Dear Tom,
We are in the process of renovating our kitchen. Our house is over 150 years old. It is an all white colonial with 7 very large pillars that run across the front. We recently added to the kitchen area and have created a kitchen space that is 22 x 19 feet. We are having all white cabinets made which will go up to the ceiling and a large two tiered island in the center which will be about 10 ft long. The floor is teak.
There is a lot of natural light as one wall of the room is floor to ceiling windows which overlook our pool area.

Our question, is the color of the granite. The kitchen previously had these same white cabinets with Verde Butterfly and we liked it. I didn’t want to re-install the same kitchen so we looked at granite again. We saw the Black Galaxy but I saw your note on a prior replay that it shows dust and that future buyers don’t like its Vegas bling, bling look. Now I am concerned about what to choose. The kitchen is off of a very formal dinning room with heavy red velvet drapes (like in Gone With the Wind) and I do want the overall look of the kitchen to be formal-even though we did choose white cabinets.

Help!
Thanks a lot,
Colette

Hello Colette,

I was raised in the house that had those heavy red velvet drapes. I am glad that you mentioned that.

Neither the Verde Butterfly, nor the Black Galaxy is the best choice here. The Verde Butterfly is far too unsophisticated for an old classic home like yours, and the Black Galaxy is just totally wrong unless you want your guests to feel like they traveled through time when leaving from your living room to your kitchen. You can get away with this for a small accent dry bar, but with white cabinets, this granite is looks cheap and futuristic.

I am also concerned about green on white. I really like the deep greens with the red velvet nearby, but green granite on white cabinets presents a sterile atmosphere that is really best transitioned in a more contemporary home. Again, I think a dark green like Ubatuba would be perfect if your cabinets were cherry or darker.

Remaining understated, yet classy and charming, is the goal and those white cabinets make it a challenge. My best vision for your kitchen is in the deep brown/reds with highlights of yellow or cream. Juparana Ipe or something very similar would be a perfect choice. There is another color called Juparana Bordeaux but the veining and mottling are just too over powering to be charming. I mention this because it could work if you fall in love with it as most people do.

Two other perfect choices are Arandis and Colonial Dream. These two colors are very classy and sophisticated and I believe you will agree once you see full size slabs. These two draw in the same balance as Juparana Ipe but the colors are reversed from the Juparana Ipe, meaning there are generally beige with highlights of deeper browns and reds.

Consider a full high granite splash. A tile splash can look pretty nice too but I just don’t like to see tile splashes with white cabinets. It looks very stripy and cheap.

Well, I hope that I have helped! Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog’s World Vision kids.

I recall discussing drainage grooves in the
granite to drain into the side of an undermount sink, at my first meeting with the fabricator. Now, at fabrication, he tells me they can not do this.
Frankly, I would have picked a different countertop material if he had made this clear when I was choosing granite over other options. I am quite sure we discussed this on our first run though, and before I got deeper into the process of picking the slabs and etc. Similarly, I have full bullnose on most countertops in my house. At the same early meeting, I asked for the same edge on the granite, but a 1/2 bullnose ended up in the bid. The edge detail is fairly easy to change, but this issue of the grooves is more difficult.

Am I asking for a truly non-standard item, or is this fabricator just not familiar with the process and unwilling to add a new service “just” for me?

I like the fabricator very much. He & his staff have been very helpful, but this has kinda set things back. We did discuss a lot of issues at that first meeting, but this has been on my list of basic wants for this kitchen upgrade for so long, that I am really surprised he could have missed it.

What should I expect?

Am I stuck with an ugly drainboard on the countertop, on top of my beautiful granite?

Eileen

Hello Eileen,

I must admit this is the first time I have been asked about this so I appreciate the interesting new issue you are facing. I am sorry for your trouble but the request you are asking of the granite provider is not very normal.

What you are describing is doable but extremely difficult and requires the right CNC machinery to perform the grooving and polishing work accurately. If the fabricator does not have a CNC machine with the right tooling, then it can not be done without an incredible amount of saw and hand work. In addition the polishing of the groves would be extremely time-consuming.

