Granite, Quartz & Marble Concepts For Your Home

This is a common question I hear as couples are discussion options in our showroom. Often a couple will come in and one person doesn't want to change while the other person does. There are a couple of easy answers that come to mind.

1) To increase the value of my home

It's no secret that the best way to increase your home's value is to rennovate the kitchen and/or bathroom. Since getting a facelift on your cabinets is so inexpensive these days it's an excellent time to put in a countertop with a wow factor. One of the first things people notice when viewing a house is how great a nice kitchen can look. The type of customer working to increase the value of their home will typically go for one of our sale granites. They look great and are quite inexpensive. They will typically pick a colour that blends in very well and won't offend any potential buyers because everything matches perfectly.

2) To create a look that you want to come home to

Let me elaborate: When you buy a house that you know you're going to live in for some time it is important that it looks the way you want it to. The previous owner may have had different tastes and since you're going to spend the next 10-20 years there, it's a great opportunity to create a space that you enjoy coming home to every day. These types of customers will typically pick something more exotic that is suited to their specific tastes.

Which answer is correct? I guess it depends on which picture you like the best.

Brett McLennan

For many years, ¾” Granite and quartz was the go to thickness for counter tops.  Many times, especially in kitchens, the edge is laminated to a 1 ½” edge. This size edge is perfect for framed cabinets since that thickness edge can cover the gap between the top of the cabinet and the cabinet door.  Even as cabinets became frameless, 1 ½” edging is still popular.  But what about people on the cutting edge? What thickness counter tops are they interested in?  For the last few years, thick counter tops with 2 – 3” mitred edges was the story. On islands, the thick edge and material would also go down the side of the cabinets to the floor to create a thick side panel. This gave the counter top a thick and substantial look.  This is still very popular in North America.

www.caesarstone.ca

In Europe the emerging trend is to go with super skinny counter tops – 1 cm thickness material. This look is sleek and modern.  It goes along with the whole integrated kitchen/home idea that is so popular right now.  Appliances are built to be hidden from plain view or its appearance as muted as possible. Likewise, counter tops are becoming more subtle in terms of material thickness.  Latitude currently has various 1CM quartz material in stock and acrylics such as Corian and Staron come in 1CM  only (traditionally, Corian and Staron edges are built up to that thicker looking edge).  It is a new look that will definitely make its way to North America.

www.boffi.com

I love the clean look of the thin counter top, but whether or not I would decided to go with that or another look would depend on the overall look of the house.  The styles in the home will have to work together.  Thinner counter tops would look better in smaller kitchens because they make the space seem bigger and as you can tell from the picture above, will look good in a larger space as well. Thick, 2” – 3” counter tops may  work better in a larger space will give it a more substantial look without compromising the clean and modern look of the space

Karen Yuen