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Please vote on countertop - granite v quartzite selection

onelady1dog2girls

13 years ago

Hello, everyone: I am trying to decide between mother of pearl quartzite on counters, tub deck and shower bench vs Costa Esmeralda on same. The vanity will be dark walnut as will the apron on the tub. The tile will be calacatta gold porcelain tile. I'd love to hear your thoughts. I like the more dramatic nature of the ce slab, but not sure I had originally thought of buying into green. The mp is lovely as well.

Costa Esmeralda slab

Mother of pearl slab

Here is a picture of mother of pearl installed next to calacatta:

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Comments (9)

paige16
13 years ago
If the tile on the backsplash (pictured) is exactly what you're using I wonder if there are any hints of green there. The Mother of pearl seems to blend well. I used a green(not very dark) in my bathroom and am very happy with the depth of color but there is green in my accent tile. So I guess I don't really have a vote but just thoughts to consider.
jtkaybean
13 years ago
Not much help, I love both of them ha ha.
Well,ok, kind of like the lighter one a tad better.
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breezygirl
13 years ago
Those CE slabs look almost black on my monitor, not the usual green I see it. Based on just those pics, I think I might lean towards CE.
Stacey Collins
13 years ago
Have you looked at the materials together in person? I'd highly recommend taking a few tiles and piece of your walnut to the stone yard and seeing it all together. It's really surprising how different stuff looks in real life, side by side.

I think that the inspiration pic you showed is real calacatta, yes? Which probably has more variation than your porcelain tile...??? I dunno... I'd like to see them all together in person, I think.

Sounds like it's going to be lovely, whichever you choose!
cathbk
13 years ago
I just installed CE in my kitchen and I'm very happy with it, but your MP is really lovely and I think the lighter color would go better with dark walnut.
cangelmd
13 years ago
I love CE, and that was my original choice for my bathroom. I chickened out because I was concerned about being tied to the green color palette, as much as I loved it. I was going to use a lighter wood tone than walnut, I also think that seems a little dark for CE. Both stones are lovely, I don't think you can go wrong.
lala girl
13 years ago
I am totally biased having just put the mother of pearl quartzite in my kitchen - but I like how neutral and low profile it is (I was a little concerned that the more dramatic stones would start to feel dated down the road). The mother of pearl is also nice because it has white, grey, and taupe - so you have a lot of flexibility on color scheme - right now I am pulling out the browns, but could deinitely see moving more grey as time passes (I have an adjoining family room that I had to keep in mind when I redid the kitchen). Plus, I will always go light over dark - love the brightness and airy feeling of lighter palettes.

I cannot speak to how the MoP quartzite would go with the other stone, that is something you would probably need to figure out in person and in the lighting of your space(personally I am a one stone to a room girl, but that's me) Hope my ramblings help!
bh401
13 years ago
I like the MoP. You have more decorating options plus I like the contrast of dark and light with your cabinetry. But as another poster said, the CE looks pretty much black with white veining. I didn't see any green.
onelady1dog2girls
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you, everyone. The ce is in a very low lighting, indoor granite yard. It definitely is green, although it might be a shade darker than the traditional ce. From a resale plus design flexibility standpoint, I am leaning towards the mop, but of course it is more expensive! As you mentioned, I probably can't go wrong either way. I appreciate your input.

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