Granite help... pretty please?

15 years ago

Our island will be between 4 and 5 feet deep by approx 10.5 feet long. We've been struggling to find slabs long enough that we love. Seems they are too short and we love them or the right size and we don't love them. We've finally found our three favorites in sizes that work! (Pause for celebration moment!) I'd love your opinion on what we picked before we pick the winner.... one favorite has some concerns I wanted to run by you: Suelo Marino.... I think you describe it as a labradorite type. Deep greenish black with lots of very large irridescent quartzite pieces throughout it. I think this may be my husbands very favorite. I'm wondering about this type of stone for an island that does get used... not just a showpiece. We will have our cooktop in it and the island extends to also be our everyday eating space. Will this stone hold up? Our other finalists are similar to each other: Cosmic Black and Titanium. We found several slabs of these with beautiful movement. Our home is pretty contemporary and we love art. These all "speak to us" (how corny!!) but I am interested in how they'll hold up. Thank you for your great advice that I always enjoy reading!!

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Comments (29)

daki
15 years ago
Do you have any pictures of the potential slabs? :) The Suelo Marino does sound really cool
faleash
Original Author
15 years ago
Daki- I emailed them to you. I am too dense to figure out how to post pics!
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Where you room will or will not open is a personal preference. Think about - if and how you entertain, who you entertain and how frequently (especially if kids or grand kids are involved), and how much access do you want to different rooms. My MIL can watch (and unfortunately hear) the TV from her kitchen. When we visit with all sibs and grandkids her open kitchen to living room is a nightmare to me. But this is one week in the year and I know that she and her husband, who are alone or with one or two visitors at a time, love to be all in one room. I grew up with a larger eat in kitchen. With your layout you will have that. If you open to the living room those in the kitchen will have access to the LR and vice versa - sound, noise, smells. That would not go over well in our house. But, because of a tight house floor plan, we did open the kitchen to the dining room AND added an island with seating. I love cooking with friends and kids around the island. I know others hate that. If we didn't have island seating, anyone visiting would be on the other side of the room in teh dining room or uncomforably hovering around the kitchen. So - layouts are about your life style, sound/noise/smell access and views (i.e. seeing beyond the room to something nice and/or making the space seem larger become of the opening. One thing I will suggest - if you have a nice view and can afford it but in a large window or two medium windows (or more if you don't mind losing the uppers.) We put in a two large windows with a transom over our sink and love it.
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Re: lazy susans - it depends on what you put in the space. I have one in my U-shaped kitchen, for small appliances, and it works great. The second corner is closed off completely, with drawers on each side. I thought long and hard about "wasting" that space, but eventually I realized that what I needed room for on that side of the kitchen (utensils, towels, bags and wraps, plastic containers, canisters) fit much, much better in drawers. I don't miss that corner space one bit. Lazy susans eat up 9 to 12" on each side of a corner. That means the next cabinets have to be 9 to 12" shorter. It isn't that a LS is inefficient; it might not be the best use of the space. The only way to know for sure is to map out where you will put things in the new space. I made an inventory of the contents of my cabinets pre-remodel, and assigned a new home to each item. In some cases, this was driven by convenience - I wanted space near the range for potholders and utensils. I need a place to put cookie sheets and cutting boards. Glasses, cups, plates, baking dishes, cake pans - everything was measured and planned for. That was what finally convinced me to put drawers on each side of the corner, between sink and range - a solid understanding of what things needed to be close to the range. That also ensured that my drawers would be the right size (height as much as width). I specified to my cabinet maker how much usable height I needed in certain drawers, to make sure I could fit what I wanted to put there. I have two 3-drawer stacks, where the bottom two drawers are not equal in height. If they were, my canisters and cake pans would not fit (cake pans are stored on their sides).
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If you don't love it, keep looking. I can't judge the color of the cabinets with the stone because they aren't in the same picture. You really need to see a sample of the stone with the door samples in your kitchen to see how they play off each other. My monitor is showing your cream cabinet as yellow with green undertones. You should love your choice, not be freaked out by it. Keep looking. :)
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slc2053
15 years ago
faleash..scroll down on the main Kitchen Forum page and there is a post that asks new members to this forum to read...It's a FAQ about the forum and it tells you how to post photos.

You won't last long on this forum if you don't show us your goods!! ;-)

Just kidding...we're here to help and that FAQ link is very useful and you should have no problem.
faleash
Original Author
15 years ago
OK here's my try to post the photos... it hasn't worked for me before but...Oh yippee, it worked. The first is the Titanium, second is Cosmic Black... I'll post the Suelo Marino next!
daki
15 years ago
In the meantime, here are some pictures of faleash's granites
{{!gwi}}From faleash's granite pictures
{{!gwi}}From faleash's granite pictures
{{!gwi}}From faleash's granite pictures
{{!gwi}}From faleash's granite pictures
{{!gwi}}From faleash's granite pictures
{{!gwi}}From faleash's granite pictures
{{!gwi}}From faleash's granite pictures

Here is a link that might be useful: Faleash's granite pictures
faleash
Original Author
15 years ago
You rock!!
daki
15 years ago
Oops! I think we cross posted :)

The Suelo Marino is drop dead gorgeous. My only concern was in the close up pictures. The dark spots looked sort of like the mica books in my granite. In my Delicatus granite they are fairly small but somewhat brittle. In the larger picture, it looks more like a harder stone.

