The site referenced in scottielee's post has some interesting stools
www.furnituredomain.com
If you haven't look, try www.designwithinreach.com

Here are some of my favorites - today :)

The Cherner chair is a classic. I wanted to this for our last kitchen and cheaped out. They have a elegant armchair, regular height and this stool. It comes in different woods (see the photo on the site of the amazing striped one) & can even be upholstered. http://www.chernerchair.com/

The bertoia stool. I have seen this in a kitchen and it looks sweet and it does have a little cushion. I think it comes in different colors and finishes.

Nice and simple metal stool - I think this is at DWR

Saw this on a website called undertheroof - I searched on plywood stool.

A take on the Navy stool (they also have the classic one in an all metal stool at DWR)

Like in wood, still on the fence about the acrylic. I think it has nice proportions/shape. But it does come in clear, smoke (that could be nice) or green acrylic, or wood (walnut, cherry, maple, mahogany) or upholstered (or any combo) http://www.girari.com/g-bs.html

There is a ghost stool, but it doesn't have the great back of the chair.

I enjoy looking at chairs maybe more than tile :) Share what you have found.

We also checked out Georgian Stone, Compass Stone, UGM, AGM Imports, Marmi Natural Stone, MSI, and G&L.

Questions, call 800-332-1556

Here is a link that might be useful: Fine Paints of Europe

A contemporary kitchen with custom walnut doors.

This message has pictures and pricing information on another kitchen with custom doors.

Nice blog post about using custom doors from Scherrs with lots of details.

Discussion of custom doors on Ikeafans

List of alternative door suppliers and some pricing info re: Scherrs

Do you have a picture of the floor color you want?
I too did samples of the various shades and recipes. I
thought I knew what I wanted and the floor guys stained
the floor. But it was ugly. I cried.
It took me two tries through my floor guys to get the color
right. When I say two tries they did the entire first floor
but I did not like the color at all. So they redid it until
I got the color I love. I wanted a dark almost ebony mixed
with English Chestnut. It took a while and they had to use
Mahogany mixed in the recipe.

Staining floors can be really hard to get the right color.
It helped that I had pictures and the floor guys worked
with me. It was hard because my floor guys are stubborn
and wood purists but once they knew what I wanted they
understood.

I have a mix of red and white oak.
Here are my floors...

This is more what my floor look like today.
They are dark but you can see the beauty of the grain
and the depth of color.

• Surround the refrigerator on both sides with 3/4" finished end panels that are as deep as the refrigerator carcass/box + the distance b/w the back wall & the back of the refrigerator.


• This "distance" in the back is the amount of room behind the refrigerator needed for air clearance, anti-tilt mechanism, plug, and/or plumbing for ice maker & ice/water dispenser. This hides the sides but does not interfere with door hinge operation.


• The finished end panels are "flat" or plain panels that are the same wood and have the same finish as your cabinets. (You can put fake doors on top of the finished end panels if your refrigerator is at the end of a run or is "stand alone" with one or two fully exposed sides.)
• Next, mount a full-depth cabinet above the refrigerator and b/w the two end panels.


• When I say "full-depth", I mean the depth of the refrigerator carcass.


• If you cannot afford or cannot get a full-depth cabinet for above the refrigerator, then take a standard depth over the refrigerator cabinet (usually 12" deep) and pull it forward so it's mounted flush with the front of the end panels. You won't have the advantage of deep storage, but you'll still have the visual advantage of looking full-depth.

• My refrigerator's carcass is 24-1/8" deep.


• The back of the refrigerator is right around 1-7/8" forward of the back wall.


• This means the distance b/w the back wall and the front of the refrigerator carcass is approx 26" (24-1/8 + 1-7/8).


• The end panels surrounding my refrigerator are, therefore, 26" deep.


• The doors of my refrigerator stick out another 4-3/8". So, the depth of my refrigerator box and doors but w/o handles is 28-1/2".


• The door handles stick out yet another 2-5/8", bringing the total depth of my refrigerator to 31-1/8".


• The cabinet above my refrigerator is 36" wide x 24" deep.

Here are some pictures that tell the story of building in a refrigerator:

(1) 26" deep finished end panel is the depth of the refrigerator carcass + gap b/w refrigerator & back wall.

The 26" finished end panel covers the entire black side of the refrigerator plus the gap behind the refrigerator. It looks much more finished this way.

(2) Finished end panel all the way to the floor on the side w/cabinets

(3) 26" Finished end panel on the side of the refrigerator against the wall

Even though there's a wall next to the refrigerator, we still put in a finished end panel. I think it looks more finished with the end panel on both sides rather than just one. Additionally, the wall is only about 24" deep. While this means we didn't need filler to allow the doors to open fully, it also meant it would not quite cover the black sides of the refrigerator...so the 26" deep end panel covers the couple of inches that would have otherwise shown beyond the wall.

