Countertops – Getting the Best of the Best – On the House
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Countertops – Getting the Best of the Best

By on December 12, 2017

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The project involved completely renovating a modest 1,177 sq. ft. 111-year-old home, inside and out, in old town Brentwood, California. Originally a catalog mail-order kit home, built around 1906, it was among an estimated 600 small bungalows constructed in the nearby coal and copper mining communities of the day – and later moved intact to its current location at 604 Second Street.

When it came to renovating and updating the kitchen, master bath and laundry room of this challenging historic renovation, the Carey Brothers team set out to achieve an updated authenticity by carefully analyzing and selecting both the material and color for the countertops that would complement the simple, but striking, Shaker-style cabinetry being added in all three rooms. 

Carey Bros. Remodeling Designer Carol Carey wanted the very best quality countertops and opted for granite. The next consideration was securing the best raw material and top craftsmen to fabricate it into the ultimate in counter design.

“For resources, I began by contacting the Natural Stone Institute,” notes Carol Carey, “to find the top qualified natural stone professionals in our area who have been carefully vetted and approved for membership based on both skill and commitment to service.”

The Natural Stone Institute is a nonprofit trade association with over 2,000 members in 56 countries representing a wide range of quarriers, wholesalers, distributors, fabricators, installers, and restoration professionals.   

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“Our members represent the entire spectrum of the natural stone industry, both for residential and commercial installations,” states Natural Stone Institute CEO, Jim Hieb. “Our Accreditation for natural stone fabricators and commercial contractors recognizes only those companies that meet the industry’s highest standards for business activities, product knowledge, reliability, fabrication, and installation.”

With resources provided by the association, designer Carol Carey selected Bedrosians Tile and Stone to provide the raw granite slabs and they in turn recommended using CR Marble and Granite to fabricate and install the finished countertops.

With over 30 locations nationwide, Bedrosians is one of the nation’s premier manufacturers, importers and distributors of ceramic and porcelain tile, decorative and glass mosaics, natural stone tiles and slabs… and this project began at their location in San Jose, California.

“We looked at hundreds of slabs before selecting two nine-foot by 6-foot mirror-image consecutively numbered pieces of Bianco Antico granite,” states Carol Carey. ”It is a durable granite quarried in Brazil with varying shades of grays, whites and taupe that, while striking, added a subtle elegance that did not detract from the vintage ambiance and that we could use in all three rooms.”

“The mirroring effect of two slabs can appear seamless when joined together,“ notes Grace Nguyen, Bedrosians’ Director of E-Commerce and Marketing, ”with corresponding dramatic and beautiful veins of color running horizontally and vertically… it’s like having wonderful natural art in your home.”

The fabrication done by CR Marble and Granite, also located in San Jose, incorporated the latest technologies in digital measuring and specifications for the custom slab cutting and fabrication that featured a 1-½” “Flat Eased Edge” and incorporated a farm house-styled sink set into the kitchen counter, two China under counter sinks in the master bath and a stainless steel under counter work sink in the laundry room.

“The farm-style sink required precise cutting,” states Isabel Rosas of CR Marble and Granite. “Our crew, headed by Juan Rosas, completed the intricate and detailed specification and five-step, cold water-based fabrication and installation… from template to install… in just a little over a week.”

“The end result was three beautifully coordinated countertops… in three separate rooms… each understated and similar appearance-wise, yet with three distinct personalities and functions,” adds Carol Carey. “The homeowner, Robin McClellan, was just thrilled… and the countertops are now one of the highlights of the finished home.”

“I have been a builder/remodeler for nearly 40-years and I have found that when it comes to appearance, durability, and adding beauty and value to a home, it just doesn’t get any better than natural stone,” adds James Carey, of Carey Bros. Remodeling. “It is absolutely the best and to get the ‘best’ of the best, we always seek suppliers and fabricators that proudly display the Natural Stone Institute Accreditation Seal, ensuring that the finest companies in the industry will be our partners in providing absolute perfection in natural stone for our customers.”

For more information, visit www.usenaturalstonecom. For more information on the historic renovation visit http://604secondstreet.onthehouse.com.

 

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