Most likely, you would not be happy with the result in the long run. The grooves would be prime mildew catchers and hard to keep clean. I can see your point that if you don’t have a dishwasher, you are stuck with a tile drying rack but that is what is most common.

Again, it can be done but it is expensive and there is that mildew issue that I mentioned. You could research other granite companies in your area to see what they can do. A list is available on www.GraniteStock.com.

Regarding the bullnose issue, fabricators rarely charge more for a full 1.5″ bullnose over a 1/2″ bullnose. It sounds like there was just a verbal mix-up and I hope you are being treated fairly about this.

I am very sorry about the late reply. Please send any follow-up questions that I can help you with.

Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog’s World Vision kids.

Hi Tom,

I read your blog regularly and gladly paid the $18 for my question. I recently had granite countertops installed-some kind of cross between Peacock green, butterfly and Uba Tuba, and have 2 areas of concern.

I was unhappy with the edge of the seam so the installers tried to “fix” it, making it worse and leaving a 3″ circular “milky” area around the surface and the edge. It is noticeable.

Also, there are light bristle-looking brush “sweeps” on the top surface that follow around the sink cut-out. It is only seen by DH and me when the light hits it a certain way.

One “expert” told us that the brush marks were probably done when the machine rolled over the top to cut the sink. The surface probably wasn’t protected properly and some granite dust got underneath and created the scratches. He went on to advise us against trying to fix it because it could damage the shine making it worse.

The fabricator then brought in two stone restoration specialists who tested a small area and said they could grind the area down to the scratches using diamond pads with running water and then seal it bringing back the polished shine.

Does this sound right to you? We want it perfect, but are afraid of making it worse. Also, can the sealer hurt such a dark stone? Please advise…

Thanks, Susan

Hi Susan,

There is no doubt that the right expert can fix this. This is not a pretty situation but unfortunately it does happen too often by fabricators/installers when they are inexperienced. I actually commend them for bringing in a specialist instead of making more excuses to you.

The success lies directly in the hands of the restoration specialist’s skill set. It is not a quick process either. It could take several hours going through each diamond pad level to get the right final finish. I would expect that no restoration specialist with any kind of experience would attempt this unless he knew what he was doing.

I don’t think you heard them right about ’seal it back up to bring back the shine’. What they probably mean is use higher grit diamond pads to bring the surface back to the original polish level of the countertop.

So, I won’t bother going through all the steps that he needs to do, but let the specialist have at it. You will probably be happily surprised about the result.

Best wishes!

Tom,

I am a commercial interior designer. I think we need a reference book. Is there a book or publication that succinctly provides information on the advantages and disadvantages of each type of stone – plus it’s correct installation method (grout line size, type of grout, sealing, maintenance etc.

Regarding Travertine – what are the disadvantages to using travertine (on the floor in a residence hall lounge – to be precise…) Thank you for your help.

Linda Kress, ASID

Hi Linda,

The Marble Institute of America has all the information guidelines that you needed. Check their bookstore and
consumer resources pages.

Regarding travertine on floors, it is widely used but there are some important considerations. For example, if the travertine is not properly filled, then high heel shoes can literally pop the fill right through the travertine, thus leaving pits randomly throughout the floor. To avoid this, you should specify “travertine which has minimal fill and all holes are adequate filled to avoid damage from foot traffic”.

Joints are important. The tightest reasonable joint should be 1/8″. However, if your tiles are quite large, then 3/16″ is reasonable as well. Grout at this width should be non-sanded and filled flush to surface. Grout and thinset should have a dry-polymer additive to increase strength. There are brands like Merkrete or Laticrete that are well known of strength and quality.

Best wishes!

Hello Tom,

I’m upgrading my 10 year old tract home kitchen. It is 25 x 15 1/2 feet amd open to the family room. Our light oak cabinets have darkened and oranged over the years to a medium tone but we don’t want to replace them as they are solid wood doors and in great shape. New hardware is a dark grey metal but not black or bronze. We just put in a new porcelain tile floor “saddle tan” which mimics travertine. It goes with cabinets but also has some taupe colors that coordinate with my family room carpet. New stainless appliances are on order. I’m having trouble choosing granite. I love movement and veining and want some black in it. I’d also like contrast since the cabinet and floor are close in color and intensity. I want to play down the orange in the cabinets or at least make it not pop out. I want the granite to be the noticed feature. Two that I like are Saphire Blue, Typhoon Bordeaux. I also like the green background in crema bordeaux from Brazil, but not the apricot color. Tropical Brown was also a good color, but maybe a little boring(it’s everywhere)Do you have any suggestions? Our kitchen is internal and no windows near counters. Not real dark, but not bright either. Depending on the stone I might do a tumbled marble backsplash in the 4 x 4 tiles.

