I'm partial to solid colors in most countertops, which you can't get from stone, so I love engineered quartz! Here is Caesarstone Blizzard in my kitchen. It reads completely solid, warm white from a foot or so away. If you put your nose up to it, it shows some tiny "speckles."

And here is Cambria Fieldstone in my guest bath. Unlike the white EQ in the kitchen, this one is totally stain proof.

Four beat me to the punch - I also have Buckingham

I wanted something calm because I have crazy, loud backsplash tile. This is gray Amazon Silestone. It looks more brown than the photo.

Here's a pic of my obviously unfinished kitchen with the newly re-installed quartz countertop..Brand is local and called Eternia from Granex Industries. Please do not use this company; IMO they are arrogant and unprofessional. It was he** getting it installed properly, but I love the surface and it's so easy to keep clean. Depending upon the time of day, it can be a greige or concrete look. I'll try and post a more finished pic..

This post was edited by harleysbud on Sun, Mar 10, 13 at 14:40

Caesarstone Smoky Ash:

Here is Cambria Torquay:

Here is Silestone zirconium. Lots of these pics around, but this one - even though I was more interested in the flowers - gives you an idea of how light shines off the mirrored pieces of silver in the counter. I feared a black counter would make my rainforest home too dark, but this surface just reflects all types of light..a soothing bright that then changes to a mellow darker color in lesser light.

This is Hanstone chocolate cognac in our master bath.

Thanks for asking, Erin. One of the advantages of seeing GWers' photos is that the photos look like what you would actually see in your kitchen or bath. Many of the photos on Houzz, for instance, are professional photos in staged kitchens designed to make everything look luxurious. The swatches on the company websites are just that, swatches. Seeing the "larger picture" is quite informative. Seeing a whole thread of quartz/other counters is so much handier than sorting through a couple of dozen Finished Kitchen reveals - a spotlight opportunity.

sharonite, I'm quite taken with your bathroom counter - we need to do our bathrooms pretty soon and I like your look. Here's another thing about real people's pictures: sharonite made her backsplash the same height as the towel rack on the adjacent wall, which means the mirrors don't sit flat against the wall. I think I would make the backsplash lower, but it's not something I ever thought about at all until I saw this photo.

Here's another pic of my quartz. I've had it for a year now and am happy with it. It has virtually no movement and that is my preference. I do see fingerprints at times, but nothing like my friends who have darker colors. Just a quick wipe with SoftScrub does the trick.

If I had had the $$$, I would have used soapstone,,,otherwise like I said, I'm happy with the look and the way it has performed.

harleysbud, those are seriously pretty counters. Glad you got your install issues worked out ... the end result was worth it!

My demo date is tomorrow, so no new countertops. The attached picture is of Cambria Praa Sands with my chosen door color. Hope this helps!

erinf8, I agree with you, seeing pictures of "real" unstaged spaces is helpful in a quite different way than looking through HOUZZ, which I also love.

You have a good eye, I had not noticed my tile was the same height as the towel bar! But the tile goes around the medicine cabinets (they are not mirrors laying over the tile). I wanted a tall backsplash because this is my very messy, splashy kids' bath, and I didn't like how the tile looked stopping below the medicine cabinet as the tile was going up, so I decided to have the cabinets "sunk" into the low tile wall. The counter has held up very well to all sorts of "product" used in this bath.

Beachlily, I really, really like your quartz. I'm leaning toward natural maple shaker cabinets and I see your cabinets are lighter as well. I hope you post pics after it's installed, even if you're not yet ready for your reveal - just a peek would be great!

Perimeter: DuPont Zodiac Giallo Michelangelo
Island: DuPont Zodiac Saddle Brown

Good luck with your decision erinf8..!!

At the risk of being criticized for posting a bathroom picture on the kitchen forum, here is my Cambria Canterbury.

Now can we all try to play well in the sandbox?

@sharonite
You stated, that the "Unlike the white EQ in the kitchen, this one [in your bathroom] is totally stain proof."

What's EQ? Your Blizzard countertop? An dhow/what does stain?

sharonite - thanks for explaining that those mirrors are actually medicine cabinets! I was fooled by the shadow. Makes more sense and gives me another idea. ;-)

nhbaskets - kitchen and bath counters have a lot in common, so showing a photo of either is great. I think the original question has a lot to do with what these counters actually look like at full size and often with a backsplash and/or cabinets to round out the look. There are also several different edge styles on show, which is a bonus. Your Cambria Canterbury is lovely btw.

