Kitchen & Bath ReStylers
516 W Deschutes Ave.
Kennewick, WA 99336
 ​(509) 582-1893      
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Granite or Engineered Quartz Countertops?

6/3/2015

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Granite countertops have been around for millennia, but they only got flat & shiny in the last few centuries.  Quartz is new.  Both have quartz particles as a primary ingredient. 

So which is better, granite or engineered quartz countertops?  The answer is, of course, both! 

If you just want the bottom line, scroll to the bottom & skip the hashing.

Hardness:  Both are hard enough to eliminate most scratching. 8 out of 10 on the hardness scale.

Stain-ability: Most granite needs to be sealed, but the sealers have gotten very good and they only need to be re-sealed once every decade for most types.  To make countertops, quartz is mixed with resin, poured, and baked like a sheet cake.  The resin acts as a sealer and makes Quartz countertops mostly non-stainable. (most warranties exclude staining).  What about all of the talk I hear about granite staining?  Since quartz is man-made, it has a marketing budget.  What better way to market quartz than to insinuate that granite will stain?  "Smear the opponent" is a time-honored marketing technique. 

Appearance:  Granite has the advantage of natural beauty, and one-of-a-kind pattern potential, whereas quartz often has a pattern that reveals it's man-made nature.  Quartz offers some interesting & different looks, including some colors that don't appear in nature.  We regularly use both products and even mix them in the same room.

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Silestone "Naranja Cool" engineered quartz and Uba Tuba granite combined in the same kitchen.
Limestone?  Because they are soft, stain-able, and  acid etch-able, we have always advised clients to avoid using marble and limestone for kitchen countertops. Now we have quartz patterns that mimic those surfaces, but with the performance characteristics of engineered quartz. Perfect.
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Engineered quartz countertops that look like Limestone.
Marble?  Now we can get a marble look in the kitchen without worrying about performance because it's engineered quartz.
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LG engineered quartz countertops that mimics Italian Carrara Marble.
Heat Resistance: Both granite & quartz can be damaged by hot pots and the official recommendation is don't. (most warranties exclude heat damage).  I regularly do put moderately hot pots on my granite without consequence, as do many people.  What is the critical temperature?  Depends on the individual stone, use common sense.  An average hot pan from the stove or oven should not be a problem, but a "red-hot-I forgot-it", cast iron skillet, don't do it!

Bacterial Resistance:  Granite & Quartz are superior in bacterial resistance to most other surfaces, including stainless steel.

Price: Both quartz and granite have a range of prices. Mid-range quartz is similar in price to mid-grade granite, which is where most of the selection is.  Granite can go much higher if you fall in love with an exotic. In most cases the price difference is not enough to influence your selection.

The Marble Institute of America has a great consumer guide for all aspects of stone countertops.  You can find it: here.

The Bottom Line:  Both are incredibly tough, and mostly similar in price and performance.  Ignore the marketing hype and let your eyes and instincts make the call.  If you prefer consistency of pattern, you will have lots of choices in both materials, if you prefer the beauty of a natural, varied, one-of-a-kind pattern, you will  likely be  drawn to granite.  If you are after a marble or limestone look, engineered quartz is your best bet. For a more contemporary look, there are some stunning solid colors in engineered quartz that are not found in nature. Good hunting!

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Case Study # 2 - A Vintage Bath Remodel

6/3/2015

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Vickie & John needed a new bath in their 1940's built bungalow. Typical of that era, the bath was quite small, only 5' x 7'.  This was to be Vickie's bath and she loves the Victorian look, prefers bathing. and wanted it to be really nice. Vickie has a great eye and a great sense of style, so she already knew most of the features she wanted.
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We helped her find the right products and put all of the pieces and colors together. Often, I find that while my clients have excellent tastes, they simply lack the confidence that comes from doing multiple projects and seeing the small samples turn into the reality, and they also may be short on the technical knowledge of how the parts & pieces integrate. In cases like this, rather than leading, I am following her vision, finding the right products, covering the technical side, and assuring her that her vision and tastes really are excellent.

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Features? We got plenty!

Heated tile floor of Emperador dark marble.

Hand made, wire cut, hand glazed, subway-style 3 x 6 tile, capped with an elaborate chair-rail-style capitello and accented with a glass & marble (emperador dark) mosaic blend.



The pedestal lavatory & toilet are from Barclay's "Vicki" series, (quite a coincidence) and the plumbing fittings are Elizabethan Classics.
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Sunrise Specialties made the 54" cast iron, roll top, pedestal tub.

Vickie found the light fixtures & mirrors she liked in the Elegante Collection from Maxim Lighting.

