New Soapstone Counter LOVE!! (with photos)
Couldn't be more excited or happy! Our kitchen now has the most beautiful PA soapstone counters and as a very satisfied customer, I want to recommend the company we use. I am always seeing one other company mentioned and never the one we used. Our journey went like this:
I called a few Vermont soapstone companies and had a great talk with Green Mountain Soapstone. They gave my number to Vance Ebbecke - who worked for them for 7 years and had moved down to NY to a company called "Marble Techniques". Vance gave us referrals whom I called and we went out to see as soon as he called us to let us know he got in a new shipment. I have to say that their granite selection was astounding even tho we were there for soapstone. He and his crew were great about walking us through the process and moving around slabs. He helped us understand which slaps were from the same blocks - and would water down slaps (a few times over and over so we could make up our minds). They didn't charge by the slab but by how much we used. After we picked our slabs and before the templating, I placed a few nervous nellie calls to him and he calmly answered each and every one. Templater came and did very exact measurements - reassuring my gc who was on site - and a cad drawing of the kitchen. We worked out the carved runnels to everyone's satisfaction. We were told 2 weeks because they are very busy right now but ended up getting the counters 8 days later because someone canceled their appointment. I was on jury duty yesterday and my husband stayed home with the gc - and he said that they were completely professional and I came home to absolutely perfect counters. My husband said that our gc saw that one corner wasn't rounded (we chose an eased edge with rounded corners) and they took care of it right there. The one seam at the sink is undetecable unless you really look for it. Our GC told my husband that he was very impressed by them (and that's hard to do with our GC!) and that they made all the right choices in how they cut the soapstone - put the veining in the right places for the best wear and tear.
Here's their info: if you want to contact me, please go to my page and email me. I cannot tell you just how happy we are. Below are photos...and a link to our kitchen reno in general. Thank you GW'ers...if it wasn't for this site, we would never have had or considered soapstone counters. I'm in love!
Vance Ebbecke
Field Manager
Marble Techniques Inc.
15-30 131 Street
College Point, NY 11356
P: 718.204.5001 ext 3036
vance@marbletechniques.net
and now, the photos:
unoiled:
unoiled: 
look at our new drainboard!:
1st oiling: 
Here is a link that might be useful: Our kitchen gut reno
Comments (20)
honeychurch
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agolfielder54
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
New soapstone countertops and lower cabinets
Comments (6)First of all, we fell in love with the quality and look of the cabinets the first time we saw them. The fabricator of the soapstone also builds the cabinets which we saw when we visited their shop to checkout the soapstone. We originally were only looking to do the countertops as our cabinets were 22 years old and still in decent shape. After seeing their cabinets and soapstone sink we thought about having them modify our sink cabinet and building a new island. We went in that direction for awhile and then decided to just replace all the lower cabinets figuring we would be in the house another twenty plus years so why not get something we really would like. We decided to go with all drawers on the lower cabinets and island as we thought it would be easier to get at things. We also deadened out the corners to accommodate more drawers which we felt was more efficient use of space. We were able to design the drawer depth to accommodate what we wanted to store in them and everything we use now has a place in a drawer. This post was edited by Quadesl on Mon, May 5, 14 at 19:01...See Moreglass backsplash with my new soapstone counters?
Comments (14)Prill, that is some gorgeous soapstone! Wow. I love the veining and the unusual colours. I think you want to keep the bs subtle so that it complements but doesn't steal thunder from your stone. In that regard, something like Nantucket would compete. And I agree with Zeebee on the smaller mosaics. I've always loved Anita's ming marble; it's really interesting. Could be a great match for your ss. Are there other elements (besides your white sink) about your kitchen that are of note? I also love catmom's bs: Here are the colours that her Artistic Opera Glass comes in It's a difficult but fun decision to be faced with! Eliz...See MoreNew Soapstone/Marble Counters are in!!!!!
Comments (18)Thanks Yesdear....I love the Brazilian Black, it had just been oiled when I took the pictures. It is really a dark gray and I prefer it unoiled, but I'm not totally sure one way or the other (I like that it looks good both ways). It has hints of green and even a carmel area. I got it at Soapstone Werks. They told me that the stone is almost impossible to get anymore, so I guess we were lucky...I picked it out back in March. Funny thing about the seams...there are a lot, they are well done and don't show as much when it's just been oiled (today they show a bit more). There is one at the center of the sink, one before the angle in the corner by the cooktop, and the two rails of the cooktop are separate pieces also. With all the angle changes in the kitchen a variety with heavy white veining would have looked funny. Re: the baking area. It will have the coffee pot and toaster over there with MW underneath, so there won't be a ton of space. I might use this area as the "bulters pantry" when we have bigger groups over. The real drop zone is being constructed as a niche mudroom off the garage door (next to the laundry room where we most commonly enter the house). Also, there is a free standing hutch next to the Fridge which will have our glasses/dishes, silverware, dishes and kid snacks & probably a junk drawer. I lucked out on the sink, it's in it's original location and I loved it other than the DW used to sit within 3" of the sink edge, putting a bigger cabinet in between really helped that. I love the sink, just wish it had running water & a drain (maybe Monday). I may replace the air gap after inspection, it's just sitting there now...I didn't have good luck with my old soap dispenser (same location) it would get to hot and leak dish soap everywhere. I'm thinking the new windows may help that....See Morerunnels?? no runnels? help me with my new soapstone counter PIX
Comments (23)Just wanted to put in my vote for runnels. I absolutely love mine. Some of the comments that the fabricator mentioned sounded like it was an answer about runnels in granite. The runnels I have in my soapstone look just as black/shiny as the counter surface. they really blend right in when you oil your counter assuming you like the jet black oiled soapstone look). I love them so much because it is still usable counter space when there are no dishes draining there, and when you h ave to do dishes there are no extras steps just wash and stick the dishes on the runnels. I say if thats what you want you should go for it! From KItchen Remodel Here is a link that might be useful: The Whole Kitchen remodel...See Moresparklekitty
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beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
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13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoSorry for the delay leela4 and ebean - we don't look at this site anymore now that we are finished! Here's a picture of the franklin drainboard. The closest side is the one that has it - it is subtle.
lynxe
13 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
ebeanOriginal Author