Here is a pic of Cambia Armitage just installed about two weeks ago.

And a better view of an actual full size slab - I never did find too many 'real' pics of it on the intertubes, only a few staged shots from Cambria.

Hope it helps!

I used a lot of quartz in my remodel.

Kitchen is Caesarstone Arctic White (island is Calacatta Oro marble):

Master bath is a green prefab called Cactus:

In progress picture of small downstairs bath, Cranberry Willow:

Upstairs bath using Cream Vanilla:

Here is a link that might be useful: Cornerstone Prefab Quartz Counters.

Very helpful post, erinf8! I know when I was picking out my original kitchen's granite, I ended up with something totally different than what I thought I wanted at the beginning, so it is wonderful to see all of the different "real" kitchens. I wouldn't have looked twice at some of the quartz colors posted above based on just seeing a sample, but when I see it in use, they are beautiful!! And, even in the pictures that aren't my taste, I'll often find some other detail or idea that is helpful.

When I find a thread that doesn't seem pertinent to me, I just skip it!! However, I don't have a chance to read every day, and we're all at different stages of remodel, so repetition is good, and it is nice to know that a topic that may be helpful to me will come up on a regular basis!

Oh, and BTW, I've been a GW/kitchen forum member since 2003, have remodeled 2 kitchens, 5 baths, am in the process of remodeling my third kitchen, am very Internet savvy, and I think this is a great thread!!!!

Caesarstone Pebble. It's medium gray, I like how it looks like a lighter shade during the day, but gave me the contrast with the white cabinets that I wanted. It has some varying spots? speckles? in it, actually a gray version of sas95's Champagne Limestone.

I had an email from a GW member regarding my Arctic White Caesarstone but can't respond because her email is not available.

To answer the questions in the email, I've had the counters for about 4 months, no staining, not hard to keep clean. I notice the seam but that's only because I'm TKO.

I'm going to add my 2c. The main advantage to this type of thread is that you get to ask a person questions about their counters and you get answers. This is the perfect place to start looking!!!! It really helps you narrow things down and give you ideas. Also the photos are usually closer up than with Houzz and Finished kitchens.

I have granite in my kitchen and one bath. I have Cambria quartz in the other 2 baths. I have to say I really like the Cambria better than the granite. The Cambria just seems so clean. Here are my bathrooms with Cambria quartz.

Cambria New Haven:

Cambria Tenby Cream:

I am finding this thread extremely informative and I enjoy seeing everyones counters.

I am going to be doing my small, tiny kitchen over soon due to new fridge water line leak and I haven't a clue yet what I want. I am new to all this. Before this thread I was thinking Granite or Quartzite.

When I looked at Quartz with those tiny little sample pieces, to me they looked rather plain and I couldn't visualize it larger. Those little samples don't do it justice. After seeing all the beautiful photos here, I will now be adding Quartz to my list!

IowaCommute - I'd love to see a photo of the buffet your DH built to go with your Cambria. I really like that pattern, but it would be good to see it in use. Actually, dying to see what he made too - I did some woodworking classes and have a fair idea what it would take to build a buffet.

minty88 - do you mean you like the quartz better in general than granite, or specifically for the bathrooms? And is it the feel of the surface that you prefer or some other aspect of it? We have 43 year old vanities in both bathrooms that need replacing one of these days, so I'm really paying attention to what people are saying here.

I took a picture of mine. I think it's Cambria Cardiff Cream although I saw another one in this thread that looks like it, and it certainly could be that. Since it was super cheap it had no identification.

The countertop and buffet are slightly darker in the picture (at least on my monitor) as my lighting is not great. I think you get the point though it's pretty mellow.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Suzannesl - I feel the quartz is easier to keep clean, doesn't show anything and just feels and looks so good. And of course it never has to be sealed like the granite does.

I would have gotten quartz in the kitchen too but I have a really large island. If I went with quartz I would had to have a seam in the island. They don't have quartz slabs as big as some of the granite slabs.

In the bathrooms I would definitely go with quartz. I have to use a microfiber to keep my granite looking good. But I don't have to with my quartz. You get a lot of water spots in the bathrooms from constant use of the sink. I have a really hard time seeing them. I have to bend down and be at a certain angle to see them. But even if they have been there for days they just wipe right off with a damp paper towel. Unfortunately the quartz is more expensive than the granite unless you are getting one of the more expensive granites.

