Picking out a Slab

We were introduced to Trevor of Centerline Stone Inc. for our countertop fabrication.  Trevor works very closely with Mario (our cabinet maker) so we don't even need to be the middle person between the two trades.  Trevor will know when our cabinets go in even before we do.  That is cool because it means one less thing to worry about.

We decided to go with Quartz for the counter against the wall and granite for the island.

Quartz in Nougat
Photo courtesy of houzz.com

Ice Brown Polished Granite
Photo courtesy of luxedistributors.com
I love the randomness of this pattern and the contrast of the dark brown against the cream.
It reminds me of coffee at the point when you add cream to it.  Perfect for the kitchen!

Trevor took us to the workshop in the back of the showroom to show us how they cut the granite and taught us how to test for the granite's quality.  If you run your fingernails over the granite and feel nothing but smoothness, then it is very good quality granite (grade A).  If you feel some roughness or nicks, then it is C or D grade quality.  Overtime, those little, minute nicks will become bigger and bigger which is not what you want.  It'll take some willpower for me to resist running my fingernails across any granite surfaces I may come in contact with!  :)

We were then sent off to pick out our slab for the island.  Because each quarry will produce very unique patterns of granite and colour, the same granite may look totally different if they were from two different quarries.  So we were instructed that if we see something we like, we need to tag it to place a hold on it because if it is sold out, we may never find one that looks exactly the same.  

In search of the perfect slab.
   

This one is called Alaskan White.  Love it!  Too bad it was sold out.

I love this Stratuario marble slab too but it is high maintenance.  You have to wipe up spills right away or else it would seep into the marble and would be impossible to get out.  I can't imagine what this slab would look like after a week with my three kids.  It certainly won't be white anymore!