Counter tops are in!!

I was absolutely thrilled to return home yesterday to find that my brand new granite counter tops had been installed!  Paul took a half day and came home to oversee the installation.  The island (which is basically a full slab of granite unto itself) took 6 guys to roll-in and affix atop the island cabinets.  They also had to very carefully carve out around the pillar and then around the slide-in range, and install the undermount sink.  The whole process took about 2.5 hours and it turned out beautifully.

Just to recap, we ended up going with absolute black honed granite with a pencil-edge finish.  We had originally wanted to go with soapstone but were advised against it due to the fact that it tends to dent and scratch easily with the kind of heavy usage we expect to impose upon it.  The color reads almost more of a deep charcoal gray with lighter gray flecks interspersed.  The process for creating the honed finish is such that they start out with a slab of the absolute black polished finish and then they basically sand down the finish until it has more of a matte finish (that more closely resembles soapstone).  Once installed they recommend that you reseal about once a year to ward off stains.  To clean between sealing, I've read that Dawn detergent and a soft sponge work best.

I've included a few shots of the counter tops that I took last night.  Still much work to be done before we reach the finish line though.  The faucet isn't hooked up yet or the gas line to the range and the toe-kick heaters beneath the island still need to be hooked up to the heating lines (all of which we need the plumber for).  Also, the electrical for the micro-hood is connected in the upper cabinet but we still have to get the exterior vent installed before we can put the microwave in. 

This weekend we plan to install the back splash tile and get started on installing the new hardwood floors.  For the back splash we went with a ceramic subway tile in a sage green with a crackled, glassy finish (included a shot below of the tile against the counter top).  I'm starting to wonder what we'll do with all of our free time when we're finally done with this whole project.  But then again, that won't happen any time soon and there's always the patio... and the staircase(s)... and the entire 3rd floor for that matter...  (ugh). 

One step at a time.

Comments

[Kristen]

WOW! I love how this is turning out. With the exposed brick and ceiling beams and the countertops... it's awesome. It'll look really great with wood floors, too. Beautiful!

[lilan marunde]

Beautiful colors and design.
I too have honed finish of black absolute
granite. I have to say, i love the look of it, but keeping it looking nice can be frustrating. That is...UNTIL...I found the magic of "mystic maid" microfiber cloths. With one of these cloths kept nearby, your counters will look beautiful. Just use a damp mystic maid cloth and wipe away! No chemicals...just water!! I love that it is green and nontoxic way to maintain your counters. I have 3 kids and our main floor vanity counter is heavily used with all the handwashing. This cloth has really helped the counter looking stain-free.