Sorry SuzannesI I just saw your request to see my buffet. It was perfect and then DD came along. She likes to hide in the cabinet on the left, and that is why the door/hinge needs adjusting.

It is very big. It's about four feet tall and five feet wide. My aunt and uncle have a beautiful old Victorian house in downtown Kansas City which they restored. One of the things I admired the most in their home was a large buffet which they used for serving in their formal dining room. I mainly use ours for storage for extra foodstuffs/electronics (hence charging station on top) I know not pretty. When we have parties or holidays I also use the top for desserts and extra plates/napkins. It's come in very handy.

Sorry. It turns out you have to 're upload' the image after you revise your message. : (

We have very dramatic granite in our master bath but wanted something much quieter in our guest/son's bathroom which will have a stacked slate vanity wall.

We chose Quantra Paramo:

This is what it looks like tonight, in the midst of installing our slate:

It's hard to get an accurate picture of the color. Think army green meets camo brown (!):

My fourteen year old son loves it (which is good because he'll be the one taking care of it!) It even has a mottled appearance that will help camouflage the inevitable water spots.

Ours is Hanstone Pewter. A light Gray. We are trying to figure out a backsplash. Probably marble.

That is a lovely buffet, IowaCommute! Congrats to your DH for his work, and thanks for sharing. That's an excellent example of spotlighting interesting (wild!) wood grain. You're right, that piece of quartz is just right.

Etera, I love your countertops! That is my favorite look and you've used it beautifully. Sexy hood too, very nice!

These photo threads are so much fun. Thanks to all you quartz owners for obliging us. :)

Oooooh, I really like the pewter too Etera, that looks fabulous!

Thank you SuzannesI. DH worked very hard on it but doesn't get to build as much since DD was born and his new job where he's traveling. I'm going to learn how to weld though so maybe that will get him to jump in again.

@taggie...thanks so much!
It's been almost a year and the kitchen is slowly coming together. When I have extra time I'll post pics and info. I'm trying to figure out a backsplash and will love some critique (once I find a few samples)

@thynes...I love the texture of your backsplash behind the cooktop/stove area. Is that Saltillo tile? What is the tile name and color, please?

Thank you Marcolo.

I for one have found this to be a very helpful thread. Don't laugh but until last week I didn't know the material on my buffet was quartz. It wasn't labeled, and I never wondered. I always thought I wanted natural stone, but seeing your beautiful countertops certainly has me thinking. Thank you Erinf8 for starting a very helpful and useful thread.

We recently completed a remodel of two bathrooms and a laundry room. We found the vintage look of marble we wanted in Silestone Lyra quartz. We designed a curved backsplash for both vanities to further enhance the vintage feel of the vanities.

harleysbud, the backsplash is in fact Saltillo tile.

EM113 Las Vegas

Further detail can be seen in my reveal thread from quite a while ago, linked below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thynes' Finished Kitchen

I find that Lyra is the least convincing of the marble look alike quartzes. It looks like a decent approximation in the samples but in a larger area it tends to just look like someone took a pen and scribbled all over white quartz. Perhaps it works better in a small area like a bathroom vanity but I wouldn't put in a larger area like a kitchen expecting it to look like marble.

Thynes! Thanks so much for giving me the exact name and number for your tile. I had seen your expanded kitchen post and couldn't find the exact tile. You have such a lovely kitchen, so warm and welcoming and the tile really makes a statement.

I also see they only have one USA distributor. Your tile in your kitchen looks totally different than on the website..were you able to get a sample or see the tile in a store? I've sent Saltillo an email as well..so we shall see.
Thanks again for the information.

This post was edited by harleysbud on Sun, Mar 31, 13 at 15:25

Silestone in Gedatsu. I love it but it requires wipedown several times a day, and the Silestone has chipped in several places along the edge, mostly in the sink (due to banging heaving pots against it while washing).

We chose Cambria Bellingham for the kitchen with a simple backsplash. We like it very much.

jmarie310...I love your choices. Am I correct that your appliances are black? What color are your cabinets? We have black appliances and golden oak cabinets. We are going to change out our counter tops and I like what I see in your picture. Wish I could see more pics.....

We have yellow Nile Silestone in the leathered finish. It's been in since 2010 and we haven't had any problems with staining. We really enjoy it!