just had Absolut Black Granite tiles installed for my countertop. I noticed a small circular stain and a drop – I think maybe oil got onto the tile. I tried using the Method brand cleaner + polisher wipes from Target and nothing changed. Please help!
September 19th, 2006 at 11:42 am
Are there particular products you recommend for sealing granite countertops? I am looking at a product from DryTech that claims to last 15 years, have you heard anything about sealers like this and what recommendations do you have in selecting a sealer?
Thank you.
September 20th, 2006 at 7:29 am
I have a rough surface black granite fountain in the back yard. Its been running for about 2 months and now it has white (calcium?) all over the face. How should I clean the granite? I have since purchased water additives (fountec and protec) and plan to use them going forward, but want to get the rock back to its original condition.
Thank you.
Tom’s Reply: See the answer to your question under “Granite Stain Problems“.
September 21st, 2006 at 7:26 am
I have a new kitchen countertop installation of absolut black granite. The layout has 2 seams (one on eithe side of the sink, about 12″ away from the edge). The installation was completed, the seams were perfect and I discovered the undermount sink opening was out of square. The installer decided to remove the sink section of the tops, repair off site and reinstall.
I notice a 1/4″ chip in the left hand seam–obviously occured during the repair or reinstall. It’s been filled but is located where it is very visible. Is there a way to backfill the seam with granite material to diminish the jagged appearance or am I stuck with this? Is there an industry standard for acceptable installation flaws?
September 21st, 2006 at 9:18 am
I’m looking for kitchen counter tops. I’m between Granite and Dupont Zodiac. Can you tell me if Zodiac is a good products and if there are any problems associated with it. Also, is it popular nowadays?
Thanks so much.
Irene
October 3rd, 2006 at 7:52 am
I am having granite installed they cut a hole in the house for the faucet.How do I prevent dust? I am worried about when they cut for the faucet dust wil fly everywhere?
Thank you
October 5th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
I have read many of your questions/answers about granite being water stained because we just had granite put into our condo in Hawaii. I brought home a sample of this granite before choosing it and put EVERYTHING we use on it–lemon juice, soy sauce, wine, vinegar and oil. Nothing touched it. The slab that was installed in our kitchen discolors with water. The contractor says that the sample must have been “factory resin sealed” but he reordered the granit used in our kitchen. As this is also a rental unit, along with the humidity in Hawaii, I am absolutely sick with worry. The contractor claimes the granite was sealed before installation, but he sealed it again afterwards. It was still water spotting so my husband and I sealed it again. Its still water spotting. Perhaps we did not let the sealer sink in all the way or something? Anyway, in your replies to others you mentioned 511 plus and SafeStone–do you think either of these will do any good or are we stuck with granite that will never seal? HELP!!
October 6th, 2006 at 5:58 am
Hi Tom,
I am a homeowner who would love to have granite countertops, but cannot afford the expense. I am going to tile my laundry room and master bathroom to gain experience in laying tile. Then, I would like to install granite tile on my kitchen countertop and perhaps backsplash. Is granite tile much more difficult to install than ceramic tile? Also, how would I achieve a polished edge on the countertop?
Thank you for any assistance.
Chris
October 8th, 2006 at 7:27 pm
Hi,
I am going to install travertine floor in my kitchen. I have installed ceramic tile before but not any natural flooring. Could you give me any helpful advice on the sealant process, etc?
Thanks!
Doug
October 9th, 2006 at 5:54 pm
We have purchased marble for our shower – it has unfinished edges – can you stain them or what is the best way to finish them?
October 11th, 2006 at 8:34 am
Hi Tom,
I have an island that shaped like a grand piano top. I have cabinet runs of 102″ and 72″ on the straight sides that form the L-shape. On the Curve side is where I want to have some seating. What would be the acceptable overhang without any corbels or bracket support for the eating/seating area?
The granite I am using would be 2mm Pearl Brown or Volga Blue Extra. There will be a plywood subtop. If the granite sits on the plywood, would I be able to have an overhang area of 14″-16″ deep, with a span of about 80″ without any corbels? Would the plywood be strong enough to support this span? I am not interested in the corbels/brackets underneath because of “knee room” and preference for a cleaner look.
Thank you.
October 14th, 2006 at 6:38 pm
My wife and I are designing a pool which will have a planting area as a wall of the pool. The planting area will be covered with marble but we are not sure how the chemicals of the pool can affect the marble. If not marble what other durable choices we should consider?
October 24th, 2006 at 11:41 am
Can travertine tile be butted up tight with each other and grout applied thus not having any or very little grout showing? Thank you.
October 25th, 2006 at 7:57 am
Thanks for responding to question about travertine tile being butted up. ** Can travertine tiles be laid in a staggering pattern or is it best to lay in the traditional pattern so the grout can have more bonding authority?
October 25th, 2006 at 10:41 am
Dear Tom,
We have some of our customers complaining about a gritty feel to their granite, they have continuously wiped the countertops but the grit is still there, what causes this and what can we or our customers do to prevent this from occurring?
Thank You! Diane
October 25th, 2006 at 12:29 pm
WE are purchasing a new home. We did our walk through today and I was unhappy with the granite countertops. There are two very large imperfections which look faded out. Our builder has assured us that this is mother nature and is actually a more enduring quality of the stone. My husband is not sure what to think. Is it normal procedure for the installers to intall the granite with not just one but two imperfections like these. One is 8-10″ long and apprx. 4-6″ wide and the other is smaller. I am very upset since it is so noticable. Can you give me some advice as I plan to address this with builder but need some back up.
Thank you for your feedback,
Laurie Spartano
October 25th, 2006 at 8:57 pm
I just had costa esmeralda honed granite installed in my kitchen. I have noticed that there is small rust like spots appearing throughout the granite. What could be the cause and what could correct it?
October 26th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
I just had 3cm New vanitian gold granite put in my kitchen, the installers used acitone to remove glue and then sealed it. I am still trying to remove glue and see greasy looking smuges on it in certain lights! Help what do I do to clean and protect it!
November 1st, 2006 at 5:46 pm
Our condo kitchen has no windows and with cathedral ceilings the room is dark. It opens on to a great room where there is lots of east sunlight and from there to a sunroom open to the east, south, and west and the sunroom is filled with light. However, the kitchen is somewhat cavelike. We probably need a light colored granite because of the lighting situation. Given the problems associated with light colored granite (porosity and staining) can you advise me about your recommendations of particular light granites that are more resistant than others to these problems. Also, you write on your site that you recomend tile for backsplashes. We are interested, because the kitchen is small, to keep the product the same on the counter and backsplash. Should we use 3 cm in the countertop and 2 cm on the backsplash. I want to carry the backsplash from the counter to the base of the upper cabinets. The cabinets are merilat oak (cinnamon stain). The floor is light color and is white/beige. The wall color can be changed, but at this point is a medium rose/berry color. Paint color can always be changed of course. Thanks for your advice. We have found your site very informative.
November 6th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
Tom,
I have honed black granite countertops and they are terrible about spotting. If a drop of water sits on them for 5-10 seconds, I have a spot. It’s impossible to cook with these restrictions. I have read your thoughts on honed granite and fully agree with them–it’s not the best for customer satisfaction. [My architect specified and has been no help in solving the many problems that have arisen.]
My question is–is it possible to change the finish from honed to polished in situ?
November 7th, 2006 at 10:09 am
I recently had New Venetian Gold installed. The very first thing I noticed was what appeared to be “dust” on the countertop. Upon cleaning with soap and water repeatedly it is still there. It is very noticeable when standing at an angle in the daytime. I called the company that installed and they came out. They said it was from a “new” kind of glue they used to seal the seams and done “something” that supposedly fixed it. Although it did seem to help some, the “dust” look is still there. My idea of granite is a high gloss stone look, and this is not it. It looks dirty. It either looks like water spots or “dust”. What can I do to make it look right?? Or am I being too picky??
November 11th, 2006 at 11:17 pm
Tom,
I recently had a stone “granite” installed known as shanxi Black, which is actually a type of basalt. This stone is very dense and doesn’t seem to accept any type of sealer I put on it.
The other day I had set a plastic cup with water in it on the countertop near the sink. I left the cup overnight, and in the morning, I noticed that the condensation ring had left a white ring in the stone and it looks like it actually etched the surface of the stone.
I have tried acetone, sealer, color enhancer, etc to remove the white ring. I had the installer come back out and try to remove the ring and he was unable to.
Do you have any ideas how water can damage the color and surface of such a ‘bullet proof’ material?
-Froggy
November 13th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
Tom,
We have installed a light to medium granite counter top in our kitchen with Ogee edging. The Ogee edging is much lighter in contrast than the flat surface and outlines the countertop. Is this a sealing/finishing error or are Ogee edges always lighter than the flat surfaces. If it is a sealing error, Can it be corrected?
November 14th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
Tom,
We had kitchen counter tops installed today. After the installers left my wife was looking over the granite and noticed what i would call a fissure approximately 16 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. you can feel a ridge along the edge of the fissure, it also looks like it was filled with epoxy? Could this be a gouge in the slab that was repaired or just a natural problem. I left a message with the company to come out and take a look at it. Can i send you a picture of the area in question?
Tim
November 19th, 2006 at 10:09 am
Hi Tom,
I am getting ready to put travertine on my bathroom floor and shower wall. I have 16″ square tiles. I am thinking of cutting some of them to 16 x 8 and 8 x 8 inch pieces for a more interesting look. I would rather put them tight together. Do I need to have a grout line between them, or will this create a sealing proplem?
Thank’s,
Mike
November 20th, 2006 at 6:59 am
We had an absolute black countertop installed a little over a year ago.The high bar was improperly installed, and we came home one afternoon and found it lying in the floor in pieces.
The original installer refused to stand behind it so we tried our luck with another contractor.
We are however very dissappointed it looks more like a gun metal gray, it does not really look black at all. I am tring not to over pick it , but it just does not match. It is obvious even in low light.Is there a cure ? What is the probable cause, is there this much variation between the two runs of granite?
Thanks for your help
November 29th, 2006 at 5:54 pm
Hi Tom,
I really like the New Giallo Veneziano granite for kitchen countertops. It comes in prefab. The only problem is I can’t find a prefab slab big enough to cover an island that is 4′X6′ . This is a problem with most prefab granite places I’ve gone to. I’ve heard that you don’t normally try to seam two 26″ wide pieces together. Can you offer any solutions or places that carry larger prefab slabs? I went to one warehouse that had only 3 types of granite slabs that measured 52″X96″ but not in the colors I liked. Thanks, Gina
December 6th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
Tom,
We just had 3cm granite tops installed in our home. I see from the other questions that its acceptable to place these directly on countertops with no plywood underneath so that answers one question. The thing i’m worried about is my raised bar with 18″ overhang. The corbels i had purchased to support the weight were only 6 1/2 inches deep and my installers said they didn’t think it would be enough support. Is there a formula to determine how long your Corbels should be or could you recommend what you would use. I’ve found some affordable 3 x 9 x 12 ones online and might try those if you give me the ok. Another thing that concerns me is that the only thing used to hold the granite to the raised kneewall was a silicone type epoxy. Is this normal? I would think it would need some kind of support bracket or screws on the inside of the raised bar as well as the outside support of the Corbels. Let me know please so i know which direction to go.
Thank you.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Tom,
I’m planning to use natural maple Merrillat cabinets with stainless appliances in a rather large kitchen with a lot of counters and not a lot of natural light, and I’m looking for a good choice of granite, but having trouble making a choice. The floors are wood.
I like the look of more homogeneous granites, and I don’t like ones with lots of differentiation in texture. I’ve seen a black I liked a lot (not Absolute, a little softer, but I can’t recall the exact one), and today I looked at a slab of Shivakashi today, which I liked a lot (and was surprised, since I thought my taste would run to the darker colors). The person helping me also suggested Bordeaux for the counters. And I am looking for a granite that doesn’t stain easily!
I’m also trying to determine the best backsplash and like the look of a full-height backsplash. Do you think doing granite all the way up is too much (assuming the cost isn’t too much, which it might be)? I also like glass tiles a lot, but think that might be too busy with most of the granites I’ve seen.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
December 21st, 2006 at 3:07 pm
Hi Tom
We are having our bathroom tiled with Carrera marble. We have requested our builder to fit the marble as tight as possible so that it has a ’seamless’ finish rather than with visible grout lines between tiles. The marble supplier told us that this is possible and recommends cutting playing cards to act as spacers between tiles. However, our builder does not believe that you can fit marble without a wider grout line. Please could advise on how to achieve the ’seamless’ finish and what grout should be used? Thanks and regards, Mariam.
December 22nd, 2006 at 11:50 am
Hi, we are having trouble deciding a color for the granite in our new kitchen that’s in the middle of the house, no windows but 3 overhead skylights, cabernet stained cabinets with a dark walnut+cabernet stained island, honey wood floors, and stainless appliances.
We’ve been to many different slab yards, and have Green Peacock on hold, but now I’m thinking it’s too “black”, and I’ve heard people complain about always having to wipe down fingerprints and you can see smears…? does this color look green or black or turquoise indoors? (we’ve only seen it outside, and nobody seems to have a sample of it!)
I’ve also taken a liking to Dakota Blue, Tan Brown, Kashmir White… and yesterday (after deciding that we need to go lighter-whiter, with a more non-busy pattern) I found a Colonial Cream I liked. And then somewhere else they had a Colonial “Dream”! Is that a typo? Does everyone just make up their own names for these stones? (and then there was also NEW Colonial Cream…) Please help! My head is spinning…
What would look best? Thanks for any advice you can give,
Marnie
December 22nd, 2006 at 3:08 pm
what causes rust stains on a SUPPOSEDLY sealed granite shower base and sides or did the installer not impregnate seal it properly im guessing the later and you ? thanks rick
December 28th, 2006 at 10:52 am
Hi Tom.. thanks for your web page, don’t know how I found you but I did. I have a 3 kitchen project in a single famil home where I plan to do the most of the contractor work with no past experience, and at a shoe string budget. I’d like to design countertops for kitchens and bath sink tops and send the blue-print to China for fabrication. What would you recomend if anything comes close to do it yourselfers at a minium expense as far as designing the countertiops? I look hard and long but not much out there. Thank you in advance. Chuck
December 29th, 2006 at 9:13 pm
what specific chaulk/adhesive/sealer is best to glue a stainless steel undermount sink to granite? after 2 years, the builder installed sink is leaking due to the beakdown of whatever sealer they used. and totaly mildewy. i plan to drop sink, clean up and re seal. it looks like there are several screws with brackets tapped into the underside of the granite counter to futher support the sink. thanks, dave
December 31st, 2006 at 7:12 am
We chose Madura gold granite counter tops for our new house. The color counters that were installed are a medium brown color instead of the pale gold that we chose. I am so upset! I am not sure if they installed a completely different type or if this could be madura gold too.
Is it possible that there is so much variation in color?
Do I have any recourse with the company if this color is also called maura gold?
January 2nd, 2007 at 10:34 am
Tom, Is there such a possibility of a 6×6 6×12 12×12 18×18 floor pattern?
January 3rd, 2007 at 8:59 am
I found the perfect granite at one place and they had it categorized by numbers, not names. My husband and I narrowed it down to Juperana Verandis (I think). Now that I am looking at that color, it looks completely different than the first one I saw. My cabinets are off white with a glaze, can you recommend a color that will enhance the cabinets. I am not sure if I should go light or dark?? The appliances are stainless so I need a little grey/silver in the granite and a little gold to bring out the cabinet.
Thanks, Holly
January 7th, 2007 at 12:45 am
Tom, I watch the remodeling and house flipping shows all the time. If we put a very nice new granite slab on our countertops won’t future home buyers expect the rest of the house to be upgraded to that standard as well? I was thinking of granite tile to go along with our outdated oak cabinets in order to not have to remodel the entire kitchen. But I see you are not a fan of the tile. We just don’t want to have to spend thousands of dollars on the rest of the house to keep in line with a new granite slab. Currently we have 4 inch White tile with gray grout that is impossible to keep clean, so I would love to be groutless. What is your take on this quandary? HELP
January 8th, 2007 at 11:13 am
I’m in the early stages of planning granite counters for a new kitchen in a weekend house. My goal is both beauty and low maintenance. Are there any types of granite that are lower maintenance than others? Are there particular granites that I should not consider or that would be particularly good?
Also, The Countertop Company told me that their K2 Sealing System “provides permanent stain protection by using a special silicone-based formula and application process designed to penetrate below the surface of the stone to protect your countertop from stains.” The said that the homeowner never has to seal their granite. See http://www.countertopcompany.com/k2sealant.htm.
What do you think?
Thanks!
January 8th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Tom:
I am replacing formica type countertops with Granite. I have a snack counter overhang issue. The granite will be positioned on top of a 4″ wide knee wall which is about 83″ long with the granite overhanging by 12″. The only support is basically on top of the 4″ wide knee wall. Could I have fabricated a 1/4 inch steel plate which would hang over the edge by about 8″ and attach it to the top of the knee wall. I could have the screw holes countersunk to be flush with the steel plate. My plan is to allow for 4″ free space (No steel plate) around the outside of the granite overhang. Would this work and is there an adhesive which sticks both to steel and to granite? My fabricator is leaving the support issue up to me, although I will also be conversing with him about this same issue tomorrow. I can’t find any metal corbels on the internet made for granite and the wood ones just seem a bit pricey and I am not sure they would hold the 150 pounds or so which would be overhanging on the counter. One thing I failed to mention is the fabricator will be carrying a portion (about 1/3rd] of the slab length away from the countertop oposite the overhang to form a small area above our sink which would essentially form a bit of a counter weight for maybe 3 feet of the overhang.
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Greg Weisheipl
De Pere, WI
January 11th, 2007 at 7:03 am
We recently installed honed green
deoli in our bath and floors. 511 impergnator was then applied to seal the stone. The colors have changed dramatically. The honed finish is now dulled and the silvery shine is gone and many brown hues have appeared. Some of the “ostrich” markings that dotted the tiles are even gone. Can you tell us whats happened and is there anything we can do other than removal. Thanks Joe Buchel
January 11th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
My husband is building our new kitchen and has done all the work himself. We had been planning on him installing the Granite himself as well. The first fabricator/contractor told us it would not be a problem and the 2nd told us no way. We have picked Bordeaux Bronze from the warehouse distributor and have it on hold, right now. We were told that this color might be harder to install because of a chance of it cracking on us in transport or install. We can save over $700 if we do it ourself. What is your advise? Is there a similar color that we would have better luck doing ourself? It is a small kitchen. Maybe we should go without granite, if it can not be done ourself.
Thanks,
January 11th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Hi Tom,
We are using polished white marble (I suppose it’s like carrera– white with light grey vening) on our bathroom walls but facing some problems. Once we started mounting the tiles on the walls we have watched them change color. They were sparkley white to begin with but after they are up they start turning darker– more greyish all over. All of the grey and yellowish/brown hues that were faint to begin with are really coming through on each tile. I could send you pictures if that’s helpful. I’ve waited 36+ hours and they are not changing back to their original color. I thought the water from the wet saw and adhesive moisture was doing it but they seem permanently changed. I tried getting one wet and it dried back to normal color so all I can think of is the concrete backer board (which is dark grey) and/or the thinset. Our contractor is using premixed thinset from Home Depot. It comes in plastic buckets. The color is called “white” and looks white to me, not grey. So I’m confused and unsure if we should tear everything down and start over, or if even the ‘bright white’ thinset sold by some of the tile stores will do the same thing.
We have not sealed the tiles yet because I’m wondering if there’s anything that can be done to restore their original sparkley white color before we seal. Any recommendations on what to do (if anything can be done) and the best sealer to use before we grout then seal again would be appreciated!!
Jill (Denver, CO)
January 14th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
We recently had Tropical Brown granite tops installed in our kitchen. We have a horseshoe shaped countertop area that required two seams. When the contractor was finished I noticed the third piece (which goes to the bar area) of granite was about an 1/8 of an inch thicker. The seams match fine on top but they used shims between the cabinets and counter tops. You can notice the thickness difference at the edge. The contractor stated that this was because the “difference in the rock”. Is this a common occurance?
January 15th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
I am currently having approx 750 sqft of my home tiled with walnut, honed, chipped and unfilled travertine. It is being installed in a versailles pattern. After the first day, I have noticed several hollow spots by tapping on each of the tiles. I would say that about half of what has been installed is like this. they are using They are using Mapei Keraflor and I believe they were using something different in the kitchen. Also, the tiles are being butted together in several places. The manufacturer reccomends a 1/4 inch grout line. They have also installed the tiles over the existing vinyl sheeting in the kitchen. I was most concerned about the hollow sound as I’ve heard that natural stone must have 100% adhesion or it will fail. This was my origal concern until reading several posts on the web including this one. The tile installation company is reputable from what i have gathered and has been around for a while. Do I need to stop everything? What should they be doing differently and will the tile already installed need to come up. I am starting to think that I have made a COSTLY mistake. What do you think?
January 17th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Hi Tom,
We are buying a home that has natural oak cabinets and red oak flooring stained butterscotch. (slightly darker than cabinets) The kitchen is in center of home and opens into the family room via a counter bar area. I like the granite with movement and veins. After looking at all the color samples I think the listed ones are my favorites. But it is so hard to tell from a small picture. Do you have any suggestions.
Favorites: Japarana Classico, Oro Romano, Golden Ray, Solaris, Bordeaux)
Thanks Ann
January 17th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
We are moving into a new home that has off white cabinetry in the kitchen. The floors are a dark wood. There are 3 windows over the sink but they really don’t bring in a lot of light. We will have stainless appliances with black hardware. What color granite would you suggest and what color should I paint? You’re help would be greatly appreciated.
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:26 am
Hi,
I am thinking about using 3cm thick granite as a counter top.
About 58 sq. feet. I am concerned about the weight. This will be placed near the center of the house, not a lot of support from the basement. Will this cause the floor joists to sag over time?
thanks,
John
January 22nd, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Can you recommend a home remedy to make for cleaning an off white marble fireplace platform that has rust from water that came in through the chimney?
January 24th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Hi Tom,
I read several of your replies to others. They were helpful but I am still stumped about my particular situation.
I have an older home with wood paneling in the kitchen. I am in the process of painting the paneling a light green and the cabinets white. My appliances are black and my floor is natural Indian Slate. I love the natural stone color variation and that is why I chose the slate but given the chance again I would save it for an outdoor floor. It is VERY hard to maintain, especially with doggy accidents and although by itself it is very beautiful, it is also very dark.
I am totally undecided on what color granite I should use for my counters. I thought maybe I might do an Absolute or Galaxy Black but I worry about it being too dark and then I wonder if a Kashmir White would be too light. I love other colors but the worry there is that it might be too busy if I didn’t do anythign but those neutrals with that slate floor. Any advice on what color to go with?
January 26th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
I want and need light colored, nice clean looking but as care-free counter tops as possible in my kitchen. What would you suggest?
From what I have read it seems that you and others think people put counter tops in their kitchen and then do nothing but polish them.
I put hot pots directly on my counter tops. I have people who help me clean and they may use whatever they have in their hands. My husband and grandchildren help cook and I would not even like to think about what they put on the counter tops. The sun shines here in San Diego most of the time right on my kitchen counters.
I have tile right now but do not feel the grout is clean and I would love something better looking.
January 29th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I just had my bathroom redone. I have travertine and natural riverbed stone. I had gotten two different kinds of sealer for the workers to use. One was a stone enhancer to be used in only a few places. The other was a matte finish to be used everywhere else. They put the stone enhancer over everything. I need to know if there is anyway to remove it from the stone I don’t want it on.
January 30th, 2007 at 7:39 am
We selected Florence Bordeaux granite for our countertops, and an 18″ bar overhang off an island with a sink. The installer used four thin metal brackets to support the overhang. They were nailed only into a cut 4 inch piece of plywood and spotty yellowish hard glue and some sticky waxy looking substance was sporatically applied. The installer told my husband to do the molding underneath. The salesperson had said the brackets were only decoration. My husband took off the brackets to do the molding the the granite crashed down. The installer said that the brackets were the only support for the overhang. Is this possible? We compromised, taking responsibility for my husband’s error in taking off the brackets, BUT one week later (granite now only 3 weeks installed) we noticed a crack from the backsplash behind the sink…. across the top and then over the edge of the side. We have pics if you can receive them. The installer refuses to replace this granite slab. Questions: what is the difference between a crack and natural fissure? AND, what is the necessary install for the bar overhang? Do we have any recourse?
January 31st, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I like my current countertop- it’s solid surface… I think maybe Corian. Anyway I need to replace my faucet and sink. I currently have a top mount sink but really want an undermount. Can I do that without replacing my countertop, or do I need to install new? Thanks.
Chris
February 1st, 2007 at 11:29 pm
What a great resource! I closed escrow on a new home on 9/30/06. All upgrades were selected by builder, so I ended up with a pale yellow Ceasarstone on the kitchen island. Not my first choice, but I was pleased it was low maintenance. However, now, unless I’m going crazy, “freckles” are starting to show up all over the product. I don’t recall seeing these when I moved in and started noticing them several weeks ago. And now it appears there are more and more of them every day. It almost looks like grains of finely ground pepper scattered throughout piece, all over it. What do you think! My concern is if this is a defect, I want to get this taken care of with builder ASAP. I did read your available information and the piece does not get any direct sunlight. Thanks so much.
February 3rd, 2007 at 7:28 pm
I have Uba Tuba with my faucet, sprayer, and hot water dispenser all sitting directly on/through the granite. As you can imagine, the hard water spots are terrible around the faucets. I know that I am not supposed to use vinegar but what will remove the hard water? Our water is VERY hard. Thanks.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:31 am
Hi – I’m seriously considering using Rainforest Brown for kitchen countertops but am confused as to whether it is a marble or granite (I’ve seen it labled both ways) and want to know what its durability and maintenance would be for this type of use. I have used Rainforest Green as a fireplace surround and absolutely love the movement in this stone – if the Rainforest is not suitable for kitchen countertops, does anything come to mind that has similar movement and would be better suited? Thank you!
February 6th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Two years ago we had a solid granite countertop installed with a 9″ deep stainless steel undermount sink. I am having plumbing leaks under the sink and am being told that the stub-out from the wall is too high and the sink is too low, therefore causing drainage (water is actually flowing down instead of horizontal) and leaking connection problems. Also, one of the sinks is offset at the back so the connection at the stub-out is very close to the outside wall.
I was told that the stub-out can be moved by tearing out the wall behind the cabinets, but would prefer to remove and re-install a lesser depth sink if I can find one with the same sink pattern.
How difficult is the undermount sink to remove? I am thinking of having a lesser depth sink installed. Is removing the sink a task that me as a layman can do or do I need to have a granite person do this? Thanks for your help.
View the answer here.
February 6th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Greetings Tom. We purchased a bathroom vanity with a granite countertop. The granite goes by the name of Atlantis and is the traditional forest green and black color. Prior to purchasing the vanity we purchased a bathroom faucet which we would like to use. However we’ve just realized that the holes which were drilled in the granite will not fit the faucet mechanisms as the faucet does not have two handles but only has one handle for the hot/cold tap. Can we drill into the granite ourselves? What tools do we need? How readily does granite crack or split? Thank you.
February 7th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Dear Tom:
We are in the middle of choosing a granite countertop. Our kitchen is on the smaller side and so far we feel that we want to have it not appear any smaller. We do not have a large countertop space. The color that we are looking at is Kashmir White. I do not want seams and so far this is the only piece that is in the size I need (121 inches). What do you think about this color? I now have painted white cabinets and plan on repainting them in a coffee with cream color or in the taupe colors. The hardware will be changed to brushed nickel or silver. Will that be too boring? I plan on installing an undermount sink stainless and appliances will be white or stainless with black accents. I have a light taupe color on the walls now and need a color theme. I would like a kitchen with some pop and some warmth. I do not want cold and sterile. Also I have beige tile with white veining on the floor and that will not be replaced. I am afraid that all this beige will be too boring. I could punch up the walls and window treatments with some color but am unsure as to what direction to go in to compliment the rest of the stuff. Please help with any suggestions you may have.
February 8th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
We are replacing the kitchen cabinets, with granite counter top, the contractor wants to use 3/4″ particle wood board under the grainte slab. I wanted Plywood, because there is a section of the granite top will overhang by 10-11″. He is telling me particle wood is the standard for this application. What do you recommend.
Thanks
Riyad
February 9th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Hi, we are remodeling our kitchen and want to re-use our absolute black granite in our laundry room. We have successfully removed the granite from
the cabinets. We are going to be about 3 feet short of what we need. My questions are:
1. Will we be able to match new granite with old since the color is black?
2. Will several seams to put it all together look bad?
3. Will an installer come to our house and cut the old granite to fit or will he have to take it back to his workshop
4. Any idea of the cost for this project?
It is either re-use the old black granite (3 years old) or try to sell it and buy new countertop material. Your help would be so appreciated. Thanks!
February 10th, 2007 at 8:46 am
I love the look of honed natural stone such as granite. What do you know about honed stone and the up keep? Which would be best to use for a kitchen to achieve this look and be most durable
February 10th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
we have a black sink,adishwasher with a black front, a stove with a black top and a stainless front, a refrigorator with black sides and stainless front. our cabinets are oak. we wondered if you thought a verde lucia granite countertop would look ok .
February 19th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Dear Tom, I am searching the internet in desperation, as Hawaian/Tropical Green Granite was installed today with an Ogee edge in our new high end kitchen. We were told that the Ogee edge might be slightly lighter green in color for a time period-until it cured/oxydized/was exposed to the elements. It arrived with two Ogee edges (84″ and 86″) a pale gray, blue, red streaks-very drastic and obvious color difference from the warm and dark green/ cranberry streaks of the top. Other edge surfaces are varied and have only some of the pale gray blue discoloration. The squared off drop to the recessed sink is only the “lighter green” color as promised. We have been told that the Ogee problem is not a resin problem and that Ager and minwax were already tried in a small section, but did nothing. Therefore, we must wait and in time it will age and may already be in the process of change. Does this sound feasible to you? We have not paid any money and will most likely be holding back some money tomorrow. How long should we put in the guarantee period for this to change?
Thank you for any and all comments.
August 23rd, 2007 at 5:52 am
what is the function of granite marble for wall finishes?
July 22nd, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Hi Tom,
We are tearing out our old kitchen and creating a new one! Very exciting. We have chosen and LOVE Blue Louise granite for our large island. Now our question is – what granite goes well with Blue Louise – doesn’t compete, but compliments. I am hoping that our complimentary choice for the remaining countertops will be less expensive- I’m sure it will be no matter what it is. But more importantly I want it to blend, but not compete. We have chosen light cherry cabinets and we live in Florida so we want it to be a choice that is a lighter version of the blue, rust and cream in the Blue Louise. Haven’t chosen floor yet. Appliances will be stainless steel. Any suggestions?
July 23rd, 2009 at 5:57 am
Hi Tom,
We have installed brushed absolute black granite countertops in our kitchen. I love the look. However, although it was sealed twice (we are told) it stains terribly. As I speak, workers are applying poultices to remove these stains, as they have been for the last three weeks. I am pretty sure this stuff is defective, but have no idea why. Or do I just have to seal the heck out of it (or wax?) and live with it?
Thank you
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:30 am
Tom,
I hope you can help….we’re at a standstill with our remodel until we can decide on granite and would really appreciate your opinion.
The pantry wall separating our kitchen and den was removed to create a large kitchen/family room area. New perimeter cabinets (as well as den paneling and crown molding) were painted off-white (elephant tusk by SW); new medium/dark stained large (7′x10′) island with raised bar on front and counter seating on side. The 8′x10′ breakfast room is adjacent. Appliances are stainless, except for black stove top on perimeter counter; larger sink will be in island and prep sink near stovetop. We plan to tile the floors same throughout.
We are trying for a “warm” feel, textured walls, taupe/gold/brown mix. (Glazing the cabinets is an option for later – not 100% sure we like it yet.) Windows are east and south so medium light.
We seem to be all over the map as far as the granite types we like. We’ve looked at Antique Brown, as we would like something “newer” and like the honed look but have not seen it in a kitchen yet. We also like Black Forest Gold leather, a light black background with white veins throughout. Yesterday we saw Star Beach in a neighbor’s kitchen and thought it was beautiful, too. One more favorite is Persa Pearl. Our fabricator says we need three slabs (two for the island and one for the perimeter) for the counter space we have.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions or advice you can offer.
Barb
July 23rd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Hi Tom,
Thanks for the response.. I have attached photos through photobucket, so hopefully they go through- I have measurements in the photos as well.
Here is the link:
http://deleted
There are 2 photos of our “inspiration island” and the rest are of our island which has a 3mm granite 90″ x 52″ (with a 2″ overhang by the dishwasher/wine fridge). As the photos show there is an L shaped line of cabinets/ walls to support the dishwasher, sink, wine fridge and garbage cabinet. Our granite is already in and glued down
My concern, which may be an overreaction, is the support on the island at the opposite end. The photo shows 1 of the 2 posts that we have to support both ends of the granite (The posts are 3 1/2″ wide at the top-square). In the inspiration island there are 3 posts… We also have 1 1/16 x 3.5″ “boards of wood” which will extend from post to post and from post to cabinet on the perimeter of the island- similar to the inspiration kitchen.
Do you think we need more support under the island- My thinking was to put either metal or wood attached to the island perimeter and then put the posts under that so the support would be distributed better. Or maybe a larger piece of plywood over the posts (10″ or so) between the posts and the granite.
I am driving my husband crazy!! Am I overreacting? Are the posts directly attached to the granite corners and the wood “boards” enough? Sorry for the lack of proper terminology- I hope I have explained this well enough to get some advice. The photos should help a lot- Please let me know if you can’t see them. Thanks!
CaraLynn
July 23rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Me again, I left out some details- The name of the granite is Thunderball, my husband is installing everything himself except the granite in our new kitchen and my measurements of the cabinets that is in the photo are off by 1/2 ” or so.
Thanks again, CaraLynn
July 24th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Total kitchen redo – approximately 19 x20 L-shaped with large center island, receives average amount of light, looking for a casual, informal feel. Cabinets are rustic cherry (some knots) in medium to dark stain (Medallion Harvest Bronze), floor will be slate-look tile dark gray with little color variation, appliances are stainless steel. Love granite with a lot of movement and veining. Was looking at ones with some warm golds (juparana persia, golden beach), but sometimes look too “orangey”. Fabricator said they would be “safe” choices, and showed me new slabs of typhoon bordeaux because she thought they would make more of a statement. I orginally thought they had too much red, but they do look beautiful. What do you think of this choice? Also, wanted island to be “centerpiece” of kitchen, so didn’t know if I should use something more solid color on perimeter (sometimes think the granites with a lot of movement look too busy on smaller areas and limit the backspash choices). Also, what do you think of a rock pitch or chiseled edge on the island to achieve the look we want?
Sorry if I’m repeating my earlier question, but I’ve read a lot of your other replies and would appreciate your experienced opinion. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Marie
July 29th, 2009 at 8:57 am
I had an oil stain in my kitchen granite countertop, color name Rainbow (it’s a mixture of light/dark grays, blues, creams). I created a poultice of acetone & 6 layers of white paper towels, covered with Saran wrap & taped down.
After 12 hrs, when I removed the rectangular poultice, I was horrified to find that I have a faded “white” area in the same exact rectangular shape. Seems the color was bleached right out. I’m sick.
I have pictures if needed. What to do?
July 31st, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Hi!
We are looking to install granite countertops in out kitchen. But currently we have honey-oak cabinets and terrocatta tile flooring with all stainless steel appliances. what color granite would be the best choice to for the countertops?
