Does anyone have experience with Calacatta Macaubus quartzite?

Methodology:
- Tried to standardize on a 24D x 48W blind cabinet
- Lazy susan & corner drawers required 36 x 36 corner cabinet
Total usable space is calculated based on the interior space of the drawer/pullout
Usable space given is PER TIER and calculated based on the footprint of the box
Multiply usable space by number of tiers/drawers for total storage area
Drawers and pullouts are 22” deep minus 5/8” drawer front/back
Drawer widths are box width minus 3/4” box sides, 1/2” drawer slide clearances, and 5/8” drawer sides
- Your cabinet builder’s specs may vary slightly from my numbers

Shelves & Non Corner Drawers
Plain shelves (not shown) maximize space use (88% of footprint due to plywood box sides and back) but minimize accessibility. The gold standard is drawers (see 'Non Corner'), balancing space utilization and accessibility (only 73% of footprint due to hardware and clearances), but obviously, two drawer stacks are NOT an option for a corner. Space efficiency should be compared to the drawer 'gold standard' rather than plain shelves which are a terrible idea for any deep cabinet, especially corner cabinets!

Corner Drawer
The corner drawer solution (53% of footprint, 73% of non-corner drawers) does have LARGE dead dead space in both corners, and awkward angles all over the drawers. The pluses are: you can store a lot of stuff by having 4 drawers (2728 sq in), and you can have access to ALL of your stuff. 4 corner drawers offer 81% of two 24W drawer stacks, but takes up 12.5% more floor space.

Super Susan
The super susan (60% of footprint, 82% of non-corner drawers). It’s impractical to do more than 2 tiers, and it lacks a certain sex appeal, and stuff can fall off and get lost in the dead space areas. There’s a maximized version of the Super Susan called the Korner King, which looks like it stores a LOT of crap, but it looks like a Frankenstein’s cabinet, an esthetic purist’s nightmare. For those not offended by its looks, functionally it has a lot of broken up pieces of storage of which only about 10-40% of your stuff is accessible at a time.

Custom Corner
My 'custom corner' (narrow pullout, wide side slide), my choice, has the same usable space as drawers per tier (73% of footprint), but a lot less accessibility due to the limitations the corner imposes. I chose it because while we have lots of storage space, I still wasn’t ready to seal off the corner. The large sideways slideout is perfect for items like our 60 and 100 qt pots that wouldn’t fit in drawers anyway (we occasionally cook for LARGE groups). The main pullout would have 3 tiers for more often-accessed items, for a total of 1494 sq in (514 s.i. x 1 full height slideout for big pots, 327 s.i. x 3 for front pullout), a decent amount of storage including a very large, full height side-slide. 2 L + 3 S tiers would give 2009 s.i.

Dead Corner
The simplest corner solution, the 'dead corner,' only gives 29% of the footprint in storage, or 40% of the storage of 48' of non-corner drawers. But if you use a 4-drawer stack, you get a lot of functional storage - 1348 sq in, though no room for tall/large items.

Magic Corner
Hafele’s Magic Corner offers that WOW factor when you see it gleaming and gliding in and out with soft-close. But it’s only 536 s.i. per tier (49% of footprint, 67% of non-corner drawers), 1072 total s.i. It could store more, but it’s designed to fit in more applications (21D cabinets, narrower cabinets), and therefore has a lot of dead space.

Thoughts
- Unlike straight base cabinets where there’s clear consensus that drawers are best, corners are ALL about limitations and compromise (and debate, with everyone having their own favorite corner solution that fits their needs)
- Drawers offer the greatest accessibility, and by using 3 or 4 drawers, you quickly make up for less space efficiency over 2-tier solutions. For example, even though the dead corner only offers 29% of the footprint of storage per tier, multiply that by 4 drawers = 1348 sq in, more than the Magic Corner’s 1072 s.i. and almost as much as the Super Susan’s 1550 s.i. with 144 s.i. smaller footprint. Despite the large dead spaces, the Corner Drawer offers a LOT of potential storage, up to 2728 s.i. with 4 drawers, though losing large item capability.
As impressive as the 'Magic Corner' solutions are to demo (I too “ooooh”ed at first), they are extremely costly (about $900 and up after hardware and baskets) and optimized to fit in shallower cabinets so have more dead space than other solutions.
My custom corner maximizes total use of the footprint area and also maximizes large and bulky item storage with relatively limited access to the inside corner area, while minimizing cost.
- As with marriage, there is no perfect match, only great or poor fits for your needs. If you’re unhappy with your corner solution, either ignore the limitations or find a better solution. Just don’t expect perfection!