(4) Finished end panel all the way to the floor on the side w/the wall

(5) Full-depth cabinet above the refrigerator

Note there are several inches of filler b/w the top of the refrigerator and the cabinet above. This will allow me to put in a taller refrigerator in the future. It gives me some wiggle room height-wise. The alcove itself is 36" wide and should fit all future 36" wide refrigerators.

Some people put in a piano hinge door that swings up where the filler is over my refrigerator. It's a great idea that I had difficulty getting my Contractor to do, so I let this one slide. If you do put in a door like that, it gives you a place to store platters, flat baskets, or other things that are long and shallow.

(6) Full view from right front of "built-in" refrigerator

(7) Full view of "built-in" refrigerator

Also, as you noticed, the Blum tandembox drawers operate sooo smoothly. Another nice feature is that the deep drawers are rated to hold 55 kilos. I've heard of people having issues with some wooden drawers being insufficiently strong to hold heavy pots or canned goods. Whether you go metal or wood, make sure your drawers are built strongly enough for you.

I also like my Blum drawers because on pullouts each drawer can be positioned where I want, and each drawer operates independently, so no headroom is required between drawers. I'd beware any pullout where the drawer boxes are all fixed to the door-- you lose flexibility.

Here's another thing you can do with frameless cabs-- trash pullouts under a sink:

If I ever do another kitchen, I will absolutely spec frameless cabs and Blum tandembox drawers. Yes, metal drawers in a kitchen are different, but I think in a good way! Once I saw what I could do with them, I had to have them.

Oh, and we had a 10% off entire purchase coupon.

I really am happy with it--plus it has four drawers that are VERY smooth to pull out and in considering the price.

vanity:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=276305-54446-67534&lpage=none

mirror:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=276306-54446-67541&lpage=none

:)
Sarah

My island countertop is Ivory Elegance Granite. All of the perimeter cabinetry, desk and Butler's pantry are soapstone. Cabinets are by Stutt Kitchens. The backsplash is just small glass tiles that we picked up for under a dollar a square foot but they had the colours of our hardware & soapstone. The pendant is a hurricane lamp from Universal Lighting with oil rubbed brass trim. Stutt supplied all of the cabinetry lighting. The floors are (Brazilian?)Teak. We did a large scale gut and reno on our house and my husband did most of it himself so it has taken a LONG time to do (just finishing now) as he has had other (i.e.: paying) projects ongoing too. I have not taken a lot of recent photos but you are more than welcome to go to my photobucket page and see what is there. Hope this answered some questions but feel free to ask more.

Here is a link that might be useful: My pictures photobucket

Is this the kitchen with the marble counter?

Here are some other ideas...
I tried to find creamy yellow kitchen cabinets with
teak wood floors. I did not pick a specific counter.
This way you could see the balance aspect Plllog is talking about.

Granite ideas

Typhoon Bordeaux

Yellow River

Not sure about the type of this granite
for some reason I have it listed as Yellow river but
that is not possible. Sorry about that.

Ignore the cabinets but notice the granite
It is called Viara Brazil and it lovely.
Might work for your kitchen combination of Brazilian
teak and creamy yellow cabinets.

Kashmir gold granite. Nice too.

I am not sure this granite it looks like
New Venetian Gold but I could be wrong. NVG has a
similar look. This may be too cool with your warm
creamy cabinets. You would have to match the paint
chip with the slab to be sure you love it.

Since you say you like golds and browns (non speckled)
you might enjoy these kinds of granites.
You can do a search on FKB or even GW.
Cream Espresso, Copper Canyon, Colonial Gold, Juparana, Desert Gold, Rainforest brown, Yellow bamboo and Imperial
gold.
Yes, some have some speckles but there are some slabs
with more movement that you might like. In person you
will fall in love with the "One".
Enjoy the process.
~boxerpups

Here is a link that might be useful: A link from last may on yellow in kitchens

It's actually easier to remove liquids from the drawer than a regular MW b/c you have better control b/c it's a simple "lift" movement as opposed to a "pull out" & "lower" (or "lift" if it's below the counter).

It's so easy to stir & check items...open the drawer, reach down to stir and check, close the drawer. You don't have to peer inside or take it out to stir/check.

The only drawback with mine is that I have the older model that apparently doesn't fit a 20 oz mug/coffee cup...but I don't drink coffee & when I have tea it's poured out of the pot (and my mugs aren't tall anyway)...so it hasn't been an issue. I have found my larger Pyrex bowl + lid doesn't fit, so I removed the cover & just use wax paper. (The lid is convex with a glass knob that sticks up.) The new models (came out late-2008, I think) are taller and have more menu options....but fit in the same space.

BTW...my MW Drawer takes up the space of 2 drawers...the shallow top & deeper middle.

Here goes:

This one shows the overall effect - the Chardonnay brick, the two colors of the cabinets, and the two stones. WooHoo! The wall color is much more subdued in real life...:

This is a good pic of the Hanstone Odyssey counters with my new Blanco Precis 3/4 sink:

The peninsula with the Odyssey counters, and the Ghibli breakfast bar - also note the outlet in the backsplash (under the lip of the bar):

Shows the "wall of cabinets". The fridge doesn't stand out like this in real life - it really fades into the "mushroom" color of the cabinets:

And this one shows the Ghibli granite nicely:

Doing the happy dance!!!

