When thinking through the interior design of a new home, different things give me inspiration. I often like to bring the outside in per say.  For example, a home we are currently working on I was planning to paint the exterior color a very dark gray-green color.  Therefore, I wanted  to bring a similar gray-green color palette inside in some way as well.  In this situation, I (planned to) start with a cabinet color combo that I like and then go to the Granite yards and choose something that goes with the colors I have pre-selected.   However, once I got there I ran across this gorgeous slab that I knew I just had to use.

So I completely regrouped and looked for a color combination I could go with this slab.  Once I determined the look and feel of the Kitchen, I worked my way out from there.  In this situation, the entire feel of the home turned out this “moody” dramatic play between blacks and wood tones.  I was eager to use some of my new stain colors and LOVE how it turned out.  Here is a sneak peek:

One of my favorite days during the Selection Process is walking the Granite Yards.  Personally, I am a big fan of natural stone for countertops.  I realize there are a lot of people and designers out there that prefer quartz.  It’s not that I don’t like quartz necessarily; it is a good product and manufacturers are consistently coming out with better, more realistic replicas of natural stone. But “replica” is exactly what it is.  In my opinion, “replicas” can never replace the real deal– a true God-made product.   If you have never walked a granite yard, I highly recommend it.  Don’t settle for going to a showroom with a display of various small samples; make a trip to a reputable granite yard and take in God’s artistry.  It really is like going to a museum. Here’s some of my favorites from last week: (Frame added)

Unfortunately, the reality is most of the AMAZING Quartzite slabs are way out of the tight allowance Neil makes me stay within.  So I walk, I admire, and then I walk to the other rows where the more reasonably priced granite and marble slabs are.  But even within my price range, there are many fantastic gems to discover.  For this home, I knew I wanted the overall color scheme (that started from the brick as you read in the last post) and went searching for a slab that would be light in color and pull all the whites, browns, and blue-gray accents.  I found just the piece in these White Ice slabs which also happen to be more reasonably priced than the previously mentioned options.

Not only is walking through rows of large slabs fun, but going to the Remnant Yard is super fun also.  I compare going to the remnant yard like going to TJMaxx.  Some days you find a cart full of amazing finds and somedays not-so-much.  But I’ve been very fortunate that I do this for a living so any time I go and see a great find, we tag it for me and if I don’t get to use it that particular house I’m working on, I can always use it for the next one.  I’ve been fortunate to have been working with a lot of our subcontractors and suppliers for many years now.  So a lot of my suppliers have grown to know my style and what I like and are always on the lookout for me when really cool pieces become available.  Somedays I feel like a kid in a candy store. 

For example, check out this remnant I just found last week for an upcoming spec we are currently building.  It’s a gorgeous, unique quartzite remnant.  This would normally be an Exotic Level Five countertop, but I’m getting it at a Remnant price (just labor).  How awesome is that!  Can’t wait to see it in person.

Here are some of my favorite finds throughout the years where the countertop dictated the rest of the space. 

For our Parade Home entry, I found some really good remnants for all three secondary bathrooms. 

Powder: The Powder Room cabinet is a bold blue color.  You may be thinking that color is going to be hard to find a top, but believe it or not I had three amazing options to choose from, but at the end of the day I went with this gorgeous quartzite piece called Brazillian Thassos. 

The Downstairs Buddy Bath: I actually knew I had this piece of Alpinus Granite LF left over from the last job and was looking for a place to use it.  It was a gorgeous slab that was used in a Kitchen.  So I let the countertop dictate the rest of the room. 

The Upstairs Hall Bath: Similar situation, I had two remnants that would have worked in that room, but based on the other colors within the home, I went with this pretty piece of Fantasy Brown LF and coordinated the other selections with it.  

If you are not familiar with (LF) Leathered Finish granite, it is a newer option that is more of a matte, uneven finish instead of the glossy, smooth finish of the more traditional polished granite.  Just a few years ago, it was rare to find slabs in leathered finish but now more and more options are available and now some even have dual slab options where you can choose leathered finish on one side or polished finish on the other.  There is no difference in how to care for the stone; it’s really just personal preference. 

The countertops are going in soon. I can’t wait!

UPDATE: The above article I wrote last week on Thursday, March 6^th.  First thing on Friday morning I got a call from our countertop installer that the beautiful leathered Alpinus selected for the Buddy Bath cracked while cutting the sink insert. 

Since this is our Parade of Homes entry, and time is of the essence, we had to come up with an alternative game plan pretty quickly.  After some troubleshooting and a few back and forth photos, I finally decided to go with an alternate Alpinus remnant in a polished finish.  Still very beautiful and honestly, if I wasn’t writing about it no one else would have known.  But that’s just what we deal with on a daily basis.  “Putting out fires” is what we like to call it. 

Added note:  I want to clarify; I do use quartz from time to time. I know, I know, I just said earlier I don’t really like quartz.  I didn’t say it’s not a good product, it is.   There are many positives to using quartz.  It is a very durable product, you never have to seal it (like a natural stone) and sometimes you want a more solid color or specific look that’s hard to find in a natural stone.  For example, in the Laundry room in the last home I designed, I found a Quartz remnant  called Black Temple.  It has a more industrial, concrete vibe.  It went great with that overall moody “black and wood” theme I had discussed earlier.    I also used a Quartz remnant in my own personal home’s Laundry Room.  In that room, the tile floor was the main focus so I needed a countertop that just blended in.   

Wow, I’ve said a lot and didn’t even touch on the actual cabinets themselves.  So I’m going to table that conversation for next week and we will take a deep dive in the world of custom cabinetry next post.