Here is a link that might be useful: Korner King - not for me, might be right for you?

kitchen

I was the "KD" and GC. Our 1976 kitchen was barely functioning - all drawers were broken as were the ovens and microwave.

The only major changes were relocating the fridge where the old desk was, putting the micro over the wall oven, and having the pantry opening changed and double doors installed (and Elfa shelving inside). It's amazing how much storage we gained by those relatively small changes.

The only regrets are that I didn't have the patience to have hardwoods finished on site and that the backsplash grout turned out way too light...and I should have bought the Kohler Vinnata faucet (but I do love our Moen faucet anyway)! Other than that, we're pleased.

A few details:
Came in right about $20K.
Original cabinets were refaced by local carpenter/craftsman who also repaired, reinforced and rehabbed the cabinet boxes.
Carpenter built custom island and hood, pull out shelving.
Black galaxy granite
Daltile 3x6 white subway tile (Lowe's)
Cabinets, moulding, and door paint: BM White Dove
Wall paint: BM Lancaster Whitewash
Floors: prefinished red oak.
16 recessed lights and undercabinet lights added.

Before:

Before (oven wall & previous built in desk):

Before:

After!

Island w/trash pullout (possibly my favorite feature)

New pull out drawers/shelves & fridge where old useless desk was:

What I would LOVE input on is

1. Window treatment ideas - for bay by table and over sink (kitchen faces west & we need sunlight control)

2. Where should I put my 15" flat screen TV?? On end of cabinet run nearest to table or in corner where red platter is by cooktop? We eat 90% of meals at the island anymore and barely use our kitchen table (other than for kids' homework), so TV visibility from table, while nice, isn't essential.

House is a cozy colonial situated in central NY built in the 1980s that came with a magnificent piece of property. The inside, however, needed (and still needs) much update. We ripped out all the (irregular) flooring on the first floor and had them replaced. Structural changes took place in the mudroom/garage-entry area as well as the wall between kitchen and dining room (widened).

Prior to renovations, I had ZERO experience with reno of any sort, let alone in design. I stumbled upon GW and my world changed! You have all been fantastic and an invaluable source of information and support. I direct all my renovating friends here now! Your finished kitchens have all been sources of inspiration for me and I have most definitely borrowed some of your ideas (built-in paper towel holder, motion detector light switch in pantry, stone window sill...).

Lastly, this is my dream kitchen in the home we hope to raise our family in. White kitchens are fairly uncommon around these parts and so far, that is one main feature people are taken by when they first walk into our kitchen. I hope you all enjoy the photos!

Details
Cabinets: Custom-made by Concepts in Wood (Syracuse, NY), Shaker-style doors, painted BM Chantilly Lace
Counters: Super white quartzite and titanium soapstone
Main Sink: Shaws Original Sink by Rohl - 30"
Main Faucet: Single Side Lever Country Kitchen Faucet with extended spout and sidespray by Rohl
Bar sink: inexpensive stainless sink from Ebay
Bar Faucet: EcoPure filter faucet (runs water from an RO system)
Range: 36" Bluestar with griddle
Hood: Vent-a-hood
Dishwasher: Kitchenaid
Refrigerator: old Kitchenaid that came with house (plan to replace in a year or 2)
Island pendants: Restored vintage hologen industrial pendants with original Heisey glass
Hardware: Highland Ridge by Amerock in 4" and 6"
Backsplash: Bellevue 3x6 ceramic tiles in Glacier by Best Tile

Before:

Before (view into dining room):

Before (view into garage entry):

Before (pantry with crazy-deep shelving):

Before (view into family room):

After:

Coffee/Wine bar:

Titanium Soapstone:

View from Mudroom:

Pantry:

Microwave will sit on counter atop drawers:

Mudroom (closet on opposite wall):

I have to include this photo of our backsplash in the midst of being grouted, taken while my GC was at lunch. Amazing what a difference grout makes!

