We settled on dolomite countertops, also known as "Super White." It's a natural stone similar in looks to marble, but far more durable. It's heat and pressure resistant. The sealer that was put on it in the shop before it came to our home is good for 25 years and will help resist staining. And it is stunning! Adam might have caught me petting the countertops on more than one occasion.
I was amazed at how quickly it took to install. Two guys managed to muscle the pieces into our house. There ended up being one seam next to the sink. The fabricators did a nice job of lining up the pattern of the stone so you can barely even tell where it is. Once everything was in place, they checked to make sure it was plumb and level. They had to add a few shims and cut into the drywall a bit to make sure everything lined up just so. Then they put some epoxy on the seam and attached some sort of machine to each side of the seam to help it adhere. They also put in the sink.
We opted for a stainless steel finish because we felt it would be easy to keep clean, coordinate with the overall look of our kitchen, and was pretty economical. We also chose a single basin after having a double basin for as long as we've owned the house. We both love the single basin! While not everyone loves a single basin, it works perfectly for us.
It only took about 2 hours to get the countertops and sink installed. The next step was having a plumber come hook up our new faucet. While Adam has put in a few different bathroom faucets, he wanted to leave this install to a pro. We would need to go from two drains to one since we were switching to a single basin. So the plumber came later that afternoon. He reworked the plumbing underneath the sink and even moved down the water shut-off valve so it was easier to reach. The last part of his job was to hook up the new faucet. I love the faucet we chose. It's super sleek and functions really well, thought it's definitely taken a bit of getting used to. We're not used to the built in sprayer and the angle of the on/off handle is different. But it's definitely an exciting change!
The following day, the tile installer got to work. His name was Carlos and he was the sweetest, most hard-working guy! His first task was to remove the old backsplash. I was impressed with how quickly he got the old tile removed and with how tidy he was. I was expecting lots of dust and tile flying around, but that wasn't the case. He then had to add new sheet rock and joint compound in a few places so the tile would have a nice flat surface to rest on.
From there he started the very tedious process of installing the scallop tile. He had to make so many cuts to make it fit the space and follow the pattern. Adam and I knew this tile would be a challenge and we were assured Carlos could make it work. And he sure did! He's a true artist! I kept peeking into the kitchen to watch his progress.
It took Carlos two full days to get the tile put up. He was also really good at brainstorming some ideas on how to deal with a few tricky spots. He built up the window sill so the dolomite slab would butt up to the trim around the window. There was a small narrow area before that would have been darn near impossible to tile using the tile we selected. He also suggested using white subway tile along the narrow spaces next to the window trim and cabinets. I wasn't sure about that at first, but he put it up for me to see and I was sold. It matched nicely with the white quarter-round tile on the corners and would go well with the white grout.
He came back a third day to grout the tile. Even that proved to be quite a job with all the tiny spaces between all the tiles. At one point, I asked Carlos what the hardest tiling job was that he'd ever done and he told me it was this one. I am so glad Adam and I didn't try to install it ourselves. It certainly would not have turned out as beautifully as it did. At the end of the project Carlos and I just stood in the kitchen admiring all his hard work. That tile is exquisite and Carlos installed it expertly!
We're currently thinking about what color to paint the walls and making plans to have the cabinets painted. We know we want the cabinets to be a light gray color. So we're trying to nail down the perfect wall color to tie everything together. I'm thinking a gray with just a hint of greenish/blue. I want it to be different enough from the cabinets, while also having some of the same tones from the backsplash tile. But it also has to look good in the family room since the kitchen and family room share some walls. I'll definitely be getting some paint samples and painting them all around the kitchen and family to pick the best color.
Adam has also started adding some more trim work to our cabinets. He added the corbels underneath the upper cabinets shown in the photo below. I love how they finish off the cabinet and add a little more interest. He's got some more plans and I'm excited to see how they turn out.
Here's an update of our kitchen renovation to do list. We've definitely made some major progress, but still have a ways to go!
3. Paint the cabinets light gray.
4. Make some minor modifications to the existing cabinets.
5. Paint the walls a lighter, cooler color.
6. Find a new light fixture for our eat-in kitchen.
7. Replace the cabinet handles and hinges.
8. Replace the window treatments in the kitchen and eat-in kitchen.
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