Granite changed to Quartz- before and after

I am so excited to share with you these pictures! Our customer purchased a home that had Santa Cecelia granite countertops throughout. Wanting to change the home to fit his needs, he purchased Latte Quartz and we fabricated it with nice straight lines to enhance the look of his kitchen. Flat Polished edges gave this quartz a contemporary feel. We were able to remove the granite without damaging his existing backsplash, which saved him money and time. It also was a great way to take advantage of the existing backsplash.

AFTER WITH LATTE GS QUARTZ BELOW:

BEFORE WITH SANTA CECELIA GRANITE BELOW:

The Santa Cecelia Granite that was already in the home as seen just above was absolutely beautiful. The homeowner was able to sell the granite to some people that were remodeling their home. We were able to take out the existing granite without breaking any pieces. This is never guaranteed, but when a customer would like to re-use their tops or sale them, we do our best to not break them.

Which look do you like better? :)

Bathroom Remodel with Piedrafina and Golden Crystal

This was a very fun bathroom remodel that we got to participate with. You can see the before and after photos for this master bath. The changes in colors and design make a large difference!

The vanity top was done in Golden Crystal granite with two undermount white sink cutouts. The Golden Crystal looks excellent next to the dark cabinets! We also added a Golden Crystal windowsill to tie in the corner of the room.

The shower surround was done in Piedrafina Cappuccino Slabs full high to the ceiling. We also wrapped the walls to the outside with a Piedrafina trim. The design was fun and the bathroom turned out great!!

Full High Granite Backsplash Amorello Ornamental

These are before and after pictures for a fabulous kitchen we did recently! The top picture shows the before. This couple originally put in white tile counter tops, and followed the tile up the walls. For the change, they had a beautiful cream Amorello Ornamental granite (aka Giallo Ornamental) counter top put in with full high granite back splash. They also had windowsills made in the granite to tie in all the back splash.

The cabinets were in good condition, and beautiful, so they chose to keep the cabinets and just replace the tops.

I absolutely love the way it flows!!! As some additional touches, they put in a larger oven/stove combo, and put new handles on all the drawers and cupboard doors. These little additions went a long way in changing and modernizing the look of this kitchen!

This was a fun project to complete, with fun customers to work with!

Amorello Ornamental 4cm Granite

Amorello Ornamental is a soft granite color that really goes with anything. It looks absolutely beautiful in this soft toned kitchen. This customer loves the 4cm edge. Granite comes in 2 sizes, 2cm and 3cm. Most often the 2cm edge is doubled to make a 4cm edge. In inches 4cm is a nominal 1.5" and 3cm is a nominal 1.25". This extra little 1/4 inch can make quite a difference in the look of the thickness.

This kitchen also has a beautiful large stainless farmhouse sink and vegi counter sink. The stainless sinks add to the beauty of the kitchen. These sinks are 15 guage, however, the majority of my customers use 18 guage sinks and are pleased with the results. If you have a little extra money, the lower guage sink is a better quality.

Granite Countertops with Corbels

Sometimes my customers really want granite countertops, but do not want corbels (the supports for the overhang). When 3cm granite overhangs over 8", we recommend the use of corbels. This generally occurs on islands, and peninsula overhangs. These corbels should be placed every 3 feet, and be supported at each end.

If no corbels are used, there is a chance of the granite breaking. Children love to hang and swing on the overhanging edge of a countertop. Or it is also a great place for "Uncle Joe" to half sit on while telling a great story.... whatever the case is, corbels really should be used.

This is a picture of a kitchen that we put the corbels in. Corbels can be wood, cast iron, or granite. This customer wanted wood corbels to match his oak cabinets. To save on money, we purchased pine corbels and stained them with an oak finish. They turned out beautiful, and the customer is happy, and saved money.

Outdoor Granite Barbeque

Custom outdoor barbecues are a great way to enjoy afternoons with family and friends! This customer built his own barbecue area with plywood, and is planning on using stucco for the final finish. We used "Exotic Forest" granite from Brazil with a 2" apron edge. Our shop pays particular attention to detail, if you notice the lines that run vertical follow through on the horizontal plane. These details are important and add immensely to the finished product.

I find that you get what you pay for. Often the "cheaper" shops do not pay attention to these details. The "cheaper" shops also often have poor seams. I have also heard customers complain of these shops actually fabricating in their driveways. Be leery of these types of granite shops. 

Overlay Over Existing Tops

This granite was able to be placed over the customer's existing concrete countertops. We fabricated the edge to the same width to cover the countertops, and re-used the customers existing topmount sink. The project turned out absolutely stunning!