Lastly, a fun shot of my girls having fun with bubble wrap and packing paper one evening when I was trying to move all my junk back in:

The alternative and still widely used manufacturer paint finish, pre-catalyzed lacquered varnish, has the great advantage of being repairable. The chemical process is reversible (forms the film by solvent evaporation alone, for example, as using single component lacquers). The film is not normally damaged when re-dissolved, so standard lacquers are easier to repair (on site too). Builds to 3 mils to 5 mils are tolerable (but lower builds are more common, even as low as 1.5 mil by one cabinet maker I recently reviewed). The con to a lacquered finish is the cure time: it takes 3 to 4 weeks (not the same as the stack time), so it takes longer for an order to be properly finished.

These points are taken from my notes, and experts will have more knowledge. When it comes to paint (now often called colorant) finish, it is helpful to know about these two techniques and use them to help pick your cabinet doors/drawers product selection (mdf vs plywood) as well as finish technique for longevity with minimal cracking. There is no perfect finish is always worth remembering. Hope this helps.

If you can get some samples of different white tiles
You can see which you find to be the best match for your
cabs.
keep in mind things like gloss, matte, grout color,
lighting and brand can change the shade of white.
I personally think matching the warm to warm or
cool to cool to the cabs can help as in WillTv's kitchen.

Tile brand and price can vary.
American Olean .22 cents per tile from lowes or
Dal-tile $4.00 per tile
or $8.00 Walker Zanger or Modwalls Glass subway $10 per tile

mixing whites

not white but very pretty

Dark tile (not sure I like this)

I noticed that it did not do as well this year in terms of vigor and bright color of leaves...so I decided to plant it in the ground and free it from its container. It was very difficult to free this rose from the whiskey barrel. Its roots were tangled throughout and in trying to get it out of the container, a large piece actually broke off. We lost all the feeder roots and it had no rootball to speak of. I should never have moved this rose in August but I just decided to do it. I planted it in a nice sunny location in the front of my house.

I am happy (amazed actually) to report that after significant leaf loss and yellowing, the Fawn is now (2 months later) completely foliaged and covered once again in buds ready to bloom soon. I can't believe how well it recovered. This is one tough and beautiful rose.

Here are a coule pictures of The Fawn. I hope you enjoy them. Shelley

Here, in pictures, are those heroes of my garden. It takes
a great rose to not only stay healthy here, but to also
brave our zone 4 mountain-region winters and rally every
spring. Instead of closeups of individual blooms, I tried to capture whole bushes to show their qualities. These
were all taken in late August to mid-Sept. when most roses
here are looking pitiful.

Celeste

HEAVEN ON EARTH....surprisingly winter-hardy, I don't bother to give her any special attention and she barely
has tip damage come spring. She pumps out dozens & dozens of IMMENSE apricot blooms and her foliage stays glossy and green all summer. A light tea fragrance. One of my favorites and always an attention-getter.

PRAIRIE JOY....this rose is under-rated, in my opinion. I don't understand why more people don't grow this rose....maybe they need some enabling? This rose needs no
winter protection and comes back fully each spring. It pumps out loads of pretty pink blooms and never has a speck of disease. And she is full and bushy without pruning.

MORDEN SUNRISE....Where do I start? I love this charmer!
The sunny blooms, the glossy & healthy foliage, its winter-hardiness, and even fat rosehips in the fall.

QUIETNESS....if only she had fragrance, she would be a perfect rose. Winter-hardy, vigorous, everblooming, disease-free, and perfection of form and color. (sigh)
She is beloved by me. Here she is, after a rainstorm, a little bedraggled but still glorious.

ROSARIUM UETERSEN....this climber has consistently stayed
disease-free for years. The leaves are so thick and glossy they remind me of holly. It does have minor winter
damage but then again, I don't protect it. No fragrance, just huge clusters of long-lasting colorful blooms that light up my rosegarden. I am amazed by the lasting powers of the blooms. This cluster was 2 weeks old!

RHODE ISLAND RED...one of the Brownell climbers. Huge, red
blooms adorn a climber with large healthy leaves. Gorgeous
and disease-free for me.

OCTAVIA HILL....why, oh why, is this rose so overlooked?
I very seldom hear of it. But she is amazing. She sends out dozens upon dozens of pale pink, Austin-like blooms in clusters, set among her super-shiny and healthy leaves.
Very robust and disease-free all summer.

THE GENEROUS GARDENER....This Austin doesn't seem to be very popular, maybe because the waterlily-like blooms shatter quickly, or maybe because this rose wants to be a small climber. And that's exactly how I grow it. On an obelisk, she grows to about 6 feet and the leaves are so shiny people have accused me of spraying something on them.
Surprisingly good winter-hardiness unprotected. Not a speck of disease, ever.