I'll be glad to share my list if you want, but I also found that if you have a smallish job (possibly not your kitchen) & want to look at a cool bone yard, Inman Park Marble & Granite has great stuff. They were my fabricator for a Master Bath remodel (Emperador Dark Marble). Their bone yard has some beautiful exotics in small & medium amounts & will give you reduced prices on these pieces. I'll definitely pursue once I redo the other baths, but right now am working on the kitchen . . . Good luck.

Sue

Rev-A-Shelf Recycle Centers: http://www.rev-a-shelf.com/Common/ProductSeries.aspx?Class=Waste%20Containers&Family=Chrome%20Accessories&Category=Pull-Out%20Waste%20Containers&Series=5349-9WM%20Series

24" Tri-Color Recycle Center: http://www.rev-a-shelf.com/Common/Products.aspx?Class=Waste%20Containers&Family=Chrome%20Accessories&Category=Pull-Out%20Waste%20Containers&Series=5349-9WM%20Series&Partno=5349-9WM-C

24" White Recycle Center: http://www.rev-a-shelf.com/Common/Products.aspx?Class=Waste%20Containers&Family=Chrome%20Accessories&Category=Pull-Out%20Waste%20Containers&Series=5349-9WM%20Series&Partno=5349-9WM-W

They also have a "Quad 27 Quart Pull-Out Waste Container for 24" opening" (27" cabinet):
http://www.rev-a-shelf.com/Common/Products.aspx?Class=Waste%20Containers&Family=Wood%20Accessories&Category=Pull-Out%20Waste%20Containers&Series=4WCTM%20Series&Partno=4WCTM-27-4

For 6" or 9" cabinets, consider Filler Pullouts...you get the full width of the space w/o wall & face frame taking away space. Filler pullouts are attached to the walls of the cabinets on either side of them. The have them for both base & upper cabs.

The base filler pullouts come in 3", 6", and 9" and come in a variety of setups...shelves, pegboard, or a combination of both.

The upper cabinet filler pullouts come in 3" & 6" and 30", 36", and 42" heights. They come with either shelves or pegboard.

Note: If you get shelves, be sure they're adjustable.

Rev-A-Shelf Base filler pullouts: http://www.rev-a-shelf.com/Common/ProductClassification.aspx?class=Sink%20&family=Wood%20Accessories&category=Filler%20Pull-Outs%20-%20Base

Upper cabinet fuller pullouts: http://www.rev-a-shelf.com/Common/ProductClassification.aspx?Class=Wall%20Accessories&Family=Wood%20Accessories&Category=Filler%20Pull-Outs%20-%20Wall

Note2: You can get them for much less at places like Ovisonline, Kitchensource, etc. At the Rev-A-Shelf site, though, you can see all your options...then go look for it cheaper elsewhere.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread: Rev-A-Shelf Spice Racks for Fillers -- Have you seen these!!!!

Have you been to FKB yet? It is a great place to visit
on GW to see the finished kitchens. It helps to see
how the stone might look with your color cabinets.

And do a search of your color granite on the
search option of GW. That will give you a chance to
see how others have chosen and what they are doing.
All excellent ideas when planning your own kitchen.

Enjoy your kitchen journey.
~boxerpups

Graniteconcepts Madura Gold

equisitecertified Madura Gold

auburncustomcabinets Madura Gold

stoneedgeworks MG

Santa Cecilia momaxmarble

Sensiblechic

Supremesurface SC (seams to be one with more movement)

new venteian gold from Garden Web

You have a different cab color but this is a lovely
stone NVG

NVG

NVG again a different color cab but very nice

NVG

Jet Mist is from an area of Virginia so it is often
easier to get a hold of than some soapstones from Brazil.
If you can not find Jet Mist / VA Mist. Try one of these
stones which are similar in color. American Black Pennsylvania,
Academy black granite or Impala Black South Africa.

I love Soapstone. My DH did not. Jet Mist is definitely a
granite but some of the slabs have a little veining or
movement that appears in certain light to look as lovely
as soapstone. If soapstone is what you like you might be
very disappointed with Jet Mist. I love my Jet Mist.

There are also a few on this GW who fell in love with
Gray pearl. It does not have the same movement of Jet
Mist but it has a beautiful grey color that gives the same
feel.

Best of luck on your search. Dream lovely dreams tonight.

I don't know if I responded to your last post but here are the main differences between Aura and Regal...

Aura is scrubbable in a matte finish. This is the most important difference as you would like a matte finish and are using it in a room where cleaning the walls is done more often than other rooms. If you were using a satin or semi gloss finish, I would say there is no difference. In fact, I use Regal when I have a semi gloss finish to save money.

Recoat time is 1 hour. I routinely paint 1 full room in 8 hours with 2 coats of paint.

