Santa Barbara Soapstone installed!! Pictures Galore!!!

16 years ago

I never thought this day would come!

But it did!

I've got waaaaay more photos here than the average person wants to see. But this thread isn't for the average person. It's for the soapstone-obsessed!! But hopefully these details can also help others who are interested in soapstone.

I haven't oiled the whole stone yet, b/c husband wants to see the gray color when he gets home from work. We'll probably oil tomorrow.

Funny note: the guys gave me a list of things NOT to do for the next 48 hours. On the list: do not LIE on the counters. Honestly! What do they think we are doing on our new stone counters??? (Note to self: remind husband to cancel original plan for the evening.)

I hope I don't crash GW with all these photos...

Here are my teeny pieces on the big truck:

Here is the company sign in the driveway. I LOVE this. This is actually a rather high end company, so the fact that they have this hand painted sign (with a spelling MISTAKE in it) just cracks me up!

Detail of the unoiled Santa Barbara (without flash):

Santa Barbara has very few veins. Here is one (unoiled). Btw, in this photo you can see the one mistake that they made in the template. In the back left, there is a piece of vertical wood trim missing that needs to be replaced. The counter was supposed to go under that "hole" so that we could just extend the wood down. But now the wood might come down to an empty hole. So a bit more challenging to fill...

Here is our "hutch" area with original 1929 cabinetry:

Hutch left (some detailed templating here to get the crazy edge):

Hutch right (we cut the side so they could slide the whole slab under that vertical side piece):

Hutch wall (boy does this all need to be painted):

The seam (behind the sink) unoiled. They checked the color of the stone with the Bee's Oil on it, and color matched the seam to the darkened stone.

The seam, halfway oiled (normal view if standing at sink):

Seam, closeup view for seam fanatics (like me). Pretty darn invisible!

The sink wall:

Rest of sink wall:

Nice sharp inside corner:

Sink (very slight negative reveal to hide the caulk):

Detail of caulking, which is white, but is supposed to turn clear in 7-14 days (weird). They usually use white caulk. I told them that I really preferred clear. They had only one tube in the truck--which went on white though the label said 'clear.' They told me to call and complain if it doesn't turn clear.

Left side of sink (counter was suppposed to line up with interior edge of sink--crazy how much time I spent trying different alignments--but they all had implications for the sink placement and depth of the counter overall). They got it right! Wow--I haven't been able to say that very often in the past 2 years!

Runnels (shorties, cause I have so little counter space). I'll use them daily for rinsing produce, but don't need them for dishes since I put everything in the dishwasher:

Eased edge at doorway, past the runnels:

How I feel right now:

Francy

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (37)

holligator
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Looks AWESOME, Francy!! I can't wait to see the next set of pics with the stone oiled! It's great that they did such a nice job, especially with so many weird little edges. Did they love your 'subway tile' or what?! I'm sure that with their taste in signs they could appreciate your handiwork. :)

We are driving down tomorrow to pick out our stone, so yes, count me among the soapstone obsessed. I am quite confident that ours will be as wonderful as yours. :)
socalthreems
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy - I am so very thrilled for you! After all of the troubles you had with cabinets and sinks, backsplash, etc, I am SO GLAD your soapstone arrived looking totally fabulous! It looks amazing in your kitchen, and really pulls together the look. YEA! What did you decide about those veins, btw? I never saw the final resolution, though I thought you were going to go back and switch the layout on the stone???

LOVE your Shaw also! Did you end up getting the grid? I got the grid for mine, but don't know if I'm even going to use it.

