Meet Ashleigh, my HERO from Stone Link; she may look young, but Ashleigh is super knowledgeable about all types of stone, quartz, tile, sinks, iron doors….and probably much more I don’t even know about!

Stone Link is located on Highway 80 in Longview, & they have a super extensive showroom and stone yard full of the most impressive displays I’ve seen this side of the Dallas design showrooms….just take a look at the view from their front door:

Nice, huh?!  This is only a tiny part of the showroom, but the rest you’ll want to explore on your own….

OK, so here’s the story of my urban cottage’s countertops:  I really really wanted to use quartz in the kitchen of this house; I had wanted to use it in a former Lake Cherokee remodel, but alas, that was 2008 and it was quite a bit more expensive than granite…..which always seemed strange since granite has to be formed over thousands of years, in the earth, by pressure, and therefore is a limited resource.  Quartz, on the other hand, is man-made using 8-10% polymers etc, and roughly 90% crushed quartz….which is actually usually crushed or waste granite, marble & natural stone or recycled industrial wastes like ceramic, silica, glass, mirrors, etc.  The pricing on quartz countertops is usually still higher than granite, as demand has continue to drive the price of granite downward….and while quartz started out  ‘trying to look like granite’, the trend now is towards very different-looking quartz material that doesn’t resemble anything nature made!  I see it as a great way to recycle waste material, so it’s a win-win scenario! 

Soooooo, weeks ago I visited Stone Link on a  Saturday; it was D-Day.  I had to know whether or not I could get quartz countertops into the budget, and pick out the granite if not.  I was so lucky to meet Ashleigh, who was totally prepared to answer all my questions, figure estimates based on my kitchen/bath scaled drawings, and was generally all-around encouraging & helpful.  And here is how she made it work for me:

These are 3 pictures of the beautiful PRE-CUT slabs of granite and marble Stone Link has on hand; the selection always varies, and presumably the more desirable slabs sell fastest….though really, aren’t they all beautiful?!    By using pre-cut slabs for both of my bathrooms (thus greatly decreasing the labor involved) we were able to save enough off of my countertop budget to do quartz in the kitchen for just a TAD more….and I decided it was worth it!  So I picked this quartz, which looks a great deal like Carrara marble:

And for the two baths, I chose these 2 slabs (honestly I went back and changed one of them a few weeks later, but still chose from the pre-cut slabs)

If you’re wondering why I wanted quartz in the first place, here is a good resource for the comparison between granite, marble & quartz.  But one of the main reasons for me is that granite has to be sealed, & re-sealed yearly, as it is a porous material.  (and most granite owners fail to re-seal….life gets in the way)  For a cook’s kitchen, quartz is actually a harder surface, & easier to keep clean….& it never needs to be sealed.  Also, my vision for this kitchen included white countertops; while there are now more white-based granites available, they are premium-priced & still, more colorful.  Carrara marble is a traditional choice for a cook’s kitchen, but marble is soft & porous….so this beautiful quartz was my favorite choice to give the best of both materials.

I’m happy to say that my lovely countertops were installed last Thursday, and while I’ll give you a tiny peek now….you’ll have to wait a week or two longer to REALLY be awed!  Here’s why:

The house is in serious finish-out phase right now, but that makes it hard to get good pictures of any one thing!  Because we are ‘layering’ the tasks to get me moved in on time (and just because I think that’s the best way), we were still operating this past week without any interior lighting.  The electricians will be back this week to put in the final service panel and install ceiling lights….AFTER the ceilings are painted.  So these pics are going to look really really rough….and you may well not believe the house will be ready for movers in 2…..yes, 2 weeks.  But we do have a plan……stay tuned

First look at the edge of the 7′ island….

First look at one of the countertops (and cabinets!)….

First look at the stainless one-bowl apron sink…

And….first look at the hall bath counter installation in progress; later that day the undermounted sink was installed beautifully!  But…speaking of sinks…..

The sink issue reminds me to pass on to the uninitiated what can happen the day of countertop installation, in hopes of preparing you to, well….be prepared!

RULE #1:  HAVE ALL YOUR FAUCETS ON-SITE!