Self priming: Don't need to spend the time or money priming the walls. This is one of the top reasons I use Aura.

Touch uppable: You can literally recoat small sections of the wall even years later without having to repaint the whole wall. This is very important when you have a party guest vomit red wine on your kitchen walls. You can just recoat the small section that stained and not see the lines (Yes this happened to me in my 2 week old kitchen!). I don't have a backsplash in my main prep area so I run the roller over it every few months if it looks stained.

Coverage: The coverage is phenomenal. You will still need 2 coats for the best outcome so don't believe the whole 1 coat thing. However, you may not have to cut in twice which is a major time saver. Rerolling a room only takes about an hour.

Also: I highly recommend the MICROFIBER roller from Benjamin Moore. If you are doing it yourself, get a high quality brush (3 inch slanted) and a higher quality handle for the roller. Don't overroll as it dries quickly. Good luck!

The Granite installers said they use clips anchored to
the underside of the counter with screws
My DH still wanted it to be really strong.

Heavy sinks (Like a Cast Iron) need support from the base
of the cabinet to keep them in place.

Here are a couple links that might explain it better.

http://www.askthebuilder.com/662_Undermount_Kitchen_Sinks_comments.shtml

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/undermountsink

http://www.hometips.com/articles/undermountsink.html

I've tried to compile everything I saved over the past 8 months that I've been on this Forum. Most of it was taken from a write-up by StoneGirl (Natural stone primer/granite 101); other threads and sources were used as well.

So...if the experts could review the information I've compiled below and send me comments (here or via email), I will talk to StarPooh about getting this on the FAQ.

Stone Information, Advice, and Checklists:

In an industry that has no set standards, there are many unscrupulous people trying to palm themselves off as fabricators. There are also a number of people with odd agendas trying to spread ill rumors about natural stone and propagate some very confusing and contradictory information. This is my small attempt at shedding a little light on the subject.

Slab Selection:

On the selection of the actual stone slabs - When you go to the slab yard to choose slabs for your kitchen, there are a few things you need to take note of:

• Surface finish: The finish - be it polished, honed, flamed antiqued, or brushed, should be even. There should be no spots that have obvious machine marks, scratches, or other man made marks. You can judge by the crystal and vein pattern of the stone if the marks you see are man-made or naturally occurring. It is true that not all minerals will finish evenly and if you look at an angle on a polished slab with a larger crystal pattern, you can clearly see this. Tropic Brown would be a good example here. The black spots will not polish near as shiny as the brown ones and this will be very obvious on an unresined slab when looking at an acute angle against the light. The black specks will show as duller marks. The slab will feel smooth and appear shiny if seen from above, though. This effect will not be as pronounced on a resined slab.

  Bottom line when judging the quality of a surface finish: Look for unnatural appearing marks. If there are any on the face of the slab, it is not desirable. They might well be on the extreme edges, but this is normal and a result of the slab manufacturing process.



• Mesh backing: Some slabs have a mesh backing. This was done at the plant where the slabs were finished. This backing adds support to brittle materials or materials with excessive veining or fissures. A number of exotic stones will have this. This does not necessarily make the material one of inferior quality, though. Quite often, these slabs will require special care in fabrication and transport, so be prepared for the fabricator to charge accordingly. If you are unsure about the slabs, ask your fabricator what his opinion of the material is.


• Cracks and fissures: Yes - some slabs might have them. One could have quite the discussion on whether that line on the slab could be one or the other, so I'll try to explain it a little.
  • Fissures are naturally occurring features in stone. They will appear as little lines in the surface of the slabs (very visible in a material like Verde Peacock) and could even be of a different color than the majority of the stone (think of those crazed white lines sometimes appearing in Antique Brown). Sometimes they could be fused like in Antique Brown and other times they could be open, as is the case in the Verde Peacock example. They could often also go right through the body of the slab like in Crema Marfil, for instance. If you look at the light reflection across a fissure, you will never see a break - i.e., there will be no change in the plane on either side of a fissure.
  
  
  • A crack on the other hand is a problem... If you look at the slab at an oblique angle in the light, you will note the reflection of the shine on the surface of the stone. A crack will appear as a definite line through the reflection and the reflection will have a different appearance on either side of the line - there will be a break in the plane. Reject slabs like this. One could still work around fissures. Cracks are a whole other can of worms.
  
  
  • Resined slabs: The resin gets applied prior to the slabs being polished. Most of the resin then gets ground off in the polishing process. You should not be able to see just by looking at the surface of a slab whether it was resined or not. If you look at the rough sides of the slab, though, you will see some drippy shiny marks, almost like varnish drips. This should be the only indication that the slab is resined. There should never be a film or layer on the face of the stone. With extremely porous stones, the resining will alleviate, but not totally eliminate absorption issues and sealer could still be required. Lady's dream is an example. This material is always resined, but still absorbs liquids and requires sealer.
  