August 1st, 2009 at 6:33 am
I have a small A frame house at a lake. The main floor is the living room/ kitchen. There is lots of light coming into the room from the A frame windows. The beams in the ceiling are dark chocolate brown I’m remodeling the kitchen and have decided on Bruce laminate flooring in a medium tone, Omega cabinets in Oyster (a cream) and an island in Mocha (spice color). THe frames will be Morris (simple mission/shaker style with 3\ stile & rail) The island is going to be the centerpiece in the room, so I want to be bold in my granite choice and go with an alternate color on the other counters, if possible. The appliances will all be stainless. One granite I liked when looking at the colors together was Juparana Indian Gold, but then can’t decide what to do with the other counters – Darker such as Silver Pearl?? Or, do you suggest all one granite since it is a smaller room (but very open and light).
August 4th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Hi Tom,
I’m so happy I found this amazing website and can ask you a question. I think it is wonderful you donate the money you receive to World Vision. We are replacing our white tile kitchen countertops, sink and faucet. I have an L-shaped kitchen with an island. My cabinets are white, my floor is brazilian cherry (it has many different colors in it), and my appliances are white. We want to install granite countertops and were planning on choosing a stainless steel sink and faucet. Our kitchen and family room extend into one big room. Our colors are gold, beige, and brown with green accents for both the kitchen and family room. The green accents would be easy to change. I don’t like busy granite and so far have chosen golden oak for the countertops. Is golden oak a good color choice for our countertops and is it a good quality granite? Also, what do you think of the stainless steel sink and faucet? Some of our countertop appliances have stainless steel on them. What colors of granite would you put in this kitchen? Thank you very much for your help!
Lori
August 8th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Dear Tom,
First of all, thank you for all the valuable advice you give on your website and I love that you provide support to us novices while raising money for a worthwhile cause. What a creative and generous idea!
Now for your help. We’re doing a kitchen remodel of a contemporary split-level that needs some charm — preferably of the craftsman style. The working part of the kitchen is about 12.5′ by 16′ with 8 foot ceilings (there’s also a breakfast nook). The kitchen is open to the family room by a wide archway so it’s very visible from the family room. The kitchen is U-shaped with a 5′x5′ island in the middle.
I have ordered natural cherry cabinets (Shaker style) (a few cabinets will have frosted or translucent doors) and stainless steel appliances and I will keep my natural stained oak floors. There is a little natural oak baseboard and door trim. The sliding door and the corner windows have white trim. We’ll decide our paint color after we’ve chosen the granite (and tiles).
The kitchen doesn’t get much natural light so I’d like a granite that’s not dark (I will have LED or CFL recessed lighting, undercabinet lighting and pendents over the seating area of the island). I’d like something that has a warm, informal feel but am torn between something calming and something interesting, especially for the island. Low maintenance is also important to me since I have young children.
I’ve started looking at granite and like the tan/white/brown ones (New Venetian Gold, Golden Beach, Golden Leaf) without too much yellow but also the ones with some pinks, blues, etc. (Arco Baleno, Dakota Mahogony (too dark?), two you recommended to someone else — Crema Bordeaux and Amber Fantasy). We like the flowing veins but don’t want something too busy. Perhaps a quieter style for the perimeter countertops and something more interesting for the island or too busy for our size kitchen?
I’ve been amazed at how you know your granite and make specific recommendations with such conviction. I’d also appreciate a recommendation for the edge. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I’m wondering if certain granite is only available at certain places. I didn’t see a couple of the ones I was interested in at the places I’ve been to so far.
I’m so looking forward to hearing your suggestions!
Thank you,
Gina
August 12th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I have a guest bath with Santa Cecelia granite in it. We have coffee bean brown cabinets and dark floors. WE want to use Benjamin Moore paint but cannot decide on a color. There are no windows in this bathroom. WE have tried; Northhampton Putty, crown point sand, coriander seed and coastal path. WE need guidance on what would work. HELP! MJ
August 15th, 2009 at 5:15 am
We had Pretoria granite installed 2 weeks ago. As i was wiping off the counter I noticed there was writing on the counter next to the stove. It says “stove end”. The installer must have wrritten on the stone to verify which end went where. It almost blends in with the granite, but I can still make out what it says. How can this be taken off my granite without damage?
August 16th, 2009 at 9:59 am
We are building a new home and were originally considering expresso cabinets (floors are also expresso laminate), but have been told that this may date a home (get tired of it). We are now considering antique white cabinets, with an expresso stained island. We are wondering what colour of granite would go well with antique white cabinets, and expresso cabinets (island) along with an expresso laminate floor. Walls are taupe or natural tones. We want to stay away from incorporating another colour such as green, blue, red. We have stainless appliances. Not sure whether we need the granite to “pop” since antique while cabinets are pretty neutral.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Hi,
We are pricing granite countertops and I am completely overwhelmed. We have a palm tree/pineapple breezy theme going in an open floorplan. We have trompe l’oiel (sp?) vertical bamboo wallpaper in our eating area that extends into our kitchen, the wallpaper being white, a few shades of gold and brown, and a teeny bit of green. White cabinets, white appliances, medium honey hardwood floor. The den (which is completely visible from the kitchen in this very open floor plan ia painted a medium warm yellow. For the countertops, do I go with color, or something dark, or match what I have (something llike Santa Cecilia). What do you think?
Thanks,
Cecily
August 24th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Hi Tom,
I am hoping you can help us. We are replacing our countertops with granite and we’re having a hard time choosing the right color. We have a fairly large kitchen and will need three slabs. Our countertops are very similar to Merillat’s Classic Seneca Ridge Arch in Paprika. We have red and green as accents in the adjoining rooms with one window in the actual kitchen but big windows in the adjoining breakfast and sun room. We have a center island and stainless steel appliances with black trim. The floor is white ceramic tile wiht grey specks and a charcoal color grout.
The light granites we have looked at and like are giallo matisse, giallo ornamental, giallo venetian and giallo napoleon. The darks we like are verde rio gold and vede butterfly. I kind of like the flowing movement of giallo matisse but worry about it looking dirty. Is there another flowing granite you would recommend. We are open to anything and have a hard time visualizing. We will be purchasing thru http://www.designersurfacesinc.com in Frederick Maryland and can go with any of the granites they have listed on their website. They just got some beautiful crema bordeaux in that looks like a piece of art but I worry that it is too red for us. Also, do you have any ideas for backsplashes?
Thanks for your help!
Anne
August 25th, 2009 at 10:27 am
My question is about corbels, but let me draw you a word picture.
We just added granite countertops in place of laminate. We have a 39″ x 52″ island with a 13″ overhang, and a 71″ x 24″ bar with a 16″ overhang. The island is mounted on cabinets. The bar is mounded on a short wall behind the kitchen sink. The granite is Waterfall Green. It has fiberglass matte on the bottom side. The granite is 2 centimeters thick with 5/8″ plywood underneath and an ogee edge laminated on. My cabinets are white.
What size, and how many, corbels would you use, how would you attach them, and what supplier can you recommend? Regarding attachment, I am thinking that if I start 6 inches in from the edge, there may not be a convenient stud under the bar, and the cabinet the island is mounted on seems to have fairly thin particle board on the back, so it might be necessary to add a backer plate inside my cabinet.
I prefer the look of wood corbels.
Thanks for your help.
August 26th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
We have iced maple cabinets (the white washed color with a pink cast to them) & stainless steel appliances. We want to warm up the kitchen & get new granite countertops but are not sure what color to choose. Any suggestions?
August 28th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Hi Tom,
We are presently having Typhoon Bordeaux granite installed for an 8 foot bathroom vanity, a 38 1/2″ by 87″ island, and an L-Shaped countertop which measures 123″ at the longest wall (where it meets an 11″ deep pantry,) and 54″ at the shorter wall (which a buds a refrigerator gable.)
When we first chose this granite, we expressed a concern to the sales person regarding the seam, which would be necessary. She assured us there would be no seam near the corner of the L. The fabricator would cut it further down, at the cook top. The template who measured for the job also dismissed our concern over the seam issue and also told us that it could be at the cook top.
As you are well aware Tom, Typhoon Bordeaux with having such noticeable veins, there is much movement in this stone, which we loved about it. Last Wednesday however, when the installers arrived, the two pieces were cut to be joined horizontally, at the corner.
The grain at the seam however, runs in two opposite directions and is jarring to the eye. One of the veins in the darker of the colours, swings up in a direction that is not found anywhere else in the kitchen. This makes it most distracting and spoils the entire effect of the granite, which on the island, is absolutely beautiful.
Also, the two pieces didn’t fit; the longer one being too long by over 1/8 of an inch. The installer was about to grind off the end of the long piece when I requested he phone in and allow us to express our concern over the mismatched piece.
For several tries, no one could be reached. Much later, when we finally spoke to the salesperson, we were told that no such discussion had ever taken place (regarding the seam). If it wasn’t written in the contract, then too bad. There wasn’t enough granite. We hadn’t bought enough. This person threatened to send a new invoice with a higher price.
Since then, we have attempted to reach the owner, who is continually out of town on other jobs. The co-owner, an elderly person, at first said he would look into this situation. He, on subsequent days however, has become totally unsympathetic, even insulting.
Initially, when we tagged the two slabs we were given no indication that these might be insufficient for this job, given our concern over the seam. When we asked why we weren’t informed or allowed some input, prior to this cut resulting in the mismatched piece, the fabricator admitted that perhaps someone should have phoned us.
We are feeling very uncomfortable discussing this issue with the work crew, who, with the exception of the mismatch, has actually done a very good job . We feel strongly that someone in management should take charge.
To sum up, the reasons that we have been given are that:
a) A join can never happen at a cook top,
b) There wasn’t enough granite and
c) No promises regarding the seam were ever made.
Tom, we are most anxious that you may help us out with the following questions and we would also appreciate your views on our experience?
1) Is it true that a join cannot be made at a cook top ? ( I read in your articles that it can be made at a sink. Is a cook top different? (29″x18 1/2″ cutout and the counter is 26″deep)
2) Should 2 slabs (approximately 70″x117″) have allowed for a better result?
We believe the vanity countertop and the island were cut from 1 slab which would leave an entire slab for the L-shaped countertop. )
3) How might we proceed? The installers were told by the salesperson to return both pieces to the shop. We are now without a countertop and cook top. The co-owner said he would call us and all the others involved, the salesperson, the template , the fabricator etc., in for a meeting (no time given) to slug it out, so to speak, and to find out who is lying. We feel that this is so unprofessional and degrading but we must find some alternative in order to complete this job.
4) How can we get an appointment with the actual owner? Supposedly, she will be returning Monday. The co-owner however, refused to make an appointment with her as we requested, and said that she would call us.
5) Do we have any rights as costumers, regarding this eye-sore in the main corner piece of our kitchen? We have already paid $3,000 dollars when the slabs were tagged on June 29th. This was supposed to be 50% of the total. Our final price, which we were given by the installer, despite countless prior attempts to obtain it from the business, turned out to be an astounding $8,251.00! An earlier mis-quote, which we were promised to have been adjusted before the signing of the contract, had never taken place.
(Another issue entirely )
In closing, Tom please pardon my long-windedness and thank you for your time in reading this recount. My husband and I are floored! We honestly don’t feel that we have done anything to deserve this situation. In fact, when we checked on the Friday before the week of the install, while trying to get our adjusted bill, we were told everything was fine . Our earlier request to be present when the templates were being placed on the actual slabs prior to cutting, had also been dismissed.
Tom, I know it doesn’t sound it, but this company is considered the best in our area and had a rating of 10 on a homeowners review website, (although there was only 1 review written ). The 6 other granite installers in our area had no ratings at all and no reviews. The owner of this company proudly deals internationally and in our first meeting was most personable, informative and seemed both knowledgeable and competent. Unhappily she has not been available to us for any subsequent appointments.
Again, I thank you for your time and any advice that you can give us.
Chris
August 29th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Hi Tom,
We are looking to do a small kitchen remodel. We will be keeping our current white raised wood panel cabinets but creating a new island in a contrasting color – possibly a dark wood espresso finish. The island will be large 4×8ft and will have a black finish induction cooktop. The refrigerator and dish washer have white wood panel doors however, the new double oven will be in matt stainless. We have existing light oak floors which we will be darkening to a mid brown. We are struggling with granite choices trying to find something that will work with the white cabinets as well as the new dark island. Choices we have looked at are Venetian Gold and Kashmir Gold. We like the gold/brown tones but not the orange/peachy ones. The backsplash will depend on the granite selection. Would a bronze finish work well for the pulls and plumbling fixtures? Should I go with a white sink or a stainless?
Our home is traditional. Our kitchen is large (and open to the family room) with lots of natural light.
Any advice you can offer would be much appreciated!
Derek
August 29th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
My kitchen is very open and visible to our den area. The colors in the den are golds, browns, greens and a little red. We have a large framed grouping of botanical pictures as the focal point, surrounded by cane weave and rattan furniture with pineapple cushions, and faux palms. Think casual/resortish/natural. In the kitchen, I have vertical bamboo wallpaper(white background, bamboo has browns and a little yellow, tied with green) which at present extends above the cabinets to the ceiling and below the cabinets to the 4 inch formica backsplash. I have white cabinets and honey colored hardwood floors. What are your suggestions for granite and a backsplash? I want the granite to be in keeping with the “naturalness” of the rest of the decor, but I’m thinking some color would be nice. Re backsplash, I am worried about having a stripe the length of my cabinets if I extend it beyond the cooktop. What are your thoughts? Thanks so much!
September 7th, 2009 at 4:30 am
Hi Tom,
Thank you for maintaining your informative website. We are in the process of selecting granite countertops for our traditional kitchen. We have an L-shaped area with a corner sink, an island with a cooktop and a separate coffee bar area. Price, or should I say value, is of utmost importance to my husband. I agree with this but also care about aesthetics. The cabinets are oak stained in a medium honey (somewhat orange). We recently installed new stainless steel Jenn-Air appliances. We have a new radiant heat island cooktop (mostly black with stainless knobs) that will be installed with the new counters. Our hardware is oil rubbed but it has a flat finish and is nearer to black. Currently our floor is laminate (looks like maple hardwood). this will change at some point and isn’t a factor in choice of countertop. Our leading contender right now is Jaguar Gold. We do not have the price yet but have seen the slabs. Our entry level option is Giallo Ornamental or Juparana Gold Light. If I can, I’ll attach pictures. Your insight is greatly appreciated regarding granite color choice. Susan
September 8th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
We are remodeling our 11ftx11ft kitchen with clear maple cabinets (shaker with small molding on inside) in our home built in 1919. Floors are original yellow birch (very close to maple) with clear stain. We’ve opened up two walls to create more breathing room. The room also has two windows so we will be going to 9ft ceilings with cabinets where possible. We will have bar height counter between the dining room and the kitchen (one of the opened walls) and another small counter at one of the windows that will be at 30in height to go under window.
We will have a small ‘U’ shaped section facing the dining room opening and a galley section on the opposite wall. one arm of the U will be beech butcherblock and the remaining ‘L’ will be in granite along with the galley section (broken in two by stove).
We would have liked to go with a granite that is not consistent, that has some flow (like asterix, cosmic black) but are being told these are very hard to work with. so have been looking at other, safer options like Black Galaxy with the small sparkles). We’ve also thought of using the Tropical green or Imperial red as the bar height counter bridging to the dining room but are struggling with the main counter that would tie it all together…
Any help appreciated.
September 9th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Tom,
I have two questions.
1) What do you think of limestone or travertine floors for the kitchen instead of ceramic? We have dogs and a casual lifestyle.
2) What’s you opinion on the use of volcano or carmel fantastico granite on a 4×6 ft island and Indian black polished on the countertops? We want to go with cherry cabinets in a flat panel design in a medium shade, such as nutmeg or mandrian (Omega/Dynasty cabinet line); stainless appliances; light tile floors – alpaca travertine or camargo limestone or Pietra Latina ceramic; and glass tile backsplash, called beige stack. All stone choices can be seen at http://www.arizonatile.com or I can send pictures. The kitchen has a catheral ceiling with space for a dining table and is approx 17×17 with a bay window at the sink, a patio door, and three other windows, so there is good lighting. Catheral ceilings.
September 9th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Tom,
I have two questions.
1) What do you think of limestone or travertine floors for the kitchen instead of ceramic? We have dogs and a casual lifestyle.
2) What’s you opinion on the use of volcano or carmel fantastico granite on a 4×6 ft island and Indian black polished on the countertops? We want to go with cherry cabinets in a flat panel design in a medium shade, such as nutmeg or mandrian (Omega/Dynasty cabinet line); stainless appliances; light tile floors – alpaca travertine or camargo limestone or Pietra Latina ceramic; and glass tile backsplash, called beige stack. All stone choices can be seen at http://www.arizonatile.com or I can send pictures. The kitchen has a catheral ceiling with space for a dining table and is approx 17×17 with a bay window at the sink, a patio door, and three other windows, so there is good lighting. Catheral ceilings.
September 9th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Hello Tom,
We need help with a small condo kitchen with Merillat Classic natural oak cabinets that the builder put in along with white appliances. We like the following granites – Costa Esmeralda, Marron Cohiba, Black Pearl Antique.
The kitchen is open to a great room with Sepele floors and formal furniture. Walls are BM Palace White – a pale yellowish white. Paint can be changed so that aspect is not a concern. However the wife wants to keep white appliances.
What suggestions would you have for us for granite in this situation?
September 14th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Hi Tom,
We had Juparana Fantastico installed for our kitchen countertops last week and I signed off just after istallation because everything looked beautiful and as it should be. One week later I had to call them because a tiny chip appeared around the edge of the sink (we are a small family and only did normal dishwashing) as well as a crack across piece to front of sink that can be felt all of the way through the granite (crack looks to be along a movement line). We contacted the fabricator and they came out and filled the tiny chip with epoxy but took pictures of the crack and are telling us now that the pictures they took after installation did not show the crack and we signed off so they will only be able to fill and grind the crack but will not be able to make it dissappear. They said that they always install a metal bar in the narrow part of granite in front of the sink to make it stronger and that either the plumber we hired to reconnect the faucet (granite fabricator installed sink) or we caused the crack. Could granite crack all of the way through a narrow piece like that as a result of something we did (normal daily use) or should they be replacing this piece because it was just installed a week ago?
We would love any advise you might have.
Thanks so much,
Janice
September 15th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Hi Tom:
I would like to know your recommendation for best floor sealer and/or protector for each application of my residential project. Below are the stone types and applications. I am aware that one product may not be best for all surfaces. I am particularly concerned about protecting the very porous Kashmir White flamed finish shower floor surface, which will see pretty heavy use. I do not want a sealer which will add a yellow tone to the Kashmir White.
-Grey Sardo Polished Granite Living Room Floor
-Absolute Black Flamed Finished Granite Living Room Floor Accents
-Crema Bordeaux Polished Granite Kitchen Countertops
-Kashmir White Polished Granite Bath Vanity
-Kashmir White Flamed Finish Granite Shower and Bathroom Floors
Are the solvent-based treatments (like those made by Surface Treatment Technologies) the best?
Thanks for your expert advice!
September 15th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Hello,
I need some advice. I recently contracted with a kitchen company in June 2009 to purchase new cabinets and have granite installed in my home. I noticed that there was a yellowish trail of discoloration of approx. 1 1/2 feet to 2 feet in length when the granite was installed. There is no particular pattern and the discoloration (which looks like spilled coffee) is not shown in any other piece of the installed granite. I picked the slab but I did not see a 1 1/2 to 2 foot size discoloration when I picked the slab and the salesperson did not bring the discoloration to my attention. I contracted with the kitchen company and they sub-contracted with the granite supplier and the fabricator. I am totally not happy with the discoloration and with the kitchen company because they have not been an advocate for me as their customer to provide any solutions to my problems. Also, I feel that the fabricator should have either asked me to choose another piece of slab or cut around the lengthy discoloration rather than installing such a piece of granite. I paid the kitchen company with a credit card and have filed a dispute for the value of the granite. I have spoken to two granite people in my area so I can get a written professional opinion regarding the granite and I have been told that it should not have been installed. However, everyone seems to know everyone else and no one wants to provide a written statement. My kitchen is 90% done and I am afraid to have the granite removed and reinstalled because this company may damage my new cabinets. So I am writting to you to ask your opinion as to whether the granite should have been installed with the discoloration (1 1/2 to 2 feet in length) and what are my options at this point. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
Thank you
September 20th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
hey Tom, We just installed travertine in a powder room and the color is to tan, we would like it to be closer to white. Is there anything we can do (stain,paint, etc) We would appreciate any advice, Thank you, Kathy
October 6th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Hi Tom,
We are trying to choose a granite color for our oak cabinet/oak flooring/stainless appliance kitchen. We like this color on the bhg.com website but we don’t know the name of it. Can you help us identify it? Do you have other granite colors that might work as well? We’re so glad we found you on the web.
Faye
http://www.bhg.com/photos/rooms/kitchens/1112800002/?photoId=1112100005&fromSearch=true
October 9th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Where can I find some test results for slip resistance ( coefficient of friction)
for granites, and limestones.
thanks
Louis
October 13th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
We are renovating a large kitchen/dining area with a lot of countertop space (over 100 sq. feet). The cabinets will be a painted maple — some type of creme or off white. The floor will either be a light travertine or a white oak hardwood. My wife is leaning toward a white spring granite. I feel that this would be too white. She has searched all types of granite. The choices are either too yellow, too pink, too grainy. At one point she liked delacatus, however, after looking at slabs most ended up being way to loud and grainy. She is difficult to please, so much so, that we are even considering silestone.
Our style is somewhat transitional. Not quite contemporary but a little more than traditional. The kitchen is pretty high end in quality and she is looking for perfection.
Any thought on a light granite without too much diversity that would still be light for my wife but may add some pop and not make everything so white?
October 14th, 2009 at 5:27 am
We are doing a partial and budget minded remodel of our kitchen–we’ve added a large window and relocated appliances and some cabinets but kept the existing floor and cabinets. The previous owners installed granite around the large cooktop (which is on an island) which looks like a dark–almost black–verde peacock (some light mica specks along with specks of rust floating in dark greenish black field). The owners left a laminate on the perimeter counters. We now want to replace the laminate with granite. Our appliances are a mix of stainless (refrigerator, large double sink with built in drainboards and large hood over cooktop) and white (dishwasher and wall ovens). Our floor is a terracotta rubber tile–feels good underfoot and would be very expensive to replace–we have a big kitchen and eating area. Our cabinets are painted wood with glass inserts on upper cabinets–now painted Benjamin Moore linen white–will probably go to a whiter white when we repaint. We’d like to install a white subway tile backsplash.
Should we attempt to get similar colored granite like the verde peacock knowing that it won’t be a perfect match to the island granite–but not caring as the island area is some distance from the perimeter counters? Or should we look for a complementary shade in a lighter color–and what would that be?
Wall color is now a light yellow but that can be changed. We live in New England and have a traditional Georgian style colonial house and crave light and color in the long winter.
Thanks so much.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I HAVE A GALLEY KITCHEN (DOOR WAY AT ONE END OPENS TO DINING ROOM & LIVING ROOM AT THE OTHER END) FLOORS ARE WOOD COLOR RANGES FROM HONEY TO MED DARK BROWN. I WAS GOING TO CHOOSE KM CANVAS TRANSITIONAL CABINETS WITH ASTRIX (GOLD) GRANITE BUT HUSBAND DOESN’T WANT WHITE CABINETS…NOW I AM THINKING KM MAPLE PRAILINE STAIN WHAT COLOR GRANITE SHOULD I BE LOOKING AT? I REALLY LIKE BLACK GALAXY W/ WHITE GLASS SUBWAY TILE, WILL THAT LOOK OK…PLEASE GIVE ME SUGGESTIONS FOR MED MAPLE AND MED CHERRY CABINETS. I WANT THE GALLEY KITCHEN TO POP
October 17th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Hi Tom,
What a great idea to combine helping people with questions on granite and helping children through World Vision!
We are currently in the middle of a kitchen remodel and are uncertain about a choice in granite countertop. We have a red oak hardwood floor with natural finish. We are installing knotty alder cabinets with a medium brown stain that has a slight green tone. The kitchen is open to the dining area and living room which has a used brick fireplace. There is an island that is one level this is essentially L shaped about 82 inches on one side and 85 inches on the other. Appliances are stainless steel. We have several large windows in the living room and dining room and also a solar tube in the kitchen ceiling so there is a lot of outdoor light. Ceilings are only 92 inches. The kitchen dimensions are 12 feet by 12 feet.
We have looked at several choices and just seem to get more confused. At the last slab yard we visited, we liked a Peregrine slab and a golden crystal slab. What would you recommend?
Thank you so much. We are sending a donation to World Vision.
Sincerely,
Jackie and Fred Modrow
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Tom-
I tried to send the following message along with 2 photos to your email address but it bounced back as undeliverable. Here is question, PayPal $$ has been sent. If you provide an email address, I can send the photos.
Found your rock blog and you seem to be the most knowledgeable voice out there; hopefully you can help me with my current situation. This past Tuesday, I had granite counters installed – juparana bordeaux. The slab that was used had been stored outside on the contractor’s lot in Maryland – I don’t know for how long, There was also a smaller slab stored in front of it, as you can see from the attached photo. When the granite arrived for installation, it was obvious that the area that had not been exposed to the sunlight, behind the smaller slab, was much darker than the exposed stone and there was a clear, straight line where the color changed. You can see this in the other attached photo. The contractor claimed that the darker area of stone was still wet and that it would be uniform in color once it dried out. Today is Friday and it has not improved. The contractor is now saying they have ordered a special “enhancer” that should make the color uniform. I’m concerned that they may be able to temporarily create a uniform appearance, but over time it will revert to its current state. Can you please share your opinion as to what has caused this and whether it can be salvaged or should be replaced?
I look forward to your response and will make my donation via PayPal now per your instructions.
Thanks in advance for your response.
John Walsh
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Hi, Tom,
Found your site by accident — what a nice surprise. Read lots of Q&As, but didn’t see one that closely fits. We are remodeling a typical 70s ranch-style house, going for a vintage / farmhouse look. We have put in 5-panel doors and glass doorknobs, and the wood trimwork above the doors to give it an old look, which looks great. The kitchen area opens into the living and “dining” areas, great-room style. We installed 18″ plank-style tile floor that looks convincingly like oak wood-plank flooring with a slightly medium spice tone to it (everyone is surprised it is not wood). The existing medium-toned oak cabinets are staying, with the modification of glass doors in a few and new knobs. Appliances are stainless.
The walls are a soft muted yellow with a very subtle orangish tint to it, which looks great with the wood floors and stone fireplace, which has subtle orangish / taupish tones, very pale, but nicely rustic. The kitchen itself is a U-shape, sort of, with a new peninsula added to the original U that looks out onto the great room area with a large surface area that also serves as a countertop dining area with stools. The exterior of the peninsula is beadboard in a subtle olivish tone of yellow/gold (light and muted). The apron and turned legs supporting the peninsula overhang are stained to match the oak cabinets. The doors, trim , living room shutters and beadboard wainscotting on the kitchen side of the great room are a soft off-white (no white white allowed).
We are at the point of having to decide on the pattern & color for our new granite countertop. We plan on putting subway tiles as the backsplash, probably in an off-white tone that works with the granite color. We want to keep the room light and bright, and I am drawn to the creamy based colors with some subtle orange / brown / black in it. Our installer suggested Santa Cecilia, and I liked it when I first saw a sample, but comments I’ve read indicate it may not give us the overall effect we are going for. The sink color will be determined by the countertop; I’m thinking maybe bisque or stainless, but wanting to maintain a farmhouse feel. We are totally confused by the myriad colors to choose from — just from a cursory review of a site suggested by the installer, we liked Imperial Gold, Firestorm, Giallo Etrusca, Juparana Vicenza. The installer suggested we might like Venetian Gold, Juperana Fantastico, Giallo Portofino. A photo of a kitchen that has similar characteristics we are looking for has Juparana Bordo for the countertops, with off-white subway tile, and it looks great. (Not creamy white background, but doesn’t seem to be too dark, either). We are totally lost — what would you recommend to end up with a bright, comfortable, farmhouse feel? Also, from some of your comments to others, perhaps a simple square edge would work best?
(The ceilings are standard 8′ high, not a ton of natural light in the room.)
We are really glad to have found you; thank you for taking the time to help.
Karen & Paul
October 28th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Hi Tom,
We are rennovating a 85 year old house. The walls and ceiling will be a light distressed pine. The floors are engineered maple (wide board)….med. dark and hand scraped. The kitchen cabinets are rustic cherry with a natural finish….no stain. Will you suggest some colors for my granite. My husband saw some kind of red bordeau that he liked but I was leaning more towards the browns or greens. Please help.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Hi,
We are putting up toffee cabinets with raised panels and crown molding. The color is a mixture of gold and brown but more goldy like. The floors are ceramic tile and a natural beige with a hint of light brown. Our appliances will be stainless. I want to go more bold in the kitchen but I am unsure if I should with the counter tops. I am considering UbaTuba counters or the black galaxy. However, we have 0 windows in the kitchen and it is pretty small. We will also be installing a island/bar in the kitchen for eating space. Do you have any other recommendations for colors? I’m looking to get a eye popping look without making the room look smaller or like I’m trying to do too much in a small kitchen. I really want to paint the walls a fun color to before I get the cabines shipped but I have to decide on granite first…:D
And the blacksplash is a whole issue in itself! But I am aiming towards glass mosaic tile pieces.
Another question we are huge bargain shoppers. However, we don’t like to show it. I have seen that the granite tile can look great and save tons. But have you any idea on how much lower the return on investment is for installing granite tile vs. a granite slab?
November 1st, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Hi Tom, Well I thought purchasing a new home, and being on the ground floor would be fun, however, it has been overwhelming, daunting, and sometimes downright difficult. Just too many decisions, to coincide with family life, etc. Anyway, I know we are blessed, and I will appreciate everything when its all done. Okay, that aside, here is my question. We will have an open floor plan. Our family room is a two story room, with the kitchen adjacent. The kitchen will have Autumn Cherry (medium cherry color) cabinets with Giallo Vicenza granite countertops and island. There is wood flooring. I believe oak. The family room will have a fireplace in cherry wood fireplace, but chose a Country Pine finish, with slate insert. I am going for a warm, inviting, Tuscan feeling. I will probably go for furniture in a neutral, possiblly warm brown look. Since these two rooms are adjacent, and open, I have thought about two, but complementary color shades (colors that appear on the same swatch). Given your experience with granite, and I’m hoping you are familiar with Benjamin Moore colors, what would be a complimentary color scheme. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a sample of the granite, or it would have made it a bit easier. I was thinking of a striking pop of color in the kitchen, based on the granite, but want it to be complementary in the Family Room. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, I have to make this decision like yesterday. Sorry, I just discovered your site.
November 3rd, 2009 at 7:54 am
Hi Tom,
So glad I found your site. I am at the beginning stages of replacing the countertops in my kitchen with granite and would love some advice.
My kitchen is large and light-filled with 30 year old medium-stained Oak cabinets that should be replaced or refinished some day but that’s for another decade. There is a large island in the center. The floor is large white tiles. The walls are a warm white. The current countertops are a cream formica which actually looks wonderful. The appliances are all black. The whole kitchen looks very light and warm. I’ve thought I should stay in the cream genre for granite. I don’t think it should be at all white. I love granite with a lot of depth and veining but like less the granite that is more “spotty” because I find it dizzying (which is one thing I didn’t like about quartz countertops).
Any suggestions? On paper and website photos, I though Sienna Bordeaux looked good. Again, thanks for any direction you can point me!
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:03 am
tom,
I am looking to update my kitchen with new wall paint and countertops without changing out my 15 year old honey oak cabinets. The kitchen floor is a honey oak also. The adjacent family room has a pale yellow wall, but I am willing to be changing colors there also. My appliances are black. The kitchen backs up to a wooded yard, so it doesn’t get alot of light, and we plan on adding more lighting and under cabinet lighting. My concerns are to not have a dark kitchen and also not to have too busy pattern of granite, as the cabinets seem to have alot of grain going on.
By the way, I am all for sponsoring children. Thank you for your help with my dilemma
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:35 am
Dear Tom,
I just e-mailed you about my honey oak cabinets and floor and can’t decide on a color for my granite that won’t make the kitchen look too dark and busy. Alsom do you have any ideas of the type of back splash and color. As you can see I lack vision. Thanks again. Barbara Harris
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Hello Tom,
I am having kitchen cabinets designed in mahogany with an art deco motif ( can send you pictures since the bottom cabinets are installed. I am vascillating between either luche di luna (which is hard to find and I like because it is striated and not speckled) ), black or a green granite. I had heard from two suppliers that the white granite that i mentioned can have iron deposits in it that will get larger over time.
What would you suggest?
Thanks
Sivya
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Tom.
I should have read the posts before I posed my question to you just a few minutes ago. My home has a very eclectic feel which definitely leans towards art deco. The kitchen is more or less square with approximately two walls with stainless sinks and dishwashers on them and a 9 foot island with six burner cooktop. On third wall there are floor to ceiling cabinets broken by the fridge and double ovens. The kitchen has a lot of light as it has a south west exposure with skylights.
The cabinets as I mentioned before are art deco ish in style in natural mahogany with a semi gloss finish. The floor is light cork. I initially wanted a white marble looking granite and saw a kitchen in Trends that had “moonbeam” quartzite which I subsequently have learned is lucha di luna granite. Some of the slabs that I have seen have light greenish tinge; I have seen others on line that appear to be more pure. I have also considered peacock green, emerald green, verde marineche and green gold. The greens that have brown in them seem to work better. I have also considered black.
I have read your thoughtful responses and I hope that you can help me out as I am holding up this project because of my indecisiveness.
Thank you
Sivya
PS: The donation is on its way.
November 13th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
We just had Santa Cecilia Gold Granite installed in our kitchen. There is an approx. 36 inch fissure (or crack?) which runs through a vein portion and is quite camouflaged unless you see it in the light. It feels like a scratch and I’m concerned about it’s integrity and strength since it runs along a 9” overhang area, which we do have supports under. Will this portion of questionable granite eventually crack deeper? As well, many of the darker spot areas have chips which are pretty visible and feel sharp. Can these chips be filled? I’d be glad to send you pics if you’d like. Thanks, Julie
November 14th, 2009 at 12:12 am
Dear Tom,
I happened on your website while looking for pictures of granite countertops to aid me in making choices for our kitchen and bathrooms. After pouring over your site for over four hours, I think I’m ready to post my questions to you. I have decided that choosing granite countertops is worse than choosing wallpaper in that there are almost as many choices, but it’s a much bigger investment. Your knowledge of the subject matter is amazing.
Here is my setup. We built our home in 1980. It is a traditional two story. The kind with triple dormers across the front. It is approximately 2000 sq. ft. We have slowly been redecorating the home over the past couple years. The home is decorated in shades of persimmon, burnt reds, sage green, golds and browns with dark wood mouldings and wrought iron used in accessories such as mirrors, coffee table legs, lighting. The doorknobs and bathroom fixtures are rubbed bronze. I always end up using darker colors when choosing paint, walllpaper, flooring because I just love the deep rich tones and cozy feel it affords. On the flip side, it makes the house very dark and I have to keep every light in the house lit to avoid the feeling of living in a dungeon. The floors throughout the downstairs are brazilian cherry. I recently refinished the kitchen and bathroom cabinetry (which are solid wood – I think birch) with a mahogany stain. I refinished the hardware with a satin black finish. The walls are currently wallpapered in a burnt orange and gold pattern, but that is subject to change. The appliances are all black and the sink in a dark grey composite. (also subject to change) The kitchen is galley style (which I hate but am stuck with) about 12 ft. in length. The countertops are currently a rustic brown tile with greyish grout and wood edging. I will try to include a picture – I know it’s worth a thousand words and at the rate I’m going I’m going to be there soon. I really love my tile countertops. They are so practical and almost indestructible, but I also love the look of granite and am afraid that the tile is becoming dated looking.