THERESE BUGNET....the queen of my June garden. There is nothing but perfection from this rose. She is one of the hardiest roses on the planet and needs zero protection or coddling. She grows tall, with lovely leaves and scented flowers of pink perfection. Her canes are reddish for winter interest and she even sets hips. An elegant, no-fuss rose that everyone can, and should, grow.

PRETTY JESSICA....OK, I have enabled many here into getting this beauty, but in case you missed it, you will want this rose! She is drop-dead gorgeous, her fragrance is strong and sweet, her form is compact & bushy, she is
healthy, she braves our winters with minimal dieback, she makes wonderful flower arrangements....she is perfect.

MYSTERY CLIMBER....the tag said "Pink Queen", a Brownell climber, but I have researched and never found any rose by that name. Brownell did have several pink climbers, some only bearing number identifications. So I don't know the real identity of this lovely climber. What I DO know is that it is amazing. The leaves are so wonderfully healthy and shiny I use both the leaves and the blooms in arrangements. This rose has a very unique fragrance, so demure and sweet, like a fine perfume. Maybe someone can
identify it? Whatever it is, it is a keeper.

MOTHER OF PEARL....OK, the photo is blurry, but you get the idea. Loads and Loads of blooms, no disease. This and Pope John Paul II are my healthiest hybrid teas.

ANOTHER GREAT, HARDY AND HEALTHY ROSE THAT I DIDN'T PHOTOGRAPH, IS CHAMPLAIN. That is one blooming-fool of a rose! Cluster after cluster of bright red blooms, winter-hardiness, and good health. I am ordering another one for spring.

Celeste

LOVESTRUCK

My husband and I rebuilt an older house in a charming neighborhood last year. The yard was a total mess from years of neglect and the construction process. When finished construction last year, it was a bad time to lay sod, so I threw out some annual rye and waited for better weather. I had originally planned very large, deep beds all the way across the front yard and we installed them last fall, but I've been slow planting them. This spring when it was time to lay sod, I was able to convince my husband to let me plant my dream cottage garden instead.

Now, I'm overwhelmed. I spent so much time working on my pathways and fence, that now it's blazing hot here (it was 97 on Saturday) and I feel like it's getting too late to plant anything that I hope will survive the summer. My garden looks terrible!

I know it's going to take time. When my neighbors walk by and comment, I usually tell them, "Just wait a couple of years, it's going to be beautiful!" I can see it in my head, but the reality is I'm dealing with hard black clay full of rocks and soaring temperatures.

My biggest problem is that I want to consider what will be in bloom at what time of year and how tall things will get so that nothing is hidden or shaded. I want to work in some evergreens so it's not completely bare in the winter (I've got some wax myrtles, rosemary, lavender in there already), but I'm stumped. My house faces east and one side of the yard is shaded by a large pecan tree and the other is full sun. Here's that I have planted so far:

In the shade/part shade:
hostas
wood fern
holly fern
Asparagus fern
dwarf Wax Myrtles
Aspidistra
coral bark Japanese Maple
Salvia Greggii (I need to move this, it's in part-shade)
Shasta daises (in part shade and not doing well)
Columbine (in the shade and already died)
Dianthus (part-shade)

Sun:
Wax Myrtles
Knock Out roses
two old roses (a Tea and a Bourbon)
Stella de Oro daylilies (which are turning yellow since planting)
Sedum
Rosemary
Lavender
Lantana
Turks Cap
a low-growing Japanese Yew
Texas Sage
Hot Lips Salvia
Bee Balm
Rock Rose
Echinacea (started from seed - growing extremely slowly)
Rudbeckia (started from seed - growing extremely slowly)

This post is getting too long, but I guess I'm just looking for some advice. I keep working the soil as I go, removing rocks, hauling some of the clay to the backyard and amending with a variety of composts, but it's taking so long that I just end up planting things wherever the soil is ready and I feel like it's becoming really random and haphazard.

So there it is. I'm Melanie from Fort Worth and I am overwhelmed with my new zone 7b cottage garden.

I've got vegetables and herbs growing in pots. The wood raised bed is sweet potatoes.

I don't know that to do under that window. I don't want a hedge or shrubs, but I don't want it to be bare in the winter.