  
  • Test the material you have selected for absorption issues regardless - it is always best to know what your stone is capable of and to be prepared for any issues that might arise. Some stones indeed do not require sealer - be they resined or not. Baltic Brown would be an example here. It will not absorb one iota of anything, but it is still resined to eliminate a flaking issue.
  
  

Tests (especially for Absolute Black) (using a sample of YOUR slab):

• To verify you have true AB and not dyed: Clean with denatured alcohol and rub marble polishing powder on the face. (Get denatured alcohol at Home Depot in the paint department)


• Lemon Juice or better yet some Muratic Acid: will quickly show if the stone has alot of calcium content and will end up getting etched. This is usually chinese stone, not indian.


• Acetone: The Dying usually is done on the same chinese stone. like the others said, acetone on a rag will reveal any dye that has been applied


• Chips: Using something very hard & metal—hit the granite sharply & hard on edges to see if it chips, breaks, or cracks

Measuring:

• Before the templaters get there...
  
  • Make sure you have a pretty good idea of your faucet layout--where you want the holes drilled for all the fixtures and do a test mock up to make sure you have accounted for sufficient clearances between each fixture.
  
  
  • Be sure you test your faucet for clearances not just between each fixture, but also between the faucet and the wall behind the faucet (if there is one). You need to be sure the handle will function properly.
  
  
  • Make sure that the cabinets are totally level (not out by more than 1/8") before the counter installers come in.
  
  
  • Check how close they should come to a stove and make sure the stove sits up higher than the counter.
  
  
  • Make sure they have the sink/faucet templates to work from.
  
  
  • Make sure have your garbage disposal air switch on hand or know the diameter
  
  
• If you are not putting in a backsplash, tell them


• Double check the template. Make sure that the measurements are reasonable. Measure the opening for the range.


• Seam Placement: Yet another kettle of fish (or can of worms, depending on how you look at it, I guess!) Seam placement is ultimately at the discretion of the fabricator. I know it is not a really popular point of view, but that is just the way it is. There really is more to deciding where the seam would go than just the size of the slab or where the seam would look best in the kitchen.

  Most stone installations will have seams. They are unavoidable in medium or large sized kitchens. One hallmark of a good fabricator is that they will keep the seams to a minimum. It seems that a good book could be written about seams, their quality, and their placement—and still you will have some information that will be omitted! For something as seemingly simple as joining two pieces of stone, seams have evolved into their own universe of complexity far beyond what anybody should have fair cause to expect!



• Factors determining seam placement:


• The slab: size, color, veining, structure (fissures, strength of the material an other characteristics of the stone)


• Transport to the job site: Will the fabricated pieces fit on whatever vehicle and A-frames he has available


• Access to the job site: Is the house on stilts? (common in coastal areas) How will the installers get the pieces to where they need to go? Will the tops fit in the service elevator if the apartment is on the 10th floor? Do the installers need to turn tight corners to get to the kitchen? There could be 101 factors that will influence seam placement here alone.


• Placement and size of undermount (or other) cut-outs. Some fabricators like to put seams in undermount sinks, some do not. We, for instance will do it if absolutely necessary, and have done so with great success, but will not do so as general practice. We do like to put seams in the middle of drop-in appliances and cut-outs and this is a great choice for appearances and ease of installation.


• Location of the cabinets: Do the pieces need to go in between tall cabinets with finished sides? Do the pieces need to slide in under appliance garages or other cabinetry? How far do the upper cabinets hang over? Is there enough clearance between the vent hood and other cabinets? Again the possibilities are endless and would depend on each individual kitchen lay-out and - ultimately -


• Install-ability of the fabricated pieces: Will that odd angle hold up to being moved and turned around to get on the peninsula if there is no seam in it? Will the extra large sink cut-out stay intact if we hold the piece flat and at a 45 degree angle to slide it in between those two tall towers? Again, 1,001 combinations of cabinetry and material choices will come into play on this question.

You can ask your fabricator to put a seam at a certain location and most likely he will oblige, but if he disagrees with you, it is not (always) out of spite or laziness. Check on your fabricator's seams by going to actual kitchens he has installed. Do not trust what you see in a showroom as sole testament to your fabricator's ability to do seams.

With modern glues and seaming methods, a seam could successfully be put anywhere in an installation without compromising the strength or integrity of the stone. If a seam is done well, there is - in theory - no "wrong" location for it. A reputable fabricator will also try to keep the number of seams in any installation to a minimum. It is not acceptable, for instance to have a seam in each corner, or at each point where the counter changes direction, like on an angled peninsula.

Long or unusually large pieces are often done if they can fit in the constraints of a slab. Slabs as a rule of thumb will average at about 110"x65". There are bigger slabs and quite often smaller ones too. Check with the fabricator or the slab yard. They will be more than happy to tell you the different sizes of slabs they have available. Note, though, that the larger the slabs, the smaller the selection of possible colors. Slab sizes would depend in part on the capabilities of the quarry, integrity of the material or the capabilities of the machinery at the finishing plant. We have had slabs as wide as 75" and as long as 130" before, but those are monsters and not always readily available.


