Our granite was the source of a lot of self-imposed drama (for me - as with everything else, Brent just rolls with the punches). We need a lot of it ($) and the kitchen is part of an open plan that you see as you walk in the front door so we wanted to find something we love ($$)! Of course, I tend to only love granite that's not like the granite in every other household in America. ($$$)
My originallove lust stalker-obsession favorite was called "Super White" or "White Fantasy" which are both kind of misnomers because the stone is gray with giant white splotches. It's gorgeous, but it's quartz, and not the super strong kind, but rather a soft quartz that behaves more like marble. It will etch, scratch and stain. Some more consumer-friendly suppliers even place it in the marble department to avoid disappointing the homeowners who didn't do any research and wonder why their super durable "granite" counters are staining, scratching and etching. So for all those reasons, I abandoned ship and tried to find something I'd love as much and never thought it was possible. It was like a really really sad breakup.
Here is a shot of my ex:
I'd seen pictures of "White Ice" granite online and in kitchens on houzz, and some of them were really beautiful, but the first several granite yards I visited here in Dallas had white ice that was just kind of blah. They were white, cream, and black. And that's lovely too, but I really wanted something unique with gray, and bonus points if I could find a stone with a little blue in it. Then I visited Arizona Tile and the heavens opened and sang to me. White Ice granite with gray and blue and taupe!
So we visited our design gallery and found that their white ice granite comes from a different supplier, whose white ice is the plainer white/cream. Booooo. This is what the white ice looked like through the Design Gallery:
We had to go outside the upgrade program from the design center, but our builder made it happen to help us get exactly what we wanted. ($$$$) Then the challenge was whether we buy it now to snag the slabs we liked with the blue in it, knowing the fabricator would have to store it for several months until we're ready to install. What if he goes out of business? What if another client sees our slabs in his storage and offers a million bajillion dollars for our slabs because they're THAT beautiful?! (ok a stretch I know) But alternatively, what if the next batch of white ice comes in from the quarry without any of that blue and gray in it? GASP! We decided to take our chances on the fabricator (he has a website, he must be legit! I can talk myself into anything) and claim our slabs now.
One thing I always forget is that when you need multiple slabs, they need to all be sequential slabs from the same lot, else they can't match up the movement/pattern at the seams when they install. So, I called Arizona Tile to see how many different lots they have with 3 sequential slabs, and they said just one. ONE?! But one isn't much of a choice. It's a yes/no question, not a selection process. So I went in feeling kind of deprived of options and fearing the worst - that the 3 they have wouldn't be the colors I wanted. But then they pulled out my slabs, and the heavens sang again. Not ONLY were they the perfect blend of colors, but after they removed our 3 from the stack, what was left behind had almost NO blue and gray in them. It turns out the 3 we got were the freaks, which I LOVE. It also tells me we made a VERY good decision in buying them now because it's very likely they're not going to see the next batches come in with as much color.
Have I bored you to tears yet? WAKE UP! Drumroll.... here they are! (2 of the 3 slabs which are all mirror images of each other) I'm so in love.
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I not only chose, but actually ordered our backsplash tile too. It's a little different than I originally intended because I originally wanted an aqua subway tile, which is SOOOO popular on Houzz now. So I detoured a bit. Everything just came together as though it was meant to be. I'm not sharing my pics of my tile yet though. I'll tell you it's Ann Sack's tile, and that I got a KILLER STEAL on it and it's not subway tile or aqua. :) Stay tuned!
My original
Here is a shot of my ex:
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| This ex was super sexy, but dumb as rocks and not dependable. :) |
I'd seen pictures of "White Ice" granite online and in kitchens on houzz, and some of them were really beautiful, but the first several granite yards I visited here in Dallas had white ice that was just kind of blah. They were white, cream, and black. And that's lovely too, but I really wanted something unique with gray, and bonus points if I could find a stone with a little blue in it. Then I visited Arizona Tile and the heavens opened and sang to me. White Ice granite with gray and blue and taupe!
So we visited our design gallery and found that their white ice granite comes from a different supplier, whose white ice is the plainer white/cream. Booooo. This is what the white ice looked like through the Design Gallery:
 |
| Yes, it's pretty, but not the look I wanted! So similar to several other light stones readily available. |
We had to go outside the upgrade program from the design center, but our builder made it happen to help us get exactly what we wanted. ($$$$) Then the challenge was whether we buy it now to snag the slabs we liked with the blue in it, knowing the fabricator would have to store it for several months until we're ready to install. What if he goes out of business? What if another client sees our slabs in his storage and offers a million bajillion dollars for our slabs because they're THAT beautiful?! (ok a stretch I know) But alternatively, what if the next batch of white ice comes in from the quarry without any of that blue and gray in it? GASP! We decided to take our chances on the fabricator (he has a website, he must be legit! I can talk myself into anything) and claim our slabs now.
One thing I always forget is that when you need multiple slabs, they need to all be sequential slabs from the same lot, else they can't match up the movement/pattern at the seams when they install. So, I called Arizona Tile to see how many different lots they have with 3 sequential slabs, and they said just one. ONE?! But one isn't much of a choice. It's a yes/no question, not a selection process. So I went in feeling kind of deprived of options and fearing the worst - that the 3 they have wouldn't be the colors I wanted. But then they pulled out my slabs, and the heavens sang again. Not ONLY were they the perfect blend of colors, but after they removed our 3 from the stack, what was left behind had almost NO blue and gray in them. It turns out the 3 we got were the freaks, which I LOVE. It also tells me we made a VERY good decision in buying them now because it's very likely they're not going to see the next batches come in with as much color.
Have I bored you to tears yet? WAKE UP! Drumroll.... here they are! (2 of the 3 slabs which are all mirror images of each other) I'm so in love.
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Your granite slabs are gorgeous and I had no idea that super white acted like a marble. We only need a remnant for our bathroom vanity top, but hopefully I can one as beautiful as yours.
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