I can't wait to see pictures when it's oiled!
Related Discussions
Pix! Pix! Pix! Maine Soapstone Install and a question
Q
Comments (22)
How firm is the beeswax that the rest of you are using? The only Bee's Oil I could find locally was at Williams Sonoma. It is very soft, so there is no need to heat it up (tho I tried--just out of curiosity. It didn't really melt at all--just got warm). It has the texture somewhat of a shea butter cream. As soon as my hands rub it, it melts into the counter. If it were more solid, I think I might get frustrated with it, and switch to regular mineral oil. I use it as hand cream in between the SoapstoneSpaTreatment (trademarked--tho I didn't coin this term--someone else here did. Who?) My feet could really use a spa treatment. Thinking...thinking...Can't figure out how to do that without slipping and falling. We need to get some t-shirts/bumperstickers made: "Real stoners use their hands" "Have you rubbed your soapstone today?" "My parents went to Punta Gorda and all they brought me was this soapstone" "My other counter is made of soapstone too" "My soapstone is silkier than your Chipman Middle School Honor student" etc Can't wait to see more pictures! I can imagine how stressful the waiting and wondering has been (will it fit? did we template right?). Thank goodness it turned out so well! Hooray!! Francy
...See More
Inexperienced soapstone fabricator
Q
Comments (28)
Betlv, M.Tex has a display in their showroom with an ogee edge (east coast). There is nothing wrong with doing it, but most seem to like a simple straight edge with soapstone. I brushed (aka; leathered, antiqued) a piece of Piracema just for fun and it turned out wild. I wish I had a picture of it with me, I think you would have to design the kitchen around that look if you know what I mean. . . Sdkitchen, this post seems to be all over the place. lol No real downfall to Piracema it just looks as some put it before "blotchy", and some like it others like a quieter stone some like more white veining patterns, some more or less green. I guess itÂs just a matter of preference. IÂd say go for the DIY. You have time to find someone who is capable of doing the template and install. Vwhippiechick set an example because she dotted all her IÂs and crossed all her tÂs. One thing is she had someone who was hands on to tackle the template and install. Find a contractor who is detail oriented to get excited about soapstone and youÂll have a match. Pay them well for the template and install and some beers after the install could help too. . . lol Also see if you can purchase stone from pictures and samples. Although itÂs not the same as seeing it in person you can have a choice of what soapstone you want. Kevin, I agree that most granite and soapstone guys template similar. Of course I donÂt, but most do. . .lol P.S. A pic of our Julia slabs. Veining may vary quite a bit depending on where in the quarry it comes from. and
...See More
Love your soapstone countertop? Good, I need your advice.
Q
Comments (63)
Thank you so much Pluckymama. That is a great help (and you are right, they do look great). I am off tomorrow to see a few more slabs of SS (Minas and Beleza) and will take another look at the Nordic Black. The Mumbai Grey SS that I took a sample of is doing the same watermark thing you are experiencing (and wow, the mineral oil only holds for a day at most). Soapstone International has told me it has to do with the finish (which they 400 grit, but that sounded kind of crazy considering). As I was thinking about the watermark issue, I just wondered if anyone has tried carnuba wax? I say this because it is used on cars (stay with me), and on the glossy coating of candy (like M&Ms). My thinking? Food grade, OK. And if it buffs to the point that it protects car exteriors, it is obviously durable.
...See More
Life with soapstone--patina pictures galore
Q
Comments (136)
I am also considering a soapstone countertop for my new home. I've been to my countertop shop and have acquired a 5x5 piece. For the past few weeks, I've been conducting "experiments" on it-butter, red wine, bacon fat, olive oil, water marks, knife work, etc. I've oiled it and will now try the wax product mentioned above. I have growing confidence that I am "a soapstone person" because I've had a chance to live with it. If you are considering a soapstone counter, get a chunk and play with it before you invest in an entire kitchen. Also-re water marks. It may be that water in different locations have different mineral contents. If water marks are truly driving you crazy, play with different waters (distilled, botted, etc) and then consider a water treatment system for your home. I have high calcium in my current home. It leaves marks on everything. I've played with bottled water on my soapstone chunk, and there's a difference.
...See More
hoffman
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy,

Congratulations! I'm so happy for you. Everything looks perfect - must be a relief.
rgillman
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh, Francy, what a pleasure to see all these pix (can you tell I am SSO?) So happy that somebody got something right in your house, which looks very charming. Are you in Berkeley? I do love the gray, although I have ordered green with lots of big veins. I also like it unoiled but look forward to seeing your pictures after you've oiled it. Congrats! Enjoy it.
pcjs
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Everything looks amazing! I'm so glad everything is finally working out for you and you're getting the kitchen you had hoped for all along.

We have a Blanco sink and I always thought grids were $$$ and silly. But, I bought a cheap one as our sink is very deep and it was nice as the water flowed well with dishes in it... so, after months of looking I finally found one 1/2 the normal price online and got it. It is worth it and really nice to have the matching one. Plus, it does protect the sink.
bayareafrancy
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you!

Re: the veins. I just decided to leave the layout as it was. I just finished oiling "the big vein" and it looks fine. Man, that Bee's Oil is a lot of work to rub on! I'm finally glad my kitchen is so small!

I am going to get the grid for the sink. I don't like worrying about chips. But more importantly: One side of my sink was 1/4" lower than the other. So to get the front edge looking level, we had to shim it up. As a result, water pools in the sink opposite the drain! So, the grid will help keep dishes from sitting in the pool of water!