Thanks so much,
Anita
P.S. I love your donation idea! We have 3 sponsor children through World Vision and Compassion International, what a great way to share with others!

Hello Anita,

The goal should be as you mentioned, to draw away from the cabinets and bring life into your kitchen though your countertops. The way to do this is to go with a ‘mixed’ color. All the basics, Whites, Greens, Browns, and even Blues will accentuate your older cabinets if standing alone.

Even though you are getting new stainless appliances, you still need to pick out a granite color with enough color of the cabinets in it so that the cabinets color feel purposeful. This will actually ‘play down’ the cabinets themselves. At the same time, you can accomplish the updating by mixing in a granite color that compliments stainless. I want to give you three colors that will accomplish this given your decor.

My number one choice is Typhoon Bordeaux. It will update your kitchen, give you the interesting and artful center focus that you are looking for, and it will also actually allow your cabinets to compliment it (after you shine them up a bit!).

As backup choices, consider Twister, Amber Fantasy or Mascarello. Your personal taste will either draw you in to one of these or turn you away.
The Mascarello is incredible granite with spectacular clusters of colorful minerals but it might be a tad too dark for your kitchen. If you choose this one, you would want to go with the tile splash as you mentioned. However, a dark travertine splash would look better than light.

The Amber Fantasy can get a little pink, which doesn’t work at all. This is my least favorite of the group but sometimes you will see slabs of this that look like the beach at sunset. Those are a must have! Twister is the tamest of the bunch but works the best with stainless. It continues the taupe/brown scheme so I mentioned this as a possibility.

I think your best choice is here somewhere. I would love to get a photo when it is done! Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog’s World Vision kids.

Hi,

I have an 8 foot by 4 foot island in my kitchen. Attached to the back of the island (in the center of the 8 foot lenght) is a 24″ by 30″ base cabinet that is the base for the granite table top I will be putting counter height bar stools around. The table top is planned in size for 4 feet by 5 1/2 feet.

I do not want to use any corbels or legs on this attached table top, just the attached cabinet base. The granite overhang on the two sides of the table top will be 18″. The granite overhang (or should I call it an extention?) on the last side of the table top, opposite the 8 foot island, will be 24″.

The granite table top (4 feet by 5 1/2 feet) that will be sitting on the 24″ by 30″ base cabinet will obviously need more than a plywood sub top for support.

My questions are:

• How much steel should we use?
• Are steel straps enough?
• Should we use a solid Steel sub top with the plywood?
• Should we use marine plywood with the steel or just regular plywood?
• In choosing the steel, is there a certain kind or thickness?
• Can I go with a longer overhang/extention than the 24″?

I want to put six 20″ wide counter stools arount the granite table top (that only has 3 sides) and it appears that the 4 feet by 5 1/2 feet dimension my be too small to fit all six of the stools. I think I may need to add 6″ to 12″ more to the 24″ end of the granite overhang/extention making the overhang/extention 30″ to 36″. Is it possible to go with that long of an extention with just the steel support and not adding legs or corbels?

Thank you for any advice you can give me.

Susie

Hi Sue,

The information about Santa Cecelia helps because some granites colors are denser and stronger. This one is just about average. I still do not know what thickness you are going to use so that also doesn’t allow me to understand the strength of the stone. For example, 1 1/4″ thick is common on the East Coast, while 3/4″ with a built-up edge is more common on the West coast. The 1 1/4″ thickness is much stronger.

Anyway, you can do what you want with steel but because of the huge overhang, you will need to build a complete steel frame under the countertop and affix it to the cabinet. Since it is interior you really don’t need stainless but you should prime the steel, nonetheless. I recommend using galvanized steel and then prime it with a Rust-Oleum metal priming paint.

