Love the back splash you selected. What type of marble is it? We really have the same ideas as the kitchen I fell in love with has white cabinets with marble subway tile & counters.

Hi,

It's my first time posting here, and I'm loving this thread since we just ordered Taj Mahal counter top for our kitchen. We have Maple Kitchen cabinets, dark color (lunar color). We are replacing the backsplash too. We have one idea to go Taj Mahal for backsplash too. What do you think? Our kitchen is not very big, so we don't have a big backsplash area since our biggest counterspace is the island.
Thank you

Maple kitchen- I think that would be gorgeous!!!!

I will post pictures as soon as we install it:)

We did fall in love with Taj Mahal at the show room, and we really hope we won't get disappointed when we install it
:)

I fell in love with Taj Mahal quartzite and when I googled for pics, packergirl's pictures posted here are by far the best on the internet. I just wanted to say thanks and, four months later, are you still happy with it? Was it worth the expense? What edge did you select? My fabricator says to do double radius so when there is a spill the liquid doesn't drip backward into the cabinets. Thoughts on that? Is there anything close to Taj Mahal for price comparison? I need to purchase 2 slabs... Any other remodel suggestions are appreciated because I only get one shot at this and I want it PERFECT

Ratrem....thanks for posting. The TM is beautiful. I'm thinking of using it for my island. It's flying out of the slab yards. I'm trying to decide between the TM and White Macabus. Your finished pics help a lot!

Wow; I'm not a fan of white marbles in general but I don't think that TM quartzite even counts as such - there's so much movement and color. Beautiful.

Is it really the same material as in the Taj Mahal? I didn't think there was so much color in that stuff...

Ratrem -- I like how the striations of your flooring sort of mimic that on the stone.

Packergirl - that's one fancy, well-thought-out kitchen. Is it working well for you? The hood is something -- it looks as if it hinges outward -- is that right???

packergirl or anyone who has Taj Mahal, can you tell me how careful you have been with your new Taj Mahal counters? I am on the verge of purchasing it because I absolutely love it! However, with 3 kids, I am certainly worried about water stains from ice cold water glasses and other acidic stains. You said you haven't had a problem with stains yet which I am glad to hear. Would you say you have been careful to wipe things up, or have things sat out a bit long on the quartzite to give it a real test? The suppliers I have visited all tell me different things about quartzite, some saying not to use it for an island and others saying it is better than granite. I have found very little on the internet to verify its hardiness.

I have 3 kids and have not had any problems with it. It gets plenty of use and still looks great!

I really wish I had not opened this thread. I think it's the first time I've had serious countertop remorse over my quartz. Just beautiful, that TM.

"One place told me to NEVER place a pizza box directly on the counter because of oil absorption."

It's good advice, as is following the MIA's recommendation to always use a trivet for placing hot items on natural stone.

Do people do it and get away with it? Sure, but how lucky do you feel?

Ratrem, I love the Taj Mahal counters in your beautiful kitchen! Thank you for sharing.

Lynn, I have to say quite honestly, the thing about polished natural stone is: it is all gorgeous. I love it all. And what's higher than an "11", as they say?

I agree, this stuff is gorgeous. And I just bet yours is too. I love going to stone yards, but I'm never able to choose one over another. I just say: what's your cheapest stone? I'm going to love it.

Recently I found a fabricator with a ton of scrap around and he lets me just choose a piece and charges me labor on any of it. He happens to be really good at selecting one from another given the space I tell him about. Else I'd be trapped in the same dilemma: they all look gorgeous.

So cheer up! I bet you could post a thread that gets someone jealous too :)

Like many of you, I really wanted Carrara marble counters in my kitchen. I installed them in my bathrooms 7 years ago and still love them. However, after researching online and seeing it in a friend's kitchen, I knew I had to find something more durable. I spent time on Houzz looking for alternatives that looked similar and found Macabus quartzite. I live in the San Diego area and found several slabs of Macabus, but felt the linear veininig was too modern for my tastes. I stumbled upon Taj Mahal and was very intrigued. I came home and got back on the internet. Thank goodness for all these sites that give great personal feedback and photos. I found a vendor with the lighter shades of Taj Mahal that appealed to me. I don't really like the rusty veins that are a minor part of this stones patterning - but the general tone and movement is gorgeous. I had to wait over a month for my vendor to receive some honed slabs of TM, but it was worth the wait. We installed our new island first in early Nov, and the perimeter pieces went in last week. We love it. Nothing has stained my island in 3 months. My painter is delivering my cabinet doors this week (creamy white) & then I'll post some pictures. I read someone was quoted $180 a sq ft? I paid nothing close to that! keep looking.

where did u find tm at a good price

We installed Taj Mahal. Havent "used" it yet because we are still in renovation mode, but here is a picture of it. We are near Chicago.

and here was our slab

My TM looks very much like yours April C. I LOVE it. I have a scrap piece I keep on the island and one on the counter next to the stove - if I have doubts about anything I want to put on it that I haven't tested yet - I put it on the scrap for a trial run. So far, nothing I have used has altered the TM.