My husband and I have started looking at granite and have been to a couple of distributors to look at full slabs. I am torn as to what would look best in our kitchen and bathrooms. I would assume it would be better to use a lighter color tile since everything else we have is so dark. I had a much easier time determining what I DON’T like than narrowing down the choices of what I do like. I tend to be drawn to the more dramatic granites but I’m afraid that they might be overpowering in my small kitchen or get ‘old’ quick. I also was afraid of using anything with an orange or pink base as it seems it would limit your color choices down the road should color trends change. The granite choices I wrote down as favorites are: Crema Expresso, Golden Verona, Mascarello (really liked this one), Juperano Bordeaux (kinda pinkish) Veracatto, Juperano Fastasy, Copper Canyon, and Golden Beach. I am at a total loss as to which way to go and fear making a several thousand dollar mistake. I bow to your expertise.
There also is a scrap piece of Tan Brown available at our local dealer (half the cost of the others because it’s a scrap piece) that I could use in my small bathroom downstairs (same dark cabinetry with 2″ coppery brown tile on floor and tuscan looking wallpaper) Should I use the same granite in the two bathrooms as what I use in the kitchen or is it okay to go with something different in each bathroomI
I tried to attach a couple of pictures of my kitchen but I guess I’m just not computer savvy enough to do so. Guess my description will have to suffice.
I will most gladly make a donation to your worthy cause. Thanks, in advance, for your help.
Debi DeGennaro
Debi
November 18th, 2009 at 3:42 am
Tom, I bought shaker maple spice ( medium color)cabinets for a rental which my son lives in . He loves ubatuba granite. The floor is a lighter maple. Will ubatuba work and what color should walls be? Thanks Patricia
November 19th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Hi Tom,
I sent you some pics (via my outlook express) of our Santa Cecilia Gold Granite which I questioned as having a crack or a fissure in. Hopefully, the file wasn’t too large. Please let me know ASAP.
Thanks so much,
Julie
November 26th, 2009 at 10:53 am
I have a white carrara marble floor in good condition. I want to darken the color to a tan. Can that be done?? Thanks-J C
November 26th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Does engineered stone emit radon like granite or not??
December 7th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Hi Tom,
I’m trying to choose a granite for our countertops. We currently have an island with violetta granite. We’re keeping the island therefore would like the countertop to work nicely with the violetta. Black seems the logical choice, but I’m not too sure I like the look of black granite or the fact that it shows everything. Black galaxy was recommended and would look beautiful with our light cherry cabinets and stainless steel appliances, but I’m not sure it would work with the violetta.
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you.
December 9th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Hi Tom,
I am looking for some advice on an upcoming kitchen remodel. In the process of choosing all the components and want your opinion as to whether or not I am on the right track with design scheme. Kitchen is medium sized with an islas and breakfast area, one window above kitchen sink, and sliding glass doors so light is pretty minimal. House was built in late 1960s so it is fairly closed off from rest of house but works. Rustic contemporary describes our house and style best. Here are the specifics: Stainless appliances, undercounter apron front hammered copper sink, hammered copper range hood (and both are the dark, bronzy antiqued copper), dark honey stained alder shaker style cabinets with oil rubbed bronze hardware and faucets, possibly distressed black cabinetry for island cabinetry, verde fire granite (we have 2 slabs on hold that have consistency in movement and veining: green and terracotta are dominant colors), beige tumbled travertine 1″x2″ brick pattern for backsplash, and a beige tumbled travertine look porcelain floor in a large square tile. Light fixtures are oil rubbed bronze/iron. Abutting floors are wood similar in color to cabinets. I think my main question is if we are on the right track with the verde fire granite? If not, do you have any other suggestions? Any help or thoughts are appreciated!
Thanks!!
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:14 am
Hi. Thank you for taking the time to review my email. Your website is fantastic and your stewardship for this charity is admirable.
My husband and I are in the process of totally remodeling our kitchen. We removed the old galley style kitchen (with avocado tile, yellow vinyl floors, gold appliances and dark brown faux wood cabinets) and broke through one wall into a very small unused space that was previously used as a small bedroom. The space that used to be the small bedroom had red oak flooring. The old galley kitchen floor has old vinyl that will be ripped up.
Our cabinets are Cardell – Shaker II style with full overlay. We ordered them in a creamy white with a pewter glaze. We will also have an island (bi-level) that is Cardell – Shaker II style with full overlay, but this will be in black with a pewter glaze. The island will also house the sink and dishwasher. We have two decent size windows for this new room and it is between the living room and dining room. The stairs to go upstairs are also in the kitchen. The rest of the house has red oak flooring.
Here are my many questions. Should I have red oak flooring in the kitchen or some kind of tile? I can go either way with this. If tile, what kind, what color, what size? If I go with the red oak flooring, I can match the old kitchen floor with wood from a salvage shop. What color granite should I choose – just one color for both the island and cabinets or two? I think I would rather have one, but I am so confused. Would you also use granite for the backsplash or tile? I can go in any direction for the appliances, black, white, stainless steel, anything. I can go in any direction for the paint color also. In the kitchen, I will have undercabinet lighting, pot lights as well as pendants above the island. One side of the island, I will also have chairs to serve as a small eating area. I don’t know what kind of edge would look good.
We have small children, so safety and functionality are major concerns, but I want this kitchen to look beautiful and really well put-together. If you have multiple suggestions/combinations, I would love to hear them. I’m so confused and in need of your expertise. Thank you so much for helping. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. We look forward to hearing from you.
December 28th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
We have installed Grey Pietra Slate, and have a white ring the countertops are less than a week old. Is this fixable? They were sealed and we waited several days before using.
January 4th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Hi Tom,
First of all, I love World Vision and sponsor a couple of kids with them. Great idea and I love your servant’s heart.
So, I don’t have granite but have installed Cesar Stone (Lagos Blue). I love it. It’s got a beautiful look with movement in it. The name is deceiving though. It’s more of a taupe with a lighter taup-ish color in it, not modern looking like some of the C. Stone. Not really important, but thought you might like to hear about it.
I’m still nervous about putting hot pans on it and sliding things over it. I would never think of cutting on it, but wonder if a guest will sometime and don’t want to be crazy over the top protective counter lady.
Can you let me know what you know about Cesar Stone? Do I need to reseal at any point?
Thanks much,
Adrienne
January 5th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Hi Tom-
I really like Home Depot’s color “Summer Sage” or as it is now called “Giallo Arctic” It is a warm consistent speckled granite with sage green undertones. However I don’t like their high price $75 sf. My local stone yards are much more affordable but they don’t have access to this granite.
Wondering if you had any other suggestions for cream cabinets with walnut floors. I am thinking of painting kitchen sage green. I don’t want anything too yellow or gold. Liked Azul Platino but wondering if it is too blue. Also liked New Caledonia but wondering if it is too brown.
I would be happy to make a donation. Just wondering if you are still answering questions.
Thanks,
Amy Medling
Nashua, NH
January 10th, 2010 at 9:52 am
Hi Tom,
I am happy to donate to World Vision and greatly appreciate your assistance. We are remodelling our home on Cape Cod and would appreciate some guidance regarding the granite selection.
The kitchen will have white oak flooring, painted wood recessed panel doors in Biscuit, stainles steel appliances including a professional rangetop with Eurostyle hood and brushed nickel hardware. The kitchen is L-shaped (about 14′x14′) with a 4.5″ x 5.5″ island with some beadboard (which could be panels instead).
I envisioned a black granite countertop with tile backsplash in biscuit, but I am having trouble identifying the black granite. Friends who have absolute black do not recommend it due to streaking. I looked at Jet Mist, but the grey streaking does not look good with Biscuit cabinetry. Black Galaxy has too much “bling”. I prefer the shine of polished vs the look of honed or leathered. Would you be able to suggest any other varieties or color combinations? (I have biscuit cabinets with golden oak at home and like it, but wanted something different for the Cape.)
I also have a question about the seaming of the granite. The fabricator said the span is to too long for 1 slab so he first suggested seaming it in the middle of the sink. When I rejected that he suggested seam it under a glass cabinet that sits on the countertop. I am Ok with that except that he wanted to seam in the middle. I think it should be seamed on 1 side of the glass cabinet aloing the edge or just under it. What do you think?
Last question is regarding the use of Calacutta marble as a 4′ countetop, tub deck and shower seat(?) in the master bath. I am afraid of water spotting and etching. Should I be? If so, would you suggest a granite or other material that looks similar?
Thank you for your help.
Debbie
January 12th, 2010 at 10:52 am
I just had SuperWhite granite installed a couple of days ago; just a hair over 3/4 in thick, with an Ogee end to look more like a marble counter. I didn’t pick out the slab myself but it is beautiful, smooth, no pockmarks or fissures that I can see, etc. When the installers came, they commented that the stone was quite bowed when it came to them. There are 3 pieces in the kitchen (no seams). Each piece seems to have a low point in the center and then bows upward at the ends. The bowing was noticable in the longest piece (9 1/2 ft) such that the counter installers ended up shimming the cabinet underneath it up a titch (maybe as much as a 1/4″) to cover the gap. As for the second biggest piece (4′x4′ with a corner cut out to make an L shape), one wing of the “L” is separated from the bondo holding it to the cabinet. The third piece (3′ long) is a little separated, but still bonded to the cabinet; doing the best and of course it is in the area of the kitchen that will get the least amount of use! The gap between the granite and the cabinets they are resting on goes from 2 mm to 1/8″.
I plan to call the company and I know they will come out and see what they can do. They seemed great to work with and called around quite a bit to find any SuperWhite in our area, and they are a small shop so the same guys did the purchasing, cutting, and installation. They stayed quite a bit longer than they planned trying to see how to make it look straighter, and talked about how they didn’t want to clamp it too hard or it might break, etc
So my questions are: Are these counters going to crack with their own weight, or crack if I put heavy pots on them, or if a kid (or an adult) goofs around and climbs or sits on the counter? Is the weight distributed evenly enough; do I need to worry about how well they are supported? Is this a normal risk with granite, or was this a bad purchase on their part that they are now trying to stick me with? I’m not sure I would have spotted the bowing myself even if I had picked out the slab, but is that something the customer is responsible for? I’m hoping your answers will help me know how much to push if I end up being dissatisfied in the end.
January 17th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
We are doing a kitchen remodel on a lake house. We are installing natural maple cabinets, stainless steel applicances, and medium colored wood floors. What granite color would look best in this room? By the way, this is a small room that is open to the family room and dining area.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:44 am
The color is Amazon Jungle leather finish. What antiquing/leather brushes do you recommend most for this stone???? Basically to match the profile edge to the top surface
January 21st, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Hi Tom,
I have oak cabinets with a honey stain and now have Sierra Bordeaux granite countertops and backsplash. Needing some advice as to where to go regarding paint color for walls to make this granite pop. Can you help? Need by Sunday
Thanks,
Joanne
January 23rd, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Hi Tom,
We are building a second home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We will have wonderful views of mountains and a river. I am striving for a warm, homey and just slightly rustic feel. The kitchen is 18×11, u shaped with a bi-level island and a peninsula on one side open to the dining area which has windows on three sides and a great view of the river. The kitchen is at one end of a large room and open to the living area. The cabinets are Kraftmaid square recessed doors in the Sunset finish (medium). The floor will be red oak stained on site. I am planning on a stain slightly lighter than the cabinets, but am open to suggestion. What granite would you recommend? I don’t want anything too busy as I am trying to create a calm environment in keeping with the peaceful surroundings. We have 90 sq. ft. of countertop so cost is a consideration. Would welcome your thoughts on a backsplash as well.
Will donate gladly to your cause, especially important now given the tragedy in Haiti.
Thank you for your help.
January 24th, 2010 at 9:16 am
Hi Tom-
I am at a loss and love all your suggestions. We have a 10 year old home. 9 foot ceilings. We have merillat cherry paprika raised panel cabinets and red oak floors. Stainless steel appliances. Our kitchen has about 60 square feet of countertop space inluding an island and our kitchen opens up to a eating area and the family room. I am worried about making the wong decision and need some advice on what I should be looking at. I like kashmir white, biano romano, crema bordeaux, sucuri, viara. Any advice?
Thanks so much!
January 24th, 2010 at 11:56 am
We are re-doing our kitchen – dark cabinets (cherry with fruitwood) and will have stainless appliances. Counter will be extended into a counter height table that seats 4-6. I’m leaning toward a wood floor but am really stuck on which way to go for granite, dark or light, neutral or colored. would love to hear your recommendations.
January 28th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
We are in the beginning stages of building a New Orleans Garden District traditional style home on a small scale. Our flooring will be brazilian chestnut and the cabinets will be a medium brown (not sure of exact cabinets yet). We will have stainless appliances and sink. The small kitchen is open to living and dining, with a small island and plenty of light from the many tall windows. We are unable to decide on a granite. We are not fond of pinks, gold, and bold statements. Our taste leans toward earth tones and we have lots of medium brown to dark brown furniture. (My husband is a geologist and loves the natural stone look and variations in the granite stones). We thought a dark granite would make everything look too brown and dark, but we do not have experience in this area. Also, we have no clue for backsplash material and color. We would love to get your opinion. Thanks for helping the world with your charity support.
January 28th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Tom, we are remodeling and have cinnamon cherry cabinets with a raised panel in our kitchen. We have brazilian cherry wood floors and plan to go with a travertine backsplash. We have selected Vyara Gold granite, but now I am questioning whether this was the right choice. It’s not too late for a change. Can you provide advice?
January 28th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Thank you for your time and advice. We are more than happy to donate towards World Vision..
We are remodeling our 1949 kitchen. Our flooring is oak and we are not sure how dark the finish should be. We have purchased off white shaker style cabinets with pewter colored pulls and would like to go with granite. We liked so many of the granite choices and aren’t sure what stone to choose! We have looked at Golden Beach, Limoncello, Flash Blue, Butterfly Green, Ubatuba, Tuscana Antique, and Labrador Antique. Our appliances are stainless and we think we will be getting a bisque undermount sink. We just painted our living room in the Benjamin Moore color Shelburn Buff . I love the color and had thought about going with that if it works with the granite choice. We would love your advice on tile back splash ideas, granite, paint, and stain color for our floor!
January 31st, 2010 at 1:43 am
Hi Tom, maybe you can help. I’ve been getting different answers to this, and the guy who supplied marble mosaic to us doesn’t seem to know anything about sealing it. I applied sealer from home depot to our marble floor mosaic twice – once before grout, once after grout. Instructions said to spray on liberally (which is what I did). Then I wiped it off with cotton towel. However, after second sealer application, the mosaic looks dull – no shine whatsowever, almost plastic. I am dissapointed, don’t know what to do about it. Any recommendation on this? What can I use to remove any of this dullness without damaging the stone, and the color originally applied to the mosaic pieces? Thank you!!!
February 1st, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Hello Tom –
I am having a devil of a time picking a granite for my kitchen countertop. The cabinets are Adel Birch from Ikea (a pale, natural birch color, in a simple Shaker style). The floor will be cherry wood. The appliances will be stainless (with black accents). The backsplash will be white or off-white. I was thinking of a neutral, dark granite with some “activity” or reflective pieces to add interest and hide fingerprints. I don’t like the Black Galaxy, too gaudy for me. Maybe Black Pearl? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am driving my fabricator nuts with my indecision. Help! Thank you, Susan
P.S. I can send pictures if that is helpful – the cabinets and some appliances are in, the floor and backsplash are not.
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:52 am
Dear Tom,
I have several peices of granite of differnt grades and makes. The size of the peices vary but typically are 6 inches by 9 inches. The sides of the peices are all rough from being hand cut with hammer and chissel.
My question is can you recomend a sealant that I can apply to the rough edges to keep small sand size peices of granite from falling off of the granite peices. I was also looking for a sealent that when dried will give a wet look to the sides of granite.
Thank You
Daniel
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:07 pm
In need of some expert advice. About 4 months ago we got the Granite Blue in the night installed. They sealed it and so did we. I was later told it was actually anorthosite and anorthosite doesn’t need sealing. The problem is we have ring marks on the counter from our ice cold water glasses. Once we noticed the problem we discontinued doing that which was about 3 monts ago. We were told the water marks would go away after time but they still have not. I’ve tried taking off the sealer with Acetone but that didn’t change anything. I don’t know how to get rid of these ugly ring marks, please help. Thank you.
February 7th, 2010 at 9:27 am
Hi Tom! Thanks for doing this website-it is a great service! I am trying to choose granite that will complement my kitchen/style. I have honey oak raised panel cabinets that will be painted a creamy color with mocha glaze and we’re adding additional raised panels to ends of cabinets, double crown, extra trim etc. Have an oil rubbed bronze faucet. My floors are honey oak. Family room is open to the kitchen/breakfast area. Kitchen/breakfast room is 15.5 x 20.5 with large picture window/french door in b. room and medium window over sink in kitchen, with a southern exposure. We have a southern traditional style brick home–I have antiques and some transitional type furniture. Also have bookcases/mantel fireplace that are cream color in FR. The kitchen is U shaped with a peninsula that is 96″ X 40 (we’re making a 10-12 inch overhang. We need rougly 70 SF. Fabricator is going to work with 2 slabs. Live in Atlanta area, and there seems to be lots of colors. http://www.glmarble.com is one place we’ve looked. I have been looking at Geriba Beach, Juperana Classico, Golden Beach, Andorra, Golden Persa etc. I like the warm tones with some movement, but don’t want to get too crazy. I’m thinking of painting my walls a mocha color in the kitchen. Also know I shouldn’t go too gold, but am afraid of too much taupe with the natural oak floors. What do you suggest? Thanks so much for this service. Am happy to donate. Feel free to suggest other colors than I’ve mentioned.
February 7th, 2010 at 11:28 am
golden volcano is the granite of choice 1 to 10 its a 6 putting on a 10 foot wide kitchen island bar in kitchen ,not sure of 2cm or 3 cm cost of 3 cm is much more contractors says 2cm will be fine , CONFUSED
February 8th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I am interested in Pine Green granite and would like to have it in an “antique” or sometimes called “leathered” finish. I really think polished granite would not work well in my rustic kitchen with pine cabinets. My question: Is it possible to add lustre to the antiqued finish. Will sealing it more often bring out more of a sheen on the surface?
Many thanks,
Pamela
February 9th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
Dear Tom,
I just had several long slabs of beautiful 3cm dark red Quartzite installed over lower cabinets. I was warned that certain edge detail could chip the stone, so I was offered either an eased edge or a Cove-du-Pont edge. I chose the multi step Cove-du-Pont edge, as it was more decorative. When the stone was delivered, I noticed that the edge detail was extremely wavy. The fabricator agreed explained that Quartzite has soft and hard spots that causes this irregularity in the edge detail. They took the stone back to their shop and through manual polishing or hand applied fabrication, were able to get the edges straitened out to an acceptable level or about 90%. The issue now is that after installation, I noticed that the edge is not really the same color. It’s pink in color and lost it’s deep red color like the flat top portion. It’s very pale looking. Also the edge detail looks very flat with no where near the shine the top portion of the slab gives off. Can the AGER stone enhancer I’ve seen you recommend help with this? I noticed also that there are a lot of pores in the edge detail. I also read some where that Quartzite slabs should not be cut with a decorative edge detail, but receive an eased edge as the only option. Thoughts?
February 11th, 2010 at 10:53 am
We are doing a total redo of our kitchen – taking down a wall. The kitchen is about 10 by 20 and will have a 3 by 8 island. We are looking at gerbia granite or typhoon bordeaux. We are having a painted maple island with a glaze. We are having medium to dark Cherry cabinets in the rest of the kitchen and I don’t know what stain to use or how dark to go with those granites. The floor will be a wood floor – light if I go with dark cabinets and darker if I go with light cabinets. What is your opinion about those two granite colors and what stain would you use on the cherry cabinets? Our house is a traditional salt box colonial and the cabinets are shaker style. Thank you.
February 13th, 2010 at 7:17 am
how do i tell white carrara marble from other white marbles of similar look?
February 16th, 2010 at 6:43 am
Hi Tom,
We are in the process of remodeling a small U-shaped kitchen with a peninsula (11′ x 10′ x 11) and need some help selecting granite.I was hoping to get some suggestions. We are having custom cherry cabinets (natural finish) in a traditional style – raised, rectangular panel. We will be running medium oak flooring from the dining room into the kitchen. Lighting in the kitchen is pretty good – a 3′ window (facing North) in the middle of the 10′ wall, and an east-facing skylight in the vaulted ceiling. We will be keeping our current newer but WHITE appliances – fridge, free-standing range, microwave and dishwasher. Our tastes tend to be restrained – earth tone decorating scheme, and lots of natural wood and hand-crafted decorations (quilts, pottery, etc.) We’d like the kitchen to be comfortable – ‘understated but elegant’ would be nice. We have looked at a couple of granite options and are confused. We saw a nice slab of Madura Gold – it had some nice movement in part of the slab that would work on the peninsula, and more standard patterning on the rest of the slab that would work on the counterops. We also saw a granite called “Golden Fusion” – lighter, with lots of gold and mica that gave some sparkle. For a darker countertop, Tan Brown matches the cherry nicely. but I don’t know how that would work in a small kitchen with white appliances. If you could give us suggestions, we’d be most grateful!
Thanks,
Dan and Lynne Ellis
February 16th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Hello Tom, I just stumbled on your site. How wonderful to have you and your knowledge! We live in southern Ca., not far from the beach, in what’s called a tall and skinny home. Our kitchen is on the second floor and small (8×12), not alot of light, has a window above the sink. The kitchen looks into the dining room, that looks into the living room. Kitchen and dining room have low ceilings, living room has a high ceiling and a reddish brick fireplace. There are med.light honey hardwood floors throughout. We’re gutting the kitchen and already have chosen antique white cabinets with a heirloom opaque finish,Bianco Romano granite and stainless steel appliances. We didn’t want drk granite as it made the kitchen look so dark. We want a tile floor and backsplash. Any ideas? We somewhat like a light sage green color for a backsplash with some biscuit color, but cannot decide on the floor? Thank you kindly and we’ll donate to the children. Elissa
February 18th, 2010 at 8:12 am
WE ARE DOING A COMPLETE KITCHEN REMODEL. WE WILL HAVE CUSTOM BUILT RAISED PANEL MAHOGANY CABINETS. WE WILL HAVE A WALL OF CABINETS ON ONE SIDE OF ROOM WITH A PENINSULA THAT WILL HAVE BAR STOOLS. ON THIS WALL WE WILL BE INSTALLING GRANITE. ON THE OTHER WALL WE WILL HAVE MAHOGANY COUNTERTOP, LIKE A BUILT IN HUTCH. OUR FLOORS WILL BE RED OAK HARDWOOD. WE WILL HAVE A 4 INCH TILE BACKSPLASH. I AM HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME PICKING MY GRANITE COLOR. WE ORIGINALLY WERE LOOKING FOR TYPHOON BORDEAUX. WHEN WE WENT TO SEE THE GRANITE SLAB IT LOOKED NOTHING LIKE THE SAMPLE IN SHOWROOM OF FABRICATOR. WE THEN LOOKED AT SIENNA BORDEAUX. THESE COLORS VARY SO MUCH AND ARE HARD TO FIND AT OUR LOCAL SUPPLIERS. I HAVE NOW PLACED WHITE SPRING SLABS ON HOLD. I LOVE THE MOVEMENT AND THE COLORS IN THIS SLAB. IT HAS BLACK, CREAMY WHITE, A LITTLE RED BROWN SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT AND EVEN A LITTLE BROWNISH TONES IN THE VEINING, AND A LITTLE GOLD. WHEN WE PLACED OUR MAHOGANY DOOR SAMPLE UP TO THE SLAB IT REALLY PULLED SOME OF THE COLORS OUT. I BROUGHT A SMALL SAMPLE OF THE WHITE SPRING HOME AND MY ONLY CONCERN IS, WILL IT BE TOO WHITE WHEN IT IS INSTALLED? IT IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL SLAB. I HAVE SEEN SOME SLABS OF THIS GRANITE THAT I DID NOT LIKE, BUT THIS ONE IS VERY PRETTY. WE NOW HAVE WHITE APPLIANCES, BUT ARE CONSIDERING CHANGING THEM. COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME!!! THANK YOU, KAREN
February 20th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Hi Tom,
I’m so grateful to have come across this site. What a gift! Too bad I didn’t find this site during my bathroom remodel : )
I have a very small odd shaped kitchen (A U shaped broken up by an entry door-the sink to fridge are on an L Path and opposite to the fridge I have a freestanding oven with two cabinets encasing it-which gives it a galley kitchen feel) and am planning a remodel. I like the warm and earthy tones and am planning on getting simple shaker vanilla stained cabinets. My appliances are white, but I am having a hard time picking the right granite, backsplash and floor combos. I was thinking of oil rubbed bronze knobs and faucets with a tumbled stone or travertine backsplash. I was thinking of adding in with a thin brown mosaic line to balance the design.
Then for the granite, I like something light as I think the darker tones will overpower the small space. So far I am leaning toward gerbia beach, but am not sure if that is the best choice. I also like white honey, but that is way out of my budget and wondered what you would suggest. For the floors, I am thinking to play off the backsplash for balance.
I look forward to your reply.
February 23rd, 2010 at 4:14 pm
We’re having a travertine backsplash installed soon. It’s 3×6 tiles with a decortant accent (meshed 12×12 cut into 4 x12) of travertine & glass tiles that are 1×4s. We were told to choose 1/8 non-sanded grout. Is that right? Also, when and what do we do to seal it for stains and water protection. If we choose to use an enhancer, when is it applied? I really want to do this right the first time. Thanks so much.
Elaine
February 23rd, 2010 at 6:52 pm
We had marron cohiba granite installed in the kitchen, it was sealed at installation. A glass was left on the counter for a few hours that had grape juice on the bottom, now there is a ring left on the counter. It is mostly noticeable at night when light reflects off of it. I also noticed another ring left from the coffee decanter. I tried mild dish soap and water, this helped a little. I was under the impression this was a dense stone that was more difficult to scratch or stain. Was it sealed properly? Or are we to live with stains and straches?
February 24th, 2010 at 11:08 am
Thanks for your blog, answers, and support to World Vision! We have a 18′ x 12′ kitchen – done in galley style, one wall with two large pantry cabinets, refrig, counter, stove, and pennisula. The 12′ wall hosts the side of the cabinets and an east window. The remaining (south) wall has cabinets, d/w, large s/s farm sink and door to patio. There’s a 5′ long window above the d/w and sink area – so plenty of light. The kitchen opens up to a family/dining room with plenty of windows as well. All appliances are stainless. The cabinets are Medallion’s Mackinaw in Knotty Alder with a Natural Burnish Glaze. (Basically a raised center panel, square, with simple square drawer fronts…and not so basic – a great crown). The rest of the house contains a lot of wood, some heavy timbers, rustic cabin. The flooring will be wood – something that looks like it’s lived with the traffic we’ll put it through (the house use to be a barn, and more than occasionally gets treated like one). These rooms are currently painted a light yellow – Behr’s “informal ivory”. So…what would you suggest for a countertop and backsplash? Thanks for your help!!
February 24th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Hi Tom,
We are renovating our kitchen and are on the hunt for granite. Found a beautiful stone and love the variations and colors, but there seems to be several cracks throughout each slab. The name is mascarello. Is this typical of this stone or perhaps just this particular lot? Should we look for the same stone elsewhere or will they all have this problem? Maybe it is not even as big a problem as I am making it out to be. What, if anything, can you tell me about this particular type of granite?
Thank you!
Debbie
February 25th, 2010 at 7:00 am
Tom,
I am looking at green granites such as Pocono Green, Butterfly Green and Uba Tuba. I love the colors, but the glitzy look and reflectivity of the polished granite worries me. I’ve heard about less glossy finishes like ’satin’, ‘leather’, ‘antique’, and ‘honed’, but it seems that these may compromise the rich appearance of the stone and possibly also the performance. Worse yet, I’m told that I cannot know in advance what the piece will look like because the non-polished surface will have to be prepared at the source–I cannot choose my pieces from a stone yard in the way I can polished granite. Do you see any solution here? Also, I plan a light-colored wall/backsplash to set off colorful decorative tiles that go well with the green granite: what wood finishes for kitchen cabinetry would you recommend to complement the granite counter tops? Thanks for your help.
Lana Cable
February 27th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Tom,
We are in need of help picking out a granite color. We have dark walnut with some red tone cabinets. The applicances are white and the tile is a light taupe. There is a free standing bar/sink area. In front of this bar is our family room which has medium dark wood floors. I’m having a hard time figuring out what color goes with white applicances and darker cabinets.
I am attaching links to photos below.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9418154@N08/4393450945/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9418154@N08/4393450931/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9418154@N08/4393450937/
March 1st, 2010 at 10:46 am
Hi,
I am looking at changing my old (pinkish!) formica countertops with granite. The kitchen/dining room area is painted yellow. The floor in the dining room is a 3 1/4 in white oak hardwood and the kitchen has a light beige porcelain tile which doesn’t have alot of color variation from tile to tile. The cabinets are a light oak which seem to have taken on an orange hue (or maybe I am just noticing it now). The appliances are stainless steel or stainless steel and black. The whole area is rather small. The dining room gets more light from the sliding glass door then the kitchen does but I wouldn’t consider either dark by any means.
My original thought was to go with a granite in the brown family but I don’t want to highlight the orangeness of the cabinets so I am not sure this is a good choice. Any ideas? Ideally I would love to scrap the cabinets but I don’t think that is an option at this point.
The hallway leading to the dining room is painted a historical color green from Benjamin Moore (prescott green I think) and the living room is painted a historical tan/beige (carrington beige). The kitchen/dining room, front hall and living room make up the whole downstairs of the house so I included those colors in my description. The floors in those rooms are the white oak hardwood. Any help would be appreciated
March 1st, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Tom here I ago again with another email but I did forget to mention in my last one that I was also considering two other granites called Seafoam green or costa esmeralda along with the one I mentioned being Juparana Vyara.. and to ask what type of edging you would suggest. And do you know of any good fabricators in seattle, washington or close to that area? So sorry to not have included this in my first email which I just sent.
Janice Hopson
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:10 am
Tom
I am remodeling my home and have completely redesigned the kitchen, removing walls to make the kitchen and living area open to each other. The living area has oak flooring (refinish color to TBD). Kitchen floor tile TBD. I will have stainless appliances with the exception of having a black gas on glass cooktop installed on a peninsula/ bar which will be flat across as of now. The new cabinets are maple with a chestnut stain. I do like the juparana_bronze, arandis, cafe_imperial. There is a north facing window above the separate counter with a sink which does not provide a lot of light until late afternoon. I do plan on installing skylight to brighten things up.
Where do I start? Stainless, black and chestnut are the only absolutes at the moment.
Thanks
Eric
March 8th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Hi Tom,
Have you heard anything with respect to the strength of Antique Brown. Is it one of the weaker granites? Or, is it still durable to have in my kitchen and breakfast bar (overhang). I don’t want to have it installed and find that I am experiencing problems with cracking.
Your assistance is greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
March 9th, 2010 at 8:52 am
We are building a home with carmel java stained maple cabinets and were thinking of selecting Geriba for the granite and Tortoise Shell glossy glass tile for the backsplash. The other choice was Giallo Fiorito and tumblestone backsplash which was nice but I’m looking for a “new” look. Any suggestions?
March 11th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Tom
We had new Santa Venetia granite, from Arizona Tile, counter tops installed two years ago. Recently we have noticed considerable darkening of the granite in areas that were normally wiped down during meal cleanup. The areas around canister sets, toaster, etc. are still the original shade. There is a raised section of the bar that is also original color and does not get cleaned often. The installer said to use water and dishwashing soap to cleanup and that is what my wife did. She used Plamolive dishwashing liquid. After she finished washing the dishes she used the soapy dishwater from the sink to clean the countertop.
The granite was sealed three times in the two years, I believe with Dupont sealer, I no longer have the bottle. The installer, a rep from Arizona Tile and a granite/marble repair company rep have all looked at it and have all said they have never seen anything like it and offer no suggestions to lighten it. I have tried several cleaners including Dupont HD granite cleaner, test poltices with cleaner and acetone, even poltice of soda all to no avail. I have managed to craze the surface a little but that is not what I want.
I believe there has been a reaction between the soap or remaining grease in the dishwater with the sealer or the resin impregnation material installed by the factory, if there is any. This is also not caused by light as the areas most exposed to light are still original color.
We love the original color but not the darkened shade. What can I do to return the granite to its original shade?
Thanks
Glynn
March 12th, 2010 at 1:03 am
I am looking at using various different colored granites throughout my home. I have decided to use Juparana Columbo in my kitchen and Juparana Sierra, Golden Juparana, Golden Fantasy, and Typhoon Bord in the bathrooms. Are you familiar with these granites and can you rate them for strength, porousness, and durability? Your help would be greatly appreciated, as I do not want to chose a granite that is prone to problems because it is too soft.
Many thanks,
Buffie
March 13th, 2010 at 8:32 am
I need color help, please. Our kitchen cabinets are honey colored with raised panels – very traditional. Our main challenge is a brick wall from the reverse side of our fire place – a reddish pink brick with dusty pink grout. The entire kitchen was terribly pink with pink laminate counters and pink tile, too! The tile and counter tops will be gone, but we’ll still have the brick to contend with, and it is adjacent to the main counter top.
I’ve found slabs of Bordeaux that look great with both the brick/grout and the cabinets – and I love the dramatic red color with areas of cream and black in my fairly large, open kitchen with black appliances. But I have concerns since this is the one variety of granite that seems to be most problematic as far as radon. I plan to try to measure this at the granite slab place, but so you have any other suggestions of colors that will complement the pink grout, rather than make it stick out like a sore thumb. We really don’t want to have a pink kitchen again, if possible. I’m most drawn to granite with lots of movement.
March 14th, 2010 at 7:20 am
I love white delicatus granite. But my kitchen has light 10 ft away and I want to know if you can suggest what color cabinets that would make this granite great. I don’t want white and also don’t want the kitchen dark. I love the beautiful granite and would like a contrast . thnkyou very much
March 15th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Best choice of granite for my kitchen -
15 year old honey oak cabinets – cathedral raised panel.
Bruce oak floors that pretty much match the cabinets:
We are looking at :
Versus
Namib Gold
Golden Persa
Soverign Cooper
Do these all go and is one better than the others? We don’t want to go with something too dark.
March 17th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Hello Tom,
I have a few questions for you about the granite I’ve finally choosen. To make a long story short, I’m a marbe countertop lover trying to embrace the granite countertop thing. My husband just can’t live with the “personality quirks” of marble and I can’t live with hearing about them for the next 50yrs
So, after a year of stalking every granite yard in a 50 mile radius, I finally found a granite that I think I can live with. It’s called Titanium Black and it is quite lovely. It is new to the fabricator that I am using, so they do not have any samples for me to take home and test. I can’t really find any info about it online so I am hoping to pick your brain about it. Do you know anything about this granite (ie- it’s durability, staining/scrathcing issues or any other “personality quirks” it may have)?
The next question I have is about the overhang for our island. We will have an island measuring 117in x37.5in There will be two 24in base cabinets and a built in undercounter fridge below supporting the granite. We will have an 8in overhang at both ends of the island and a 13.5in overhang for stools along the back. Our fabricator (who is VERY reputable) says that the 13.5in overhang does not need support beneath it. When I asked if it would “eventually crack and fall off” he giggled and said that if anything grainte starts to “lift off” at the front of the cabinet. Is this correct?