You can not cantilever granite with flat steel bar because the steel will bend and since the granite will not flex, the granite will break. You have to create “T” shapes in the frame and I recommend 1/4″ thick steel for this huge overhang. You will have to have it welded. The legs of the “T” should be about 1″ tall and the top of the “T” about 3″ wide.

This might seem daunting but all you really have to do is draw it up. Then go to a small steel shop (there are little pockets of these shops near every town) and have them cut and weld it up for you.

Make the frame as big as the underside of the granite countertop so that it slip in behind the nosing. Also, remember to have the steel shop weld 14 gauge clips to the frame where the cabinet edges are so that you can screw the frame on to the cabinet. Have them punch holes in the bottom of the clip so that you don’t have to drill through it. Note that you need to test the frame after it is place to be sure that screwing down to the cabinet has been down adequately.

Again, start with a piece a paper and just draw out the frame. Then do the measurements. Show cross “T” bracing at least 18″ apart in both directions. Make sure that there are at least two cross braces at every overhang area, extending to the nosing (perpendicular). Once you have your accurate drawing, the rest is easy.

Best wishes!

We are in the middle of renovating of our Kitchen. We have an overlay style cherry cabinets in nutmeg stain. It’s fairly a large kitchen with medium amount natural light. We are leaning towards Imperial white granite floor with Emerald pearl counter. We have steel appliances. Just not sure if we should go with black galaxy counter or stay with emerald pearl? Any suggestions for back splash? Please let me if you need additional information.

Thanks,
Nima

Hello Nima,

I sometimes like Black Galaxy when cabinets are darker and the room is formal, but I would go with Emerald Pearl. Emerald Pearl with the nutmeg stain is a perfect combination that will bring subtle color into your kitchen, while still staying as dark as possible with the countertops. I believe the Emerald Pearl offers longer lasting enjoyment as well because of its interesting opalescent inclusions that change under different lighting.

Black Galaxy is also hard to keep looking clean because it shows a lot of dust. If you ever resell your home, many people hate Black Galaxy because of its Vegas Casino ‘bling bling’ appearance.

My very best regards and I would love to get a photo when you are done!

Hi Tom, We are in the midst of a kitchen remodel. The house is about 150 years old, the kitchen is approximately 16×22 , 9′ ceiling with 2 skylights and plenty of light coming in from a back wall of windows looking out onto a deck and very green lush garden. We have chosen raised panel traditional cabinets in alabaster with a pewter glaze except for the L shaped island which is russet with a black glaze. The appliances and farm sink are all in stainless steel. The old tile floor is white 1″ hexagon center with a pink and white Greek Key border done in 1″squares and works perfectly with this kichen so it stays! I have been looking at granite and the ONLY two that I really like , are extremely different as one is VERY dramatic ( and I LOVE IT and keep coming back to it wherever I see it!!!!) and the other very soft and subtle — they are Verde Fire and Shevikashi pink— I have seen two absolutely gorgeous slabs of verde fire which have Lots of the rose tones I need to pick up the floor border pink and the various tones of green would link the inside to the garden and give me wall and accessory colors to work with but I am afraid that even with the rose tones and light green waves it might be too overpowering. On the other hand— I think that the Shevikashi pink might just be boring… What do you think? Have you other suggestions ?

Thanks, Joan

Hello Joan,

Thank you for your donation to support the Rock Blog’s World Vision Children. Your description of your kitchen is excellent and makes it easy to provide some comments. First of all, forget Shevikashi Granite. I know this stone very well and provided hundreds of vanity tops for hotels in this granite color. That is where it belongs, in a hotel bathroom, not a home. It is too orange and too boring. Basically, it has no long term appeal or excitement. The color might be initially glowing by first glance, but it is not the same under different lighting. I recommend letting that color go away.

Verde Fire is another story. Lately, it has been getting a lot of chatter and appeal. I have a feeling that a very good selection has come around and made its way into the US marketplace. Historically, the stone was dull and almost 60’s looking but lately it has been cutting edge, yet with classic old-world muted hues of greens and burnt reds. I can not think of a better granite to use to transition an old home into the 00’s, while maintaining an old world embracement. Use the Verde Fire, no doubt.