We still need to finish the fence; it will go all the way around to the house. This is the shady side of the yard.

All of the rocks (limestone) lining my paths and sitting around are rocks I dug up right there in the yard.

This is one bed full of that weedy grass and in the background you can see the fence on the ground. The wooden arbor was laying in a pile somewhere. April 9, 2011

It's getting there! The fence is up with a new arbor and gate. April 29, 2011

Looking better. May 31, 2011

The tulips are still going and now amsonia and deutzia have joined the show.

Kerria blooming in a very shady spot.

Sinocalycalycanthus 'Hartlage Wine' just starting with spirea 'Gold flame' as a backdrop.

Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip', deutzia and the bane of my existence sweet fern (constantly ripping it out so it won't take over) on the stone staircase.

'Popcorn' Viburnum in the new backyard area. This is such a great shrub.

I happened to place 2 new pots of tiarella next to a ligularia 'Britt Marie Crawford' and I think I'll wind up planting them right near the ligularia now. I like the color combination.

I'm just not sure what I would ever do without my garden. I'd probably be very bored with long (clean) nails! LOL!

plantmaven, thank you. High praise coming from you!

freezengirl, love your name! Yes the heat and humidity has been bad for so early in the summer. But so far everything is doing well, although the blooms are not lasting as long as usual. We have been painting for 2 years, we are so ready to be done!

Ignore the multicolored walls on the house. I had hoped to get that part of the house painted before the roses had their June flush. I really wanted to see what it would look like with the green vs. the pink siding. Oh well, maybe next year?

I like these colors together.
Renee

Big Blooms!!

Love this rose!! So does everyone else who comes to my garden!

Linda

Let's start of with my tree peony, going on 4 years:

Next up DA's Pat Austin:

DA's Teasing Georgia

One of my big garden helpers, Oscar

DA's Abraham Darby

DA's Portmeirion

HT Double Delight

Madame Isaac Pereire

Fl Gruss an Aachen

DA's William Shakespeare 2000

DA's full bush shot...yes, in a pot

DA's Portmeirion...also in a pot

HT Heirloom

HT (standard tree) Melody Perfume'

Zepherine Drouhin inter-twined with Cl Iceberg

Full bush shot of my enormous Teasing Georgia

Ok, that's it. Wait...I just HAVE to post the picture of the love of my life ;)
Niko(lai), B&G Macaw, 7 months old

Thank you all for looking, and happy gardening. :)

---
Wendy

And I knew I could do better on Pinkie!

For Ingrid- here is the rest of the yard looking toward the chicken coop. This is the veggie garden.

March Bridal Wreath Spiraea:

Mike's croquet course and the coop, with what appears to be a dog cookie in the middle of the lawn.

Happy gardening!
Renee

Crestline Mulberry

Kimberlina

La Marne

Lilac Rose, this looked like a smaller plant? Or is it just young?

Also appeared to be a smaller, charming plant, Anne Boleyn

Another shorter, charming rose, Crystal Palace

Mayor of Casterbridge

White Grootendorst Rugrosa
I'd never noticed a rugrosa before... I really like the leaves...!

Pink Grootendorst Rugrosa

Roseraie Del hay

Wil Alderman Rugrosa

Belle Poitevine Rugosa
I WANT A RUGROSA NOW. :D

Rugrosa Rubra

Mystery polyantha... anyone know what it is?

Is this Zepherine Drohin? People say it doesn't do well here... but this one seems to be doing well? Maybe Huntington has magical gardeners (they probably do.)

Champney's Pink Cluster

Some poppies and iris

These were taken during the heat wave in full sun with digital camera, not the best time to take them.

Appleblossom rose, buddlea a. with monarch and mockorange.

From upstairs window

Locust Tree and Violette rose

A few more

Ruffled Cloud along the front yard terraces.

Half Round Rose Planters.

Florabundaville

Jumbled Roses.

Playboy

Greetings

Mid front yard.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bonnie's

http://warehousefabricsinc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BYM&Category_Code=

http://www.fabricsandhome.com/fabrics.asp

http://www.fabricsandpapers.com/intro.htm (UK, exp)

http://discountdecorator.com/Common.asp?Hdr=srchres special order high-ends

http://www.fabrictothetrade.com/defaultproduct.asp

http://www.BeautifulHomeFabrics.com

http://www.DecoratingFabrics.com