The faux painted walls and moldings were done masterfully by Carey Byrd's crew at Creative Walls in Kennewick.

The stained glass and the mini-chandelier were pieces Vicky had acquired previously and they integrated beautifully.


Baths like this are so much fun to create! My only regret is not getting to try out the tub. The glass of wine, the good book, the hot, deep, water, Ahhhhh!

How much can you really do with a really small bath?  LOTS!!!!


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Case Study #1 - A Contemporary Kitchen Remodel

6/2/2015

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The Client: The moment I walked in her door, I knew it was going to be a fun project. My client, Lisa, has a well-developed sense of style, a keen eye for contemporary design, and is fearless in her use of color.
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Her kitchen was completely closed off from the living and dining rooms. A sliver of the kitchen is visible through the doorway




Her existing kitchen was early 80's vintage and totally dysfunctional, by her definition. 


The Requirements: Glass, curves, warm & bold colors, cutting edge design, open space and plenty of WOW factor. Being a baker, she wanted easy, accessible storage for her baking tools.  She wanted not to feel isolated in the kitchen while working.  Laundry functions needed to remain central and she did not want to encroach on her dining or family room spaces.  An informal eating space with a view of the TV was a priority for her husband Greg, the primary cook. 



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The refrigerator, pantry, and laundry functions were all combined into a wall structure separating the living room and family room.


We were looking for extra space to expand and open up the kitchen.  Lisa told us she wanted to keep the living, dining, and family rooms as they were.


Where can we find some space?

The Concept:  Since the dining & family rooms were off-limits, the pantry and refrigerator area, and the walls themselves were our only options for more space.   Removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room would provide the visual space we were after, but it was a load-bearing wall. Removing the wall required replacing two shorter beams with one larger, longer beam
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Design Solutions:  
Starting at 30" deep and 9" high with the refrigerator area, we stepped back and down with the upper cabinets to accentuate the dramatic ceiling line, maximize storage, and add visual interest.


The 30" deep countertop allowed us to mask the size of the refrigerator and to add the appliance garages and the microwave without encroaching on the front 18" of workspace. 

The appliance garages accommodate her baking tools, including the jumbo-sized Kitchenaid mixer prized by many serious bakers. 
Glass doors help with interest and visual weight.The strong horizontal lines on the sink wall provide contrast with the many vertical lines of the refrigerator wall.  A radiused light bridge over the sink combines functional lighting, accent lighting, and color enhancement.  
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Placing the slide-in range on the island with a pop-up down draft unit allowed us to maintain adequate separation of the major work centers in this small space. 
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 The soft curves of the two-level island help to soften the feel of the space, while the "Naranja Cool" Silestone countertop and the gleam of metal in the custom-made island wallpaper added the WOW factor she was looking for. 
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Frosted, frame-less glass doors keep the look of the laundry closet doors light & airy.The mahogany wood floor, extended throughout, erases the lines between rooms and visually expands the entire space.
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While we were focused on the kitchen, the old fireplace in the living room went unnoticed.

When we directed our attention to the surrounding areas to complete the picture, we realized that the fireplace also had to go. It had become the dinosaur in the corner.

The fireplace's original positioning, square in a corner, and shoved to one side had rendered it "strange" and irrelevant in the space.


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The angled, cloud-shaped island inspired the angled, undulating wall of the new fireplace.  With WOW being her stock-in-trade, Lisa found a great contemporary fireplace and we accented it with glass-coin tiles.
Conclusion: This project is a great example of the concept of functional art.  Not only did we solve the dysfunctional kitchen and living space problems, but we did it in a way that contributed to the artistic flair of the owners and enlarged their "canvas".
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Lisa & Greg's house was already fabulous in it's furnishings, but the old room configurations were clearly holding her back.  Designing and building the project that opened it all up and further unleashed Lisa's own interior design prowess was a very satisfying experience.  I also learned a thing or two about boldness in design and color along the way.  
Thanks, Lisa & Greg



Warren Smith, CMKBD, CAPS  has been designing & building custom kitchens and baths since 1981 in Kennewick, Washington

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    Warren Smith, CMKBD, CAPS  has been designing & building custom kitchens and baths since 1981 in Kennewick, Washington

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516 W Deschutes Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336

What Our Clients Are Saying

"It was a pleasure working with Warren and his top notch crew! The quality of workmanship is A+. Warren's expertise, creativity, product knowledge, and commitment to details and high quality were truly valuable during the planning and construction of our kitchen updates. Truly a professional organization. Thank you Kitchen & Bath ReStylers for a job well done!"       - Pam M. of Richland, WA

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