Any advice you have will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for your time
Peace
Marcea Roy
March 19th, 2010 at 5:35 am
Hello, Tom. I have a 15 x 42 ft. great room, faces north. Butterscotch hardwood floors, walls gold and color scheme is gold and burgundy. L-shape kitchen is part of the room, and has antique white raised panel cabinets- house is a traditional salt-box style. Stainless steel and black appliances. Around the brick fireplace, the hearth area has Indian slate tiles. Also, my table between kitchen area and seating area is a farmhouse table with maple top and merlot-colored chairs and legs.
A 6 1/2 ft. two- tier island will be installed. Overall kitchen area in Great room is 15 x 18 ft. My choices are either a painted merlot color, stay with antique white, or select oak(have a lot of oak furniture). I am stumped as to granite selections for each. I would like to incorporate 4×4 Indian slate tiles in backsplash to tie room together, but can omit if not a good idea. And, one granite selection or two?
Have contemplated also selecting granite for island only, and putting a solid surface on perimeter- thoughts on that? Thanks for your assistance!
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:19 pm
I have dewormy maple cabinets,early american hardwood floors, cranberry brown granite tops. What is a good backsplash color to use?
March 25th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Hi back Tom..
I’ve emailed several times so I am making another donation for your great cause and for all your help. I’ve narrowed my decisions down to three granites and I’ll be emailing you photos of my kitchen as it looks today before the remodel. I’m also sending photo’s of a cherry cabinet (not the one’s I’m having installed as they will be shaker cabinets with natural cherry finish.. the one I have for photo’s serve the purpose as to the color) along with my three choices. I love all three granites for different reasons.. the Arandis as it is warm (although the sample I have seems a bit muddy looking) and the two greens .. The Costa Esmeralda is so pretty but the Typhoon green seems upbeat so to speak with flecks of red. I’m hoping by sending you photo’s of my kitchen you will get a better idea of what will look the best as I can’t seem to visualize what it will look like completed. I can also email you the pictures I took of the two slabs of Aranidis if that will help. As you can tell I’m having such a hard time making a firm decision as it will cost so much and I don’t want to make a mistake. Decorating is hard for me needless to say
You mentioned I should get a stainless steel sink. I’m loving the granite composite ones by swanstone but I’d have to get the off white color. Do you think that would work or should I stick to buying a stainless steel sink? My new faucet iwill be brushed stainless
I would also appreciate your recommendations for a backsplash or tile for whatever granite you think would work best. I think I’m afraid of making a mess of this project so I’m very thankful your available to help so much..
Janice Hopson
March 26th, 2010 at 8:37 am
Hello Tom. We are preparing to replace our laminate countertops with granite in a large combined kitchen/great room. The room gets an over abundance of natural light with two standard windows, a sliding door to the deck, and floor-to-ceiling windows across the entire west wall. The room is 540 sq ft and the floor is a commercial black rubber tile, made by Roppe. It’s 12 x 12 squares with raised circles on it. The kitchen area has L-shaped cabinets with an island. The island has three surface areas. The back side of the island has the sink, dishwasher and a work surface and the front side (facing the living area) has an elevated eat-at counter, the third surface is slightly lower (2 inches) than the sink level on one end of the island and has a double-tower beer tap. (My husband is a retired professional brewer and does home brewing now as hobby). The cabinets are alder with a light color stain that has darkened somewhat overtime to look a bit like a honey oak stain. They have square raised panel doors and cream colored ceramic knobs. (Maybe the cabinet knobs should be replaced??) All appliances are stainless steel. The backsplash is alternating black and white 4 x 4 inch tiles. Walls are white throughout entire room. My original thought was a granite primarily black, but was concerned with the black floor that this could be too dark. Also have read several of the other concerns with black granites. Other than the black and white tiles, I have used red as an accent color for pendant lights over island and small countertop appliances, etc. Any advice regarding granite color/edge choice would be greatly appreciated. THANKS!
March 26th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Hello Tom,
Thank you so much for your help. I only wish I had found your site sooner. Next week we will begin a complete kitchen makeover.
We have designed a U-shaped kitchen with a diagonal peninsula coming off of one side of the U – would that be a G shape? The side of the U that joins the diagonal pensula is open to our family room. In effect, we have one segment of our kitchen that will be a long pensula that turns a diagonal corner in the middle . The “straight” segment of the countertop is approximately 7′ (before the the 45 degree turn.) After turning the diagonal corner, the length of the diagonal pensula is approx. 9′. (These measurements are on the outside of the countertop. The inside measurement is different because of joining the middle section of the U.) The width of the counter top is 40″. The sink will be approximately centered on the “straight” side & this section will have an over-hang for a bar. The 45 degree section will be countertop space only .
Our flooring will be a light golden tan porcelain tile that has a travertine look without a lot of color variation. ( American Olean Amiata Giallo – however, it doesn’t look like the photo on-line) Our cabinets will be a traditional style medium dark cherry. Our appliances are black. The overall style of our home is traditional with english old world accents.
Selecting granite is one of our last decisions in the design. In the beginning of planning I saw so many granite slabs I liked, I thought it would be a piece of cake to choose one. Now because of the layout of the cabinets, I’m realizing that we’ll have to have several seams , at least one on the peninsula. So now, I’m wondering if it would be wise to vary the cabinet height along the diagonal section to avoid having too many seams.
Also, I’m wondering if it would be wise to select a granite that has more “splotches or waves.” I know I’d like a granite that is distinctive, but is still able to turn the 45 degree corner & look great. I love the colors in Spectrus, golden thunder, & even purple dunes. But, I’m wondering if they’d look too contempory & be difficult to keep the direction of flow going around the G shape kitchen.
I’ve seen several other granite patterns that I like but I’m not as sure about the colors.- Genesis (in just a few slabs) that have the right color shades, Golden crystal ( when it doesn’t have too much rust or gray) Oxford gold ( a little peach for the floor,) Golden diamond, mascarello – both have alot of rust.
I live in Orange county, ca & have access to several large granite yards. It’s so much fun to look, but now as time is nearing to make a decision, I realize I need help. This is not as easy as I had thought. I appreciate your expertise & guidance.
I just discovered your website today, & I’m writing in a frenzy hoping I’ll hear from you in the next week. I don’t know what your turn-around time is, but demo begins on Monday for us. Very soon, I’ll have to let the cabinet maker know if we want to vary the height of cabinets on the long pensula to help with the granite layout. Also, your help with granite color & pattern would be great. Thank you so much for your help.
Sincerely,
Judy Poutsma
March 28th, 2010 at 11:50 am
Engineer-brained couple avoiding the clown look.
I’ve stumbled across your site when trying to decide on granite counters for our kitchen remodeling, and I find your advice to be world class.
My wife and I are both engineers, so both of us are bringing ‘left-brain’ (or whichever is less helpful) to the design/choice situation. Our remodeler is pretty good, and has left the granite selection wide open to us since we have to live with it.
I stumbled upon a neighbor’s kitchen recently, and loved their counters — arandis gold. It has been hard to find, and now when I mix it in with the cabinets — all in powerpoint
— I’m not so sure it is right. We’ve toyed with simple galaxy black, but not sure about that either.
Lighting, focal pointedness (engineering term LOL), and basic style obviously (as you have taught me) all play important aspects of stone coloring choice — unless one likes the clown look.
Our kitchen is a simple L with an island and opposing counter. The island will have a granite table that extends from it at a lower and normal table level.The cabinets are Omega Dynasty creme colored (Alma Caramel) and the caramel is a glaze accent in recesses. The appliances are stainless and gunstock brown oak hardwood floors. The sink will be an undercounter double bowl stainless with no remarkable features or bumpouts. Our home is a center hall colonial, that we consider casual or modern colonial inside and out. The kitchen exposure is to the west, so morning light is limited. While granite can be exciting to experience, we’d like to see the counter blend perfectly rather than draw attention to it. Not into a lot of movement or the mottled spotty look of granite (which is what made arandis so appealing). The full tile backsplash is not picked yet, since it will complement the cabinet and counters. The wall color is also not decided although, although there is not much wall in the kitchen except where is leads out into the family room. My wife tends to go with various shades of white
although pant color will again complement the cabinets, counter, tile backsplash….
Here is a link to a few pics of our kitchen today with cabinets in place. The floor is covered with masonite to protect the hardwoods. These are views I made to play with the arandis and black looks as well as some counter corners.
http://www.fileupyours.com/view/281649/Slide2.jpg
thanks! – Andrew M.
Great Falls, VA
March 28th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Dear Tom,
We are replacing our countertops, cabinets and appliances. We have a light blue-gray ceramic stone floor and have removed the wallpaper, so our wall is a blank canvas at this point. Our eat-in kitchen with a bay window measures 10 x 16 and the U-shaped kitchen is partially open to our 14 x 14 den. Our kitchen bay window and den back door and window are on the north side with a newly installed covered patio. (It has 3 sky lights, but the kitchen and den did not benefit like we had hoped). These areas are considerably darker now.
We have chosen raised panel cherry cabinets with a fireside (medium) finsh and originally chose Brown Tan granite but are questioning our decision because of our lack of natural light. We need help in making this decision. The cabinet sample looks good with the granite sample. We are having under cabinet lighting installed which should help but we are not sure. Could you suggest a lighter even patterned granite or do we need a darker color for contrast with the light colored floor? The cabinets are being made so that choice is final.
The small area in our eat-in kitchen is our only dining area so we do not want it to have a cave like feel. The bay window has a custom valance that I want to incorporate into the kitchen for the color scheme- Pinks, purples, tan. Our style is traditional. We want stone /tile between the counters and the counter top. We know it needs to be light colored and we like a mixture of diamond and square tile but not sure about the shade. We want to incorporate the color of the floor to bring the look together but not sure how to accomplish this if we change to a lighter colored granite.
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Many Thanks,
Linda Haney
March 29th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
What color should I paint my walls if my floor is red tile, counter top black granite withspecks of gold and my faucets are oil rubbed bronze?
March 29th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Hi Tom,
We are updating our 1939 Tudor Revival house with a complete kitchen renovation. We hope it will be our last kitchen renovation and are eager to make choices that are timeless, traditional, beautiful, and durable for our family of four.
Our house has walnut woodwork, a Gothic front door, and paneled doors. The new kitchen will have inset custom cabinets painted a creamy white (Sherwin-Williams Dover White), oak floors, and stainless steel appliances. Three of the cabinets will have glass doors with Gothic muntins, to echo the leading on our front door.
I have found a granite I love: Pan Gold, at my local stone yard. Unfortunately I can’t find any pictures on the web showing how it looks when installed; they tell me it’s a newer granite. I can send you a picture if that would be helpful.
I have a slab on hold, but haven’t purchased it yet. It is polished.
The granite will be used for all the counters except the island countertop, which will be hard maple stained to match the walnut woodwork and sealed as if it were a table. The island does not have a sink or cooktop on it. The sink will be undermount stainless steel.
Because there is very little wall space in the kitchen (the cabinets will go up to the coffered ceiling), the backsplash color becomes even more important.
I’ve found a 3×6 gold marble subway tile, Konstanze’s Gold, that I like very much with the granite chunks in my house.
When I took the tile samples to the granite warehouse, however, they didn’t look fantastic next to the vertical slab.
I’m interested in your thoughts on Pan Gold, other warm, goldish granites you would recommend, and backsplash choices. I am trying to create a white kitchen that is warm, beautiful, and neutral but not boring.
At this point, the cabinet paint, granite, and backsplash can all be changed if necessary.
Thanks so much for your help and advice.
Tamara
March 29th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
I forgot to mention that one seam will be necessary on a long (139″) run of the granite counter. How noticeable will it be with this Pan Gold granite? Thanks again.
(Also, if you could not publish my last name, I would appreciate it. Thank you.)
March 30th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Hi Tom, I think we have finally decided on Peacock Green for our granite in our kitchen. We are keeping our cabinets. They are a light maple color and for the floor we are going to put in tile. We are thinking of a dark tile, it looks almost like marble. It is called Verde Alpi. Was then going to put in a light colored tile for the back splash. We get a lot of light in our kitchen. It is about 300 sq.ft. What is your thought on that combo.
April 2nd, 2010 at 10:27 am
Dear Tom,
I would like to get your advice on selection of the granite countertop. The total area of the counter top is about 80sf and it is uneven U shaped. The appliances are either stainless steel or black color. The floor is light yellow Bruce. Because our budget is tight, we are looking for the price tag below $45/sf including the installation. Now the questions are:
1. In the low price end, what do you recommend for the color and brand?
2. LOWES has tow colors of SENSA stone (Luna Pearl, Tuscany Brown) for only $39/sf. Is it a good deal? Which color do you recommend to fit my kitchen better?
3. What do you think SENSA’s quality compared with other stones, especially their 15 yr warranty on the seal?
4. Does a particular brand or source of granite have relative low radiation?
5. Where do you recommend shopping for granite countertop, LOWES or smaller local companies?
Greatly appreciate for your advice!
Thanks,
Meng
April 5th, 2010 at 5:01 am
Tom
we installed uba tuba garnite over white cabinets and white 16 x 16 white tile
the problem is the backsplash any ideas ? we would like to do tile.
thanks
April 5th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Hi Tom,
I need help selecting granite for a color-complicated area and would appreciate your opinion.
Our 12-year old custom home is undergoing updating of surfaces, including the kitchen. The kitchen and the TV room are immediately adjacent, effectively giving us one large, rectangle-shaped room. So colors in both rooms need to be explained.
The granite needs to harmonize with several types of interior hardwoods in an interior color setting that uses rich autumnal, harvest colors for accent. The exterior plays a role in that the kitchen/TV room has expansive western exposure with large windows. The setting of the house is on country acreage, with pastoral and wooded mountain views (good light and more natural colors).
Parenthetically, the kitchen has a peek-a-boo view of the adjacent dining room through an open doorway. This is important only because the dining room is painted marigold, with Art& Crafts burnished bronze lighting and the oiled, cherry mission dining set spills yellow warmth through the door into the kitchen.
The kitchen is defined by u-shaped countertop, with one leg of the U being a peninsula having a 12″ overhang.
The kitchen has stainless appliances. The floor is white oak with a clear, water-based finish. The cabinets throughout are white oak stained to resemble Stickley’s signature “Fayetteville” finish, which is a medium amber brown tone. The adjacent TV room is furnished with similar Stickley pieces. There some other Mission-style pieces built from striking medium-toned walnut. Soft seating in the adjacent TV room are avocado-colored leather. Artwork uses rich harvest colors of greens oranges, browns and gold over beige wool carpet. The TV room is anchored by a bold, floor to ceiling brick fireplace, some twelve feet across, having intricate design. This is the brick color:
http://www.mutualmaterials.com/Homeowner_detail.asp?pt_id=92&p_id=251&subarea=Colors&detail=56&detail2=543.
The brick causes the accent color on the west wall to be painted Benjamin Moore “Dinner Party”, which reminds me of a cabernet. Parenthetically, I never liked that wall, feeling the color needed tweaked some. My wife and her designer disagrees. The rest of the walls and the ceilings in the kitchen/TV room are painted a neutral Miller Devine “Macadamia Nut”.
Window casements and interior doors are painted white. My wife and her designer chose kitchen/TV room window coverings that have a white sheer behind the blind that can be lowered to mute sunlight, plus a blind in some natural grass or “reed-like” substance that is colored autumnal red/rust(muted). It ties the brick to the red accent wall fairly well.
Pendant lighting over the peninsula is burnished bronze in color in the Arts & Crafts style. Other lighting in the kitchen is recessed incandescent with under-counter halogens having warm bulbs.
Overall, the effect in the kitchen is warm, glowing woods of several species, comfortable, inviting rich autumnal colors with warm lighting, anchored by the fireplace and accent wall.
The avocado green seating surfaces may get switched out at some point, probably to a brown variant.
Granites that have caught our eye:
Santa Cecilia, if the particular slab is not too yellow. The burgandies in SC helps anchor other colors.
Giallo Ornamental would be too white, if it were not for the white millwork (and doors). Lately I have seen some GO that is not so whitish.
New Venetian Gold if it is not too yellow, and is antiqued or satin in finish.
Truthfully, we are in a bit of trouble and could use your practiced eye to help us identify likely granites. There is already enough going on in this average-sized space that we hesitate to use a bold or exotic variety. Neither can I warm to the monochromatic engineered stones that seem to be increasingly popular.
Help!
Many thanks,
John
April 8th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Hi Tom,
We are having a kitchen built and as you know it is hard to imagine all the colours coming together without seeing them in a large scale. Our kitchen will have lots of light and we are going to be going with a Red Oak Sable hardwood on the floors. We are having Benjamin Moore featherdown white for the cabinets, black appliances and bleeker beige wall colours (not too sure of a backsplash yet so maybe you qould help there too!). We have been given some standard choices by our builder regarding granite countertops. We are willing to pay extra for a countertop that works the best but obviously to not pay is ideal! The colour choices are: Uba Tuba, Giallo Antica, Tan Brown and New Caledonia.
Please help!
Thanks Lisa Cation
April 9th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Hi Tom!
Great advice! Thanks! Here’s our question:
We live in CT and are installing an outdoor kitchen near our pool. The materials in the kitchen are:
–stainless steel grill, under cabinet, fridge and side burner
–New England fieldstone for the facing (veins of black, white, gray and many shades of brown)
–gray, stamped concrete that looks like slate for the pool deck
Granite seems to be the best choice for the countertop. I am leaning toward a dark countertop to pick up the darker colors in the fieldstone. Brown looked too blah (blended too much with the fieldstone) and white too bright. I’ve also been thinking I want a honed finish so it’s more natural looking. So I brought home brushed black, ubatuba gold and black galaxy samples. They all look pretty good because the black turns into more of a charcoal-gray when honed, which I like a lot.
However, now I’ve read your posts about honed absolute black and I’m wondering if the ones I’ve chosen will have the same problems with finger printing and staining. It’ll be harder to keep on top of the care of the countertop outside, I’m figuring. I also wonder if the dark counter will be too hot (in the sun) to be functional as a countertop outside.
Please let me know your thoughts as to color choice (and if you recommend anything else), care and maintenance, and practicality of the materials and finish choice. Thanks so much! I can supply a picture if you’d like to see one.
Best regards,
Deirdre
April 10th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Would oro napoleon look good with white cabinets and stainless steel applicance. Does it give off a gold tone line new venetian gold?
April 11th, 2010 at 9:57 am
Our little brick rancher, 1200 ft2, was build in 1968. We have painted the living room and dining room Behr Tuscan Beige, a light greyish beige which I like a lot. We have redone the living and dining room floors with a knotty oak. I try to go for a sort of airy, simple, light look. We are now re-doing the kitchen, which is open to the dining room with a peninsula between them, with maple shaker-style cabinets, Shenandoah (from Lowes) Maple Spice, and the countertops are UbaTuba granite. Not sure whether I should just continue the paint color of Tuscan Beige into the kitchen, or use a more impactful or interesting color of some kind, like a grey or green. Don’t want blue or orange or anything too outlandish. And don’t want anything that will cut down too much on the light. And not sure how I would demarcate between the two rooms (in other words, where to stop one paint color and start another) if I did use a different color. Any thoughts or suggestions? Also thinking of a laminate or vinyl flooring–anything but wood-look. Thoughts? Thanks so much, enjoy your blog a lot. Judy
April 12th, 2010 at 4:02 am
I wrote a question yesterday and made a donation and then did some more reading of your blog. I read that you have seen problems with Uba Tuba granite (”riddled with natural fissures”) so now I’m wondering if I should go with some other color. I’m wanting to do the lowest price possible, which Uba Tuba was in that category. The granite comes with a 15-yr warranty; is that worth anything? Do you think I should pick another color? Do other colors in the lowest price category have problems? I was going to add that we are keeping our white appliances with our Maple Spice shaker-style cabinets. Other than the cabinets and the appliances, nothing else is “set in stone,” so to speak, yet. Thanks, Judy
April 13th, 2010 at 10:49 am
I would like to install kitchen countertops that are a very good replica of white marble. Do you know of a good stone/brand/manufacturer? I have been investigating CaesarStone. So far I have not found a source that resembles white marble with the grey veins. Any help you can offer me would be greatly appreciated. I live in the Atlanta, Ga. area. Thank you.
April 14th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Hi Tom.
We are not doing a total remodel just changing our countertops, Our house was built in 99′ so we currently have SSV and it has cracked of course they no longer make this product (wilsonart). My cabinets are stained a medium cherry with gloss finish with raised panels. Two of the cabinets have glass fronts. The kitchen has a small island, the appliances are currently white and I don’t plan on changing them. The walls are a taupe/latte color with white trim. The floors are tiled. They are not white or beige but somewhere in the middle maybe creme with a desgin in them ( can’t describe kinda like marble but they are not shiney and it is not real marble) with canvas grout. The back splash is made of the same tile with an inset tile that is a strange color, it’s not peach but its is lighter than terra cotta. I don’t want to have to change this but will if necessary. Thinking that it may be possible to stain the inset tiles to another color??? Not sure.. My original thought was to use Giallo Veneziano but I think that will only bring out more of the peachy color which I do not want. The other thought is Tropical Brown. Please let me know your thoughts. The rest if my home is traditional/old world with earth tones of browns, camel. sienna, barn red and a little slate blue. I love old world style. One day I would like to change the floors to wood or laminate so your imput on that would also be appreciated or at least take that in to account when giving color suggestions for granite.
Thanks so much for your help, I look forward to hearing from you. I plan on starting this next week. They got measurements today.
April 18th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
I am considering Cosmos (have also seen it called ‘Kosmos’) granite for my kitchen, which will also include an island with a 12″ overhang (no corbels).
I have asked many people about Cosmos granite and have received very diverse answers. Some say no problem in a kitchen, while some say not to use it in a kitchen. I have been told it will scratch easily – that it is a schist which is softer than other granites. I have also been told by one fabricator that he has a customer who had it installed about 3 years ago and that there is now some bubbling of the material around the sink – apparently due to the water around the sink and the resin used in the material.
I am also concerned about the softness of htis material not only due to the scratching potential but also because I am planning a 12″ overhang.
The Cosnmos colors would be perfect for my kitchen (cherry cabinets) but I am very worried about purchasing a problem material. Any input you or your readers can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much.
April 20th, 2010 at 4:58 am
Tom, I am installing 18\x18\ travertine tiles in a shower. Are there issues that I need to be concerned with? I have installed 1/2 thick concrete board (screwed), taped and mortared the joints. Wiith this size of tile, can it be adequately supported? What size of a grout line should be used and what about trowel notch size? Thanks
April 21st, 2010 at 7:29 am
Dear Tom:
We are getting Tuscany Gold granite countertops in our new kitchen and I was hoping you could recommend a good back splash to compliment the granite.
Thanks,
Patty
April 22nd, 2010 at 4:02 pm
I just had joya carerra marble counter tops installed in my kitchen last year. They called it a honed finish but there was a light polish to it which I like. Due to a sealing problem the installer came back to sand them down so I can reseal them. It is not going so well. Perhaps we are using the wrong grit sandpaper. I think he used 800 and 1800. Do you have any suggestions. Also, I am using miracle sealants, 500 porous plus. OK?
Thanks
April 26th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
Hi Tom,
I’ve been in a dilemma over granite color for months now. I have beautiful solid maple cabinets with a dark cherry stain, almost done with installation (I don’t know how to attach pics but can email some if you tell me) – they will get a small crown molding at the top. My floor is a ceramic tile that complicates my color scheme a bit – I originally wanted wood but due to having a dog and potential for kids, everyone talked me out of the hardwood idea. I loved the tile when I picked it but after installation realized it seems to clash with several granites. The tile has light gray, with some tiles dominated by tan-beige, and few reddish-brown flecks; it tends to look gray or tan depending on what it’s next to. I spent a lot on the cabinets and SS appliances so I am limited as to budget and I have been to half a dozen granite yards, some more than once. Even considering expensive colors I have always liked the tan brown granite, but I am afraid it will be too close to my cabinet color. I then found a great granite deal that fits my budget but there are only 7 colors to choose from. The ones I am trying to decide between are Tan Brown and Verde Labrador (other colors are cashmere white, uba tuba, tuna green, summer gold, and caledonia). What do you think? Looking at my kitchen photos (how do I send these to you?) am I totally off track? Would a totally different color look better? I really need some advice and hope to hear back soon! Guys for template are coming on Monday 5/3/10. Thanks! – Kasey Lacerda
May 1st, 2010 at 7:24 am
Hi, We are redecorating our kitchen which is open to the living. Just bought stainless steel appliances, have a neutral medium brown tile, ambertone tone shaker cabinets which are going to be glazed over with a deep chocolate brown. The walls are a sherwin williams artichoke -thinking about redoing to sw basil with a wall from dining sw mannered gold. My question is I am trying to find a granite with browns golds and creams exotic preferably. We looked a couple months ago and the slab I wanted was of course sold minsk bronze. We looked yeasterday at 4 slab places and I couldn’t find anything. Any suggestions? Thank you!
May 1st, 2010 at 7:27 am
Hi Tom, Forgot to add we have lots of light 2 kitchen windows in the nook, and 3 long windows in lkiving so dark is what I am looking forback of house faces east Thanks again for all your help!
Amy
May 4th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Hello, I have read your blog on and off for a while and have finally bought a house and we are remodeling the kitchen. We have just added golden acacia floors from Lumber Liquidators and are weighing cabinet/ granite options. We are considering dark brown cherry cabinets and a light granite or cream cabinets and a dark granite. The kitchen has an island which we’re considering a different granite for. Appliances are stainless steel. We’re thinking maybe Cafe Imperial or Autumn Harvest granite if we go with the cream cabinets with a Kashmir White island. We are not sure what granites will go with the darker cabinets and the fairly dark floors. We appreciate the assitance. Thank you!
May 11th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
We recently installed Travertine on our bathroom floor and shower. The Travertine seems to look cloudy and dull. I’ve read about Enhancers, but wanted to get your take on this. Do you recommend using an Enhancer to bring out the colors and remove the cloudiness? If so, what Enhancer would you recommend. The Travertine was called Alinda and is cream/gold tones in color.
Thanks
Tammy
May 14th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Hi Tom,
I am updating my kitchen and will have a knotty alder cabinet in a merlot finish that is shaker style. I will have stainless appliances and am not sure if I should go light or dark with my granite. My top choice is the surf green granite but am wondering what you think…
I also like azul cafe and giallo ornamental.. we have looked at seaweed green as well.
Thanks, Barbi
May 16th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Tom,
Hello! Always happy to donate to a good cause!
My husband and I are building a home and have made some interior selections, but I’m second guessing our granite choice. We were going for an old world/tuscan look. For tile in the kitchen we’re using Salerno SL83 (18×18) with a tumbled travertine called chiaro backsplash accented with a rust liner and 2×2 rust details (red fern rust). Our cabinets are knotty alder with a sq raised panel in a burnished walnut color. We’re looking at an old world stone decorative hood. The floor plan is open to the living area and there are is an island and a bar (I didn’t know if we could do a different color for the island (which is in between the bar and the back counter?)
We ended up going with tropic brown granite in the kitchen, but after looking at some pictures I’m not so sure. I also like the giallo veneziano but am not sure which will help us create the look we’re after. We are using the new venetian gold in our master bath and wanted to do something different in the kitchen area.
Thanks so much for all your help – it is MOST appreciated!
Regards,
Natalie Wiggins
May 17th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
I’m looking at vyara juparana. I’ve decided not to put it everywhere. Do you have a suggestion for something to put on the other countertops if we use vyara juparana on the island. Our cabinets are natural cherry and our floor is mirage oak. I just saw the request to send a donation to world vision. I’m attempting to do that right now.
Thanks again,
Susan Good
May 19th, 2010 at 8:18 am
We are redoing a master bathroom and are using Java colored cabinets with Wild West Green Granite tops. I am looking for a floor tile which will compliment this color combination – either with the greens or deep plum in the granite. Any suggestions – I plan on doing the wall paint choice once I have this problem worked out and will go either with the taupe/plum family or green.
May 19th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I’ve just begun looking at granite for replacement kitchen countertops. I have medium oak cabinets, white appliances and green ceramic tile floor. The floor tile is a medium shade that is more bluish than yellow in tone, with some variegation. I plan to replace the kitchen sink with stainless steel. The dark granite colors seem like they’d go better with the flooring, but I’m not so sure about it with the white appliances. I am concerned that the medium green granites will make the kitchen too green. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Peggy
May 21st, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Tom –
Redoing our horrible 80’s kitchen. It’s 11′ by 19′, but about 1/3 of the length of that space is taken up with a kitchen table and windows where counters can’t go. So we’re left with a square shape, two walls of which have counters, the sink and cook top. I figure about 40 sf of counter space all together. We’re having granite color and texture issues and cannot make up our minds about color. We live in San Francisco in a 1920’s house that has a lot of gum wood detail throughout, honey colored oak floors with a mahogony color parallel twin line detail around the edge, and a beautiful, I guess you’d call it craftsman style, fireplace surround that has tile images of California trees in greens, rust reds, yellows and browns. We have taken inspiration from those tiles. We are installing IKEA cabinets (Adel) in a beech color, which has a touch of pink or red to the wood. My husband is insisting on bamboo flooring (which is fine, we are a messy rambunctous family and would scratch other types of wood) but he wants it in a red stain, like a mahogany color that would pick up on the twin line detail throughout the rest of the house.
For countertop choices, we don’t like polished busy granite, but have been warned off quartz products due to toxins. I haven’t found anything that terrible about toxins in my internet research, but I still think we’ll go with natural stone because every time we go shopping I just love the look and feel of granite. But not busy granite. So today we saw a slab of Brown Antique in a honed finish that we both loved. I’m concerned about having a lot of brown in the kitchen. So I’m not sure that’s the right color for us. But the texture was beautiful. Not polished and shiny, but almost grey on the surface with very subtle movement underneath.
First, I don’t know about that color and whether we’d just end up with a big blah kitchen. The wall paint is Benjamine Moore Hilton Head White http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Benjamin-Moore-1107-Hilton-Head-Cream-p/mpc0005467.htm, and we’re thinking of having a 4″ back splash of the same granite as the countertop. Under the hood and above the cooktop I want to put in a solid piece of stainless steel, and then maybe have cream colored subway tiles above the 4″ backsplash, but that can wait until we see how it all looks. In addition to the granite color, I’m wondering whether the honed surface (a) stains easy, I saw other people talking about water stains and we are a hugely messy family with kids and dogs and a husband who is a maniac cook, and (b) is hard to clean? I saw some place else where they were saying a honed surface is not the best for countertops because it is harder to clean, but it is fine for a backsplash. We just don’t like that really shiny look of polished granite. The honed is much softer and better for us.
Thanks very much. I already sent the paypal donation.
Alison & Don
May 22nd, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Hi Tom
We came across your website while researching granite and it is wonderful to see you share your experience in this way. We’ll drop a donation shortly.
We are looking to remodel our rather outdated kitchen. We have I guess a U shaped floorplan with an island in the middle. We plan to use off white cabinets in the “U” and the island in a dark wood stain. We have a brazilian cherry floor. We liked River White at first and found a great subway tile that went with it, but was a little concerned about the movement across the stone, we think we can addres it in fabrication. On what feels like the opposite end of the spectrum we saw seafoam, which we liked as well but think it might be a little too green, it made the cabinets “pop” but not sure about tile etc -
Curious to get your thoughts on:
Maintenance between the two options – I can send pictures of both if this helps
Suggestions on another color?
Have you seen River White done in kitchens? It doesn’t not seem to be as common as seafoam, which can be good/ bad.
Suggestions on edges ?- perhaps something to catch water?
We tend to like things simple, warm and inviting.
Since this is our first major remodel I am not sure what else to consider.
Thanks in advance, Erica
May 22nd, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Our house remodel is almost finished except for the granite decision and it is literally making us crazy!!! Appliances are stainless, tile is Travertine Classico, cabinets are a canvas/buttercream with brown edge glaze. Our new kitchen now opens wide (14 ft) to a vaulted ceiling, double french door family room with lots of natural light. The natural light flows a great deal into the kitchen, but the actual kitchen has no windows. We hope to put columns on the sides of this large opening from kitchen to family room. We want to keep the kitchen light with subdued elegance. So now the granite….we started with picking Delicatus Gold, then Namib Gold, then Juparano Persa Original, then Juparano Fantasy (husband’s favorite), then Chocolate Bordeaux, then Lapidus Dark (husbands choice). We don’t want something that’s completely washed out, but not an unsightly contrast either. HELP!!!!
Can you also suggest backsplash options too?
Oh, I’m doing the donation next.
May 23rd, 2010 at 8:39 am
Tom, I have a light brown iridescant glass tile, lighter counter top of laminant and cork flooring, white cabinets. I don’t want the wall color to be dark. What do I paint the walls. I don’t want it to look llike walking into a cave.
May 26th, 2010 at 2:07 am
Tom,
I recently had Bianca Antico installed in our condo. The installation is flawless. But it looks too gray and is overpowering for the space. The condo is done in earth tones, white cabinets and warm brown/red cabinets.
I am thinking of switching to colonial gold which was my first choice.
I hate the fact that I can’t seem to get used to the granite and can’t let this go. This will cost another $5000 to change. I too work in the slums in Nairobi and believe me it would be better used there.
I would love to give to World Vision but when I go through your link all I get is sponsor a child. Which seems to be monthly and we all ready sponsor several children through them.
Any help would be appreciated,
Michelle
May 29th, 2010 at 4:16 am
I am in the process of a kitchen remodel and need help choosing a granite color. My kitchen is part of a great room which includes a living and dining area. There is lots of light including skylights. Kitchen is L shaped with a large center island which includes a a black range. Light oak floors are in the great room however I will be tiling the kitchen and will make a tile selection after choosing the granite so color help is needed with regard to the floor as well. Plan on using a brick patterns for the tile layout. My dishwasher is black as is the microwave. Refrigerator is bisque and it is relatively new so I won’t be able to replace it . I am going with a light natural cherry cabinet in a craftsman style. There is a gray/green soapstone wood stove in the great room.
Budget is an issue so I have been looking at lower end priced granite. I tend not to like the Santa Cecelia variety. Colors which I am considering include Giallo Fiorito, Giallo Fierenza, Brownie (may be out of my price range) and Giallo Supreme (too pink). Want to stay away from pinks and grays as I have lots of earth tone colors in the room.
Thanks for your help
May 30th, 2010 at 5:54 am
I am really getting nervous about selecting granite for my kitchen. My new cabinets are similar to Merrilat LaBelle with a sedona (brown) stain. I need something that will pop with all the traditional style brown cabinets. We put a travertine tile on the floor that has beige tones. The appliances will be stainless steel. I haven’t chosen a paint color but the other rooms have a buttery yellow color with a deep pumpkin accent wall. I have the feeling that it would be easy to make a huge expensive mistake and that is why I am asking for help. I bought a granite (sample) tile called New Venezia that I thought looked good with the cabinets but now I am wondering if that is the best choice.
June 2nd, 2010 at 6:15 am
Hello Tom,
My husband and I just recently installed giallo vicenza countertops with a 4 inch blacksplash. We are having the cabinets resurfaced in an ivory color.
The floor is a very light patterned ivory vinyl sheet goods. The walls are Field Poppy which is a medium coral color by Duron. My husband would like to put up tile above the 4 inch giallo vicenza backsplash, but I am not sure what direction to go in. It is just a medium sized kitchen with a breakfast bar, no island, large window over sink. Any suggestions on the tiled wall above the backsplash? We do plan over the next few years to replace all appliances with stainless steel.
