Making a decision that’s set in stone

KAREN WIGHT

Creating a kitchen is stressful. There are a hundred decisions to

make along the way, and all of them are important -- and expensive.

Some preferences are easy: gas or electric? With only two options,

you can’t mind-wrestle forever. On the opposite end of the spectrum

are the hundreds of choices available for countertops. If your heart

is set on stone, fasten your seat belt; the road to decision can be

bumpy.

Granite is one of the hardest stones and can stand plenty of wear

and tear. Granite is a combination of minerals, hence the speckled

appearance. All granites have “spots” -- it’s just a matter of

personal preference.

The color spectrum for granite includes whites, blacks, greens,

browns and gold. If you are considering stone, it’s extremely

important to do your homework and visit holding yards and warehouses

to find the material that suits you best. The sample from a tile

showroom may have very little in common with the slabs that are

currently available.

Prepare yourself to be overwhelmed. There are a lot of choices.

Help yourself by bringing a swatch of the wall paint or the cabinet

finish, a picture from a magazine that has inspired you, hardware

that has caught your eye, appliance brochures -- anything that can

guide you.

Granite is not the only material that makes a beautiful stone

countertop. Marble offers even more choices. You may walk into a slab

warehouse thinking granite is your only choice and walk out with a

marble or limestone sample that makes your heart sing. Have an open

mind.

Marble and limestone are more porous stones than granite. They are

by no means “soft” -- they are rocks, after all -- but they do have a

reputation for being less durable. Marble’s main advantage is the

tremendous color and pattern selection. Marble slabs are literally

available in every color of the rainbow.

There are marble slabs with very little contrast, and there are

marble slabs that can make you dizzy. On my last visit to the Walker

Zanger slab room, they had a piece of dark blue marble that looked as

if it had been imprinted with the pattern of the universe. I wouldn’t

want to put it in my kitchen, but it was fascinating: almost a

two-dimensional sculpture. If specific color and pattern are

important to you, marble may be the perfect choice.

Limestone has a very warm and earthy look. The color spectrum is

limited, but limestone has an undeniably classic quality that makes

it useful for flooring, bathrooms and kitchens. A variation of

limestone, called fossil stone, literally has small fossils embedded

within the stone. When the slabs are cut, it’s like viewing a mini

archaeological dig. Very cool.

Stone slabs can be polished, which gives them a shiny, less porous

quality, or honed, which is a smooth finish without the shine. Most

slabs are three-quarters of an inch thick.

Ask a salesperson for a small sample of the slabs you are

interested in -- it is a very reasonable request. You need to see the

stone in the proper lighting to help you make up your mind. After

all, your decision will be set in stone.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs

Thursdays.