• Generally, it is not a good idea to seam over a DW because there's no support for the granite, and anything heavy placed at or near the seam would stress the stone, possibly breaking it.


• Rodding is another issue where a tremendous amount of mis-information and scary stories exist: The main purpose for rodding stone would be to add integrity to the material around cut-outs. This is primarily for transport and installation and serves no real purpose once the stone is secured and fully supported on the cabinets. It would also depend on the material. A fabricator would be more likely to rod Ubatuba than he would Black Galaxy, for instance. The flaky and delicate materials prone to fissures would be prime candidates for rodding. Rodding is basically when a fabricator cuts slots in the back of the stone and embeds steel or fiberglass rods with epoxy in the slots in the stone. You will not see this from the top or front of the installation. This is an "insurance policy" created by the fabricator to make sure that the stone tops make it to your cabinets all in one piece


• Edges: The more rounded an edge is, the more stable it would be. Sharp, flat edges are prone to chipping under the right (or rather wrong) circumstances. Demi or full bullnose edges would almost entirely eliminate this issue. A properly milled and polished edge will be stable and durable regardless of the profile, though. My guess at why ogee and stacked edges are not more prevalent would be purely because of cost considerations. Edge pricing is determined by the amount of work needed to create it. The more intricate edge profiles also require an exponentially larger skill set and more time to perfect. The ogee edge is a very elegant edge and can be used to great effect, but could easily look overdone if it is used everywhere. We often advise our clients to combine edges for greater impact - i.e., eased edge on all work surfaces, and ogee on the island to emphasize the cabinetry or unusual shape.
  Edge profiles are largely dependent on what you like and can afford. There is no real pro or con for regular or laminated edges. They all have their place in the design world. Check with your fabricator what their capabilities and pricing are. Look at actual kitchens and ask for references.

Installation:

• Seams:
  

  One hallmark of a good fabricator is that they will keep the seams to a minimum [StoneGirl]

  
  
  • A generic good quality seam should have the following characteristics:
    
    • It should be flat. According to the Marble Institute of America (MIA) a minimal amount of lippage is acceptable (1/32"), but conscientious fabricators all strive for a perfectly flat and smooth joint.
    
    
    • It should be narrow - as in smaller than 1/16". (I think the MIA stipulates no larger than 1/8", but that is pushing it - and only if the fabricator bevels the edges of the seam, almost similar to the edge of a stone tile. This is, thank goodness, not a standard practice any more!)
    
    
    • The color on either side of the seam should match as closely as possible. On regularly patterned stones like Ubatuba for example - there should be no variation. On stones with variation in colors or veins, the match should be made as close as was humanly possible.
    
    
    • Vein direction should flow. The MIA suggests a single direction of vein flow, but it is acceptable IF DISCUSSED WITH THE CLIENT to change vein direction on a seam if no other option is available. This would happen in book matched slabs - you will have a "butterfly" seam in this case. In other cases, the fabricator could put a miter seam in a corner and change vein direction 90 degrees. This is usually done with extremely linear veining like Bamboo Green, for example, but this is something that should be discussed with the fabricator and agreed upon by the client.
    
    
    • The seam on the finished edge of the stone should NOT dip in and create a divot in the edge. When you run your fingers over the edge, you should not be able to feel the location of the seam at all.
    
    
    • The thickness of the slabs on either side of the seam should be equal (or feathered out so that there is no discernible difference)
    
    
    • The glue in the seam should be of a color that matches the stone as closely as possible. Glue joints that are too light or too dark will show up something terrible. The idea behind tinting the glue is to try to make the seam "disappear" or something relatively close to it

• Checklist:
  
  • Check the seams for evenness and smoothness.
  
  
  • Make sure that the seams are neat and clean.
  
  
  • Make sure that the seams are not obvious.
  
  
  • Make sure the seams are butted tight
  
  
  • Make sure that there are no scratches, pits, or cracks
  
  
  • If sealing is necessary (not all granites need to be sealed):
  
  
  • Make sure that the granite has been sealed
  
  
  • If more than one application of sealer was applied, ask how long they waited between applications
  
  
  • Ask which sealer has been used on the granite.
  
  
  • Make sure the sink reveal is consistent all the away around
  
  
  • Check the gap of the granite at the wall junctions.
  
  
  • Check for inconsistent overhangs from the counter edges
  
  
  • Check for chips. These can be filled.
  
  
  • Make sure the top drawers open & close
  
  
  • Make sure that you can open & close your dishwasher
  
  
  • Make sure the stove sits up higher than the counter
  
  
  • Make sure that you have the appropriate clearances for your appliances
  
  
  • Check the edge all around, a good edge should have the following characteristics:
    
    • Shine: The edge polish should match the top polish in depth and clarity. The edge should not be milky, dull, or waxy.
    
    
    • The edge should not have "waves". Eyeball along the edge. A good edge should have a mirror like reflection and be fairly flat. Waves that you can see or feel are not a good thing.
    