Francy
plllog
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow! It's going to be smashing when oiled, but as is it has that lovely old farmhouse charm :)
cotehele
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy, hallelujah! The soapstone is awesome! So glad this was right on!
cat_mom
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
It looks terrific and your kitchen is going to be so charming when it's completed! Very happy for you!
decodilly
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy those soapstone guys did a great job! very "cretive" of them! Sorry couldn't resist! But really it looks awesome and I can imagine it with the darker counters and the yellow cabinets and it is going to be so cute! I had never seen your hutch. Love it... and your new cabinetry matches so exactly. What are you doing over on the stove side?
kitchenkelly
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Gorgeous! The hutch area is incredible. All that detail on the sides make it look so historic (back in the old days when it seems that craftmanship was always important - never a choice.)

Congrats!
pecanpie
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Your Santa Barbara looks exactly (unoiled AND oiled!) like my Mariana- wonder if it same stone/different name?

It's beautiful- you will love it!
marthavila
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Congratulations! I've been closely following all your previous posts but without comment. Now I can see that things are finally coming together for you in such a great way! In fact, your detailed photos and supporting comments are really helpful in pointing out the various ways in which one can get derailed from project conception to execution. However,you are clearly on the road to becoming a successful project completed TKO and, as a 'Stoner -- well, you have arrived. Woo hoo! Thanks also for a dose of vicarious encouragement regarding my own project. :)
eandhl
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Beautiful! I am so happy for you.
malhgold
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Looks terriffic!!! I especially love the hutch!!! Congratulations.
polly929
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy-
Where are you getting your grid from for your shaw's? DH wants me to get one for ours- he's afraid of it getting nicked up. Funny how that would bother him- but the dings my 2 yr old is putting in our soapstone doesn't even make him bat an eye. I ordered my Shaw's online, they don't sell it- and there is only one plumbing supply warehouse by me that carries them- the salespeople were incredibly rude, would rather not go there.
BTW- It looks really good! The house I grew up in had almost an identical built in hutch, reminds me of it.
angelcub
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Welcome to the Stoner Club!!! It all looks fabo! Love your faucet, too!

Diana, doing the happy Stoner dance with ya. : )
raehelen
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy,

Boy, they did a fabulous job fabricating your SS! When you posted earlier about an invisible seam, all I saw was this honking big dark line down the middle of your sink- thought you might have been joking! Now I get it! :>)

Those runnels are the nicest I've ever seen! Bet you're happy with those!
hest88
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Ooooh, you can *never* have enough pictures! Love the soapstone!
emmie9999
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Congratulations! I'm so glad that you are happy. It's beautiful!

Emmie
bayareafrancy
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Polly: if you google the part number, "rohl wsg 3018" (or wsg3618 if you have the big sink) you should find a bunch of vendors online. If for some reason those part numbers don't work, just google "rohl sink grid."

So far, looks like Homeclick has the best price (as usual). But I have had THREE bad shopping experiences with them in the past 2 years, so I don't think I will order from them...

Francy
polly929
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks Francy-
Actually I tried googling it saying Shaw's- thats what I was doing wrong! Oh and you are not the only one who has had bad experiences with homeclick- there are numerous people on the internet with complaints about them- I don't even know how they are still in business.
Enjoy that kitchen- you deserve it- especially after living with the botch job remodel w/ the flying dw and pinkie cab you had before!
User
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy : it looke great. Your cabs are like mine and the wall faucet and the ss...you have a great place shaping up. I am so glad that things are working out. Can hardly wait to see more. c
sjerin
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I am just thrilled for you and I ditto what everyone else said: your fabricators did a fantastic job and we can tell you put a lot of thought into the whole process. Did you ask them to check the seam color to the bees' oil color or did they think of that themselves? I sure wouldn't have thought of it! I'm anxious to hear how you like the runnels-- I love the way they look. Love your faucet too and would like to know how one repairs a leak if that should come up. Lucky to live here and have the wall faucet option! What beautiful soapstone counters you have, Francy, and looking forward to seeing them oiled. I'm guessing you're going to do that unless you like having a "permanent" smiley face on your counter! Congratulations and may the rest go smoothly.
debsinthepink
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy, I have been watching from the side lines, it is nice that everything is coming together. Your Cabinets and DW (what dishwasher?) look great! Your SS is lovely, can't wait to see it oiled. debs
hoffman
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy,

Where are the oiled pictures? I keep checking back to look for them!
divamum
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yep, me too - wanna see the oiled ones. I'm a closet soapstone fanatic but since I didn't have any freakin' budget am condemned to soapstone envy and living vicariously through you all. Show n' tell!
User
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Congratulations! They did a wonderful jon fabricating. It looks perfect. I agree the Bee's Oil is hard work! I did mine today and have a sore shoulder now as I type.