Radius work in kitchens is absolutely beautiful! Our customers love a large edge showing the granite radius work!

This is also a great example of a kitchen that we did not have to take out the existing countertops, and just laid the new ones over the top!

Estimating your Granite Job

In order to determine the square footage needed for granite countertops, draw the kitchen and measure the back walls, and front of the counters. Square footage is determined by multiplying (in inches) the length times the width, then divide by 144 to get the sq. ft. When multiplying the width, make sure you add about 2 inches for granite overhang.

Backsplash should be measures the same way. For instance, if you have a 48 inch cabinet and want backsplash on the back wall of 4", you would take (48 x 4) / 144 - 1.3 sq. ft.

You can then take this sq. ft. and multiply it by the square foot price that the shop offers for stone and installation. Other costs would include undermount and topmount sink cutouts, cooktop cutouts, outlet cutouts, and the such.

Exotic Granite Countertops

Golden Lapidus

Jupurana Bordeaux

Tyramasu Granite

Ocean Fantasy

River Bordeaux

As business has picked up, we have completed some beautiful granite countertops! We would like to share some photos of some June jobs completed. Interesting to note is that people are beginning to buy exotic more expensive colors. During the recession, our customers almost all only purchased discounted or basic colors of stones. We have seen a change this year to customers choosing more expensive stone and being more concerned with getting what they want, then getting the least expensive color of granite.


Also, we are doing more whole houses, including tubs, steps, vanities, and fireplaces! Granite in a home is a great way to make it very custom and natural.

Granite vs. Solid Surface

When purchasing countertops it is often difficult to choose between Granite or Solid Surface such as Corian. Let me preface by saying that our shop fabricates and installs both Granite and Solid Surface countertops. Each have their pros and cons. I also should admit that I am pro-granite and as such, my post will most likely come across a little biased.

The main benefit of Solid Surface is that it is seamless. The seams are heated together, and are virtually invisible. Also, the countertops can be re-surfaced as the scratches become prevalent. The main cons of Solid Surface is that it scratches easily, and melts. We have replaced many Solid Surface Countertops that have warped over dishwashers, or under crock pots. We have had better luck with the actual Corian product, rather than a knock off brand.

Granite's main benefit is that it does not scratch or stain, and heat does not affect it. While we recommend using coasters, I have set many hot pans directly on my stone and have never had an ill-effect. I haven't tried it with glass, because I know you must be careful with glass and temperature or it could fracture. The granite stays looking new for much longer than Solid Surface as long as it is taken care of correctly. The main con of Granite is that much of it should be sealed every couple years. However, if Quartz is used, Quartz does not need to be sealed.

Chestnut Zodiaq Quartz desk

If you really like to uniform color and look of Solid Surface, Quartz can offer the same color tones, with all the benefits of granite.

Copper Sinks with Granite Countertops

Rainforest Brown Marble with Antique Copper Sink

More and more popular are undermount copper sinks with granite countertops. Copper bowls can be found for vanity sinks and kitchen sinks. Full copper tubs make a nice addition to copper bowls in a vanity. We use Smithy's copper sinks. They are affordable and beautiful, and come in both antique and brush finish. This picture is the antique finish, the brush looks more bronze.

Copper sinks can also be topmount or vessel in style, but our most popular is the undermount sink for ease of cleaning and sleek look.

Granite or Tile Backsplash

Customers are often concerned about whether to use a granite or a tile backsplash. Both look great, but it is often a difficult decision. I like to have customers consider a few items when deciding this;
1. What is their budget
2. What is the color scheme they are imagining
3. Will the area receive a lot of overspray?

First, budget. Doing a full high backsplash is absolutely beautiful. Each outlet can be cutout and then the cover plate painted to match the color of the stone (look at the picture included). This is beautiful, but expensive. Often the backsplash will cost as much as the countertop. Realize that the wall is generally 18" to the upper cabinet, and the countertop is 24", not a large difference in square footage. Plus you have to pay for each outlet cutout. Using a 4" or a 6" backsplash can still put the granite on the wall, but be much more affordable.

Mountain scape backsplash with painted outlets

Second, color scheme. Do you want the granite everywhere, or do you want to accent with a tile backsplash. Often when we do a quartz countertop in a solid color the customer does an extravagent tile backsplash that brings a new fun twist to the kitchen. These backsplashes often use glass and copper tiles in the splash.

4" backsplash and paint

Last, think of cleanliness. Granite is going to be easier to clean then a lot of grout lines in a tile splash. If the overspray is going to be a problem consider full high granite, or at minimum a 6" backsplash with an easy to clean paint above it.