June 7th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Hi Mr. Cordova. We’re about to begin our kitchen remodel (biscuit-colored, shaker-style cabinets; brushed-nickel hardware; biscuit-colored plain subway-style backsplash and red oak floors (which match the rest of our 1920s cape cod)). We’re opening up the wall between our kitchen and living room and the now-visible living room has a huge fieldstone fireplace. We’ve fallen in love with Jet Mist granite with a brushed finish. The granite seller assures me that the brushed finish does nothing to diminish the integrity of the granite and doesn’t create a maintenance nightmare (we have small children, pets, etc. so high maintenance/something that stains is not a good idea for us). I have found your responses to others questions very helpful and look forward to hearing your thoughts on our granite selection (specifically the brushed finish). I love the matte, gray color of the brushed Jet Mist — but want to be sure that I’m not setting myself up for a maintenance problem going forward….
Best regards,
Christine
June 9th, 2010 at 8:55 am
Hi Tom! I’m in desperate need of advice. My cabinets just arrived – Omega Signature Destin cherry door in chestnut finish. We already purchased the flooring as well – Platino Rustico 13×13 tile. We are ordering all stainless appliances as well. What would you recommend for the granite? Here were some of the ones that I was interested in…Lapidus, Typhoon Bordeaux Twister, Arandis, Juparana Classico.
Thanks for your help!
Laura
June 10th, 2010 at 9:32 am
The underside of the granite that was installed by the builder has now started to errode. The cabinet and drawers underneath have dust from the granite. When I feel the underside of the granite dust comes off onto my hands. What should I do? Also it has started to chip and there is a dirty film on the surface. Thank you very much for your help.
June 13th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Tom,
Redo a 1991 a kitchen. Kitchen/Eating combined area is 13 X 24, West and South exposure. Bright space, 3 windows which are 36×72. There’s an 8 ft fluorescent light over the island which is cased in stained homey oak, dentil molding; all cabinets w/under mounted lighting; 9 ft ceilings w/stained honey oak dentil crown molding; custom cathedral arch, ash cabinets which are stained honey oak and the floor is lighter oak. Hubby loves oak, it all has to stay with no modifications to the existing cabinets. Appliances are blk. Island w/cooktop 7′9″X3′; other counter runs parallel to the island and is 13′x25″; this space has the sink, dishwasher and a 36×48 window over the sink. Cabinets have A LOT of grain, and there’s a lot of cabinets; so I’m thinking a subtle countertop with a WOW factor, and no glitz. I like something simple and with a simple edge. Doesn’t look like from your posts a type of black is suitable? I’m not crazy about the patterns with ‘big rock’ formations, but do want something with depth and easy to keep looking great. I’ve looked at a tumbled travertine backsplash, tiles have the colors of cream, honey oak, blackish/gray different size tiles mixed together. Love the nautral look. I’m thinking the interest should be in the backsplash and not the countertop? But of course I’m NOT an expert here. I’m open for all countertop color ideas, bsplash as well. I’ve looked at a lot of colors and am so confused. We will have neutral cream walls, Sherwin Williams 7678 Cottage Cream. I know green looks good on the walls with oak, but we don’t want to be tied to that color.
My concern, I cook A LOT. Also, my family is not real careful in the kitchen about wiping up spills, water, lemonade, setting wet glasses on the counter etc. Should I use SENSA Granite or maybe quartz, or totally another surface? I don’t have the desire nor time to ‘baby’ contertops.
I want to add the pop of color in fabric/accessories. I want to make sure this all looks amazing, not a common ordinary run of the mill countertop like everyone in the neighborhood has. Before spending so much $ I had to consult you! We’re a 2 teacher family and can’t afford to make a huge mistake. My husband likes Silestone for the kitchen, but it looks so contrived and fake to me. However, the upkeep factor is appealing!
If you need pics to make this easier, please let me know!
Also a new bathroom for our girls with vanilla cabinets and matching single mirrors over a double vanity sinks, crown molding on the mirrors, brushed nickel fixtures/neutral walls Sherwin Williams #6107 Nomadic Desert/neutral tile on floor and in shower. This bathroom is used heavily by teenage twin girls on a daily basis. Looking for color advice/type of counter top surface to withstand messy girls and keep the space presentable. Should I used another surface besides stone to keep the bathroom looking good? Again, open to all ideas and we love for everything to be beautiful. Love your helpful site and your mission for the children. Keep up the great work! This is ‘win win’ for everyone! Thanks for your advice AND time!!!!
Blessings to you and your ‘children’!
Dana Ranne
June 14th, 2010 at 7:10 am
Hello Tom, i am interested in purchasing a beautiful slab of carrara gold marble I saw and wanted to design my dining table with it. I have a couple of questions regarding marble for a dining table. I hear that marble stains very easily but that there are sealers that will definitely protect it from this. If so, can you recommend any that will really work. i am afraid to spend so much money on something so beautiful that will stain with anything! because of this it occured to me if there was the possibility of applying a coat of or several of clear resin onto the table, but i question if this would be the right thing to do to the marble. i do not know if later you can take out the resin if one would want to polish it. And also if at application the marble being so porous will it let the resin sit? i know that the end result would be very contemporary but I am confused as if to go for the resin, that is if it will work, or go for the sealer. thank-you for your help, Sandra Liberman
June 14th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Hi:
I have a honed marble that was installed in my kitchen three months ago.
At the beginning it was great, but I have noticed several holes that I am almost certain were not there before.
Could you please give me some advice?
I keep the marble all the time away from everything. Actually I hardly cook in the kitchen. It’s being cleaned just with water and microfiber cloth.
Thanks for your advice.
Regards,
Rafael
June 15th, 2010 at 4:12 am
Hi Tom,
I have Oak cabinets, Oak Hardwood floors, Peacock Green granite and stainless appliances. What color should I paint the walls? I was thinking that I would go with a neutral tan – to pick up the lighter veins in the granite. but I also don’t want to overwhelm the room with too much of that oak color.
Thanks!
Melissa
Greene, RI
June 16th, 2010 at 8:54 am
Dear Tom,
I have enjoyed reading your blog recently while undergoing our kitchen remodel. I found it by happy accident when I googled certain granite colors. I am remodeling a kitchen on a home that was just built in 2006. I would like to achieve an elegant look and have more of a gourmet kitchen. We want more traditional styling and a tuscan feel. I want the kitchen to have color and be cheerful yet also elegant. We have chosen cherry cabinets in a sunset glaze for the main part and a chocolate glaze for the trim/crown molding. The door style is knollwood (kraftmaid). The appliances will be stainless steel. I will have a ventihood covered by wood cabinetry. I am having a custom copper apron sink with a scroll on the front installed. I would like to have a hand painted tile mural on the backsplash beneath the hood of a tuscan or mediterranean scene using some warm cheerful but earthy colors and a little blue from the sea. The sink faucet is a rubbed oil bronze to go with the copper. I have larger tile flooring that is very subtle and neutral/taupe and has a marble pattern. The kitchen opens to the family room which is painted in a cheerful yellow/gold. My two favorite granite choices are Louise Blue and Narcardo/Narcado. I hate granite that has a lot of specs. I wanted the look of marble so I wouldn’t have busy specs. Since the Blue Louise is substantially more expensive, I want to make sure I am not making a bad choice. I hope I have described things to give you a good idea. Other colors I have considered are desert gold and golden fantasty. I think the Blue Louise is very pretty and would compliment the hand painted tile mural but I am wondering if once installed this would not look right. I really don’t know. Please help! Thank you!
June 17th, 2010 at 7:33 am
Hi Tom! I submitted a question yesterday and made a donation but I never received an automatic email reply. In case my question was not received, I need help in choosing granite color for my kitchen remodel. We are having kraftmaid cherry cabinets in sunset glaze for the main part and chocolate glaze trim for the molding/trim. My flooring is large tile that looks like travertine in a sublte taupe/cappucino. I am having a custom copper farmhouse/apron sink with a scroll on the front installed and a ventihood in cabinetry. I want to have a handpainted tile tuscan mural put in under the ventihood as the stove backsplash. The faucet will be rubbed oil bronze. The appliances will be stainless steel. I am trying to decide between Narcado and Blue Louise. I do not like specs in the granite and hate a busy look. I like the movement of marble. I want a colorful and cheerful kitchen that looks elegant with a tuscan theme. I sent 2 pics yesterday via email of the exact color cabinets and the slabs of granite I am trying to decide between. I wanted a second opinion regarding the installation of Blue Louise since I love it but it is very pricey. Or maybe there is another color you would recommend. Thank you so much.
Christy Lane
June 26th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
I’m looking at a slab for my kitchen called Via Lactea (Milky Way). Of course I’m being told it’s granite, but since it’s black with distinct white veining, I’m assuming it’s something else. Do you know this stone? I wonder if it’s a gneiss, gabbro, basalt, etc…
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
June 27th, 2010 at 6:37 am
Tom,
My husband and I are totally overwhelmed with the granite selection process!! We’ve been having lots of trouble finding colors that we thought would work; neither of us are good at this. Then, to top it off, once we both agreed on a selection we thought would work (New Caledonia) and brought home a small sample, we discovered that it is more porous than other samples we’ve collected. (We thought all granite was the same!) When wet, it darkens quite a bit. That concerns us in terms of what color it will be once the fabricator seals it—the lighter color or the darker color? It also concerns us in terms of the overall maintenance. Will this be a high maintenance granite? We cook a lot—a lot of Italian—so olive oil and tomato sauce will regularly be splattered on our countertop. We want a low maintenance piece of rock. This piece is New Caledonia. We’ve also seen a piece called White Sardo that we love the colors of but the pattern is a bit too busy for our personal liking.
We are trying to pull in black ovens (microwave and slide in range; they will be new—we like black and don’t care for the stainless look—too “institutional” for us), an off white refrigerator that we do not plan to replace, and off white cabinets that are a bit lighter than the refrigerator but of a similar tone. The dishwasher is currently white but we plan to paint the metal panel black; the control panel will remain white. We’d like the countertop to “pull in” all these colors to make it work and we want it to be low maintenance. We will be using tiles (not yet selected) for a backsplash, covering the wallpaper you see in the photo.
We also have seen a slab of Kashmir White and have seriously considered it as well. Our concerns on this piece are that it would be too light overall with our light cabinets and that it did not have quite enough black specs to tie in the black ovens. After reading your comments, maintenance might also be an issue with this color.
My husband is a chemist; he wants to know if all sealers are silicone oils?
Any suggestions for us?
Thanks, Tom! SO glad I found your site!
Randa Mammarella
/Users/randa/Desktop/Mammarella Kitchen.JPG
June 27th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Hi Tom,
I have selected crema marfil marble for my new master bath (honed on floor and in shower and polished on vanoty sink and tub deck) and have a couple of questions
I would like to know if 12×12 honed tiles on the floor will be slippery.
I understand the risk of etching with polished countertops, but if the polished vanity top and/or tub deck become etched can they be repolished and/or honed?
Lastly what products should I use for sealing and cleaning?
Thanks and keep doing what you are doing for the Kids!
Debbie
July 8th, 2010 at 7:56 am
Hi Tom
Ok, lets see if I can explain this so you can understand my problem.
I will be happy to donate to World Vision.
I am buying a new condo, 2200 sq. ft.on the second floor of a masonry building. With the exception of the bathrooms the condo will have bare concrete floors.
My wife and I are planing on installing Italian porcelain tile, 12 X 24, and stepping it and running it diagonally. We want a very thin grout joint, no more than 1/8 th. inch.
My concrete floors are not 100% level. As with many poured concrete floors there are many valleys.
My question is, what is the best way to take out the dips and valleys to achieve the thin grout joints that we want.
We want our tile installer to use thin set rather than mud, reason being is the cost.
Thank You
R & P Barbato
July 8th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Hi Tom,
We have tropical green granite. Does it have to be sealed every year? Supposedly it was sealed before installed. My contractor says that it doesn’t need to be sealed again. I am confused, getting conflicting answers. I thought it needs to be sealed yearly.
Thank you,
Julie Ryan
July 8th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
I have in my new kitcken a granite countertop called giallo antico, how many times it has to be sealed ? the fabricator did already two times but it still absorbe water.
July 10th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Remodeling the kitchen. The Queen wants granite. The Queen gets what she wants. I make beer in the kitchen and use bleach to sanitize equipment and bottles. (I have lots of colored shirts with white spots on them) While I only use 3 tablespoons per 5 gallons of water, I have been know to spash once and awhile. If I splash bleach on a granite counter top and don’t notice it right away is it going to leave a stain? Remove color? Should I be thinking of a different, or certain type of counter top? We start taking down walls in August. If I mess up our new counter tops this winter, I may go from the king of beer, to the jester of the garage. The only two things on my list for the designer were being able to eat in my kitchen and make beer there also. Sincerely. Jim Repetti
July 11th, 2010 at 7:49 am
Hi Tom- We are finally choosing a backsplash – 9 years after building our house! The kitchen has white Shaker cabinets w/ brushed nickel pulls/knobs, stainless appliances (black cooktop), hardwood floors, and Tropical Brown (I think) granite counters. I would like something classic/timeless and love carrera marble subway tile, but I’m not sure the grey veining in the tile would go with the browns/tans in the granite. I like mosaic/glass tile, but I’m afraid they will look dated in 5-10 years. Also we are replacing our sink – black granite composite, stainless, or white cast iron (the faucet is brushed nickel) ? Any help will be appreciated.
Anne
July 14th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Hi Tom,
I hope you can help me with a question about choosing a color for granite.
My husband and I are moving into a new carriage home in the late fall 2010. I have chosen eggshell colored cabinets with a recessed panel and distressed chestnut for the large island, also recessed panel. We have added some glass panels inthe butlers pantry. We have selected a simple grotto with clean lines. I love the trend of crackled subway tile, which I would like to match to the cabinets. We will have stainless steel appliances and medium hardwood floors in a matte finish. Do you think it would be a mistake to introduce a gray granite? The granite reminds me of soapstone… Thanks so much for your help.
July 16th, 2010 at 7:47 am
We had travertine installed in our kitchen and mud room, approx. 650 sq ft. The installer installed backerboard, screwed down throughout, he used Pro-Flex Platinum for the tile installation and an unsanded grout. During installation we had to return over half of them due to tiles breaking in our hands while inspecting them before having them put down, some had imperfections so great you could see through the tiles, the tile store had no problem exchanging them. About a month after installation we noticed several cracks now there are cracks as long as 12 foot long going in both directions. We feel the travertine was defective since so much had to be replaced but the tile company is blaming it entirely on the installer. Any suggestions?
July 17th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Hi Tom!
Thank you first of all for creating a way to help with World Vision.
This is the second letter from our household. A short time ago, my husband, the King, emailed you asking about the effects of bleach on granite. He has this hobby of his, (beer making), that take over the entire kitchen and involves a super sanitation process with bleach.
Some of us, are regulated dungeon like basement for our hobbies, so it shows you where I rate! Anyway, you gave us wonderful insight into granite and another look at natural stone through quartz.
I looked into the warranties from the various companies and found that Caesarstone to be the best fit with lifetime warranty and a care/maintenance suggestion to actually use certain cleaners with bleach!
Can you help with the input of color? I am at a loss because I am a long way from the original off white cupboards/soapstone/subway tile scheme I envisioned for my—our kitchen. We will be having alder cabinets, in a warm cinnamon type of stain
unless someone suggests otherwise. Our floors will be maple (1920 original) that will have a light stain to match the oak floors throughout the rest of the house.
Following paragraph shares the messy details:
Our kitchen is small, 10ftx11ft with a shortened L shape counter on the sink/ range sides
-north and east walls. After the remodel, we will also have a counter height island below 3 new double hung windows that we will use to work at and eat. It measures 54 inches long x 27 wide with an 18 inch deep cabinet below. The cabinet maker suggested we cut the corner of the island counter top on the traffic side ( I was planning on 2 smaller school type pendents hanging above the island either in brushed nickel or
rubbed bronze). There will also be a small counter aprox. 28 inches next to the stainless steel fridge on the south wall. Oh, and our range is stainless with a black enamel top and black grates. (Stainless under mount sink).
Bottom line is, what will look good and function well now that we are leaving granite behind? Some quartz choices that caught my eye were: Misty Carrera, Lagos blue,
Rosemary, Pebble, or Bedrock. Can I still go with a version of subway tile ? What would you suggest for edges of the quartz. I am looking for something to tie it all together.
Thanks so much and sorry this is so long.
Dianna Repetti
Here is our set up
July 17th, 2010 at 10:27 am
Hi Tom!
Thank you first of all for creating a way to help with World Vision.
This is the second letter from our household. A short time ago, my husband, the King, emailed you asking about the effects of bleach on granite. He has this hobby of his, (beer making), that take over the entire kitchen and involves a super sanitation process with bleach.
Some of us, are regulated dungeon like basement for our hobbies, so it shows you where I rate! Anyway, you gave us wonderful insight into granite and another look at natural stone through quartz.
I looked into the warranties from the various companies and found that Caesarstone to be the best fit with lifetime warranty and a care/maintenance suggestion to actually use certain cleaners with bleach!
Can you help with the input of color? I am at a loss because I am a long way from the original off white cupboards/soapstone/subway tile scheme I envisioned for my—our kitchen. We will be having alder cabinets, in a warm cinnamon type of stain
unless someone suggests otherwise. Our floors will be maple (1920 original) that will have a light stain to match the oak floors throughout the rest of the house.
Following paragraph shares the messy details:
Our kitchen is small, 10ftx11ft with a shortened L shape counter on the sink/ range sides
-north and east walls. After the remodel, we will also have a counter height island below 3 new double hung windows that we will use to work at and eat. It measures 54 inches long x 27 wide with an 18 inch deep cabinet below. The cabinet maker suggested we cut the corner of the island counter top on the traffic side ( I was planning on 2 smaller school type pendents hanging above the island either in brushed nickel or rubbed bronze). There will also be a small counter aprox. 28 inches next to the stainless steel fridge on the south wall. Oh, and our range is stainless with a black enamel top and black grates. (Stainless under mount sink and brushed nickel or bronze cabinet hardware).
Bottom line is, what will look good and function well now that we are leaving granite behind? Some quartz choices that caught my eye were: Misty Carrera, Lagos blue, Rosemary, Pebble, or Bedrock. The blacks I think are too dark? Can I still go with a version of subway tile ? Perhaps a contrasting finish from the countertops? What would you suggest for edges of the quartz. I am looking for something to tie it all together.
Thanks so much, and sorry this is so long.
Dianna Repetti
July 17th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
We have just had a new Golden Marinace granite counter top installed at our new home in Maui. The counter is outdoors for the bar and outdoor kitchen. It is under the lanai. To our surprise the stone was polished. We had specified honed. We don’t like the shiney slick look although we do understand the pros and cons regarding maintenance. Also, we don’t think this surface would show much due to the color variation. So, the question is, can the countertop be honed on site? Any suggestions? Thank you.
Craig
July 18th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Hi Tom,
I just found your site and I truly appreciate the precise information , help and attention to detail.
My husband and I have the opportunity to completely redo our kitchen. It is great fun and scary all at the same time to insure that all parts harmonize but also look sharp and have the appropriate panache.
I am in love with Kozmus, leather finish. It will be striking with the new cabs and all else.
Is it too soft or “layery”? Is the leather finish practical with everyday cooking?
Thanks very much for your knowledge and help. Jo Anne
July 20th, 2010 at 7:05 am
Hi Tom,
I have several questions regarding granite color choice. My husband and I are having a new home built and we have selected eggshell colored cabinets, with a recessed panel and a distressed chestnut color for the island. The appliances are going to be stainless steel. The overall look of the kitchen is clean and classic. One of my standard options for granite is called Steel Gray and I have found a beautiful eggshell colored crackle backsplash tile which I would like to install in a subway pattern with a different pattern above the stove top. The hardware will be pewter handles to compliment the gray tile and the flooring will be hardwood. Would like your thoughts. Also, in the master bathroom, we will have no natural light…I would like something that looks like calacatta marble without the upkeep. We will need to choose vanity top, tub deck, tile for the shower and floors. Keeping it light and classic would be my goal as wellas expense.
Thanks Tom. I will make the donation to World Vision right away.
Take care.
Michelle
July 21st, 2010 at 8:29 am
Had my kitchen backsplash (tumbled travertine) grouted yesterday and it is way too dark! Is there anything I can do? Don’t mind the grout lines themselves but the dark brown filling all the pores looks black. HELP
July 23rd, 2010 at 9:13 am
Hi Tom. We are in the midst of redoing our kitchen. We have white cabinets with recessed panel inset doors, dark wood floors and a dark wood top for our island. The problem I am having is with the granite. We chose 2 slabs of Bianco Romano which have already been delivered to the fabricator. He has given me two options regarding the seams and unfortunately, neither one is great. Option A involves turning the granite at the junction of our L shaped counter. This would mean altering the direction of the pattern which he says is not a good idea because our granite is veined and has a pattern that flows from left to right. He feels this change would be too noticeable. Option B involves putting a 30 inch seam behind our white farm sink that would run across the top of the middle of our main bar counter. For obvious reasons, that doesn’t seem like a good alternative either. He is also constrained with option B because he has to match the pieces from the two slabs to meet at the seam behind the sink and still be able to cut the other smaller pieces for other sections of our counter.
I really don’t know what to do. Do you have any suggestions? I went with the Bianco Romano because I wanted a white natural stone material. Our piece does not have yellow or tan undertones that you see is some Bianco Romano. The fabricator also mentioned that if we had chosen a spotted material as opposed to veined, he would have been able to turn it at the junction in the L and the shift in pattern would not have been noticeable. Then we could have avoided the seam behind the sink. If I had known all of this ahead of time I might have done things differently. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Heidi Machuga
July 25th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Must our tan brown granite “L” shaped counter top be seamed to provide for a 90 degree turn, even if a large enough slab is available to cut out it in one piece? The overall length of the counter top is 25 x 114 inches including double sink cut out. The 90 degree “L” is 25 x 20. The outside corner of the “L’ points to an inside wall corner . Pro & con?
July 26th, 2010 at 9:31 am
Tom:
We are in the process of a major remodelling of our home in CT, a modified saltbox colonial. We are completely renovating the kitchen with new light cherry raised panel cabinets, Wolfe/Subzero stainless steel appliances, removing a wall which seperates the family room from the kitchen, adding a porch with french doors off of the kitchen which is in the front of the house and also expanding the family room which is in the rear of the house. We have been looking at various granites from blue pearl to dakota mahogonay to green peacock. We like a traditional look and so far we’re leaning towards the green peacock. Your thoughts ?
July 27th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Tom,
This is a fantastic site!! I was wondering if you have ever heard of Talp granite? I selected it from a local granite shop, but cannot find any pics of it online so I’m getting a little worried. Is it a real granite, and do people experience problems with it?
Here is a picture from the distributor. Is it by chance better known by another name? http://www.montgranite.com/Index.php?targetScript=viewObject.mg.php&targetObjectId=1901
Thank you for your help.
Jennifer
July 27th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Hi Tom,
I have two foster kids of my own and send 10% of my pay check each month automatically to the “Child Help” organization who sponsor At Risk kids. So what you are doing here for the kids is much admired! I was in the foster care system as a child myself. Money is very tight for me this month but perhaps I could donate half of the $18 this month and half next. Would I be able to send a money order directly to World Vision since I don’t have a credit card or bank account?
I am a independant stone layer and I have been looking for years for a good stone sealer that will give a nice medium shine to the stone without darkening it or changing the color at all. This would usually be going on man-made cement paving stones that are very porous. I did find one that everyone loved which was by Scofield and was their Select Seal W. It gave a nice shine and left the stone the same color it always was. The problem was the ridiculous cost at almost $100 a gallon, which I certainly can’t afford and which most of my customers would never agree to pay such high costs for. So I am looking for something that can do the same thing for a lot less money, which lasts and gives a nice water-tight shiny seal without altering the stone color. Any products you can recommend would be MUCH appreciated!
Alex H.
August 4th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Thanks Tom!
Wow I’ve learned a lot here but my eyes are bleeding now and I’m still not sure what to do.
The donation to World Vision for advise is A+++ in my book!
I will gladly donate more than the $18 amount but I was wondering instead of describing my color scheme (which I may get wrong) if I could send you pictures along with some descriptions/questions?
Thank You
August 5th, 2010 at 6:17 am
We plan to downsize within the next couple of years. Granite countertops are the standard for homes in our area so we believe that it would be wise to have granite countertops in place before our home is marketed. Considering that we will be trying to make the kitchen as appealing as possible to the average buyer, we would certainly like the countertops to be tasteful but also easier on the budget than if we were purchasing them for our long-term use. We plan to have the countertops installed within the next couple of months but are uncertain about the best granite to select to coordinate with other elements in our kitchen that we do not intend to revise. We have considered Ubatuba, largely because we think a darker granite might look better with our cabinets and because it is a more economical stone, but we really do not know what we should be considering. We would appreciate your advice.
The kitchen has a U-shaped countertop configuration and a smaller countertop near the double ovens—about 70 sq. ft. in all—with plenty of natural light in the room. We have Merillat Golden Oak raised panel cabinets, white appliances with a white/glass cooktop with black grates, and beige 12×12 ceramic tiles on the floor. When we have the countertops installed, we also intend to change out the backsplash—probably to beige (Chiaro) tumbled natural stone subway tile to coordinate with the floor color– as well as have a new white Swanstone undermount sink installed. In addition, we plan to update the cabinet brass handles to either black or bronze and the nearby breakfast room chandelier from brass to black or bronze.
Thank you for any opinions you choose to share regarding our choices and particularly any assistance you can provide regarding our countertop selection, Tom. We applaud your support of World Vision–we contribute each month to the support of a little girl in Guatemala through World Vision.
August 7th, 2010 at 8:25 am
hi tom! thanks for taking the time to read this…. i am moving into a 10 year old home that has light cherry cabinets and a similarly colored hardwood floor. the island is about 8 ft long and 36 inches wide and has the sink in it. we are thinking of putting juparana delicatus on the island and black pearl on the perimeter. do you think mixing colors like this is a good idea? i’ve tried to find pictures of kitchens with multi colored granite in them, but haven’t found too many. also, do you think it is a good idea to have the island completely flat or should i raise part of it to make a ledge/sitting counter. there is a overhang now to put stools at, but from pictures, it seems that this is the way islands are being designed now? thanks so much for your comments!
August 31st, 2010 at 10:52 am
I recently remodeled my kitchen with red mahogany cabinets, travertine floors and backsplash and giallo vermont granite countertops. turns out I am not crazy about the granite (it’s very spotted looking). Now I have an island in which I want to apply a granite top, but I would like to put a different kind of granite or quartz top onto. What color granite or quarts would you suggest that would blend nicely?
September 9th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Hi,
What would be a good suggestion for a backspash in a kitchen. The counter top will be Indian Copper Brown granite, sink will be black. Eventually appliances will be stainless. Should the faucet match the black sink? We have wood cabinets. I was thinking of copper small tiles, but should I somehow incorporate stainless to tie in appliances?
Thanks
September 24th, 2010 at 8:56 am
Tom, First of all, thank YOU for your support of World Vision! My husband and I have adopted/supported children through Compassion International for over 20 years and I’ll gladly contribute to World Vision in your honor.
Our cherry cabinets are almost complete for our kitchen remodel and it’s time to make some big decisions about color choices.
We have a u-shaped kitchen with a center island and one window over the kitchen sink on the right “leg” of the “U”. A few feet at the end of the island, running perpendicular to the center island is a second island that now takes the place of our former breakfast table. (We added a sunroom and larger family room, relocating our dining area into the former great room that is adjacent and open to the kitchen). The great room and an adjacent hallway is BM Tawny Bisque 1110. The sunroom is a lighter camel color, a SW paint color that has been discontinued, renamed. It’s sort of between Blonde and Ivoire 6127. I have a traditional red formal diningroom around the corner with mahogony furniture. The furniture in the adjoining great room is in the jewel tones…. a gold couch, green leather chair, deep burgandy loveseat, navy & multi-colored rug. The sunroom has a light gold sofa with green & gold throw pillows, multicolored rug.
We have oak flooring throughout the main floor and it has a golden honey finish.. sort of a medium color. There are cherry built-ins in the new great room with a medium-light finish.
Our cherry kitchen cabinets will be tradition panel doors with a lighter mahogony finish and glaze to bring out the details. We plan to stain the 2nd island that sits outside the “U” witha green stain… maybe sage… and were thinking about putting a wooden counter top on it (Walnut or Iroko) bc I don’t like sitting at a cold granite top to work & eat…. however… I do like having that surface to use as a serving/buffet counter when we entertain large groups. My dishwasher, warming drawer, and refrigerator will all be integrated. The ovens are Miele (Black and stainless) and I’ll have a black induction cooktop. I’ll have a prep sink in the center island in addition to the sink beneath the window. Presently, the plan is to go with stainless steel, unless I can convince my GC otherwise. He wasn’t too thrilled about silgranite when I mentioned it.
I’m tearing out white cabinets and a tan colored backspash with periwinkle diamonds. We’re going to remove my Sapphire blue granite caounter tops and re-use them in the laundry room with natural maple cabinets. It the tear-out goes well, I should also have enough granite for a vanity top.
I’d love your suggestions for granite color, wall color, backsplash ideas, etc. I originally chose the sapphire blue granite to pick up on the blue color in some sparse kitchen wallpaper and the blue in the adjoining mud room. I also liked that it didn’t show dirt! however… I’ve also discovered that it also hides things that I’m trying to locate. My eye glasses, cell phone, ipod, earphones, small objects, seem to get lost on the countertop with my 55 yr old eyes. I don’t know if it’s the color or the busyness of the design. I was thinking of going with something lighter in color this time, especially since we’re ditching the white cabinets, but I also want it to look attractive with the cherry cabinets.
I’ve also wondered about honed versus polished granite. I’ve had these polished countertops for 9 years and have never had to reseal them… have never had a stain or breakdown in the deal. They are a breeze to clean-simpy wipe down and dry. I like the look of honed, but not so sure I want the maintenance, if it’s more work. I love the look of soapstone, but don’t know of anyone with it around here. (I live just outside of Columbia, SC).
Also, what do you think about mixing different granites, using a different granite on the center island? Would that be “too much” if we’re already putting a different top on the second island…. which will look totally different and outside the main kitchen/prep area?
I’m open to any advice and critique. Thank you!
Jeanie
October 1st, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Hello Tom. I am having a hard time trying to choose between the Giallo Veniziano or the Giallo Napolian. I have dark cherry cabinets and not sure what flooring yet. Thanks
Blair
October 3rd, 2010 at 7:07 pm
I’m so glad I found this website, and yes, I will donate the $18.00 to World Vision, just as soon as I finish typing this question.
We are going to re-do our 30+ year-old kitchen. Presently it has dark, all-wood, but formica surfaced cabinets, Persimmon Formica countertops, cream vinyl floors, almond appliances, coordinating wallpaper (not much wall space). Frankly, I still love the look, especially the bright countertops, but it’s way past time for updating.
So…the thought is to put in maple cabinets, just a shade darker than natural, Ivory Gold granite, stainless steel appliances, and paint the walls a deep red. Do you think the Ivory Gold would be better with darker cabinets? Or should we choose a different granite? I don’t want something I’ll encounter in almost everyone else’s house, but do need to watch the budget.
We’re not going to change the floor for a couple more years, as we want to run a new floor into the adjoining living room, and the present carpet (cream) is still good. Any thoughts you have would be so greatly appreciated! We need to make a decision before the 18th on granite and supplier.
Thank you!
Ruth
Thank you.
October 6th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Hi Tom,
I am a first time homeowner and this is my first time ever decorating anything, so I am completely lost! I desperately need help. I am renovating my bathroom. The walls are down to the studs. The only thing I have decided on is my vanity cabinet which is a medium-dark cherry. I can’t figure out what color granite to go with. I do tend to like granite with movement. I could be open to something kind of funky. But I am stuck because I don’t know what would look best with the cherry vanity. I have not decided on wall color, floor color or anything else for that matter. My second step is to decide on the granite. I was thinking of staying fairly neutral but then I wonder if I should do something with some green in it. I just don’t know. Can you offer some suggestions? I need a push in some kind of direction. The vanity I got is a fairmont designs 48″ shaker vanity with an open shelf on the bottom. I have a picture I could send or you could “google” it to see what it looks like. Some granite colors I have looked at are Vyara, Delicatus, Bourgogne, Rainforest Green and some Giallo’s. Please feel fee to offer a suggestion I haven’t mentioned. I want something that will really POP!!
thanks!!!
Toni M
October 9th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
I’m building a new home. My kitchen floor space is 14×16. It is U shaped with 2 entrances and an angled peninsula which houses my only sink and will have NO raised bar. The outside edge of the peninsula which is exposed to the great room, (and includes a 12″ overhang), measures approx 3′ on one side, 5 1/2′ in the middle, (where the sink is) and 5′ to the edge, where the main entrance is to the kitchen. There will be 2 other slabs on adjacent walls, (range wall and back wall where there exists a northern window). I have a small island 2×4 which is black with a red rubbed worn edge and butcher block top, med/light in color. There is a large vent chase over the range flanked with narrow cabinets which is glazed in burnt umber, (looks like a med. walnut). The rest of the cabinets are navaho white with the burnt umber glaze. They look off white antiqued. The peninsula has finished cabinet panels in the glazed white color also. My concern is granite choice. I would like the kitchen to look classy with the very expensive finish I have on the cabinets-money is an issue NOW. What do you suggest as to what would look nice, and also be user friendly with colors in the living room. I haven’t even gone into paint choices but I lean towards lighter warm/neutral colors. I know there are alot of paint choices that will compliment the cabinet colors, but I’d better start with the granite first. Flooring will follow that. I’m thinking if the granite is darker, the floor lighter or vice versa. The floor will be tile and cannot be too light, as we live on 5 acres with alot of red dirt!! Can you help me??? Lori
October 13th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Tom – I stumbled onto your site as we were planning to put carrara marble (either 1″ or 2″ honed hex pattern) in a shower floor. I am now nervous that this is ultimately a bad choice due to potential for staining and maintenance problems.
What is your take on this and what alternatives might you recommend (Rest of the bathroom is white subway tile walls.
Tom
October 14th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
We have decided to go with granite for our kitchen counter tops, though we are struggling on which color would be best.
We have a small kitchen (9.5×13) though it is open to the dining/living room and receives a lot of natural light. Our floors are a Sapelli red and cabinets (still in the refacing process) will be cherry stain on cherry wood.
I’m looking for contrast in the granite choice and one not too overly busy. The granite choices in consideration, at this time, are Black Florest Gold, Brown Pearl or English Brown.
Our applicances are stainless steel.
I look forward to some professional advice.
October 15th, 2010 at 8:14 am
Dear Tom,
We’re building a house and we have cordovan cherry cabinet.Which will be good-uba tuba or venetian goldit is a big kitchen and there is no window in he kitchen but it is next to a morning room with large windows that gives any light
Thanks a lot
Wilfred
October 15th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
I am asking a question for my mom. I am unemployed and unfortunately, have no money right now. I thought you could just answer this one question. My mom recently had a flood in her house and is having to re-do her entire kitchen. She has decided to go with cream colored cabinets and is struggling with picking out granite. I think she’s torn between Giallo Ornamental Classic and Santa Cecilia. I told her they’re both pretty and that the Santa Cecilia might be too gold, but she doesn’t completely trust my opinion! She gets morning sun in there, but the room is pretty dark in the afternoon, so she needs to keep it light and bright. Oh, and the floor is a French Pattern travertine stone (whatever that means). Anyway, thanks for your help! Maybe now she’ll be able to make a decision!!
October 20th, 2010 at 4:34 am
Help! Need to decide granite today and I just found your site.
Style of home is Craftsman.
Have maple shaker cabinets in kitchen and master bath in Java stain which is a darker, rich brown. Using satin nickle hardware. Master bath will be Giallo Ornamental as I have matched all tile to it. It looks great with grey and stone colored tile.
Question: Continue Giallo ornamental in kitchen(?) Kitchen has L shaped countertop with 99×66 island that opens to great room and is opposite stone fireplace. Will have sandstone color hearth, but rest is not finished but looks to be gray, brown with some redish tones. Dining area to one side of kitchen which is all windows.