The runnels look great-perfect for making peanut butter sandwiches on! :)
bayareafrancy
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sjerin: Out here on the west coast, a wall mount faucet isn't too risky. And even on the east coast, one can have a wall mount if it is insulated. We have new plumbing, so I don't think we will need to worry about pipes leaking. Basically, if the faucet ever leaks, it can be replaced. If the pipes themselves leak, then only if they leak in the top 6 inches would we have to tear up the backsplash to get them. Otherwise the leak is in the "tearable" wall down below (or in the crawl space). So, it isn't much different from any other plumbing that is in the wall (like a shower).

Cleo: I haven't tried peanut butter, but butter-on-bagel works fine! That is so funny that you mention the shoulder. I was JUST noticing that my lower arm is really sore--and i couldn't figure out why. Now I know.

Anyhoo, I will have photos of oiled coming. But I've run into a problem that had me a bit "frozen" all day. Um, I've got a 20 inch crack.

Ok, not that kind of crack!

A crack on the stone. That I can't do anything about. I've been numb all day, but the hubby just made me drink 2 glasses of champagne. So now i'm able to make "crack jokes." I'm going to post about it in a new thread, so maybe the stone experts will see it and be able to advise me. At this point, I think my only option is to become an alcoholic so that I can make "I've got a 20 inch crack, but at least it is hairless" remarks all day...

*hiccup*

Francy
ali440
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
that looks AMAZING!!! yay for you!! :)
luvnola
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
TOO DIE FOR!! Enjoy and I bet it's safe to lay on and roll around all you want. If it were mine I certainly would!
sail_away
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh, shoot! When I saw this thread pop up to the top of the page I was hoping that your new replacement counter had been installed. Ah well, I'm confident it won't be long before we'll be hearing the good news.
mommycooks
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
ditto on sail-away - I thought you had the new one in in record time. Will be looking for pics of that one when it's here!
azstoneconsulting
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
ditto - me too... false alarm :-(

kevin
bayareafrancy
Original Author
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh man! How depressing to see this again! I feel like crying! Especially in that photo of the runnels--the infamous crack is visible. Hard to see before oiling, but it is there.

Interesting too how invisible my seam looked when I first oiled it. But now, after a few weeks, it is completely visible because the color appears lighter than the rest of the stone. Not sure why...

And that happy face is still there...mocking me.

Anyway...

We go to M. Teixeira tomorrow to view the remainng slabs of Santa Barbara. And then we start looking into the details. I'm so completely stressed out by this, I wish we could find a way to have M. Tex do the install. But my husband, who understandably is feeling a bit broke right now, says no way are we paying our own money for a mistake that we had absolutely nothing to do with. But I maintain that my anxiety level is worth something. I'm really scared to have our current counter removed. I'm really scared about damaging the new cabinets (which are on the flimsy side), and the fireclay sink.

Ok, thanks for listening to me vent for the 5 millionth time!

Francy
sjerin
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy, I just noticed that you answered my question a couple of weeks ago; thanks for that. So, if a pipe were to leak under a tile backsplash, would it be a big deal to pry a few tiles out to fix it? I'm not sure why I'm asking you this, but you sure do your homework well so I thought it was worth a shot. About replacing your slab, try not to worry too much; I'm sure the fabricators must know about this thread by now and will surely find it in their best interest to be ever-so-careful! Try to enjoy your trip to M Tex tomorrow.
sail_away
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Francy,

Several people have talked about how helpful M. Tex has been with their DIY installations of soapstone. I would imagine, given the level of concern they've shown to get this right, they have passed their recommendations on to the installers. Also, it appears that the rest of your installation went well---with only the glaring problem with overlooking the crack. I'm not minimizing that error, but if the installers haven't had much experience with soapstone, maybe that's why they missed it. Since so much care is being taken in the selection of the next one, I suspect you will get their best installation ever.

I thought the rest of the installation, such as how well it fit around the doorway, etc., looked very good. I think they will be very, very careful and do a really good job for you. At least that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Santa Barbara Soapstone installed!! Pictures Galore!!!

Comments (37)

Related Discussions

bayareafrancyOriginal Author

bayareafrancyOriginal Author

bayareafrancyOriginal Author

bayareafrancyOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

bayareafrancy
Original Author

bayareafrancy
Original Author

bayareafrancy
Original Author

bayareafrancy
Original Author