    
    • The aris (very top of the edge) should be crisp and straight, even on a bullnose edge. Once again you can see this by eyeballing along the very top end of the edge profile. A wavy, dippy aris is poor craftsmanship.
    
    
    • A good edge will have a consistent profile. It will not be larger in some spots or smaller in others.
    
    
    • A good edge should also have NO tooling lines. These will be fine lighter/white lines running along the edge. This is a mark of a poor edge polish, of a CNC machine that is not set correctly, and a lack of hand finishing. This is common when a company has only mechanical fabrication (i.e., CNC machines or line polishers) and no skilled hand fabricators to finish the work properly.
    
    
  • Run your hands around the entire laminated edge of yor counters to make sure they are smooth
  
  
  • Check surrounding walls & cabinets for damage

Miscellaneous Information:

• More than all the above and below, though, is to be present for both the templating as well as having the templates placed on your slabs at the fabricator's
  If you canot be there, then have a lengthy conversation about seam placement, ways to match the movement, and ways to color-match the counters that will be joined at the seam


• Find a fabricator who is a member of the SFA


• When they polish your stone for you don't let them wax it. It will look terrible in 2 months when the wax wears off.


• Don't use the Magic Eraser on granite--especially AB


• Any slab with more fill (resin) than stone is certainly a no-no!!


• When you do check for scratches, have overhead lighting shining down so scratches are easier to see


• Don't let them do cutouts in place (granite dust becomes a major issue)


• Granite dust can be a problem...some have heard of SS appliances & hoods damaged by the dust, others have heard of drawer glides being ruined by the dust


• If you have wood floors--especially if you're in the process of staining or finishing them--make sure that they don't spill or drip granite sealer on the wood floors. Apparently the sealer interferes with the stain or finish process.


• Suggested Prep for Installation:
  
  • Remove any drawers and pullouts beneath any sections that will be cut or drilled onsite, e.g., sink cutouts and/or faucet, soap dispenser, air gap, instant hot etc. holes, cooktop cutouts.
  
  
  • Then just cover the glides themselves with a few layers of blue painter's tape (or some combo of plastic wrap and tape)
  
  
  • If you make sure to cover the top of the glides and attach some of the tape to the cab wall as well (to form sort of a seal)and cover the rest of the glides completely with tape, you should be fine.
  
  
  • Usually the fabricators will have someone holding a vacuum hose right at the spot where they are drilling or cutting, so very little granite dust should be landing on the glides. What little dust escapes the vacuum will be blocked by the layer(s) of tape.
  
  
  • When done w/installation, remove the tape and use a DustBuster (or similar) on all the cabinets and glides
  
  
• Countertop Support:


• If your granite is 2 cm thick, then there can be no more then 6" of of unsupported span with a 5/8" subtop


• If your granite is 3 cm thick, then there can be no more then 10" of unsupported span - no subtop required


• If you need support, the to determine your corbel dimensions:


• Thickness of Stone - Dimension of Unsupported Span = Corbel Dimensino


• i.e., an 18" total overhang in 2 cm would require a 12" corbe; the same overhang in 3 cm would require an 8" corbel

I made my kitchen a small U shaped. It was the only way I could get the amount of storage I wanted and some usable counter space. I went with a rope trimmed cabinet and rope molding along with a clipped corner sink, to try to bring some personality to the space.

Adds useable space to a kitchen by going frameless.
Sleek full overlay look; Euro-style metabox drawer.
Ikea's $ priority is hardware (hinges, sliders).
Full extension drawers, and soft close doors / drawers.
Dampers ARE available for the 153 degree hinges, not from IKEA, but from a Blum hardware rep.
A flat fluorescent light panel can replace the floor of the 30" and the 39" upper cabinets. (It's an IKEA Rationell lighting product).
Tall wall oven cabinets are the same depth as base cabinets.
Cabinet sides are joined by cam locks and dowels.
Finishing quality is good.
Backs are not solid and that is fine, A-OK.
The Depth of an IKEA cabinet can be cut back to less than 22" deep because the sliders are not longer than 21.5" (Mod not warrantee'd by IKEA).
White face frames can be dealt with pretty easily.
To Use Available Space under the 30"high Base Cabinets, put drawer boxes between the legs and cover the front as you wish.
Drawer fronts come in 6" / 6.25" / 11.25" + 12.75" / 12"+12" heights.
A 15" high ("deep") drawer front can be made from a 15"x30" door turned sideways.
Steep learning curve not friendly for first-timers, to uncover the above info.
Ordering and assembly is easy, even with modifications and customizing orders (deselecting components, adding others).
Regardless of images seen on the web or in store documents, anything can be bought separately.
--- Except for certain drawer fronts which come only in kits of 4 (and not 4 of the same).
--- Except for the drawer front facing which you need for interior drawers: these are specific hardware pieces connected to the remaining portion of the drawer; these must be specified to be included in orders for interior drawers.