I'm also in love with the Titanium :)
faleash
Original Author
15 years ago
That is my exact concern. Will the stone be too "vulnerable"? But, oh my, it is soooo purdy!
shelayne
15 years ago
Holy cow! That Suelo Marino is to die for!

Yummalicious!

They are all very stunning, but the SM is just...WOW!
faleash
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for your feedback all... sure would love some opinions from the stone gurus if they read this!
mariofo
15 years ago
I vote for the last one. It is very similar to what we just put in called sedna/magma. It is stunning on my large island. It was more fragile and needed support on the end where the seating is , but very much worth it.
faleash
Original Author
15 years ago
mariofo- do you have a picture?
michellemarie
15 years ago
I am glad I don't have to choose. They are all incredible!!! Can u please post a pic of your cabinet doors?
PRO
puertasdesign
15 years ago
Wow.
I think I want honed Cosmic Black for my kitchen.
Amazing!

faleash, you can't go wrong here. They are all amazing.
What's the rest of the kitchen look like?
boxerpups
15 years ago
I love them all. It would be so hard for me to choose one.
I would look around at your home, floors, cabinets and
appliances to get a feel for which would go best.
If they all go fine, then give your husband the gift of
his favorite. Forever you will remember how happy it made
him.

I wish I could give you info on the stone quality.
You might check out Rock blogs or Kevin on this site to
help you find out.

Good luck
azstoneconsulting
15 years ago
I vote for this one:

{{!gwi}}

How can ANYONE even THINK there is no GOD...
when you see something as AWESOME as THIS ?????

GOD Made the Stone....
All WE Do as FABRICATORS is Embellish it a bit
and get it into your homes... ;-)

Just my .02 cents worth

kevin

Kevin M. Padden
Fabricator, Trainer & Consultant to the Natural Stone Industry
AZ School of Rock
Natural Stone 101
desertsteph
15 years ago
"How can ANYONE even THINK there is no GOD...
when you see something as AWESOME as THIS ?????

GOD Made the Stone.... "

you've got that right! my sister's granite is absolutely incredible - and the other week I was looking at some slabs online - man, it was like an art show of God's work!

I can't use granite in my kitchen, never wanted to even use it before but looking at those slabs sure made me wish I could now!
I never wanted it before because all the granite i saw was just a bunch of spots and I don't like spots especially on a counter top. Now I've been seeing granite that is really too beautiful for words!
remodelfla
15 years ago
My reactions in order of Titanium, Cosmic Black and the Suelo Marino:
Gee, that's pretty and I'm usually not a black stone person

WOW... love the movement in the cosmic... I could even go for that in my kitchen

OMG! Are you kidding me? Living with that would be like being blessed to see the Northern Lights every day.
Jbrig
15 years ago
Like remodelfla, I usually don't care for dark/black stone, but that Suelo Marino is incredible--just breathaking!!!!! I totally agree w/ you, Kevin, what a magnficent creation from The Magnificent Creator!

Pleeeaaase be sure to post pics--any of those stones would be works of art, but, again, that SM is awesome! WOuld love to see it once it's in your kitchen!
msrose
15 years ago
Well, I seem to be in the minority, but I love Cosmic Black.

Laurie
suzp
15 years ago
OMG.....the granite with the blue running through it is absolutely gorgeous!!! I agree with remodelfla and Kevin... would be like looking at the northern lights every day!! I'd never get any work done in my kitchen! With that being said, we have something similar to what you're considering on our island; it's called Saturnia. It has browns, black and a bit of dark green. We don't have a cooktop in our island but we use it for prep every day. Love it!

Here is a link that might be useful:
azstoneconsulting
15 years ago
Like I always say-

Stay Close to GOD...
Work with HIS stone...
Learn it..
Love it...
Live it....

Amen!

kevin
mariofo
15 years ago
The first 2 pics are the slabs of sedna on my island & counters. The last one is marron cohiba and I have it on my bake center & hutch. I will try to get some pics of them in my kitchen the mornig. Mariofo
arleneb
15 years ago
Oh, gosh, I love the Cosmic Black . . . and I suspect God had lots of fun creating all these beautiful stones!!
faleash
Original Author
15 years ago
I'm so excited by the reactions!! How ever will I choose?? Tomorrow we go for our "final" decision... Thanks for the pics mariofo. I'm looking forward to seeing your kitchen!
mariofo
15 years ago
Here are some of the kitchen. We are not moved in yet so excuse the mess, dust and materials you see.
daki
15 years ago
Mariofo, that granite (AND sink!) is gorgeous!
mariofo
15 years ago
Thanks, it is a solid absolute black granite sink and it is my dream kitchen, almost done. I will post tons of pics & info when I get it all done.
faleash
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh mariofo! Can't wait for the details. It's soooo pretty!

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