Or, change to Giallo Napoli or Santa Cecelia Classic? Will have stained red oak floors…unsure of depth of stain yet. Hoped to put some type of stoneish back splash up afterwards.
Thanks!
October 21st, 2010 at 10:55 am
Hi Tom, I am so happy to have found your site. My husband and I recently bought a home built in the late 70s. It has a lot of windows in the living room and kitchen. We are planning a remodel of the kitchen and open it up to the livingroom. I am so afraid to make a choice that is wrong and have to live with it forever. We have chosen cherry shaker style cabinets with a reddish finish. We are considering a dark granite counter top and have looked at absolute black which I love but I have heard that we will hate it due to the high maintenance. Cost is also a factor so we are thinking of going with Uba Tuba . I do not want the kitchen to be too dark so we think that we will need a lighter floor. We are looking at tile but I am not sure if the uba tuba granite would go with a lighter tile floor. Can you help with tile flooring suggestions/backsplash ( does it need to match the floor) and paint color? The rest of the house is a light beige callen Killum Beige. We also have white trim and I am worried that will not work with the dark cabinets and countertops. Thanks Tom.
-Lisa
October 26th, 2010 at 9:30 am
Hi Tom,
I just installed medium brown (cognac) maple cabinets – I have black galaxy granite – stainless appliances and my wife wanted yellow walls. Now we haven’t had any luck choosing tile for the back-splash and floor. Any advice would be really appreciated.
Thanks,
Bill from RI
October 28th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
i am really wanting honed granite. Or is leathered better. The granite i chose is Bianco Romano. I am wondering of course about the stain factor in this granite. also, can i get it leathered after buying it, i hear horror stories about it not looking right after it is leathered, and there are not any leathered biancos to purchase
November 2nd, 2010 at 10:03 am
Tom,
Thank you for your website. Reading the answers you have posted, as well as the other information on the site, has opened our eyes to many possibilities we had previously not considered.
We are in the process of renovating our kitchen, and would like to ask for your opinion on granite styles for our countertops. We are not changing the overall layout of our kitchen, just replacing the cabinets, countertops, and flooring. I can provide some pictures of the current kitchen to show the basic layout of the cabinets and appliances if that would be helpful.
The new cabinets are going to be Omega/Dynasty “Madrid” in Maple with a Mandarin stain (the stain has a slight reddish tint, almost a very light cherry). The white tile flooring will be replaced with something not white, probably Congoleum DuraCermic “Rustic Stone” with a mix of Light Biege and Tobacco Clay colors (fewer of the latter). The appliances will remain. They have a black or dark gray finish, none of them are stainless steel. The sink is being replaced with a Blanco SilGranite sink in “Anthracite” (black). The faucet is a single handle Moen pulldown design in their “Spot Resistant Stainless” finish. Note that the sink is in the back corner of the kitchen, I don’t think it is a major design element (although I could be wrong on that assumption).
Our kitchen designer has advised us not to pick out the granite for the countertops and island until the cabinets are being installed due to the quick turnaround of the granite. However, rather than wait (and possibly be rushed and limited with our choices), we are hoping to get some ideas before that time.
Some thoughts on our preferences: We don’t want a granite that is predominantly black, green, or red. We would prefer a granite with veining in it, not one that is uniformly ’speckled’ throughout.
Before we formally started the kitchen renovation project we stopped at a granite dealer and the following all caught our eye at the warehouse: White Spring, Yellow River (although the slab was viewed outside on a cloudy day), Mascarello, Wild Bora (may be to wild for my wife), and Golden Wave. At that time we had not picked out cabinets or thought much about cabinet colors.
It seems to me that the granite should make some kind of statement, and not just blend into the rest of the decor. Is that a bad idea?
Should the island granite be the same as the counter granite? Usually that seems to be the case. But if not, would one install a ‘flashier’ granite on the island to stand out from the rest of the kitchen?
We have been leaning towards doing something besides a 4″ granite backsplash against the walls. Perhaps with mosaic tiles or river rock. Would that be inviting to much contrast in the room?
We have not decided what color to paint the walls yet, although we can see that the green combed pattern we currently have will be changed. Initially we will probably paint a neutral color and then repaint again after seeing how the other pieces come together (unless you have some suggestions in that area as well).
If it is possible, I can send you some pictures of the current kitchen, the cabinets we selected, and also the unpolished stone we selected when we renovated the fireplace in the adjoining room.
Thank you in advance for any thoughts you have the time to share,
-Jeffrey and Deborah Hillard-
Jch2@cox.net
703 472-4606
PS We love the idea of the donations to WorldVision. What a great way to support a worthy cause.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Hi Tom. We have purchased raised panel, cherry cabinets in a chocolate stain (cabico – jamaica) with black glazing. We are considering Juparana arandis granite – Is this is good choice?
November 10th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Hi, I am remodeling my kitchen to a French Country theme with cream shaker cabinets with beadboard centers and coffee glazing. I am looking for a reasonably priced warm rich granite that would have hues of browns, tans, cream, a little gold (?) and a hint of black. I don’t like the gold grayish tone of so many granites, as I want it to be warm. I was thinking maybe Autumn Brown, but not sure. Is this warm or is it too dark? If this wouldn’t be good, what would you recommend? (Reasonably priced, as I am on a budget) Thank you!
November 12th, 2010 at 12:33 am
I have natural hickory cabinets, nutmeg oak floors, and stainless steel appliances. I am looking at granite counter tops but am having a hard time visualizing what any of them would look like in my kitchen. Would you please recommend some granite colors that you think would look best in this kitchen? Thank you!
November 17th, 2010 at 7:58 am
My kitchen is 9×9. My question is whether or not I can use two different colors of granite for the countertops. One top connects the kitchen and living room that has antique mahogany and some cherry furnishing. The other top is solely in the kitchen. Cabinets will refinished to a cream-ish color with a few glass inserts.
Thanks you for your help.
November 17th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Tom.
I know this might not be a possible timeline and it is asking a lot. I have two granites on hold and I have to decide tomorrow. I do not know what to do. I have natural cherry cabinets that could look both modern and/or traditional. (no raised panels) Blue is my life long favorite color and I have lots of blue in my kitchen… Cobalt blue mixer, blue polish pottery, etc. I have always wanted honed white marble in my kitchen. My husband veto that idea for good reasons. I have been on a quest to find a granite that looks like marble. Today I DID.. I still can’t believe it.It is called white princess and it is beautiful. The polished slab was prettier than the honed.
Here is the problem….at the same granite place I saw another granite called Via Appia. It knocked our socks off. It has rust, bluish, and gray tones. Very different and very beautiful. I am usually a conservative know what I like kind of person. Now I am SO confused. Part of me feels like stepping out of the box and trying something off the charts of my life. I am frozen in fear and do not know what to do. Can you help me? I would appreciate your opinions and comments. I am donating to the children’s fund in your name.
Sincerely, Anne Seacrist
November 17th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
I can’t figure out how to make my donation. I called World Vision and they said to make my donation through your site. How do I do that?
Anne Seacrist
November 19th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Hi Tom…My wife and I are about to purchase granite counter tops and wanted your opinion on what color stone would go best with white cabinets, (maple hard wood floor). Do you think Giallo Veneziano or Key West Gold granite would work? Can you suggest any other granite countertops that would go with the white cabinets/maple color hard wood floor? Thank you in advance for your response…Tom
November 22nd, 2010 at 5:16 am
Tom
We have really enjoyed your blog and the replies to queries that you provide. We are facing difficulty with picking the color of granite for our countertops and would appreciate your input.
Background: We are installing Conestoga Cherry harvest gold with a brown glaze for our wall cabinets (It is a medium brown finish-not too dark but sometimes has a tendency to give off a pumpkin hue in really bright light- hence the conflict with the granite choice). The island will be antiqued, distressed white with a black walnut wood top in a dark brown. Flooring is travertine with distressed edges from Efesus-(Kale collection) and it ranges from deep brown to beige tiles with moderate variation in stone tile colors.
Question: What granite color would be best suited for the décor and would mute down the tendency for yellow-orange hue of cabinets? We have seen Monet (liked the grain), Solarius (worried about the orangish veins), ?Persa (had a lot of deep grey-green and brown), Giallito (nice color but busy pattern), F Vicenza (too dark?) and Santa Cecilia. Now we are totally confused and would appreciate any input you may have. Thank you and we look forward to your response.
Gita
November 28th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Tom: A few years back, we hired a well-respected kitchen designed to help redo our kitchen. We went high end all around and selected the recommemded black absolute “brushed” granite countertop. It was installed 5X before the surface was right and we were told to put mineral oil on the surface to “seal” it. That didn’t work. We found a company (Akemi) who gave us a sealer that did work. After a while the surface started to stain with water-ring like stains. We have tried everything (AKemi’s cleaner, acetone) but nothing seems to get the stains out. Usingore drakener/sealer does not help. We’re ready to pound the counter into granite dust and redeliver it to the company that sold it to us. Can you help? Thanks.
November 29th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Hello Tom,
We have a 15 year old house with a 18×15 kitchen with a 9’ ceiling.
Moving round in a clockwise direction we have:
The 15’ east wall consists of a 9’ patio door with a 15” continuous window above.
The south wall has 6’ of base and wall cabinets, a 3’6” opening into the dining room then 9’ of base and wall cabinets including a white stove to the corner.
The west wall continues this cabinetry another 8’ followed by a 3’ stainless fridge and the open entry to the main hall.
Finally the north wall is mainly open to the family room except for the last 6’ which has a desk and wall cabinets.
There is an 84” island which runs north to south and 50” away from the west cabinets which houses the white dishwasher and sink.
The floor is 12” white tile with a subtle splash of pink.
We are replacing all the pickled maple cabinets with a cinnamon stained cherry from Kraftmaid. As well as replacing all the countertops with granite we are also adding a 6” wide, 42” high wall on the back of the sink island that will be capped with 9” granite and then attaching a 40” x 76” granite table to this wall.
So, there will be a lot of granite visible. We like Verde Butterfly but I’m concerned that with this much granite the kitchen may become too dark. On the other hand something like Santa Celica may be too light especially with the white floor.
Should we stay away from granites with long flowing veins?
Help….
December 2nd, 2010 at 8:01 pm
My kitchen counters and island are ubatuba. I am thinking of repainting the kitchen wall. Cabinets are oak and backsplash is a very light cream/beige. Any suggestions for the paint color?
December 3rd, 2010 at 7:39 am
Tom – Great work with World Vision! I am remodeling my kitchen on a budget. The kitchen is about 24 x 12 including the eating area. I have black appliances. The floor is tile with blended colors of gray, shell and mauve. The cabinets are a lighter wood color – honey with a red tone. The trim on the ceiling and floor matches the cabinets. The tile and cabinets are not being replaced. Lighting will be installed above and below the cabinets. The walls will be painted. The counters will be replaced. I have selected New Ventian, Toffee Madura Gold and Keywest Gold. Originally at the stone yard I loved the Madura Gold but after getting it in the kitchen I think it is too yellow. With the samples I like the keywest gold and the new ventian the best of the four samples. I am thinking I want to paint the wall in a gray neutral tone to draw away from the shell color in the floor. Please help me with the countertops. Is there another granite that I should consider? I am on a budget and was very open about that when I was at the stone yard. I have photos to send you but can not find how to upload to this site.
December 7th, 2010 at 8:54 am
Hi Tom.
My husband and I want to replace our tan formica countertops with granite and we are having a hard time picking a granite color. We have honey oak cabinets that are 10 years old (the oak has a grain in it) with stainless round knobs. We have honey oak hardwood floors too. (most of our first floor has those hardwood floors.) Our countertop square footage is 61 sq. ft and of that there is a large island. Kitchen size is 25×15 ft. We have new GE Profile stainless steel appliances and want to get a single bowl undermounted stainless sink and a stainless faucet. Our walls are restoration hardware’s butter cream color and one day we may like to do a tumbled travertine backsplash.
The room gets moderate sunlight (one sliding glass door and a window over the sink) but we are having trouble deciding whether to go light or dark with our granite color.
We’ve narrowed it down to two choices, Tropical Brown and Ivory Fantasy. Please let me know your opinion or if you have any other suggestions.
Thanks so much, I’ve been trying to decide for almost 2 months.
December 14th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Hi Tom,
I am making a decision on purchasing Golden Paradise granite for my kitchen. We are indians and so cooking does involve some oil, ghee etc.,
Do you think Golden Paradise is good enough to endure this kind of cooking and its density and porosity characteristics are thick enough not to absorb the stains?
It will be helpful if we can get your opinion on this kind of granite. Also if you have any suggestions on choosing a golden color granite for indian kitchen.
regards,
Granite Seeker and your fan.
December 18th, 2010 at 6:43 am
Remodeling our kitchen, it is off our living space. We have gone with Shaker cabinets stainless applicances, and Ubatuba granite. I am having a problem with my backsplash choice. The cabinets are on one wall (which you see from our family room) So with dark cabinets and granite can’t decide between stainless, glass or tile? SUGGUESTIONS PLEASE
December 26th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Tom, we have a 1100 sqft flagg stone patio that I want to clean and seal. The company I’m talking to will use an alkaline based cleaner and rotating brushes to clean the stone (Arizona classic oak). After drying it will be sealed with Dupont Stone Tech Professional Bulletproof Sealer. Is this the best way to clean the stone and is the sealing prioduct the best for this application. Also on a non sealed surface how many square feet of stone will a gallon of this sealer cover. It’s quite expensive, about $150/gal.
December 30th, 2010 at 8:14 am
I’m thinking about using Merillat Springvally Chiffon cabinets with a L shape island, flooring would be Armstrong Grand Illusion Cherry Bronge Premium Laminate the countertop and backsplash would be Shivakaski Pink granite and the appliance would be either almond or stainless steel. Do you think this would all match.
Thank you.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:05 am
We are in the middle of painting our oak cabinets Valspar Gloss Black and using stainless steel rods in a horizontal layout. Seriously considering some type of long horizontal stainless steel tile-look backsplash. We’re going for a contemporary look. We also have an island and a long angular bar extending past the counter. The local slabs we like are Kashmir White and Galaxy White for white. Others are “White Treasure” (perhaps its Delicattus?). Other options we like are Arabuscato and exotic Turtle Blue (jade green color) (quartzites?). We’re worried about maintenance but willing to use extra care. What do you think looks best and do you have other suggestions. We’re trying to avoid dense crystals, tans and browns that would give a traditional look. Thanks.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:17 am
We are in the middle of painting our oak cabinets Valspar Gloss Black and using stainless steel rods in a horizontal layout. Seriously considering some type of long horizontal stainless steel tile-look backsplash. We’re going for a contemporary look. We also have an island and a long angular bar extending past the counter. The local slabs we like are Kashmir White and Galaxy White for white. Others are “White Treasure” (perhaps its Delicattus?). Other options we like are Arabescato (gray) and exotic Turtle Blue (jade green color) (quartzites?). We’re worried about maintenance but willing to use extra care. What do you think looks best and do you have other suggestions. We’re trying to avoid dense crystals, tans and browns that would give a traditional look. Thanks.
January 9th, 2011 at 9:34 pm
Hi Tom, Great blog! I need help with my kitchen!
I need to replace my counters and I’m looking at a few granite options.
My kitchen has oak cabinets with a light stain and natural slate floors with black/red/green/brown/etc. This is my first home so I need to keep it affordable. I also want something that may go with white cabinets if I decide to paint them.
I was thinking a tan brown or absolute black. The sales person at the kitchen store was recommending new venetian gold or uba tuba which are not my favorite. Any suggestions would help!
Thanks,
Sean
January 10th, 2011 at 7:03 am
Hi Tom – great idea on incorporating the World Vision site with this. We are doing a minor kitchen reno and I am struggling with how to piece everything together. Currently we have light cherry cabinets and we will be keeping these and adding an island and additional cabinetry in a Sandstone Glaze from Quality Cabinets. We are also getting new ceramic/porcelin tiles flooring and will be installing a backsplash (hopefully horizontal glass subway tile style). I have some pictures of our current kitchen but not sure if I can upload them. Countertops will be replaced with granite. My husband likes the “patterned” dark granite while I want “movement” with lines and something different that won’t cost a fortune. We’ve looked at Sunflower, Golden Sun, Silver Supreme. I also liked another suggestion you gave someone else regarding Jabitaca but I thought I would like to go with a lighter granite with darker “lines/movement”. My concern is that while I’m going “different” – am I going to end up with a too “busy” kitchen. We are looking at Orchid tile (African Gold Chisel) for the flooring, are we adding TOO much movement? If I get a “busy” granite should my flooring be simple? And what about the backsplash? Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you, Jennifer from PA
January 10th, 2011 at 11:40 am
Hi..
I really need some advice on choosing a granite color. I chose a passion color thermofoil ( http://www.eaglebaywood.com/finishes/thermofoil_finishes.html) for the cabinets with a few frosted glass cabinets as well. My floor will be a cream color travertine. I have seen a lot of people put green tones with this type of cabinet color, which I am not fond of. I would prefer a contrasting color in the beige/yellow/white tones. Please advice..
Thanks so much!
January 11th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
(First, World Vision is a wonderful choice for chairtable giving–) Now, the countertop: Having returned to our US home (built in 1936) after living for three years in Mexico City, we are redoing the kitchen, tired of the painted cabinets, hoosier, bead board, country-30s style. The aim of the redo is what Im calling My Mexican Kitchen–rustic; terra cotta and deep golden wheat walls; vintage and high-end new Mexican ceramics and glass on open wood shevling; genuine Talavera tiles on a peninsula and in a motif on wall in back of stove; un-shiny quarter-sawn brown oak cabinets and deep drawers, with varied “rusty” pulls; a painted freestanding pantry; darkish wood floors; vintage Mexican rug. I dont know if appliances will be brushed stainless or black (thoughts?). I had thought soapstone but am having trouble finding the super-dark version and also am leery given all the mixed comments. So, re granite: (1) Many granites to our eye look too “new house-y” or even fabricated and we don’t like speckles or the other tiny-embedded-pebble-designs in many of the granites (2) Given size of kitchen as well as the planned placement of the appliances, however, we will have no have great “swathes” or stretches of the countertop that can show off some of the very lovely “painterly” granites we have seen. So, in hunting for a natural top that might say MEXICO but not be too busy, I found a marble called Rojo Alicante (from Spain) that looked like a rich terracotta, which had some nice white veining (vice the pebble-y look). But enough from me–any thoughts on what would evoke Frida Kahlo’s kitchen circa 1936? (I have in fact been to her kitchen and it was so so lovely!) Gracias in advance for ANY thoughts you may have. Julianne
January 12th, 2011 at 7:38 am
Hello. My name is Julianne and yesterday (Tues the 11th) I posted a question about countertop choices and then went over to the World Vision website and your page there. I tried to find a way to submit the donation but wasnt able to see how to do that. A button at the bottom indicated SPONSOR, but that appeared to be the option for signing up to the program vice getting to PayPal…..Im sure Im doing something wrong and wondered if I could get some further instruction.
My query was about a countertop choice for a “rustic Mexican kitchen” and at its end I had commented that I had seen Frida Kahlo’s kitchen in Mexico City and it was lovely. I take that back! I had forgotten–it was her dining room I liked; her kitchen is just –her kitchen (in case you know it or have seen it on the web) is a real crazy fright. That is NOT what Im after……
Anyway, if you or someone could give this technological boob some guidance I would like to particpate in your donation program.
PS: You may have recieved an email from me yesterday under a different email address and that was another technological error of mine. THIS IS MY EMAIL ADDRESS (btjcmex@yahoo.com) Thank you in advance for the donation guidance and for whatever countertop advice you may have for my “Mexican kitchen”.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Dear Tom,
I need some help. We are having a difficult time coming to a decision on stone choices.
The cabinets throughout our house will be walnut (natural finish), with either hard maple or yellow birch flooring.
The darkness of the walnut seems to call for some contrast. There is a ‘quartzite’ (quote because I guess some consider is a granite / marble cross) called Brazilian Arabescato which you can see here:
http://www.globalgranite.com/gallery/granite-slabs-14/brazilian-arabescato-quartzite-polished-slab-261
However, I haven’t heard great things about this stone regarding etching, staining, etc. Is there something else that could be substituted?
Another consideration was something called River Green (Verde Jewel), but I have read that you don’t consider this a good stone.
Maybe you have other suggestions for the walnut / maple | birch combo.
Much granite I look at doesn’t inspire me. Many of the beige / tan earth toned granites seem boring to me, and I’d like something that contrasts well with the wood (but doesn’t bankrupt me).
Thanks for your help.
Michael
January 14th, 2011 at 10:38 am
Hi Tom,
20×20 kitchen. L shaped cabinets, sink, appliances along 2 walls, silgranite sink in dark grey/black. Black and stainless appliances. Large Island in middle of kitchen with maple top and sage green cabinets underneath. Trim in all or house is darker sage/taupe. Floors are light oak. Kitchen cabinets are natural maple. Counter tops will be typhoon green granite. Slab has some cream to bring out maple color, specks and veins of dark grey. Small flecks of burgandy. Lighter colored typhoon green shade than a lot I have seen. Backsplash is mutely verigated slate. Natural and overhead lighting, pendants over island and trak over countertops and sink. Would like you comment on choice of countertop color. Hinges and knobs of maple cabinets are black cast iron.
January 16th, 2011 at 9:54 am
I have a Michaelangelo leathered marble countertop in my kitchen (beautiful). For the most part it has cleaned up nicely and definitely much better for stains than honed or polished. We do, however, have a few white spots that appear to have taken off the sealer. Is that just a case of reapplying new sealer on those areas? I noticed when it is wet, the spots disappear. What could have caused this and what care needs to be taken on leathered countertops? Thankyou
January 19th, 2011 at 9:52 pm
We are remodeling our kitchen. We opened the outside wall and opened wall from K to DR. We will extend our chestnut colored hardwood floors throughout the LR, DR foyer and kitchen. We picked ivory cabinets that have a light brown “braid” in them. We now have stainless appliances (refrig and stove) but will be using our black cook top stove and our old dishwasher will have a panel from the cabinet. Our kitchen is on the north side also. When you enter the kitchen from the foyer , it is a bit dark in the room. Our cabinets and refrig will be on the right and we will have an island in the middle with a sink in this island. The far end of the kitchen will be brighter. as we have added windows and french door to an existing deck on the right side. This area will be for the kitchen table and maybe a chair or two. The kitchen now will flow and we will see it from all rooms. We are traditional in our designs, and have ivory sofa and love seat and an oak DR set from when we were married in 1977. I am open to new ideas, but this kitchen has to flow with the rest of the house, right?
We are really struggling with a color granite. At first we found juprano sucuri which seemed to go with the ivory, but when I saw a similar piece at a showroom, it seemed to have too much movement andit reminded me of black “splotches”. We then saw 2 different colors, brown antique and ivory gold. Some comments we read from websites say it is very dark . I was originally afraid of even uba tuba because I thought it would be too dark. This tropical brown didn’t look dark in the showroom?? I have been advised by one daughter in law that our kitchen would look overwhelmed by a dark color. Some advise us to try a light color like new venetian, they say this would be a more romantic look, but I was afraid it would just get lost in the room and not give any contrast and maybe even look washed out. I always I went to one parade of homes that used too much ivory and thought it looked blah. My husband likes the ivory gold, but I thought it had too much yellow and would not give contrast.
I know this may sound crazy to you, but we really are lost as to what to do. The contractor has the walls out and plumbing goes in tomorrow and we need to make a decision. We have never remodeled in our lives and are going nuts trying to make a decision. I am a fairly good decorator, but am the type that only knows if I like something when I see it in person . When we went to the warehouse in High Point, the slabs are beautiful, but they really don’t show you how the granite will look when it is in your home. I have so many magazines and I must admit that most who use ivory do not go too dark.
We would appreciate any advise you could give us. Can you give us some suggestions and color choices? Have you ever seen a kitchen like I am describing, and if you did what color granite looked good? We are running out of time and need help. Tomorrow is my birthday. What a gift it would be to make a good decision about this granite based on an experts advise. Thanks
January 27th, 2011 at 9:12 am
Hi, I am emailing because I did not receive a response to my question. I submitted the question on January 10th and received confirmation of my donation but nothing else. I was wondering if I missed the reply or was supposed to look somewhere else?
Thank you, Jennifer
January 28th, 2011 at 10:46 am
Hi, We are in the process of updating our kitchen which involves replacing the corian with granite. The floors and cabinets are oak and in the gunstock/med oak range. The walls have been done in ‘italian plaster’ and are layered in tan, sienna brown, muted yellows–think tuscany. The kitchen receives alot of natural light and the cabinets have a slight yellow undertone. I am trying to decide the granite color which I’ve narrowed to the least and higher end–uba tuba(gold) and santa fe brown. My hope is to have a copper sink and the appliances will be stainless; I currently have solid bronze cabinet handles and refrigerator pulls(oak panels). If I go with the uba tuba, the blacksplash I’m leaning towards is 2 inch natural slate, sealed and enhanced. Any thoughts on this and what would you do? The cabinets are simple, mitered raised panel, we have a couple of corbels and an antique stained glass in one of the doors. We are not ‘in love’ with our cabinets but do not want to do a complete remodel at this time. The kitchen opens to the family room and seperated by the dining with a french pocket door–the entire house has an old world ‘feeling’ (lots of antiques). Thanks in advance!!
January 31st, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Hi Tom,
I’m having difficulty finding granite for my kitchen countertops. The cabinets are builders oak (light oak color with orangy undertones), the floor is off white/cream ceramic and the walls are a pale ivory yellow. Appliances are white with black trim. I looked at NV Gold and Giallo Napoleon, but the NV Gold seems too orangey and “matchy matchy” with the cabinets and Napoleon seems to have some large black spotting that looks a little jarring with my overall pale kitchen. Giallo Ornamental contains too much gray for the orangy cabinets. I made one mistake with my last corian counter purchase years ago, and I don’t want to make another–it’s too costly! Any advice is greatly appreciated Thank you!
February 4th, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Hello Tom,
How are you? Could you please give me your advice on whether or not I made a terrible decision with my recent kitchen remodel. Just so you know, I spent weeks flipping through magazines, to the point it was pretty much consuming all my days. We had custom alder cabinets stained a dark cherry color (I originally wanted a toasted almond color with butterscotch glaze but my husband said it would be a shame to paint over new wood cabinets). Because the contractor stained the cabinets pretty red to match the rest of our cherry stained furniture in the adjoining rooms, I asked the guy at the granite yard to help me pick a granite that would reduce some of the red so as not to draw attention to the cabinet color. He picked Amber Fantasy. He also showed me Golden Oak, which I liked but the contractor did not like it as much b/c it was too light for his tastes. Yesterday, the fabricators installed the Amber Fantasy, and after seeing it, I felt quite sad b/c I cannot undo the granite. My kitchen is fairly big (has an eating area) and has a fair amount of light coming in. The granite seems darker (I saw it outside) and it has a lot of grays and greens and little white spots and black streaks which feel cold. Now my kitchen, which we’ve spent a lot of money on is dark and cold and originally I wanted a light, warm kitchen. Maybe I need to see a pschologist, but could you give me any word of encouragement? My floor is an engineered maple in “wheat.” I don’t have a tile backsplash yet and my paint (which at least is changeable) is Shermin Williams “Golden Gate (I originally chose this and the floor with the toasted almond cabinets in mind). I am praying there is something I can still do to salvage my new kitchen. I really look forward to your opinion. Sorry for such a long spiel. Thank you Tom.
February 4th, 2011 at 11:58 pm
Hello Tom,
It’s me again. I failed to mention that our appliances are all white, including the cast iron sink, except for the stainless steel sink faucet. I had wanted to go for a traditional look, but I’m afraid I may have created a mish mash. I am also going to attempt to make my donation now. We also support this charity and I’m glad to hear that most of it does get to the children. Thank you for doing this.
Christine
February 5th, 2011 at 12:45 am
Hi Tom, I have been looking at granite and quartz for ~2 years and want to jump in but have no sense of color/style. On top of that, I probably have the littlest kitchen on record – it’s “L” shaped 90″ long x 90″ wide. (Yep, that’s right, the floor space would fit about one St. Bernard and a parakeet!)
I have a small house (1200 sq. ft.) that exudes the feeling of a hunting lodge when you walk in due to wide plank, pumpkin knotty pine walls throughout. The kitchen floor is a very light (natural) red oak hardwood that’s about 4 years old so it’s starting to become less natural and more yellow/orange/ tan. (The hardwood continues into the entryway, dining room, hall & bedrooms.)
I need new cabinets with simple detail and think my best value buy would be Norcraft’s Concord or Parson style in either oak Honey or Natural (to complement the floor) or Rustic Alder Natural (to compliment the knotty pine in the other rooms) http://www.norcraftcabinetry.com/Products/Norcraft_Cabinetry/Simple_Detail/ .
I’ve read that when selecting a countertop, I should strive for contrast with my floor but steer clear of dark colors because it’s difficult for seniors to see things on dark countertops. (Poor eyesight is a problem.) I’ll want an undermount sink and will probably change out my existing double bowl, “granito” composite Swanstone sink for a single 24″ bowl so I’m open to either stainless or composite granite choices for my sink in off white, gray, or brown. (Forget white – tea bag stains!) I’ve gravitated toward granite samples of Kashmir White, Giallo Atlantis, and Giallo Ornamental due to the existing sink color but also looked at Silestone quartz samples in Blanco Norte, Blanco Maple, & Blanco City. There is one window in the tiny space, directly over the sink and I have an overhead fluorescent light as well as a fluorescent over the sink and under 18″ of the cabinet space.
I’m afraid my choices will make everything look washed out. I feel overwhelmed and don’t know how to get grounded. Any recommendations would be so much appreciated! Thanks so much. (On my way to paypal now!)
February 11th, 2011 at 5:45 pm
We are remodeling our kitchen and I would like to go with a dark chocolate cabinets, but not sure what color granite to use? Any ideas?
February 11th, 2011 at 8:12 pm
Hi Tom,
What a great ministry this is! Thank you for your time! We have a 1960’s home full of young children, so our “picks” need to be practical, yet classy enough for entertaining. We have huge shade trees that don’t allow much natural light in our new “great” room we’ve tried to create with knocking out part of the kitchen wall, adding a bar and 3 pendant lights. We have floor tiles that we’re having to tolerate- they’re a combo of tan/beige/pinky-peach. We have a white sink and appliances. We plan to put on new cabinet doors that are slightly off-white, square recessed plain panels, with plain round bronze knobs. Slabs are out of the question for us, but my handy husband is planning to tackle granite tiles for the counters, which will save us 2/3. Should we go lighter or darker? Also, what color trim and wall paint would you suggest for our new “kitchen/den combo”? We’ve thought about lighter colors like Giallo Veneziano, which looks so bright and clean. But we don’t want to be all “whited out”. Several darker browns have caught our eye (we’re not interested in pure black). We’re thinking of tropical brown, tan brown, labrador antique, sapphire brown, or cafe imperial. The trick is doing the right thing for these floors. Any help greatly appreciated!
February 14th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
My home was built in the 50’s and have remodeled the entire home except the kitchen which is next. The style is transitional with a lean toward modern. The kitchen partially opens to an added family room as well as to the original formal dining room. These rooms have wide plank oak flooring with latte walls. The dining room furniture is maple. The family room has a large oak wall unit as well as Oak Framed French Doors with side glass and a square glass insert above the French Doors. This room has a cathederal ceiling. I want the kitchen to feel modern without being in conflict with the rest of the house. I am replacing all of my appliances with stainless steel appliances which includes 1 wall that will consist of a 32″ stand along fridge side by side with a 32″ stand alone freezer and a microwave/wall oven combination unit. The wall that abuts the family room currently has a 45″ opening (from the original window looking outside) which I am thinking of widening to 91″, will have a 45″ Kohler Stages Sink and a stainless steel/black ceremaic induction cook top. I am leaning towards having the custom cabinets built out of African Mohagany with a clear finish. I have Ceaser Tile “Glam” that is called “Coffee”, basically a chocolate brown somewhat linen look with a sheen for the floor that will run in large planks as opposed to square tiles. I have also picked Cafe Imperial as the counter tops. I will have a few cabinets with glass doors above the buffett that is being custom built between two 30″ pantries on the far wall with the dinette. This wall with the buffett and the fridge/oven wall is separated by the entrance from the garage into the kitchen. The room gets a nice amount of natural light and I will have a nice amount of can lighting as well. Do you think I’m on the right track or would you have different suggestions? Thank you. Thanks so much for your thoughts.
February 15th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
I have cream colored glazed cabinets. The floor is a slightly rustic cherry/brown wood. What do you think of the autumn leaf brown granite for my kitchen?
February 15th, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Hi Tom,
Just wondering if you had any super suggetions for us! Thanks so much! Eagerly awaiting a reply! (In the meantime, must confess….found a super steal on Sapphire Brown tiles. They actually go pretty well with the floor, but I guess now I need confirmation that this isn’t a horrible choice. (I guess we COULD attempt to sell the tiles on Craigslist!) Any tips on creamy white cab colors, or paint colors to compliment, would be appreciated!
Jana
February 16th, 2011 at 5:20 pm
Hi Tom,
I am in the process of building a home and would like help with my Granite selection. My cabinets are Maple with a toffee stain and my appliances are stainless steel. I am considering doing the Island cabinets in a linen color if you think that works with everything else. It is not a large kitchen but very open.
This is a very open floor plan, open to the dining area which opens to the living area. So all three areas can be viewed from each other. This is a coastal home and I am hoping to incorporate teal and coral in the living area.
The dining chairs and stools for the island are “Tommy Bahama” brown sea grass (rattan) style. I am thinking of using a creamy ivory with brown granite. I am getting low on funds so proably can’t do anything too exotic. I like movement, but don’t think it is necessary if you don’t, but again being near the ocean movement seems like it would work well. I have had to move very quickly with all my selections in the house and of course this was due yesterday. I am so happy you encourage supporting World Vision. I have been sponsoring children through that wonderful organization for may years.
God Bless!
Colleen Barbee
February 17th, 2011 at 1:34 am
First let me say, “You Rock Dude”…pun intended! I have been reading your hundreds of posts and have learned a ton over the last few days.
I have refinished my 15 year old oak cabinets to a dark walnut stain. It has lots of very dark grain showing and is really beautiful. I am having Cosmic Black granite installed. All of my appliances are GE profile stainless and black trim. My backsplash will be glass tiles and my floors are wood and I will figure out the stain when I get everything put together. Although I am hoping for a Duraseal “Spice Brown”. First any ideas on my pallete and glass tiles?
The real question I have goes to some installation issues. I will be having about 80 sq’ of granite with a center island (with a standard 30″ cooktop) which will be 37.5″ wide by 90″ long as the centerpiece. The underlying cabinet is a standard island cabinet that is 51″ long by 24.5″ wide. The end of the cabinet facing our family room will have a 39″ overhang supported by four 4″ posts, 2 butting up to the cabinet and the other 2 placed 20″ inches out from the cabinet with a small 4″ high base connecting them (a place for a basket or two). This structure will be painted black. The outer two posts will have 6″ x 1 3/4″ x 4 5/8″ corbels facing toward the family room and far the post on the 90″ long 12″ wide overhang side will have another same size corbel supporting the end of that 90″ run. If my math serves me well I will have 11.5″ at this far end extending beyond my corbels. With 3cm Cosmic Black is this adequate support? I would consider making this overhang up to 6″ longer if I could support it with a steel underlayment. I had a thought that perhaps a 1/4″ steel plate under the granite resting on and attached to my 4 the tops of my 4 posts and extending out to an adequate distance might work. What do you think? I saw this done on a desk and it looked elegantly simple. If this is not reasonable then how much past my corbels can i safely extend this particular granite?
