Counter Intuition – Summer 2015 Kitchen and Bath Countertop Selections

Slab marble used throughout a guest bath; not only for the vanity top! KDZ Designs -www.kdzdesigns.com

What are my latest selections for some of my projects?  Here are some planning details on countertops.

This summer, a lot of my focus is on kitchens and baths.  To see some of my past work with stone, take a look at my portfolio, and choose any kitchen or bath photos.  Below, are some counter and vanity-top choices that will soon move from the planning phase to installation.

Natural options for countertops include granite and marble, and in Western Massachusetts, we have a locally quarried schist, from Ashfield Stone, in Shelburne Falls.  From the Ashfield Stone web-site:

Introducing several Schist stones from Massachusetts…after over 400 million years of metamorphosis, from ancient mountains worn down into muddy sediment beds on the floor of a long extinct ocean or the cooled and hardened magma cores of old volcanos than through the slow crush of continents, the mud or magma was folded up and inexorably changed by heat and pressure…this timeless process continues through us and on to you.

Husband and wife clients of mine and I have chosen “Pond Ice” schist which has a lovely green-blue color, for their kitchen and pantry countertops. It’s helpful with natural stone, to see the actual slabs that will be used to fabricate the countertops, to get a sense of the full color and design. The finish will not be glossy but rather satin. Veins of cream and some small areas of rust make these slabs amazing!

“Pond Ice” Slab – KDZ Designs Photo

More “Pond Ice…” – KDZ Designs Photo

And more “Pond Ice…” – KDZ Designs Photo

Close-up of a design on yet another “Pond Ice” slab – KDZ Designs Photo

Showing paint color selection and tile choices for the backsplash to coordinate with the slabs soon-to-be-counters, in the field! – KDZ Designs Photo

If you’re fond of natural materials, but prefer more consistency in color and pattern, and less maintenance, then choosing an engineered quartz countertop (typically 93% quartz and 7% resin) may be for you.  There is little maintenance needed for these countertops and they are stain, heat and scratch-resistant.  They do not need to be sealed, unlike schist or granite.

Cambria Quartz is a great choice, carried locally by Cowl’s Building Supply in North Amherst.  The following are countertop and vanity-top choices for a client’s new home;  these photos are from the Cambria web-site, and once installed, I plan to show my photos, with cabinetry and tile complementing the quartz selections.

Cambria Quartz – Torquay

http://www.cambriausa.com/en/Designs/photos-and-videos/

Cambria Quartz – Whitney

http://www.cambriausa.com/en/Designs/photos-and-videos/

Cambria Quartz – Windermere

http://www.cambriausa.com/en/Designs/photos-and-videos/