Dribs and Drabs, No Way!

Things have noticeably slowed down. The demolition is over, the mechanicals are in, it is on to reconstruction, beginning with drywall. In the scheme of things, drywalling here, is a small job that can be squeezed in between larger ones. While waiting, time was spent looking at countertops and backsplashes....again. So many choices!

Mont Granite has an amazing selection of granite types. Walking in as a visual artist, it was like walking into a candy shop. I wanted them all. This one, mixing geometric and organic shapes was nothing short of stunning. The countertop would become an art piece all it's own.

It has a massive feel and with the dark cabinets might really make for a heavy feeling space. I toyed with the idea of white island cabinets with this on top and the dark cabinets with a lighter granite on it. Very dramatic, and in a way, trendy. One does not put this much into a kitchen to have it go out of fashion in a few years, so, at the bottom of the list.

I have picked this next one, Arctic Cream, over and over again, from different suppliers. The picture does not do the granite justice, especially the areas of quartz. The slashes of dark add a more subtle drama and give it a quieter feel. It looks arctic in the way of ice flows but it is warmer, creamier.

 Another one I keep coming back to is the Canyon Dawn. Has subtle blue and greens the color of sea glass which would make nice paint colors. The only thing is the spots, I find them a big annoying now, if I had to look at it everyday, hmmm.....

Then there are the quartz products which are man made, with 90% or more of quartz pieces in an epoxy like binder. Up until yesterday, most seemed manufactured. I found two that had a more organic feel. The beauty of quartz is it's hardness 8 out of 10, diamond being 10, and the lifetime guarantee. It's hard to stain, too, which is appealing in a well used kitchen.

This one, Parys by Cambria is STUNNING! The blue sparkles have such a depth to them. My only hesitation is it is in the middle value range, and with the dark cabinets might be too dark. But it sure would add some bling!

This is also a quartz product, by Viatera. It looks like granite with all the benefits of quartz. Not as showy, but more the look I was going for when I picked out the cabinets. It's subtler, has some bling from the quartz and leaves room to change it's look by changing the surrounding wall colors and accessories. It reminds me of the kind of look, usually marble, that one would see in a stately home or hotel from the early 1900s. Marble is not an option in a well used kitchen as it's porosity and softness would require constant care and upkeep. There are many choices for rusts, reds, creams and greens, but I going for a different look.Wonder what will eventually make it into our kitchen????