... and still learning:

You can make your own Pull-Outs (18"w, 21"w, 24"w, 30"w, 36"w)
--- Also, you can install a wire basket instead of an interior drawer.
--- Also, you can install a Variera "pullout basket" instead of an interior drawer. E.g. under a sink, depending on shape of sink.
A Pull-Out can have 2 Attached drawers instead of just One. The Top one's attachment can be removable, with compatible Blum hardware, not available from IKEA. (See Blum site).

To get a Two-Level Cutlery Drawer, put a shallow interior drawer inside a regular drawer.

Some Finishing Panels are 3/8" thick, some 1/2", some 5/8", some 3/4".

To get a handle-less look
A.) Use Strecket handles, or make your own handles even more discrete than Strecket.
B.) Use no handles and plan for only two high drawers, with a gap above the top drawer.
The gap allows one to reach the top of the drawer front in order to pull from there.
Under the lower drawer one uses a foot to pull that drawer. Not optimal but it works.
C.) Use Solar drawer fronts.

Please confirm or comment if anything above is inaccurate or not true. Thank you for your comments!

--
David

I'm just finishing up a kitchen with Ikea cabinets and white-painted doors from Scherrs. I spent a total of $6,000 for a 24" pantry cabinet with a bunch of pull-outs inside, a 30" oven cabinet with drawers on the bottom, a 24" deep cabinet over the fridge, 30" sink cabinet, 36" cooktop cabinet with drawers, two other base cabinets with drawers, a lazy susan, 54" of 39" tall upper cabinets, a fan cabinet, finished end panels (one that's 9' tall), filler pieces, and a bunch of extra doors that will decorate the soffit.

I got quotes from various other lines over the years, and couldn't have come close to this price any other way. I get the frameless cabinets, great drawers (though not dovetail, not that this is an issue for me), all the interior fittings, and a door style and finish that I love, all at a price I can afford.

After much research, I decided that plywood construction, while nice, was something I was comfortable giving up. Ikea uses 3/4" particle board, and it's quite strong. It *is* heavy, though their system of hanging upper cabinets on a metal rail eliminates the need to hold the cabinets in place while they're shimmed. Once you get them up on the rail, the rail supports them while you play around to get them level and plumb.

Just another data point for you to consider.:)

I was very happy with the doors, but decided not to use them as they were unable to do the hinge boring I needed--they only have one standard template. I did order all my mullion doors from them, as they do not need hinge boring.

What I really appreciated about their website is that step-by-step, they take you through the door styles and edge profiles, and you instantly see how much it will cost. You do not have to wait for an e-mail estimate. It was free shipping and handling for any order over $250.00.

Randy Howse--rhcdoors.com also is very competitively priced, and Ameridoor doors are very inexpensive. I also looked at MaplecraftUSA, Scherr's, Northland, and azcabinetdoors--to name a few more. All the above names are recommended by people that have used them. The prices on azcabinetdoors were amazing, and I did receive a quote from them that was more than reasonable--in fact I think I was shocked. It was less than $700 for my whole kitchen! I had to make some tweaks with my doors, and since my last quote, their prices have increased. This was a case of "you snooze, you lose" for me. Ah well.

Eliz

We don't have an overhang for seating because the kitchen is too narrow.

The island is 4 feet wide at the widest part, and 7 feet long.

We have a Sharp microwave drawer on one side.

We also have a second sink.

And a triple light fixture over it.

The others are just sites I saved/bookmarked after doing some research. HTH.

When picking out your slab(s), check for pits. Any granite, marble, limestone, slate, etc. can have pits. While this is a natural quality of natural stone, be sure they are acceptable to you. In addition, when templating, be sure the pits are in acceptable locations as well.

The time to decide if a stone has too many pits in it or they are in unacceptable locations is before the slab is cut!

-From Kevin of AZ Stone Consulting/AZ School of Rock

There are pros & cons for each type of reveal:

• Positive Reveal. The sink shows; granite cutout is slightly larger than sink


• Pros: Easier to clean b/c you can see the gunk and can easily wipe it off (it only gets nasty if you leave it there)


• Cons: Silicone (caulk?) is visible, but if they use clear you won't see it when it dries
• Negative Reveal. The granite overhangs the sink; granite cutout is slightly smaller than the sink


• Pros: You cannot see the gunk buildup or silicone


• Cons:
  
  • You cannot see the gunk to clean it.
  • Dirty water/food can splash up & under where you cannot see to clean it. It's difficult to see underneath w/o leaning way over & into the sink.
  • Dishes/glasses have been known to break b/c when you lift them out near the edge of the sink the dish hits the stone counter & can break (or, if the dish wins, the counter could chip...but I'm not sure how likely that is).
• Zero Reveal or Flush. Sink & granite are flush or even; the granite cutout & sink are the same size


• Pros:
  
  • Easier to clean b/c you can see the gunk
  • No platform over or under for the gunk to collect


• Cons:
  
  • More difficult to do perfectly
  • Silicone is visible, but if they use clear you won't see it when it dries

You will find proponents of all three types of reveals here...but in the end it's what works best for you.