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8x8 sample of countertop gets lighter/darker when installed???

14 years ago

First off, you people are a seriously incredible source of info/opinion/experience! So, thank you for answering a pluthora of questions!

While perusing the the countertop section the designer continuously said with about 50% of what we pick up, "Now, that is beautiful but it will get alot lighter (or darker) once installed."

I know she doesn't mean it's a magic color changing counter top, but I DO agree that an 8x8 sample is hard to read.

Did you experience your choice being a VERY different "look/color" when it was installed?

Basic Info: White shaker cabs, warm wood floors. We want a gray based countertop, however, if a dark gray will turn in to black when installed, our kitchen is NOT large, but has alot of light- not sure what to make of that... I am wondering how the white affects the color on the counters- does it saturate it more?? Lighten it?

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Comments (4)

squigs
14 years ago
I was a little shocked when my countertop went in. it looked much lighter than I was expecting - and I have the same exact counter in a bathroom! it looks so different because of lighting and space. Luckily, after my initial horror, I came to love the lightness of it. I think it's almost impossible to know for sure how something will look in a particular room, countertop, paint, etc. but at least with paint it's easier to try it on and change it. It's really difficult, so you are lucky to be working with a designer!
doraville
14 years ago
I can't answer your question but I do know the slab you pick might change color in a different light. This happened to me. When i first saw my slab, I could have sworn it was much lighter than what was installed in my kitchen! It's quite pretty but not what I planned or expected.
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I found some of them actually darker in actual appearance than the sample chips - especially the ones that were patterned with dark splotches. When you look at a surface on the horizontal at counter height, you are seeing more of a mish mash of the colors in it than when you look dead on. One I was considering looked decidedly darker when I laid out many 8x11 samples they'd sent me. And another had a lot more gray in it than the small sample chip showed. I think it's very important to narrow it down based on the small chips, then order a bunch of the 8x10 sheets in just those 3 colors, and lay them out everywhere. Then you'll be able to see.
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Carol Brown
last year
I picked dessert silver with a light white grey unit , but it’s much the same colour it’s bland should have picked a darker top it’s very hard to tell as it seems to change colour .
PRO
Granite City Services
last year
I am a fabricator. It's true samples often do not provide an accurate presentation of what a much larger area of the material will look like. The darker or lighter the material is the less a sample will provide a true idea of the look. That said, I recommend a customer take the sample, put it in the space where it would be used, and then look at it morning, midafternoon, and after dark. This least gives some idea of the change the lighting can make.

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