The above average ceiling height and the skylights that you have are critical to complimenting this granite. The space is more open and custom and inviting. I also think the visual transition to your garden area is very important in bringing the purpose of a more wild granite into the home. I usually write a lot more about the nuisance for consideration but I really feel you found the right color. The fact that it moves you is a major bonus and will insure long term satisfaction.

Be sure to have it professionally sealed. This granite will be low maintenance once a professional has applied the right penetration sealer.

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 anything but those neutrals with that slate floor. Any advice on what color to go with? — Christine

Hello Christine,

Actually, I do have a perfect color suggestion. You might have a hard time finding this granite near you but it is granite from Brazil called Caramelo. Get a sample and you will find it is perfect. I recently renovated a home with this combination and it was absolutely perfect. Again, get a sample before you judge it.

Hi Tom, We plan to begin our kitchen remodeling within the next week. I will give you some specifics to help you visualize what I plan to do. The size of main cooking area is appx. 13×15 with a 9×9 eating area attached.

For cabinets, I have selected clear alder stained med/dk cherry with a traditional type front. Hardware – rubbed bronze Appliances – sink is SS as well as the ovens, dishwasher will have a matching wood panel and my electric cook top is a sleek black with knobs and burners all contained in one thin piece. My floor plan is a “U” shape with a raised bar over one side of the “U”, sink in the middle, and cooktop on the opposite side on the “U”. Refrigerator and ovens will be housed in cabinets against the wall on the opposite wall from the sink.

I need your advice on selecting a shade of granite and backsplash to complement my cabinets and floor. I will have appx. 69 sq ft of granite.

I am currently considering Giallo Ornamental, New Veneian Gold, Santa Cecilia, Smokey Topaz or Santa Fe Brown. As you can see from my color selections, I do not know whether to go with lighter shades or a darker shades. In considering the lighter shade of granite I am looking at tumbled Torreon for the backsplash.

Will you please let me know if I am on the right track and if not what should I be looking for.

Thank you for your suggestions and truly valuable guidance in kitchen remodeling.

PS – what type of finish for a faucet with SS sink and rubbed bronze hardware?

Diana

Hello Diana,

Completing the décor and working backwards with your comments, I want to suggest going with a rubbed bronze faucet to coordinate with the cabinet hardware. The stainless sink will still be right as long as stainless is reasonably visible on the oven and dishwasher. You did not mention the refrigerator, but I assume it will be stainless or black. A black refrigerator would work since your cook top is black, however, stainless would be much better.

Your cook top sounds a little non-traditional in style, so I don’t know what that will do to the overall ‘traditional’ décor, but just take another look at it.

Keep with the theme of a tumbled splash since you like that look. It works very well with brown or gold granite countertops but you should not go darker with the tile than the lightest minerals in the granite. Sometimes in the gold granite, that mineral shade is actually very light cream or even ivory. This is the color compliment to keep in mind.

The Torreon tumbled travertine that I am familiar with is a brand name from Dal Tile Company. It is medium to light. Because names can be switched and incorrectly identified, let’s just talk about shading as in dark, medium and light.

As I mentioned above, select the granite that you like the best and then choose a tumbled travertine tile in a shade that closely matches one of the lighter mineral colors in the granite. There are some great photos in the online Kitchen Gallery of www.HomeGranite.com that will give you some ideas for tile layout and design.

Given your rubbed bronze fixtures, stainless sink and appliances, black cook top and your dark cabinet color, I want to suggest that the best color you mentioned is Santa Fe Brown. This granite is perfect to pull it all together. It would mean that you would go with a more walnut colored travertine backsplash color. You should use a light cream tile on the floor. Consider 18×18 tile on floor and 4×4″ on the backsplash.

The other granite colors you mentioned are ok with the cabinet color, but not great with bronze fixtures and a black cook top. Actually the other one that really goes with stainless well is Giallo Ornamental because it subtly shimmers in the natural light. If Santa Fe Brown is too dark for you, then consider Giallo Ornamental.

My very best wishes and thank you for supporting the Rock Blog’s World Vision kids!