Now on the 90″ or perhaps even 96″ run I plan to have 3 of those same 4 5/8″ corbels on the 51″ cabinet base and another on the post that is centered at 22″ past the end of the cabinet where my big extension is. Is this adequate support for this granite? the granite will extend about 7.5 inches out from the corbel ends… I reduce this overhang if I have to but I really would like to keep it at 12″ if possible.
We plan to use the long end of this island with its approximately 39″ to 45″ extended granite length as our main eating table for the three of us (wife, 11 yr old daughter, and me). The rest of the kitchen is like a big U around this island. The sink side is 122″ leading into a 71″ L abutting the fridge. On the opposite side of the island and running horizontal to the sink is a 66″ run followed by a 31″ oven tower followed by an 84″ run. So, one last question, what do you think of my idea of making this island a gathering place and a real functional eating space for us? I am increasing the size of the original island with its twelve inch overhang by a minimum of 27″ and perhaps up to 33″. I really like this idea but don’t want it to be way out of scale.
I know I have asked you alot and I hope I have given enough information (truth be told probably too much) but because it is so much I am going to donate 25$ instead of 18$….besides that is way cool that you care so much for your cause that you do this. Props to you for being a good example and a really good resource!
Thanks,
Mike B
February 21st, 2011 at 8:16 am
Hi,
I am remodeling my kitchen by joining it with the dining room with new maple raised panel cabinets that are being made by a local Amish cabinet maker. He is matching a stain that I found at Lowe’s called Maple Cognac. It is rather cinnamon in color. I like the Cleopatra granite for counter tops and my island. The company seals the granite and gives a lifetime warranty. I have some quarter sawn red oak floors acclimating to the house that will be installed in a couple weeks. In addition, I will have new stainless steel appliances. My questions are as follows: What do you think of the match of the cabinets to Cleopatra? I like granite with movement. I want the floors to be lighter than the cabinets, and I envision rosy rather than yellowy, but am unsure if that palette works. I am still considering back splashes — saw a stainless steel one with glass inserts called “fire and ice” in pictures on the internet, but am considering all options including granite up the entire wall. glass, ceramic, etc. I have seen some pics of granite with tile back splashes, but that doesn’t seems to be the norm. Do the faucet and hardware need to be silvery to match the appliances, or can I go with darker hardware and faucet like a polished bronze? I am thinking of a stainless steel sink, but am open to other options as well. Finally, what about a paint color for the walls? My living room and former dining room walls are “badlands taupe” which has a light rosy tone, but can be changed.
Whew…that’s a lot of questions. If you need more information, please let me know. Thank you so much for any insight you can give me. Love your website. Babs
February 21st, 2011 at 10:49 am
Hi Tom,
I posted earlier about the Cleopatra granite. I wanted to mention that others that I considered were lighter like Ivory Fantasy, Millenium Cream, Summer Yellow, and River White. My old counter tops were white speckled formica, so I thought the Cleopatra would be more of a change. I am open to all of your suggestions.
Babs
February 23rd, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Hi Tom,
Like many, we are struggling with granite and ensuring we chose wisely.
We just purchased this is a small early 70’s ranch style country home on 5 treed acres. The ceilings are 8′ and this room is just one all inclusive area being kitchen/living/dining. Wall color is Flax (beige) and the ceilings are just a simple flat white.
The cabinets are a shaker sytle light maple (wheat) and the floors are natural red oak. Appliances are stainless steel and the sink will be an undermount (stainless or black granite composite). The hardware on the cabinets are intended to be black iron or dark bronze for a somewhat rustic feel.
We’re having trouble with chosing granite with subtle to no movement to keep from visually overpowering the space but don’t want bland either. Key West Gold and Autumn Brown look nice at the lots but we’re thinking even these might be too much movement, mabye not?
As far as darkness is concerned we’re thinking a decent darker contrast to break up all the tone of the cabinets and floors. Uba Tuba just concerns us as being too much contrast and the darkest of Santa Cecelia looking like it will be too light.
Where we’d like to go with this space is to stay with a mild country/rustic home feel but not trying to make a log cabin out of it either. More simple lines and decoration tends to be our style – classy without looking like we just threw money at it with poor taste.
In our last home we chose a granite Verde Fusion and loved it for its durability and ease of maintanance. We couldn’t stain it if we tried (and we tried), it didn’t show dust, fingerprints, crumbs, water spots, etc… and had enough contrast without going too far. With our new granite choice we really want to stay with a similarlly durable, trouble free granite.
We are considering the Verde Fusion but not too seriously as we’re afraid it is just too grey for the cabinet and floor color we have ss you may judge in this photo from our last home.
http://i467.photobucket.com/albums/rr31/ASCTLC/bs010-1.jpg
Here are some photos to help see what we have to work with in our new home. The kitchen/living/dining room is 24′ x 26′. Due to the way our lot is treed, there should be more sunlight coming in during the summer than the winter with sun coming in the front door in the morning and in through what will be the french doors in the evening. The small picture window to the immediate right of the kitchen will be converted to a french door to outdoor living space.
This picture is the view as you enter the house from the front door. To the immediate right is the living room area.
http://i467.photobucket.com/albums/rr31/ASCTLC/Kitchen015.jpg
This picture is the view as you come into the space from the garage/laundry room.
http://i467.photobucket.com/albums/rr31/ASCTLC/Kitchen016.jpg
This picture is the view standing in the far corner of the living room.
http://i467.photobucket.com/albums/rr31/ASCTLC/Kitchen017.jpg
Obviously a lot of work yet to do to finish installing cabinets, back of the island will be veneered with same color as cabinets and the top of cabinets will be a simple crown molding to the ceiling.
The backsplash is intended to be tile and we’ll address that design after the countertops are done.
Lights above the island are intended to be 2 or 3 mini pendants.
We greatly appreciate any help with chosing a few granites to consider and as important is what granite styles to steer clear of.
Thanks a million!
Tammy
February 26th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
I have an old lava rock wall with a new 10 foot section. The guys that built the wall sprayed it with a product out of a hand pump, low-pressure lawn sprayer. The product was a petroleum stain. I have tried everything to find that brown petroleum stain in Hawaii. All they have a Lowes and Home Depot are products (stains) like paint. That is not what I want and need.
Do you know what type of stain my rock wall guys used.
Aloha,
Glenn Bell
February 28th, 2011 at 10:58 am
Typhoon bordeaux granite in kitchen, warm oak cabinets. Can I get new cabinets without destroying granite? Also, what backsplash goes well with typhoon bordeaux? I don’t want it to seem too busy visually, yet a simple subway tiles seems too stark.
Thanks for supporting WV with your forum! We sponsor kids from WV, Compassion Int. and Watoto!
Many Blessings,
Tna
March 3rd, 2011 at 1:29 pm
What do you think of honed granite countertop (specifically antique brown)?
March 6th, 2011 at 11:15 am
Hi Tom. I hope you can help me. We are completely renovating a 70 year old cape cod kitchen. We have new HAAS cabinets in oyster (creamy off white) and an island in stout (warm very dark brown). The floors are original red oak – kind of an orangey tint. We are at our wits end trying to pick a counter top and back splash. I really like the honed granite look as opposed to the typical high shine look. I love purples and greens. Any direction would be greatly appreciated.
REPLY FROM TOM: Hi Lara, a perfect granite color for your arrangement is called Purple Dunes. It is from Brazil and in now more common in a honed finish. Consider straight edge detail and if you kitchen can fit it, a nice chunky white porcelain farm house sink would be very complimentary. If you can not find the Purple Dunes, try to find a granite called Caramelo. It is also from Brazil. This coloration in this granite is much more attractive in person than on the internet. Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog kids and write to me directly if I can help you further. – Tom Cordova
March 9th, 2011 at 8:11 am
We have just put Kraftmaid medium color stain (sunset I think) cherry cabinets into our large kitchen which has two large skylights and light natural-colored maple floors. The kitchen opens into the living room. Walls are currently painted with B-M simply irresistible and appliances are stainless steel; cooktop on the center island is black with stainless trim. The kitchen is very light because of the skylights and we are struggling with the granite color. I love tan brown, but the red seems to be more cranberry than the cherry stain and I’m worried it’s turning the cabinets orange. The granite store urges us to get giallo vicenze (pink tones and black highlights) which does seem to go well, but we’re not crazy about it (too busy). Any suggestions for granite are welcome. We live on a lake in the East. Thanks!
March 11th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Hello I’m seriously thinking about painting my kitchen cabinets…..when we remodeled our kitchen I chose tropical brown granite counter tops and tumbled tile that’s assorted colors of light brown’s, or tan’s I have always wanted black kitchen cabinets but with my choice of counter tops I’m finding myself limited to light cabinets. what do you think about painting the bottom black and top a cream or ivory color. Do you think I should just stick to an ivory color and do you think the ivory will blend in with the tumbled tile black splash??? I’m having a very hard time with this decision any help is appreciated!
March 12th, 2011 at 9:29 am
We are updating our kitchen with a cream glazed cabinets. We have brick red ceramic tile floors and want to know what granite would be the most complimentary? We are painting the kitchen a mochachino/latte color as well.
March 12th, 2011 at 11:04 am
Hi Tom,
I just bought a house and don’t know the name of my granite countertops. A granite supply I called on the phone said they might be Kasmir White. They are light colored with gray and flecks of chocolate brown.
I suspect they are not sealed because I put an oil cannister down on the counter and it left a ring. It did not come out with made-for-granite cleaning wipes.
How do I get the stain out? Also, then, what would you suggest to seal it? Is that easy to do oneself?
Thanks for your help,
Renata
REPLY ——-
Hello Renata,
My Kitchen is Kashmire White Granite, same as yours. It is a porous granite from India. It needs to be properly sealed with a strong sealer, like Dupont Stone Tech Bullet Proof. If you already have a stain it will be very hard to remove. You need to contact a professional stone company in your area to apply a poultice to draw the stain out. It is not a straight-forward procedure and most likely will not work to completely remove the stain. I am sorry to tell you that. If you reply to this email with your city, I will try to refer you to someone that I know in your area.
My very best,
Tom Cordova
March 13th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
Redoing kitchen with thomasville maple with cider color. Floor is Armstrong north terrace lvt. Looking at African ivory and juparana Persia granite counters. What is the color we should consider? Both have movement, can’t decide.
March 16th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
I am remodeling my kitchen with dark maple cabinets on the perimeter white cabinet for the center island and I have chosen sahara green granite for the counters. I had natural maple floors which I have stained darker but lighter then the cabinets. My appliances are stainless and so is the sink and faucet. Hardware I’ve found a antique pewter from amerock. I am thinking of a travertine backsplash that is almost white and maybe some antique pewter pieces in it. I will accent with black stools and black or antique pewter light fixtures. My windows and baseboards are also painted white. What are your thoughts on my design, am I making any bad decisions in my selections?
March 17th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Hi Tom,
We have oak cabinetry, white appliances, and a white tiled floor in our large kitchen. We have chosen opalescense for our new countertops, with our existing focal point island which is a mixture of golden, brown tones, and black. My question is this…..should we select a stainless sink and faucet or would another option be more eye appealing?
Thank you,
Alissia
March 19th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
We have blue eyes granite slabs on our master bath vanity and bath.
We are thinking about doing the master bath shower stall walls in Blue Bahia granite. I understand that Blue Bahia has a high sodalite content and is senstitive to etching by acids. I’ve also heard that sunlight can cause it to fade or change color. What can you tell me? Is Blue Bahia a bad choice for a shower? I don’t want to spend that kind of money and find out it’s etched, faded or damaged in normal use. Thanks.
Hello Allen,
I am not sure why someone who say such a thing. Perhaps they are thinking of another stone. Blue Bahia is popular for exterior use and very resistant to all acids except Hydrofluoric. Trust me – no worries. Best, Tom Cordova
March 21st, 2011 at 8:03 am
Hi,
Like so many, I am struggling with granite counter top color and how to tie it in. I am planning on redoing my entire kitchen. I currently have Thomasville Cabbot Cherry cabinets picked out in Cider (medium color). I will be putting in cherry laminate floors (dogs and kids, looking for durability). The look I am trying to achieve is warm, casual and comfortable. I have been thinking of Bianco Romano, Giallo Ornamentale, Giallo Vincenza, St, Cecelia or White Springs. We do not get a lot of light but some. What about backsplash and paint color? Thanks!
March 28th, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Hi Tom,
Looking for help with choosing a backsplash. We have white cabinets, black appliances, steel grey granite countertops and we are painting the walls a light bluish grey. Any help or suggestions would be great……
March 31st, 2011 at 10:55 am
Hi Tom,
I just read your recommentation on the anti macrobial sealer. I do not wish to spend that much at safestone.
I am doing a small area of a hospital and they are needing me to use the anti macrobial.
I also saw where you recommend the miracle 511 impregnator but I cannot find anywhere that it states the anti macrobial.is it?
any other anti macrobial that you know of? I would like to just go purchase it instead of ordering. I spoke with Dupont and none of their sealers currently have it .
Thanks
April 5th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
hi tom,
we are in the process of building a new home and are struggling currently with counter top choices. we have an L shaped kitchen with a large 8ft by 6 ft island in a rectangle shape. our cabinetry is all painted white dove and our island base is currently being made in alder, ( not knotty). we were looking at the black honed granite for the working kitchen l and had looked at a few different granites for the top of the island. i have read about how you feel about the honed black, any other suggestions in its place? i fell in love with a granite i saw called piracema white. but was told that it only came in widths of 70 inches which would not do for the size of our island. on a side note we are going with a very sandy neutral large stone tile for the floor. and a white backsplash of subway tiles. the kitchen has a keeping area with a gas fireplace that is stones and driftwood. it is surrounded by a very light sandy limestone. we live near the beach and most of the house will have a very beachy feel to it. i thank you for giving your time up to consider it.
best-
julie
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ROCK BLOG REPLY
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Hi Julie,
Piracema White does come in larger slabs. It is from Brazil and a very good color choice. It is not expensive but somewhat hard to find because it is in short supply. If you cannot find that one, look for an Indian Granite called Juperana Columbo. This should have the color pallet that you like as well.
Even without the problems with honed black granite, I don’t see it complimenting your cabinets very well. Please take a look at dark Ubatuba or even and a brown granite called Cafe Imperial. Write back to me with your thoughts after looking at these, ok? You have my direct email address now.
Thank you for supporting the Rock Blob kids.
Tom Cordova
April 6th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
tom,
you run a wonderfully informative website for all of us newbies in the decorating world and contribute to a wonderful charity. i’m hoping you can help me because this project is costing me a lot more money than i had anticipated and i have made nothing but mistakes with my purchases.
the house was built in the early 1950’s or late 40’s. i recently pulled up the carpeting in the living room and found beautiful oak hardwood floors. the l/r furniture is italian provincial and d/r set is a pecan color. d/r can be seen from the kitchen. d/r walls are painted with a cream color on top and a mocha on the bottom with white wood trim.
mistake #1 was that i walked into a flooring store just to browse because we needed a new kitchen floor desperately. i fell in love with a light”solarus” granite countertop. because of that granite, i wound up purchasing new kitchen cabinets. (not yet installed). the cabinets are nutmeg stain on maple wood, with a chocolate glaze. doors are traditional style.(didn’t know the current style now is shaker).(mistake #2). kitchen is bright and square, 10′x11′(including cabinets) with a hallway on the side about 7′x4′.
for the past 45 years we’ve had white formica cabinets and countertops, and although i love cool, light colors, we decided to change the decor to coincide with the colors in the rest of the house.
my dilemma is that i loved the creamy solarus i saw in the store but could not find it anywhere, so i had to settle on a little deeper colored solarus and now am stuck with new “dark” cabinets. do you think the solarus will match with the nutmeg cabinets? granite is still at the fabricator and cabinets haven’t arrived yet. i still need a kitchen floor. i prefer light colors to keep the room light. what do you suggest for floors and backsplash and paint. do you think the solarus will go with the cabinets? PLEEEEAZE! will you help me? i need a good night’s sleep. all i’ve dreamed about is granite and backsplashes for the past 6 weeks.
April 7th, 2011 at 6:23 am
hi tom,
i also forgot to ask about your opinion on appliances, faucet, and knobs, which all have to be purchased. i really love the solarus granite but can be exchanged if need be, so your opinion regarding the solarus and dark cabinets would be greatly appreciated. cabinets are from “boss cabinetry” and are hazelnut on maple wood with a chocolate glaze.
we also considered “white spring” granite, but didn’t know if it would be too much of a contrast against the darker cabinets. also, i’m thinking about light procelain floors, to keep the room bright, although i dislike the hardness of the tile resulting in aching legs. what do you think about laminat floating floors to look like tile. any other suggestions to save the muscles in the legs? by the way, i live in new york, so granite options might not be the same as on the west coast. i’ve already been to approx. 25 granite yards and fabricators.
thanks again,
eileen
April 9th, 2011 at 1:17 am
Dear Tom,
In your last article you mentioned about Chinas production. You also wrote that you have visited some of big factories. Can you please explane what exactly is the difference on China production with Italy, Israel and USA? What type of machine China using, and if it significantly different than Italy, Israel and USA using? Is the “Breton” machine (method) is the best one?
Thank you,
Vadim Zaharevich.
April 11th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Hey Tom,
The first of March we had light beige 18 x 18 travertine tiles put down in our entryway and then sealed it with a enhance and seal sealer from Lowe’s. The floor feels like it has a film on it and it looks hazy. I bought a cleaner and cleaned the floor and it feel better but it still looks hazy. A friend said I should try Nanoscrub. Have you used this before? Do you have any other suggestions?
thank You,
Christye
April 11th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
We purchased Silhouette granite and our fabricator is having problems matching the top of the counter with the ogee edges. They have claimed this is only one of two granites that need a special compound after milling. Supposedly he has used this and still cannot get the edges to match the top. Have you heard of this and do you have any advice on how to correct it?
Thanks.
April 11th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
I am tackling a kitchen remodel—tearing down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, elongating the kitchen island and replacing the corian countertops/island with granite. We are keeping our existing birch craftsman style cabinets which have a honey spice finish, medium oak floors and stainless steel appliances. I am contemplating using cambria black granite for the perimeter countertops and magma gold granite on the island (3 ft wide x 8 ft long). Is this color combo too trendy or dark. Any recommendations and or insight would be appreciated.
April 15th, 2011 at 7:49 am
Dear Tom
I have a big dilemma. My kitchen cabinets are dark green. I have Mexican Tile and want to changed my countertop. I just dont know which colors will go with my green dark cabinets and Mexican Tile. I was looking at the Santa Cecilia Royal that is like brown tones with some red on it. Not sure if that is a good choice. What do you recommend. I wish I could tear the whole thing down, but cant afford it and figure the counter will make a great impact, I just dont know which colors.
thanks for your help.
Liz
April 17th, 2011 at 11:14 am
Tom,
We are redoing our counters in our large kitchen. It is a very large L-shape (100 sq.ft.) with a large two-tiered island (breakfast bar is the higher tier), with Walnut cabinets stained Cherry. We have white oak floors stained in a medium red-brown (very similar to the cabinets), and 30ft. cathedral ceilings. My husband really likes the brown-yellow speckled type granites, but I love the black with veining like cosmic black, Black Typhoon, or Golden thunder. The black typhoon we looked at has a “leather” finish. I really like this and the honed look, but my husband is worried about plates and glasses rocking on the leathered surace. We live in the woods and love natural and natural-looking materials. I am wondering about your suggestions/thoughts regarding the following:
-the leathered finish;
-the black colors;
-the yellow-brown colors (I feel it will be too much brown and look washed out);
-I love the hammered-copper apron sinks, is this too much?
-The option of using a honed or leathered version of the same granite on the island and a polished version around the peremeter;
-the edging. I think a bullnose or 1/4 round on both the top and bottom edges (we have a 5 and 2 and a half year old and I am worried they will whack their heads on any super-sharp edges);
-Any ideas regarding a backsplash. I thought a really plain tile with a river-rock strip accent or mosaic-type accent behind the cooktop would be neat.
Our style is very nature-oriented but modern/contemporary. All our appliances are black. Any and all suggestions would be very much appreciated. This is our first house and though we have been in it for 9 years, we still have no idea what to do with most of it. This kitchen is going to be here for a very long time & I hate to think that we are going to put something in that wil look dated or too busy too soon. Thank you so much! Also, what a fantastic idea with the charity, I will be sending my paypal donation immediatly following this email. Cheers!
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The Rock Blog Reply
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Hi Caity,
Thank you for the detailed information and I will give you my thoughts. First, the leather style is a great choice. You should avoid mixing polished and non-polished textures with countertops. There was a brief phase where that was done, but it is already out of style. Fortunately, the leather texture technology, combined with excellent granite sealers, have provide for a nice variety of colors to choose from these days.
Keep in mind that you need to only look at 3cm (1 ¼) slabs when considering leather textures. Avoid all 2cm (3/4) stock because the edge detail fabrication will not look good.
Your room is large. Black is a great choices and can be used at the island along with a Giallo Ornamental or New Venetian Gold leather textured perimeter for the countertops. If you go in this direction, I suggest a color called Cosmos. It is tricky to fabrication because it has some soft spots, but just be sure that the fabrication is aware of the stone and fabricated it before.
So! Both you and your husband have great choices as long as it is leathered texture. Avoid honed because it make the stone too porous and inhibits stain and mold growth. The sink you described will go great with either Cosmos or New Venetian Gold.
This kitchen should be stunning!….yet subtle in a non-shiny, earthy way.
I hope this helps and let me know how your search goes!
Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog kids!
Tom Cordova
April 18th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
We are redoing are kitchen. It is a post and beam house. Light Rust colored ceiling and beams. White tile floor and backsplash. Honey oak cabinets , flat front with3/4 inch bull nose frame and contemporary nickel hardware. The window trim in the kitchen is also light rust colored and walls are white. Kitchen opens to dining area with light tan walls and light oak floor. Appliances are mainly white but cooktop is black, microwave stainless. Lighting is also white.
The kitchen is about 16 feet by 16 feet not including dining area. I guess you would call our style somewhat contemporary. Right now we have white formica counters with grey specs. Definitely want to change to granite but have no idea what color to go with. We went looking today and thought that maybe New Venetian Gold, Gialo Ouro Brazil , or Gialo Ornamental?
I am really open to any ideas you may have? LIght or dark? Should there be a little white in it? Beige or gold? Very confusing. Pleas help.
Thanks in advance.
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Rock Blog Reply
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Hi Diane,
I love the post and beam look, although it conflicts with the contemporary style.. You have a greater desire to create ‘classical modern’, rather than contemporary. That style in a kitchen combines warm wall and ceiling colors with a clean white floor and a mix of straight lines and slightly curved lines. My best suggestion is Red Dragon granite – give it a chance before the word ‘Red’ makes you nervous. It is Brazilian granite that captures the exact decor I feel you are creating. It is warm, yet modern. The edge detail should be square with a 1/4″ radius on the top only.
If Red Dragon is not right for you, I suggest Arandis Granite. It is creamier granite with an overall soft brown tone and mild rust and white highlights. Many Arandis slabs are not good. Don’t stop looking for this if the first ones you see are botchy or full of imperfections. See several suppliers. It is from South Africa but commonly found at nice slabs yards.
I hope this helps and let me know how your search goes!
Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog kids!
Tom Cordova
April 25th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
We are remodeling our kitchen and having a hard time deciding on the color for the counter top and small breakfast bar/island. The kitchen is 13.5ft by 10.5 ft. Our cabinets are Kraftmaid praline with mocha glaze. We tend to like the darker granites like uba tuba and peacock. Our appliances are stainless steel and black. We haven’t chosen a floor yet but it will be laminate, either in a wood look or stone/slate look. Do you have any color suggestions for the counter top and also for the flooring?
The house is a 42 ft high ranch. The kitchen opens to the dining room and we will be taking down part of the wall between these rooms to allow for more space to sit at the breakfast bar. The island will be 50in x 36in. There is only 1 window in the kitchen but there is also a window in the dining room. I would say there is an average amount of sunlight. We get sun in the morning through those windows. The appliances are stainless steel… fridge, dishwasher, and range but the microwave is black and this is mounted over the oven range. Also the other appliances have some black detail on them. The cabinets are Kraftmaid Piermont…they have a raised panel and the upper ones have a slight arch detail. We tend to be pretty traditional in our taste. The house was built in 1966 and we have lived here for 34years. This is the first time we are renovating the kitchen and I am so anxious to get it right. Thank you so much for your time and expertise.
We have also saw some tan brown granite that we liked. It has some cherry wood color in it which is different from the finish on our cabinets. Do you think that would work?
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REPLY from Tom Cordova:
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Hi Pat,
Congratulations on living in the same home for 34 years. I can see why you want to do all your research to get your first kitchen remodel (and hopefully your last) done well. After reading your information, clearly you like the darker granite colors. If you are pulled toward ubatuba, Peacock and Tan Brown, then I will stay away from the lighter colors that would work well with the cabinets and the optional flooring possibilities. That being said, Tan Brown is a nice granite from India and popular because it is low priced and has complimentary colors with such colors as your mocha glaze and praline mix. It also goes very well with stainless. Here is the problem. Tan Brown does not look good in a few years unless maintenance is meticulous Granite, by definition, is a mix of minerals which is supposed to be 65% quartz. The other minerals can be a bit softer and are mostly orthoclase varieties. The reddish color you see is the softer mineral feldspar and is about the same harness as a kitchen knife. In time, scratches appear and the surface is slightly dulled at those areas. Since it is gradual, it is generally acceptable to most. However, unless you are comfortable with that and have that expectation, stay away.
Ubatuba is still one of my favorites with stainless appliances. Although it is not unique, It is still one if the most sophisticated, yet family-casual granites in the market. It is a great choice but you MUST personally inspect the slabs and tag them. You want the deep dark color (almost feels black) with almost no natural fissures. BE SURE to read my article “The Home Owners Checklist” http://www.granitestock.com/news/homeowners_checklist.html so that you properly review the granite with your fabricator. If you go with this great choice, I’d recommend a travertine tile splash, in a brick pattern and a honed finish. Avoid tumbled finishes for splashes – they are almost already outdated. For the granite edge detail, go with a Roman OG Edge detail as can see here http://www.granitestock.com/3dedge/index.html. This page take a little time to load but is a great tool for seeing edges in 3D. This edge will compliment the detail in your cabinet faces. For your floor, consider a golden light slate or golden oak wood, depending on your style and preference. Me, I like wood, but that is just a preference.
You mentioned Peackcock granite. I don’t like Peacock granite at all because it is just doesn’t have a deep luster like Ubabuta.
Here are some other choices that will perfectly compliment your cabinets and appliances.
Star Beach: http://www.granitestock.com/eis-cgi-bin/8180/gran?color=Star Beach&templ=granite_csearch_color.html
Juparana Bronze: http://www.granitestock.com/eis-cgi-bin/8180/gran?color=Juparana Bronze&templ=granite_csearch_color.html
Imperial Gold: http://www.granitestock.com/eis-cgi-bin/8180/gran?color=Imperial Gold&templ=granite_csearch_color.html
Café Bahia: http://www.granitestock.com/eis-cgi-bin/8180/gran?color=Cafe Bahia&templ=granite_csearch_color.html
Let me know what you decide!! Thank you so much for supporting the Rock Blog Kids.
Tom Cordova
April 27th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Hello,
I’m in the process of remodeling my bathroom. I have been shopping for a tile floor and loved the look of travertine. I’ve never done this before. I’ve been reading reviews and tips and it looks difficult to install and care for. I’m afraid it is going to be difficult for my contractor and may be easier to just go with ceramic. Am I being paranoid?
Thanks,
Confused
April 28th, 2011 at 6:21 am
Hi Tom,
I am updating my kitchen and would like granite counter tops. My cabinets are light oak and my floor is white ceramic tiles. I am looking for suggestions as to what color granite to put on the counters.
Thanks so much for your help.
Carol
May 3rd, 2011 at 11:18 pm
Hi! I need some advice. In a couple of weeks I’m putting 3 cm granite on an island that was made of 2 stock cabinets 20 years ago. The cabinets are 12″ deep and together are 54″ in length secured down to the floor by a 2×4 base (I think I remember). The granite countertop will have a 1.5″ overhang on 3 sides, and be 29 inches wide which means it’ll have a 15.5 inch overhang on the 4th side. I was thinking about putting island legs under each end of the overhang, but was just reading about the Counter Balance brackets/Tbars. Do you think they would support the granite enough if attached to stock cabinets? I would MUCH rather have hidden supports than island legs! It sounds like the Counter Balance system is easy to install, but I’m a novice with a more experienced handyman to help me. Would I put a Tbar on each end and a Counterbalance rod in the middle where the two cabinets meet? Or do you think I should do island legs? If so, how to I attach them to the granite? I have two rambunctious dogs that might bump up against them. Can’t use corbels as the cupboards are not beefy enough to secure them to without putting extra support inside the cupboards, and they are only 12 inches deep to begin with. To compound matters, I live in a rural area and reliable carpenters are hard to come by! I’ll appreciate any answers and advice you can give me. Thanks.
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Hi Wendy,
An overhang of 15’5 inches requires a lot of support. However, the exact granite you select will make a big difference as to what needs to be done. Since you cannot install corbels, you need to use a dense stone like black absolute and three posts. I don’t see the t-bars working because the cabinets are two old. You also might consider a quartzstone product (silestone, zodiac, caesarstone). These will not break and you could just use two posts. Perhaps, if you send me a photos of the cabinet area, I might be able to comment some more.
Let me know!
Tom Cordova
May 5th, 2011 at 5:38 am
Hi Tom. You have a great blog and appreciate all the information you post. I’ve seen posts regarding my issue but hoped you could help me on my exact situation. About a week ago I had my laminate counter tops replaced with granite. Included in that replacement was a breakfast bar and I have some concern that I put in sufficient support for the overhang. Here are the details of the installation. The granite is 1 1/4″ Juparana Delicutus. The bar is 95.5″x16″ with an 11″ over. One end abuts a wall the other doesn’t. The corbels (which to my own fault didn’t do due diligence and research and got no suggestion from my fabricators) are wooden shelving brackets from home depot (Kelleher 2-1/4 in. x 5 in. x 7 in. Basswood Bracket; http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202563540/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053). I spaced them starting from the wall end at 16″ then 48″ and then 80″. They are all installed into studs. The two end brackets were installed using normal installation prior to the placement of the bar (the bar was glued to these corbels). The center corbel in installed after by counter sinking 4″ lag bolts through the center of the corbel. Lastly I’ll note that when they installed the backsplash between the bar and the counter (post installation of the bar) it tilted the bar slight forward such the bubble in my level is a quarter bubble off from the center (adding extra pressure to the corbels).
So I’m hoping to get your opinion on what I need to do if anything to make the bar safe (I’ll also note that I have two 2 years who are going up fast and furious). Could I simply counter sink the other two corbels or should I try and replace them (knock them out; sand the down the glue; etc). Other options?
One other quick side question. I noticed a small chip in the granite by one of the seems; I’m assuming I can call the fabricators to fill it with some polymer and smooth it out?
Sorry for the long post. I greatly appreciate the help.
-Joe Miller
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Hi Joe,
1 1/4″ thick solid granite is quite strong. That being said, Delicates is a class D granite which means it has inherent fissures of weakness. For safety, you should put the corbels at no more that 16″ apart and the corbel horizontal leg should not be more that 2″ from the countertop edge. While you should test it for sag after this is done, I do think you should be fine. Also, tell your kids to never hang on it. If they do, it should hold, but that would be based on your anchoring workmanship and should not be relied on. If I were to do it all over, I would have inserted stainless steel rods into the granite and then epoxied them to the cross stud at the wall. But, with the corbels in place, you will be fine.
Regarding your chip, yes, a granite shop can easily make that go way.
Best regards and let me know if you have more questions. Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog Kids.
Tom Cordova
May 5th, 2011 at 11:11 am
Hi Tom;
I stumbled upon your website and was delighted to see the many answers you posted to questions. We are remodeling our kitchen and I originally thought we would go with a black granite, but now I am having second thoughts. We will be painting the walls an antique gold – our cabinets are traditional white and the room opens up into our family room where we have a white fireplace with black granite facing and hearth. I am leaning now toward a black granite marbled with gold. What are your thoughts and suggestions? We will have stainless steel appliances, although our contractor suggested a black stovetop, since stainless scratches easily. I am also unsure about what to pick for a backsplash. I love tumbled glass, but want to stay within a reasonable budget. Thanks for your help.
May 7th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
Hi Tom,
I made a donation and got “Thank you for your generous donation! Your order number is: 16914892 ” but not sure I did it the right way but hope you will answer my question.
My contractor put down carrAra marble hexagon tile and it looked great until he put the sealer 511 pourous plus on it and then the carrarra darkened forming dark spots where there used t be light grey ones. I think it looks bad but he says it will lighten withe time. Is 511 porous plus the thing to use and/or did he do somthing wrong. He had said the stones would not change color with the sealer. He is about to do two other bathrooms- a thassos basket weave and a limestone wall and slate floor. I don’t want the thassos or limstone to change color and I do want the slate to darken. Any suggestions?
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511 Porous plus is fine to use but it can lock in any moisture so it is best to let the stone completely dry first. Otherwise, it will take much longer for the moisture spots to go away. For carrara white, I am always concerned what setting glue was used. Find that out and write back to me.
Tom
Thanks,
Ann
May 9th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Hi
We are about to renovate our kitchen and need help in selecting a granite counter top. Our kitchen is L shaped with a breakfast bar and stainless appliances. The cabinets will be cherry shaker in a light honey color. The floor is a peach/beige tile with some movement in it. My initial thought was to go with Black Galaxy but now I am not so sure.
I wanted to attach pics of the cabinet door and floor tile but not sure how to attach them to this msg.
Hope you can suggest some granites that would be suitable. Happy to donate to a wonderful cause.
Thanks
Rehana
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Hi Rehana,
After reading your subsequent information about the backsplash you desire and seeing your photos, I suggest looking a Ubatuba Granite. Your splash will be quite busy (but beautiful) so you need a strong dark color counter to compliment it. This is a good choice – I am sure if it.
If you change your mind about the backsplash, look at Juparana Colombo to compliment the tile and cabinetry.
I hope this helps and thank you for supporting the Rock Blog kids!
Tom Cordova
May 11th, 2011 at 11:15 am
We installed a large outdoor kitchen which has a two tiered countertop. In all, we have 6 seams. Within 2 days following installation, 3 of the 6 seams opened up. The installer was called and repaired the 3 seams with the same polyester material he originally used. Now the seams are opening up again.
The kitchen faces due West and is in direct sunlight for most of the day.
What can you suggest to stop the seams from opening up.
Thank you.
May 12th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Hi Tom,
I have Vyara(from India) installed in my kitchen recently on counter top, island and full high backsplash. Recently I read the news about granite and radiation which was published way back in 2008. I couldnt find anymore recent information. Unfortunately I read this after I installed the granite
I have 2 young children and am getting paranoid now. As per the report more the color variation it is, higher the risk of radiation. My Vyara has amazing patterns and flows and I absolutely love it. What do you recommend?
also, granite around my sink looks little dull sometimes and it gradually fades away. I don’t know what sealer he used. I also need recommendation on that which I am postponing thinking what if I have to rip out my countertops. Your expert advice will be very much appreciated.
Thank you very much,
Vaishali.
