Polished granite + marble = too much? Laminated edge?

14 years ago

Thank you to fellow obsessed users, lurkers and others who responded to my "GW addict" post. IÂm glad to know IÂm not alone in my insatiable appetite for the details of other peopleÂs kitchens! IÂve been lurking so long it feels strange to finally join in, but I feel like I know so many of the regulars and even new members just from obsessively reading all the posts!! IÂve already gotten so many great ideas here and so much useful knowledge.

IÂm planning cream cabs with caramel glaze, golden hardwood floor to match rest of house, black counters. Because the kitchen is small Â galley style Â there wonÂt be any very long uninterrupted stretches of granite. On the one long wall (13.5') IÂm thinking of going with a black Silgranit sink for continuity and not sure yet between a black or stainless top on the SS range (will have a SS chimney hood). Opinions? IÂve already picked my backsplash Â Calcutta gold polished pillowed 2x4 subway tiles. I love the grey and gold highlights. I have also fallen in love with a slab of Black Cosmos granite. It has white "milky way" streaks, a few beige-y-gold spots and some very tiny burgundy speckles. It is polished also. I like movement granite and I guess I like shiny, but will this be too much shiny? Will reflections from undercabinet lights be a problem? I have read the bad stuff about honed black and I havenÂt seen many honed slabs in my area. I like soapstone, but I havenÂt seen any that is truly black, more gray/greenish, and am not sure I want to deal with the maintenance issues. Will this granite and the marble be too fussy together? Opinions?

Second question Â in my last house, the counters were 3cm granite. That was in Texas and everyone had 3 cm (in Texas, everything really is bigger!) Now I am in Calif. and it is all 2cm. The laminated edge idea is bothering me. I donÂt even mind a thinner slab, but it seems weird to pretend it is thicker than it is and I know that the seam will show. Those of you who have 2 cm with laminated edge, how do you feel about it? Does anyone have 2cm without the laminated edge? Is it a structural problem? IÂm wondering if this would work in my kitchen where I am trying to keep things "to scale" and have nothing over-sized. Thanks for your thoughts and Happy Fourth of July to all!

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Comments (8)

laurielep
14 years ago
I have 3cm granite (New Jersey) I wasn't even given the option of 2cm for some reason.
I found this link that describes what the edge is all about on the 2cm.

Here is a link that might be useful: 2cm vs 3cm
shanghaimom
14 years ago
Hi crzy,

You have a really similar color scheme to what we are going with, minus the glaze. We are also doing cream cabinets with a Calcutta gold backsplash. All the soapstones I looked at (and the selection was very limited in my area) were too busy and too green. I also *thought* I had settled on Jet Mist honed granite, (so pretty!) but when I saw it in person, it was too busy with the marble. Also, the gray shade was too "cool" with the warm cream paint and marble. To my surprise, what I finally settled on is Zodiaq quartz in Mystic Black. It is not too shiny, too dull, or too busy. It doesn't have the plastic-y look and feel that some of the other solid surfaces can have. It doesn't show fingerprints or water marks. It is kind of a dark charcoal color.

I know there are some beautiful BLACKER soapstones out there, but they were not available in my area.

I think in a smaller kitchen, the 2cm looks really nice--maybe even better than the chunkier 3cm if you don't really have any long runs.

I know all about the addiction--I started having wrist and neck problems from all the scrolling and clicking hours. Even now, when everything is pretty much settled, I don't want to miss a good tip I could incorporate, so I check every day!

Happy planning!
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happy2b…gw
14 years ago
The addiction has hit my shoulders and back as well. Too much sitting.

The marble on my island is laminated and the seam is visible because the marble is white, but I think that the darker the granite the less visible the seam. It looks fine by the way. I really like your choices and hope you post pics when the kitchen is completed.
segbrown
14 years ago
You can also miter a seam, so that it's on the corner and doesn't show. You need more material, though, and it costs more.

I have some samples of a laminated edge on my white marble, and it's really hard to see. (I actually thought it was more obvious in the darker stones; go figure.) We are going to use an ogee edge on the marble, which hides the seam a bit more.
Fori
14 years ago
An ogee edge won't show the lamination seam much at all, so go fancy if you're worried.
crzyktchnlady
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you all. I like the ogee edge actually, so if it works with a laminated 2cm, I might do that. No 3cm available in my neck of the woods.

Thanks shanghaimom for the tip on quartz. Like you, I'm worried that the granite I like might be too busy with the marble. And I thought I had decided!!!!
will_work_for_roses
14 years ago
can you post a link to the tile and where you saw it. I'm pondering the same thing myself, only with white cabs.
crzyktchnlady
Original Author
14 years ago
Hi will work for roses. I have been following your thread too. I may re-post mine with a different subject and a picture because I did not get too many responses. I'm trying to decide if this tile would work with Black Cosmic I love them both but I'm concerned whether they would be too busy together or if I should not pair polished marble with polished granite. I found the tile in a local tile shop but it comes from Cosa Marble in Sylmar, Calif. Your local tile shop maybe able to get it for you.

I've never posted a pic before. Hope it works - let me know:

Polished granite + marble = too much? Laminated edge?

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laurielep

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Polished granite + marble = too much? Laminated edge?

Comments (8)

laurielep

shanghaimom

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