Having been through this a gazillion times before, I knew this rule….so Roger made sure the plumbing fixtures were all delivered to the job-site on Tuesday, to be prepared for Thursday.  If you’ve never had stone countertops installed before, it’s crucial to have both the sinks and faucets available.  Often the fabricators will install a standard stainless sink in their workshop, making it necessary to get it  TO them ahead of time – which is also why they often include the sink in the price of the job.  But in my case, the apron sink made it necessary to install on-site, as the cabinet front had to be modified at the same time.  They also elected to install the 3 bathroom sinks on-site, as they were porcelain bowls that could have broken in transit, since they were transporting quite a bit of stone. 

But you also must have your faucets on hand for the installers, as they will need to cut the holes after the countertops are installed.  Some of my clients have been surprised to find out that “faucet holes” are not standard; they each come with a template to be used for cutting the holes, so there is a proper fit when they’re later installed.   And if you think about it,  some sets have a separate hole for the sprayer, lotion or hot water.  (mine has only one hole, as I prefer a pull-out sprayer, and have NEVER ONCE used the lotion, soap or hot water hole effectively)

So I arrived at the house Thursday mid-morning to make sure all the faucets were laid out in the right location in case I couldn’t be there when they needed them.  It was only then that I noticed the kitchen faucet & drain were NOT in the big box of plumbing fixtures that had been delivered!  After a few calls, we determined they had just been left off…..so fortunately  Coburns had the faucet in stock, and I only had to make a quick trip to pick it up and have it available….I was so thankful not to have interfering appointments that day so I could do it!  Then later in the day I returned to the site, knowing they were finally there and working.  Much to my delight, I saw that one bathroom countertop had been installed, and they were working on the master bath!  PROBLEM #2!

RULE #2:  Make sure your plumbing fixtures are measured correctly!

Remember these lovely round porcelain sinks from an earlier blog post?  I just loved the shape, having never seen this exact elegantly curved and perfectly round sink.  And I made sure to pick out a high-arc faucet that would reach over the rim and not splash water outside the bowl.  What Ashleigh and I both missed was actually measuring…..one thing that IS standard is the depth of a bathroom countertop!  As I arrived, the guys were standing there scratching their heads over the master bath slab, with the lovely sink sitting atop it for placement.  What they were trying to do was mark exactly where the hole would be cut; this involves placing both the chosen sink and the faucet on the surface to be marked precisely (and since I have double sinks in that room they needed to match exactly as well).  They not only need to LOOK right on the slab…..they also have to take into consideration the inside edge of the front of the cabinet, and the granite overhang.  They were scratching their heads because I walked right into them realizing this just wasn’t going to work! The sink was too large to possibly fit it onto the countertop, unless I was willing to put the faucet on a side corner…….NOPE!  

A quick call to Ashleigh confirmed that I was in fact the FIRST purchaser of these elegant new sinks…..and nobody yet knew they were too large for a standard installation!  (The way they would work is to have the faucets wall-mounted, but that’s not a modification that can be made this late in the project).  However, this is where flexibility is key to a successful remodel:  we both knew they had just gotten in 2 sinks from the same line which were a softened rectangle shape.  Ashleigh had actually called me to come in earlier in the week to see the new ones and make sure I didn’t want to switch.  So there was the solution!  She immediately sent out the alternate sinks and the job continued.  I’m sure the new shape will grow on me, but on a project this size one really has to be flexible and not sweat the necessary modifications!  Be the end of the day, the installers had finished all of the countertops, sinks, backsplashes and final corner polishing….and they are just beautiful!  Unfortunately, I cannot show you how pretty they are, as this week all the interior painting is taking place….and the countertops are safely protected,  not to be fully unveiled until it’s safe!  However, I DID give you a sneak peek.  Next time  you see them, I hope you love them as much as I do!

I can hardly wait to reveal the gorgeous new kitchen backsplash I switched to this past week!  I changed from a basic greige subway tile to an iridescent subway that pulls in the grays, bronzes and aquas in sight of the kitchen, very very subtly.  Pictures do not do justice to this lovely tile, so just know I’ll show you very soon!

Finally in closing, thanks go to Ashleigh and her crew from Stone Link….your professionalism is much appreciated!  And to Nancy with Coburns, who listened between the lines and made my selections easy, thanks to you as well!  Both companies are a great resource to us in this area; please check our their showrooms next time you’re dreaming up a project at your own house!  

Here’s what is coming up this week:

• Window trim-out, crown moulding, door facings and base mouldings installed

• Interior painting

• Small carpentry ‘fixes’ including the finished step from master bath to bedroom and uneven floor fill-in (where walls were removed)

• Tile installation

  happy fall!

set your clocks back next Saturday night!