May 12th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Tom I have been in the stone industry for about 25 years I agree wity you on the epoxy issue, there is some products that can last as long as the granite on out door applications would like to visit w/you about some of these. I have several different things we do to keep things from failing.I would also like to have a couple of questions answered for me. 1- What would Engineered stone produce in a fire? 2.what is the life span of the material used to hold together the 93 % Quartz That is avertised in engineered stone? Thanks bob bennett
May 15th, 2011 at 7:49 am
Need help with Granite choice and backslash ideas. Hi Tom! Love your World Vision idea! I’m getting ready to remodel my kitchen and am having trouble choosing granite. I have honey oak kraftmaid cabinets and butter yellow walls. We have ordered Stainless appliances. Currently I have old white Corian and the kitchen has a country French feel which I like. I love the wall color also. We will change the flooring afterwards. I really need suggestions for the granite and backsplash. I also have some blue country French pottery which I love and would love to keep but understand that I may need to change that. Backsplash I like travertine but am concerned with staining. Does sealing take care of that? My husband and I have been to 2 granite yards and we are having trouble. My contractor is wanting us to make a decision soon. Thanks so much for your help!
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Hi Robyn,
The country feel mixed with stainless appliances is challenging. Normally I would suggest White Springs or Bianco Romano Granite with your décor and taste, but they don’t go that well with stainless. Still, you cannot go too dark, or sandy brown either. I can see why you are having trouble. You need a cool color that goes with stainless.
The best one that I can suggest is Delacatus White Granite. There are many variations of it but I recommend the version with a little honey oak veining. The overall background is a white with a tint of silver which will work nicely with the stainless. Be careful not to select the version with no caramel oak veining – you need that! Here is an image I found that should guide you. http://www.marvamarble.com/GRANITE-DelicatusWhite.HTM
Look at this an let me know what you think!
Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog kids.
Tom Cordova
May 15th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Hello Tom,
I decided to use 2cm granite in my kitchen and noticed that the wood underneath is visible where I have a breakfast bar overhang. How can this be hidden/covered?
Thanks!
May 22nd, 2011 at 7:10 am
Hi Tom,
I was super excited to find your blog! It is refreshing to know that your expertise also enables children live a healthier life. All I can say is WOW about your contributions to kids and people like me…
Hoping you could shed some light…
I have purchased Kraftmaid cabinets in mushroom w/ cocoa glaze, Santa Cecelia granite 3 cm with double bullnose edge, and a cast iron white porcelain undermount sink.
The cabinets forming the island base will be 60” X 36”. Two 30” X 12” side by side will abut up to an 18” X 24” and 42” X 24”. I plan to have an overhang of 9” along the two 30” X 12” cabinets. The granite island top is to be 60” X 45”. There will be toekicks throughout.
Layout will be L shaped with the island.
1st wall layout starts left to right with fridge, 12” cab, 30” range, 9” cab, 36” cab (part of the 36”X 33” lazy susan cab)
2nd perpendicular wall with 33” cab (part of 36”X33”lazys susan cab), 9”cab, 36” sink cab, 24” DISHW, 18” cab.
I am worried about cabinet failure as well as granite failure and am getting different opinions regarding what supports are needed if any.
I understand that the 3 cm granite does not need subtop but can you clarify if I need any additional type of supports in the cabinets and/or the granite? If so, where and what is necessary?
My specific concerns are outlined below:
Island toekicks? (end panels might be strong enough to support stone but if the bottom breaks where it cantilevers over the kick, where should I ask for additional support?)
island cabinets themself? (will they need any additional support?)
island granite? (plan to have that 9 inch overhang but if I need to cut it back to 8 inches to ensure appropriate support with preferred sleek appearance without Korbels, I will…)
front/back sink granite? (narrow strips of stone on front/back of sink…if they need extra support, what should I request be done?)
undermount sink? (since there is no subtop needed, how should my undermount kitchen sink be supported? I have been informed that the granite installer will make a support under the sink with plywood. Is there any special information and instructions that you think I need to know ahead of time to ensure installation is done correctly?)
Dishwasher opening?/Lazy Susan corner?
If steel reinforcement is needed, where is it necessary and what type?
I will definitely be requesting that steel sink spreaders are used to hold up the sink as well as the Vulkum Products caulking you have recommended to previous inquirers.
If there is a preferred area to have a seam, which location would be best?
Again, thank you so very much for offering your expertise!
You “rock”!!
Tiffany
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Hi Tiffany,
You did a great job presenting the layout and décor of your kitchen. I will answer all your questions and if I leave anything out, write back directly and I will help you more.
First, 3cm granite is exponentially stronger that 2cm granite. Even though it is only 1 ½ the thickness, it is 2.5 times stronger. A 9” overhang is fine without corbel as long as your granite choice does not have a lot of natural fissures. Still, you should always have ¼” rod cut and epoxied into the underside , perpendicular to the overhang edge of the granite. It should run the same distance back beyond the cabinet face. That means, have the fabricator cut 5 pieces of rod, 16” long, and insert them into the stone from about 2” back of the edge detail to 8” inside the cabinet face. One pieces should be about 4” from the each side edge, then run pieces of rod 12” apart so to that the 60” edge has a total of 5 perpendicular rods (12” apart with 1 about 4” from each side edge). Your fabricator will understand this if you read it to him. This will provide some support but most importantly, if anyone every hangs on the edge, it will not collapse – it might crack but not crash to the floor. Still, it is very strong and should never crack unless very abused.
For the sink, use the ‘sink spreaders’ that you read about in my blog. This is critical. Don’t let the installers use anything else. A set of sink spreaders costs only $20 and must be used or the heavy sink will drop over time.
For 3cm granite, you don’t need rodded support at the front and back of the sink as long as sink spreaders are used. However, if you fabricator chooses to install it, that is ok too. Some fabricators always insert the rod so that it does not crack in transport.
Check for any cracks immediately after installation.
Your cabinets will be strong enough at the dishwasher and the lazy-susan if you use 3cm granite.
You always want as few seams as possible. It looks like a seams at the inside corner is best for you. Be sure to go through my Homeowners Checklist with the fabricator so you can see how any veining will work out. See it here http://www.granitestock.com/news/homeowners_checklist.html
I think that covers it for now! Thank you so much for supporting the Rock Blog kids!
Tom Cordova
May 23rd, 2011 at 8:08 am
I noticed the dates on this website only seem to go to 2008. Are you still answering questions about granite, colors, etc? If so, I will type out my question and send a donation to World Vision, but I wanted to make sure you were still taking questions…
Thank you!
-Martha Morton
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Hi Martha,
Yes, I do.
Tom Cordova
May 23rd, 2011 at 6:50 pm
Hello! We are thinking of having granite countertops installed in our kitchen. The recently refinished cabinets are builder’s grade oak cabinets (golden w/ a very small hint of red) with crown molding along the tops, the appliances are white, and the sink is a drop-in that’s a dark grey/black colored granite composite. (Of course there are the typical countertop items- toaster oven, coffeemaker, stainless breadbox, etc.)
The floor is a ceramic tile that’s a light beige color and it mimics travertine. Lighting includes a flourescent bulb ceiling fixture, an over the sink light, and two small “spotlights” mounted on a track on the ceiling above the breakfast bar. There is natural light coming from a small eating area that’s at one end of the kitchen. (Hopefully, we can get some undermount cabinet lighting installed after we get our granite!) Currently, the paint color of the kitchen is a light sage/green color, but that may change in the future.
For the backsplash, it’s been suggested that 3″x 6″, light colored, tumbled travertine be used (dry stacked, no grout lines). (It’s the travertine that has nooks and crannies.) Our kitchen is medium/small in size, with 8′ ceilings. The counter w/ a sink is 90″x25″, and the breakfast bar area is 61″x36″ which includes a 10″ overhang (with no supports other than the cabinet). The bar is at the lower end of an “L”. In the “upper” section of that “L” is a bit more counter, the stove, a shorter bit of counter, then the refrigerator.
We went to the stone yard for the first time, taking a small kitchen cabinet door and one floor tile. After looking quite a bit, we brought home a chunk of “Giallo Ornamental”, thinking it would look great. But, when we put it on our counter at home, neither my husband nor I thought it “set off” or enhanced the kitchen. It just seemed to blend in. On the flip side, neither of us is good at imagining what that color granite would look like on a larger scale, so we turn to you! We’re wondering if a slightly darker color would work as a nice contrast to the oak cabinets. We want the granite countertops to be the “WOW” factor in our kitchen. Our kitchen has a casual family feel, as does the rest of our home, but we’re not “blah” by any stretch of the imagination! We love nature, but have everything from driftwood, shells, and fossils, to oriental rugs and 18th century sideboards. Let’s just say we’re “eclectic”.
Do you have any suggestions for a granite color for our kitchen? Other colors we liked in the stone yard included “Saint Cecilia”, but we’re wondering if something bolder might be in order, like “Mascarello”. (A little movement is OK, but nothing too dramatic.) Please share your thoughts. (Also, my husband would like the small “ogee” edge, but we’re not sure if it’s worth the extra $450.) Thank you very much for your time and advice!
Sincerely, Martha Morton
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Hi Martha,
Thank you for the detailed information. First, let me address the overhang that does not have support. If you go with 3cm thick granite, you should be ok but it is still dangerous for any kids that might hang on it or any very heavy weight place on it. You would need to bolt it down to a strong support wall or cabinet and also insert rods every 12” for support into the underside of the granite. Keep that in mind. If you use 2cm thick granite, then you definitely need corbels.
You mentioned your splash in 3×6 travertine without grout. I don’t recommend that. The joints will not be perfectly flat and the joint lippage with cast small shadows; thus looking like a poor installation. If you have seen this somewhere and you like it, just take another closer look. I recommend going with 1/16” grouted joints. That will look clean and professional.
Giallo Ornamental is one of my favorite colors because it is light and casual and low cost. However, it will not be a big eye catcher in your kitchen given the color of your sink, cabinets and tile flooring. You need some color without going too far in the greens or blacks.
Mascarello is another favorite but that is quite exotic as you know. It is also a very cold granite color and I only recommend that with wood floors.
I want you to consider richer exotic colors like Giallo Crystal, Espirito Santo, Golden Sun or Juparana Persa. These can be seen on http://www.GraniteStock.com. These colors will give you what you want and go perfectly with the cabinets, sink, splash and flooring. One Note: These slabs can vary quite a bit. When you inspect them in person, avoid and slabs with pink in them. Just move on to see other slabs of the same name.
For the edge detail, consider the edging detail in your cabinet doors. If they have a little Ogee detail, then an Ogee detail at the countertop edge works well. Otherwise, it will look out of place. Remember that you will see your countertops many times a day – consider that when $450 seems like a lot a money or not.
I hope this helps! Let me know how it goes.
Best regards and thank you for supporting the Rock Blog kids.
Tom Cordova
May 26th, 2011 at 5:46 am
Hi Tom, I had white kashmir installed several months ago..When I picked out
the granite it looked white and grey..in my home most of the time it’s lime green, which is not what I wanted. What can I do if anything to cancell some of
this green out..Can I put a white stain on the granite. I truly just wanted the nice clean look of a white top and chose the granite over quartz due to the chipping I read about over the internet. I invested so much money in these
tops and now I hate it. In addition, It changes colors all day long sometimes
it looks white, pink but mostly green. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
June 5th, 2011 at 6:49 am
I was recently shopping for granite and noticed one called Navajo gold. I’ve heard two different stories, one that it is from Brazil, the other that it is from China. What is the real story? If there are really 2 types, what is the difference?
June 9th, 2011 at 8:40 am
what type backsplash would you use with peacock green granite?
June 9th, 2011 at 8:41 am
what backsplash would you suggest with peacock green granite countertops? thanks
June 10th, 2011 at 6:14 am
We recently had granite installed in our kitchen- Antique Black. The seem is a curved one- right in the area of where I do most of my prep work. The seem is about 1/8″in width. I am not happy with how it looks. I called the installers and they came back and filled the seem with a darker color epoxy, but I am still not happy with how it looks. Most people I know with granite have to really look to see where the seem it. My seem is not that way at all- it stands out. Is this unusual or just the way granite is supposed to look? Any input would be most appreciated. Thanks!
June 11th, 2011 at 8:34 am
Hi Tom,
Granite color??? Completely new kitchen – White slab cabinets, stainless steel appliances, existing warm, knotty pumpkin pine floors transitioning to open red brick family room floor. Looking for a contempory clean look to update and compliment. A WOW factor would be nice. We were originally thinking of Sapphire Blue, but now think it will be too dark for our taste. We also don’t want greens, prefer something more neutral (?). Any suggestions would be appreciated. Could send pics. if this would help.
Thanks Nancy
June 11th, 2011 at 10:20 am
Hi, I’m wondering what color granite would look best with Merrillat maple toffee. I was thinking Baltic Brown, but think I’d tire of the brown color. Do you have any suggestions. Thanks, Cindy
June 12th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Tom, thanks much for your so-helpful site and blog!
We are doing a kitchen reno that involves painted white cabinets, stainless appliances, and light-to-medium brown stained red oak floor. Our designer has recommended honed absolute black granite for the counters. We expressed concern about the fingerprint and other problems with honed black absolute, but she feels that these will not be material if an enhancer and sealer is applied.
Have there been changes to the enhancers and sealers since you last wrote about honed absolute black? Have your views changed? If not, can you provide more perspective, or a recommendation of a stone that is close to the look and functionality of honed absolute black? At the moment our main alternatives are polished absolute black or polished black pearl.
Thanks much!
Mark
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Hi Mark,
There have been improvements in sealer which have greatly improved the homeowner’s maintenance requirements of honed black granite countertops. I only recommend Dupont’s Stone Tech ‘Bullet Proof’ sealer for honed black granite. The sealer should be professionally applied. I don’t trust other sealers for Honed Black Granite. However, it is even more critical to select black granite from the best origin. Some of the darkest and cleanest looking black granite comes from China, but it has soft areas which make it less consistent in maintenance over time. Avoid China Black granite. I strongly recommend confirming that the absolute black granite you choose is from India and from a reputable supplier.
Regarding your other choices, polished absolute black granite on white cabinets would be quite cold and sterile and would contrast with your wood floors. Black Pearl is a nice choice for a low maintenance shiny look with a bit of interesting design in the matrix.
I not a big fan of the direction your designer is suggesting as I feel it is a trend at its end. Unless your personal choice and liking is to go with the white and black look, consider that some color really is in and should be around for a long while. That being said, consider a mix of the semi-contemporary design with some color. Granite colors I would suggest for this are Spectrolite, Net Blue, Ascan Blue, and Labrador Antique. Also, take a look at Volga Blue as a bit bolder idea – maybe a little much because of its large opalescent crystals.
Good luck, Mark. I am interested to see how this turns out for you. Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog kids.
Tom Cordova
June 13th, 2011 at 8:39 am
I love Crema Bordeaux but it is expensive. Do you have any ideas of something similiar looking but cheaper?
June 22nd, 2011 at 1:30 am
I am trying to choose a piece of granite for counter tops and full backsplash in a small kitchen for a Florida condo.
I have 18 x 18 light travertine tiles on the floor.
White cabinets, fridge and dishwasher
Stainless steel range and microwave.
Light cream carpet.
Basically the room is a tone on tone. Beige leather couches, oyster colored Crate and Barrel bar stools and dining chairs. Natural driftwood dining table.
I am looking at a beautiful piece of sucuri white granite. The regular sucuri slabs that are available now, are too dark. The white sucuri would go well with everything and looks beachy but my concern is putting it with the warmer toned travertine.
Any opinions would be truly appreciated.
June 22nd, 2011 at 1:32 am
I am trying to choose a piece of granite for counter tops and full backsplash in a small kitchen for a Florida condo.
I have 18 x 18 light travertine tiles on the floor.
White cabinets, fridge and dishwasher
Stainless steel range and microwave.
Light cream carpet.
Basically the room is a tone on tone. Beige leather couches, oyster colored Crate and Barrel bar stools and dining chairs. Natural driftwood dining table.
I am looking at a beautiful piece of sucuri white granite. The regular sucuri slabs that are available now, are too dark. A lot of black running through it rather than the creams and taupes. The white sucuri would go well with everything and looks beachy but my concern is putting it with the warmer toned travertine.
Any opinions would be truly appreciated.
June 25th, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Hi. I have a unique issue that I am desperately searching for an answer to, and I’m hoping you can help.
I just had a beautiful piece of ubatuba granite installed, but it has a naturally occurring spot of something (mica?) right in the center of the peninsula. May I send you a picture?
Is there anything that can be done to minimize the intensity of this spot? Color sealer? Stain? INK? The rest of the countertop is SO beautiful, and I hate to replace the one piece (and cannot afford to!) at the risk of it looking different from the other surfaces.
I would appreciate ANY help you can give me.
LJ Logan
June 26th, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Hi Tom,
We just bought a house with black granite countertops in the kitchen (spectralite I think). It’s a 1920’s Spanish style little house and we feel the shiny counters don’t quite match the overall feel of the house. Is there any way to knock the polish down to something more honed looking?
Thanks,
Jesse
July 4th, 2011 at 7:09 pm
Hi Tom,
We are in a bit of dilemma. We have recently remodeled a track home. Every piece of trim in the house was done in honey oak. We removed the cabinets and replaced them with a cream colored updated( modern but not overly contempo) Woodmark cabinet in a transional style. There are almost white but have a cream glaze over. The floor is honey oak. There is a trim piece around the top with honey oak. THe walls are a sage/olive green “burlap” sherman williams. Walls can be changed. We had a plan but in fell threw…too long of a story to tell. What would you suggest for a granite counter top. I also LOVE glass tile back splashes. My Handles on the doors are stanless. There are over sized and match the handles of the stainless refridge and stove. I would like to accent with Orange or Burgandy. My kitchen is small and is a part of the family room. The family room has carpet in cream.
July 16th, 2011 at 10:19 am
test test test
July 19th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Hi Tim, great site and very informative. I am in the middle of a complete kitchen remodel and am at a complete loss as to tile. I have ubutuba granite being installed for a countertop and just had chestnut colored Kraftmaid cabinets installed. Walls are a light off white. I would very much like to bring in a little color to the kitchen and was thinking perhaps some glass tile would be nice. Any suggestions on which color and style would work best with this counter/cabinet combo? Or if glass is even the best way to go?
Also, have no idea what to do with the floor, as far as tile goes. Any suggestions there as well? Appreciate any insight you can offer!
thanks,
Joe
July 19th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
That was Tom, not Tim. Sorry for the typo on your name!
July 21st, 2011 at 9:07 pm
Hi Tom! Bless you for encouraging us to adopt World Vision kids. When my kids were young, we did that, and now as adults they have continued it on their own. You are making a legacy of giving for the Rock Blog fans. THANK YOU, TOM!
We are remodeling our latge 15 X 20 foot kitchen, which is half of a great room. Our new kitchen will have maple with ginger stain, in a formal style, as we are Asian and our house is somewhat formal.
There’s good lighting, and we are getting stainless and black appliances. Stainless refrig, DW, Fan, black and stainless double oven, black cooktop. Our decorating problem is the large brick archway over the former indoor BBQ and double oven, which is red, orangy, with dark gray grout. We don’t want to paint it.
We chose the mid tone maple with ginger cabs instead of cherry so we wouldn’t have so much orange and red –our decorator and I thought that it was too much. We are looking for a granite that will complement this, and I would like a little black in it. We DON’T like dark granite, and we have new Golden Beach in the bathrooms we love–some movement, not cookie cutter. Your blog helped us pick it out!!!
We will have a new 18 x 18 inch porcelain tile floor, on the diagonal, our backsplash may be tumbled travertine, also on the diagonal, possibly with small black granite squares inlad. There will also be a backsplash in the brick former BBQ area. I’d like a timeless look–nothing dated.
We live in Orange County, CA,have been to all the major granite yards and so far, the best we’ve found have been TYPHOON BORDEAUX, which may be too busy for our large 40 x 58 inch island, and ORIX BROWN, but we also would like to find something less pricey. We liked JUPARANA SUPER CLASSICO, but can’t find one that is not too boring.
ANY IDEAS on how to make the kitchen pop? We want something easy to maintain, not dark.
Color for floor? Backsplash? We have a tan-greenish tone on the walls (Inside Passage) and it can be painted. The other side of the great room has a brick fireplace wall. The whole space (both sides) is 40 x 15. THANKS!!! evyoung@cox.net
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Hi Vicki,
I usually give several granite suggestions after ready such a nice long post but I truly believe the right stone for your décor and specified taste is Juperana Columbo (see it here). Still, you need to look around and see different versions of it. I suggest going to Bedrosians on Pacific Street in Orange (talk to Dan Drew), or to MSI (talk to Harri) which is just around the corner from Bedrosians. There of plenty other places as you know. If you do find a selection you like, let me know and I can put you in touch with a fabricator that can take care of you, if needed.
Juperana Colombo has a smooth flowing exotic matrix that compliments black and stainless appliances. The best selection will have nice wide silver/gray veins and maple color quartz. The stone comes from India and is not too expensive. The slabs to avoid will have a peachy or orange or mauve cast.
I am positive that this is right for you. It is light, not boring, low maintenance and will be formal but not over the top. It will even compliment the brick feature should you decide to leave it.
Let me know what you think after checking it out.
Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog kids,
Tom Cordova
July 26th, 2011 at 8:15 am
Dear Tom,
You are wonderful for answering all these questions and your expertise is greatly appreciated.
I am considering a black and cream milky way granite for my counters with off white/ivory cabinets. My house is 1925 Italian Renaissance revival but the kitchen is the typically small size and simplicity of that era with an adjacent butler’s pantry so we are knocking out a wall and opening the space, leaving the old butler’s pantry painted floor to ceiling cabinets which have paned glass windows. I wanted soapstone, for the counters, but my husband is adamantly against this choice for its softness and dullness. I cook alot and he feels I will just scratch up the soapstone.
Our floors are not original but are a beautiful wood installed about 25 yrs ago–similar in color to the wood floor color pictured on your website front page (the photo with the lime green backsplash).
I have 2 questions: 1) do you think milky way granite is too busy (too zebra like) to look ok in this small space (kitchen is now 18×15, but will open to 18 x 22). We will have the granite on 2 small counters (18 inch x 40 inches), a longer stretch with a large antique triple sink (in porcelain), a new stretch of counter 24 x 68, and a small island with a cooktop. We are also thinking of inlaying the granite into the old butler’s pantry counters where there is now old brown tiles.
2. What should I consider for a backsplash? I was thinking cream or sand colored subway tiles. But I don’t know if they should blend into the cabinets (cream) or be different neutral shade (like sand). Also I don’t know if they should be polished like the granite or matte for a different texture. The appliances will be stainless but will not be very visible from the sitting/table area in the butler’s pantry.
Any ideas? Also I will need to paint the butler’s pantry area and a few spots in the kitchen (around a window)–what color to you suggest? Again I’m thinking of a neutral but am not sure how this should be chosen — some like the backspash or like the cabinets or darker or lighter?
I like the idea of a mostly black and off white kitchen but I don’t want it to be too harsh or too modern for the house. We’re keeping a cast iron milk cabinet (door inside and outside for the milkman!) visible near the sink. And we’re keeping the vintage and unusual porcelain sink to maintain some historic integrity.
Thanks very much,
Christina
July 27th, 2011 at 9:35 am
We are putting in a new kitchen – small L-shaped – approx 11X11. Floors are gunstock 3 inch – cabinets are natural cherry. Cabinet hardware is bronze – Kraftmaid Olive Leave design. I am a traditional person – the $64,000 question…what color granite! I’m not really a fan of greens or grays…..Please help!!!!!
July 27th, 2011 at 6:28 pm
Hi, Tom!
My husband and I are planning to upgrade our kitchen counters and are struggling with a granite selection. I would like to send you pictures of our kitchen. How would I do that? I would also like to send you a picture of the island we are considering.
Here goes:
All appliances are black. We will put in a new sink which will be stainless. The backsplash behind the countertops will be replaced with something to go with the granite we choose. The current wallpaper will be removed and an earthtone paint will be applied (that can be changed if the granite selection necessitates a different color selection). The cabinets and floor are reddish oak and will remain as is. The ceiling fan in a cherry stain with brushed nickel. We are planning on putting a rectangular island in the kitchen, but don’t plan for it to match the cabinets and countertops. At present we are looking at a Broyhill island in cherry with a butcher block top.
We will also be putting a granite countertop in the adjoining laundry room. The laundry room has the same color scheme as the kitchen with beige tile floor. The rest of the house has the same color oak wood trim and hardwood floor with the living room and dining room being open to the kitchen. The carpet in the living room is a beige berber with blue/navy/ fibers throughout. I have blue throughout the house, but am toning that down and moving toward earthtones. However, I do have two light blue two-story length curtains in the living room on one wall and the same blue on another the two other living room windows. I don’t plan on changing the curtains.
If you feel that anything we are planning will not look good, please tell me.
At this point, we can change alot of what we have planned.
One granite we have considered is olga blue, but have decided that it will probably be too blue. We have also looked at several of the black granites with silver or white veins as well as Ubatuba, Black Maroon Cohiba, Emerald Pearl. We have changed our minds a dozen or more times!!! I do like the granites that are polished versus the matted look.
I really want the granite to pop and I want to be able to walk into my kitchen every day and exclaim “I love this kitchen!” Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.
I will be contributing to World Vision very shortly.
I look forward to hearing from you!! And, please let me know how I can send you photos.
Martha Grim
July 28th, 2011 at 9:21 am
how do i remove cloudiness from my granite counters – i have used windex- simply green nothing seems to work – they always look dirty what will take away the cloudinessanno
July 29th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
Hello Tom: Thank you so much for all the wonderful answers you have posted. I have not seen any relating to my problem. I have contracted with a recommended tile setter to lay 18 x 18 honed and filled travertine tiles. He will be laying them on the diagonal with a 1/8 grout line in my kitchen/dinette and two entries. Existing Oak flooring runs about twelve feet next to the opening of the kitchen. I have asked him to butt the travertine and wood floor together with no transition. He told me that he would be able to do it easily.
This morning he informed me that he was having another tile setter help him. When I came home I saw many tiles already cut and laid around my island. It looked great and the cuts were perfect, but there was a one inch separation from my wood floor running the 12 feet length of the kitchen. My contractor had also set the area next to one of the entries and also included the 1 inch separation from the wood floor. He had completed about 9 feet of tile. The tile setter who came this morning told my contractor that is how it is done and that a transition piece would be needed.
I am hoping to have it flush and level next to the wood. Our parents are getting older and my father uses a wheelchair. Is that possible or does it require a transition piece?
Thank you for getting back to me as soon as possible. They return in the morning and I would like some direction with how to proceed.
Mary
August 14th, 2011 at 8:49 am
Hi Tom,
We are in the process of updating our kitchen countertops with granite. We have medium maple cabinets with a golden oak floor and brick red walls. Our kitchen is large with lots of natural sunlight. We have about 72 feet of countertops which includes a large peninsula. We have two questions. First, is the “permanent” sealer with a 15 year guarantee a good idea (Home Depot and Lowes Sensa?)
Second, what color would look best? We are considering Uba Tuba, Tan Brown, Tropical Brown, Giallo Vincenza( is Giallo Keyes the same thing as Giallo Vincenza?) and Santa Cecilia. We are open to any other great ideas, and would love your suggestions of any color, but are on a budget.
Thank you for your charity work!
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Hi Deb,
The Sensa sealer is very good. Warranties do not mean much though because you need to follow some maintenance processes that costs you along the way. Still, the Sensa granites are resin filled overseas so that make the surfaces (except around the edge of the sing and the front edges) almost stain proof. That being said, you can mostly get the same long life from choosing resin filled granite from any reputation granite supplier and then follow-up with a premium granite sealer like “bullet proof” from DuPont.
Regarding the colors you mentioned, Uba Tuba, Tan Brown and Tropical Brown go great with stainless; the others go better with whites and blacks. It is not quite that simple but since you did not mention your cabinet colors or appliances, I thought I’d better give you that feed back before your selection tomorrow.
Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog Kids!
Tom Cordova
August 14th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Greetings and thank you for supporting World Vision! Two good friends spent their careers in that wonderful organization!
I am planning a remodel and am concerned about sun damage to the counter surface I choose. I currently have Silestone, which shows sun damage nearest to the south-exposure window. What surface will best stand up to bright, California sunshine?
Thanks and I look forward to your response.
Cheers,
Renee
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Hi Renee,
Silestone (just like other man-made engineered quartz slab products) is made with over 90 percent polyester resin. The technology is continually advancing to solve issues like the one you are describing but unfortunately the ultra violet light from the sun will always affect the coloration of polyester resin. The best choice is natural granite which has not been resin filled. I can help you choose one but I need to know the general color you desire (Brown, green, white, etc..).
Thank you for supporting the Rock Blok kids!
Tom Cordova
August 15th, 2011 at 6:56 am
Hi. I have been looking at having a dining room table and buffet custom built with a granite top on each. I’m wondering if there is a specific type of granite that is better for this type of use? Also, what color of granite would you recommend for cherry wood and black leather chairs? Thank you for your assistance.
August 16th, 2011 at 7:59 am
Hi there Tom,
This is my first experience with granite so I really need some help.
My kitchen is an L shape with a 9 foot island in the middle. Cabinet color is espresso stain on cherry wood. Cabinet door style is a cross between transitional and traditional. All stainless Appliances. Floors are hardwood with a natural cherry stain. (The floors really have a orangey hue) as most wood floors do. While staying somewhat traditional I’d love to incorporate a little contemporary feel to the room, so I will choose some euro style lighting….especially over the Island. My Family Room starts about 6 to 7 feet off the other side of the Island.
Ive been searching for granite for a month now and I am having a tough time making a decision.
Can you give me some ideas? I live in New York, maybe you know of a specific granite and a yard that has it.
Thank You Much!
From Dazed and Confused! lol
Joanne
( I just sent this message and Im not too sure if it went through….but I forgot to add something……I definitely would like some nice movement in the granite and I love those silver crystal like spots too) Maybe what you recommend can have those features)
Thanks again Tom!!!!
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Hi Joanne,
There are a couple granites that work well but use these as benchmarks for what works with your decor. These are Golden Crystal Granite and Golden Silver. Both are exotic granites from Brazil and swatches of them are on http://www.GraniteStock.com.
The swatch of Golden Crystal is darker than the real stone so don’t completely judge it but that. Let me know what you think after seeing these and one similar.
Tom Cordova
August 21st, 2011 at 7:19 am
Tom, I had a house fire and am trying to re-build my kitchen. I am going with a SnowFlake DaVinci finish cabinet by Candlelight. I really like the look of marble but everyone is telling me to choose granite because marble is a pain to keep up. I do not want to go dark. Also, I am probably going hard wood so the countertop and cabinets should work together. I wish I had more time to look but insurer wants me to move fast. Do you recommend color of hard wood also? Thanks for your advice. Best, Michael
August 27th, 2011 at 12:28 pm
I have oak hardwood floor with cherry cabinets in th ekitchen, what color of granite countertop will look good.
August 29th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
Hi Tom: I have ubatuba granite countertops and alder gold color cabinets and sam ecolor floor. Looking to change the color of floor and cabinets and also add backsplash. Need direction.
Thanks
Cindy
August 29th, 2011 at 4:41 pm
I rent an apartment with black stone kitchen countertops. with gold flecks in it. I have assumed that it was granite until I read your blog. In order to find out precisely what the stone is, I would have to ask my Landlord. I am hoping to remedy this problem WITHOUT notifiying my Landlord if this is possilbe. I hope you will be able to help.
As I said, its’ black stope. The countertops were cleaned on Friday 8/26 by someone using “FInazzle Kitchen Grout Cleaner for White Grout.” (The person doesn’t speak much English and saw the small word kitchen on the label of the bottle stuck in the back of my closet…
I came home on Sunday 8/28 to find a find that my usually shiny counter tops had a grease-like film on them that I could readily make finger marks on. I tired using Winex; then I tried dishwashing liquid and water…
Oh yes, and now the surface is not longer perfectly smooth. While it’s not visibly pitted, I can feel a very fine sandy texture.
I contacted “Finnazzle” via email and a few hours later received a person phone call from “Pete) saying he head read my email, and while he doesn’t normally respond via phone, he was so astounded by my email…
He said to have a Stone Repair person come and then to give that person his phone number (404) 786-1742 to call. I am assuming that hiring a
Repair person to come might cost me a small fortune, so I am hoping your input will help me without having to do that.
Pete did say that there is phosphoric acid and a surfactant in the product. Your blog mentioned that granite is (usually) OK with Ph. acid so that’s what has made me wonder about the stone…
Can you help me return the stone to shiny and smooth please? If you need further info about the prodcut, please tell me what tests I should run, or what I might need to ask my Landlord if necessary. What reassurances might I be able to give her if I do, in fact, have to make that call?
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely, Diane M.
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Hi Diane,
If the counter is natural stone, then it is Black Galaxy from India by how you describe it. It should not a big problem with those acids, unless Ammonia Bifloride is also in the solution. My guess is that it is also in that cleaner. If it is, it will etch the surface. Sulfamic Acid can also leave a sticky residue. Use a razor blade to remove. You also need a wetting detergent. Usually, liquid dishwashing soap works well, but you said you tried that. Black Galaxy is a not really a granite so chemicals are tricky. Use a razor blade and scrub the surface with a green pad and dishwashing soap. That should do it.
Once again, if Ammonia b-floride is in cleaner, the granite is pretty much ruined.
Tom Cordova
August 30th, 2011 at 4:13 am
My architect/interior designer is recommending Blue Lagos limestone for my kitchen countertops because they have the right color and texture for the room. I am concerned about staining – how susceptible is this material to water spills and glass rings that are not attended to right away or to food stains in general? if I want this kind of matte gray stone counter, is there another stone that you would recommend if the limestone requires too much attention? any thoughts on flamed absolute black?
August 30th, 2011 at 8:42 am
Hi Tom,
We are building a new house and I wanted to get your advice on a backsplash for our kitchen. We are doing Colonial Cream granite countertops and Cherry Chocolate cabinets (Timberlake’s Sierra Vista). Our floors will be dark; Mocha hardwoods. What would you suggest as a backsplash?
Thank you in advance!
Shana
September 1st, 2011 at 12:55 pm
We are planning on redoing the kitchen (L-shaped, open concept to breakfast area and living room) and have so far picked the following: White (thermofoil) kitchen cabinets (pillow style, so no molding, but little curved on the edges), rectangular stainless steel sink (kohler vault 33\), rohl faucets in polished chrome with (white) porcelain single lever, applicances are stainless steel, too. We chose ivory travertine tiles in antique pattern (brushed, chiseled, partially filled) and Juparana Colombo for the countertops. I am not sure regarding the backsplash. Currently we have 4×4\ tumbled marfil marble tiles in mind. My idea is to have behind the range (long wall) and the sink (shorter half wall with bar top) a mosaic in a rusty red (glass tiles) so that there is one color pop. On the other hand, the granite has beautiful waves and that salmon color, so I do not want to go overboard. What would you recomend for backsplash? As for the floor tiles, will the antique pattern be too much with the waves of the granite?
September 2nd, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Hi Tom,
Trying to choose granite colors offered by our builder for an open-plan kitchen/eating area flowing into the family room. The kitchen has a large center island, plus a butler area (row of cabinets along the back wall of the eating area) opposite the kitchen. I have some small red kitchen appliances (blender, toaster). In the eat-in area, we have a round antique-finish table in a grayish blue with just a tinge of green with wrought iron chairs. Appliances will be stainless. Floors throughout are a medium, slightly reddish oak hardwood. The family room color scheme is deep red (sofas), with accents in various blues and golds.
We’re considering a creamy bisque for all cabinets except the island, where we’re thinking of a medium brown. Builder granite choices: Uba Tuba, Golden King, New Venetian Gold, St Cecilia, Giallo Vincenza, Verde Butterfly, and Impala Black. We like the New Venetia Gold best and then the St Cecilia. What do you think for the granite color? And would you do a different cabinet color for the island?
By the way, the kitchen and eat-in area gets lots of light–too large kitchen windows and a