Dana - so glad to hear your porcelain is holding up so great!! That’s very encouraging. After 2+ years of planning / designing and researching all things kitchen and countertops, we started construction in July and we are finally about to see it all come together! Our cabinets arrive from Amish Indiana on Monday and I met with our fabricator on Friday (and saw my 4 gorgeous Antolini slabs) who said it will only be 2-3 weeks to cut them after we discuss where the pattern/ veining should be seen. I absolutely cannot wait!!! In a fun and unexpected twist, my fabricator also had some porcelain remnants that matched the countertops so well that we are using these for a quick fireplace surround update too. I hope to post photos in about a month? Maybe they will inspire someone else to also try porcelain w/ a vetted and experienced fabricator.

For the rest of you who are not yet committed to a single viewpoint and are still researching countertop materials including porcelain, with its risk for cracks and chips in particular, please note that the USA countertop industry has been providing thick, slab-style countertops en masse for more than two decades now, but satisfactorily skilled labor in 2023 for installation of slab countertops is still not always easy to secure everywhere, even as I found living in a large metro. Much as we wish time to be a cure-all, it is not always. Thinner porcelain requires different preparation, fabrication, transportation, and installation skills and equipment than thicker slabs, and I only knew of two fabrication companies in my area with recommendations of being reliable porcelain technicians from the high-end slab yards in my area during my recent renovation. It is difficult to predict if or when the USA will match pace with what is needed for quality, widespread, large-format porcelain usage--since even the labor force for thicker slab installs seems to be lagging. I considered many different types of countertop materials for my renovation, and quartz was near the last on my list, nor did I select it. Porcelain was a material I strongly considered and researched but was counterindindicated for my application. My installation included an apron-front, undermount sink. My cabinetry supplier did not specialize in providing substrate support. The countertop was more than three feet in depth at some points including a large overhang. My home's foundation had a history of shifting despite several rounds of repair. I am aware that quartz is losing popularity for countertops in many countries and that porcelain usage is on the rise as a replacement. Does that mean it is the best choice for USA consumers who want to be on the leading edge of design? Not necessarily; so much depends on the size of the application, the edge finish chosen, and the labor support available. It would take a whole chart of pros and cons to adequately cover other choices, but stainless steel, butcher block, Abet Laminati Stratificato HPL, resilient marbles like Danby, soapstone, and even Corian such as one of Houzz's regular contributors likes to promote are all materials that an avid researcher should consider if also considering porcelain. Some of those materials won't do as well around water which may mean selecting a custom-designed, drop-in sink application or a mix of countertop materials. Some kitchens may be more for show than use which could also dictate the selection.

The very same people telling the OP to trust your fabricator would be blaming the OP for not properly vetting the fabricator if he does a bad job. Whether or not you like it, there are bad actors out there. Since we had a post here about mechanics, let's remember that once every couple of years television news programs will pull out auto mechanic undercover investigation and they almost always find that half or more of the repair shops scam consumers with unnecessary repairs. ---- It is entirely possible that there is a reason that the fabricator can't do it the way you propose. It is also possible that the fabricator is simply on a different page with the project than you are and some communication will help get everyone together. However, there is a solid chance that the fabricator is taking advantage of you. The fabricator should be willing to communicate his/her reasoning with you in an understandable way. If the fabricator is not willing to do that, then you should find someone who is. In my experience, honest contractors have no problem informing the consumer and the people who refuse to explain are almost always the people who have no explanation. Thus my advice is ask the fabricator to walk you through the number of slabs he is recommending rather than you suggesting cuts. If he refuses to do so, then statistically, you are better off finding someone who will.

This is what I got right now. When we get it cleaned up I’ll post better. There is a keeping room right off the kitchen (no pix) with teal furniture, black eames chair, tv and brick fireplace, then the dining room you see here with the live edge table and orange chairs. It’s split level and the dining room is open to the living room (second two pix), a half flight down. Kind of confusing. It’s really a pretty house, built in 1955. Why don’t I have better pix?? 🙄