Are you
in the middle of planning your kitchen renovation? Before you even start to
knock down the walls, you need to work out the future floorplan and select all
the final finishes, including your granite
countertops. But before you head down to The Countertop
Shop to select the perfect piece of stone, you will need to choose the
rest of your finishes.
Bring It With Because You Can't Take the
Selected Slab Home
Why is
the granite the last part of your design to be nailed down? Unlike the rest of
your finishes, there are no portable samples. It also represents possibly the
largest part of your design budget. Most customers select their granite
counters like they do a piece of art. You must stand back from the 5-foot X
10-foot block and take in the color, speckles, finish, and veining. All those
tiny variations will be part of your kitchen.
Even if
you pick up a tile of sample stone from one of those giant DIY stores, it will
not reflect the true appearance of the unique slab that will be custom cut for
your project. Using the misleading sample to find the right cabinets and
backsplash could be a frustrating and futile process.
Discover a Collection of Other Possible
Finishes in the Showroom
Even
though you will look at a giant slab and compare it to handheld samples of your
other features, you will not be shopping in a total vacuum. Our showroom
features a variety of life-sized combinations of popular granite counters,
cabinetry, flooring, and lighting fixtures as part of our permanent displays.
Check out the latest in cabinet hardware, undermount sinks, faucets, and other
finishing touches. The displays serve as inspiration or to complete your
shopping list.
Which Samples Should You Bring to the Countertop
Shop?
You may
wish to create a design book or project bag that can become part of your home
improvement shopping kit. Mark each sample with its intended use and placement
in the complete design.
Sample of Your Cabinet Base
This
sample should be two to three inches square and include your chosen finish.
Saying you will have brown cabinets is not enough. The grain may appear gray or
red. The subtle variations in a granite slab can complement or clash with those
small details.
Sample of Flooring
Your
cabinets and floors are the largest part of the room's canvas alongside your
counters. Just like the cabinet base, your sample should be an exact match to
the final product. Think about adding a grout sample if it will provide
contrast over a one-color tile floor.
Sample of Wall Color and/or Backsplash
While
your backsplash or paint may not take up a huge part of your overall kitchen
design, they will be located right next to your granite countertop. A busy
mosaic backsplash could clash with a lively and bold counter. You may wish to
bring a variety of these samples with you as they can be finalized even after
your counter installation.
Other Unique Pieces
See the
entire vision come to life! If you have found the perfect knobs, pulls, blinds,
curtains, or even oven mitts, bring them to the showroom. Lay down all the
samples and take the entire image into account when making that final stone
selection.
If you
live in the Greater Toledo area, you can find a huge selection of stunning
granite slabs on display at The Countertop Shop showroom located in Monclova.
Comments