That is really gorgeous!

Can anyone comment on what edge their fabricator recommended for the Taj Mahal quartzite? I am trying to decide between the beveled edge and the ease edge and am having a hard time! I love the stone and don't want to make a mistake! Our fabricator says not to do an ogee edge because the stone is so hard it can leave " ripples" in the edge. Has anyone experienced this?

I knew I wanted eased edge and so did not discuss with the fabricator, but I do know he had a very hard time cutting it bc it is so dense (and he had a lot of experience w quartzite) - Had to stop/sharpen blade lots. So i could understand the comment of not getting a perfect beveled edge. Sorry not much help.....

Our Taj Mahal is waterfall edge. The fabricator had no problem with it and did not charge extra.

I have honed taj and it is more vulnerable to metal marks (not scratches, mind you- it is the softer metal rubbing off on the very hard quartzite!) so I would recommend polished given my experience.

In regards to edges- we have eased and ogee -

Has anyone sealed the taj?

I bought it but the sampleI I have almost looks like a very light gray and not cream, I did not see gray on the slab, please tell me if there is any gray in yours, thanks Inge

I have polished and my friend got the same - mine was sealed and her's was not. They told me with TM it didn't need to be sealed. Neither of us have had issues with ANYTHING (so far after one year) hurting our TM.

I have a few samples that were not sealed and I have abused them badly, one is outside and used for hot stuff coming off the grill, including pans. Has been rained on, sat in the hot Florida sun, hubby's oils spilled on it, etc. nothing has hurt it. If anything it looks shinier and better over time.

Mine has some gray but it is predominant cream. Make sure it is TM, we looked at some they (stone warehouses) called TM and discovered it was not.

I LOVE my TH and verbalize it to my hubby everyday

These slabs are beautiful!

I'm kind of shocked at the pricing y'all are quoting tho- we are installing white macauba and it's working out to about $60sqft installed. Something is cheaper in Brooklyn for once!

Thank you perky, now I feel better

inge

I love TM and think it's gorgeous. I don't know if it's a fluke or not, but I have one friend who has it with a leather finish and complained about the water spots. I personally didn't see them, so they are certainly not bad.

My Taj Mahal quartzite. Love it!!

I just had my taj mahal delivered and island was installed but so dissappointed with the edging. I asked for a clean straight cut edge. See what I got. I was told it is the type of stone and that I chose this cut. First off I did not know straight edging meant 2 pieces glued together and that the colour would be visible. Then they said that I should have indicated I wanted a mitred edge. It was also said this stone will look just as bad if mitred. Advise? Suggestions? I am trying to resolve this expensive problem? I have never seen such poor at any home, however most homes I have been in have granite.

1st of all, from the small amount I can see in the pictures it looks like a beautiful stone.

I don't understand the 1st picture. Is it two slabs, one on top of the other?

Unfortunately, this has happened to several people on GW. The edge you have is a laminated edge, rather than the mitered edge you wanted. How far out does your countertop extend past your cabinets? It doesn't look like the typical 1" to 1.5".

"Is it two slabs, one on top of the other?"

In a sense yes. The top piece is the full slab. The bottom is a rip from a full slab that has been laminated to the full slab to give the illusion of a thicker countertop.

"Then they said that I should have indicated I wanted a mitred edge."

This is poor business practice on their part. They can charge more for mitering and should try to sell it every chance they get. A mitered top needs the same materials and same labor to haul it on and off the truck, so any up-charge in this scenario is pure profit.

"It was also said this stone will look just as bad if mitred."

That depends on the skill of the fabricator. I'd have invested in a test piece of each for your approval

"Advise? Suggestions?"

It's not too late to miter after you've approved a sample. Tell them you're willing to pay to have it mitered if they'll eat pulling and reinstalling it. They're looking to make you happy, but they don't want to take a bath either. Be reasonable and you might both get out of this.

Yes it is one small piece under the slab because I said I wanted a straight cut edge with no curves. I hope that when I talk to them tomorrow, we come to a happy agreement. This stone deserves better and I want it to look stunning. I have not liked any stone as much as this one. I refuse to listen to those who say I should have gone with granite instead. Thanks for all your feedback.

We have ordered the TM and it is going to be edged next week. My husband and I both love the roman ogee , but the fabricator told us the TM will chip easier with that edging. Our second choice is the full bullnose. But the fabricator is also trying to talk us out of that saying it will look too thin. He's pushing the eased edge, which we don't want. If you have had your TM with the roman ogee or full bullnose for any length of time, can you please share your experience with how it's holding up? Thank you very much!!

Hi camp64, We have an ogee edge with TM and just the other day got our first little chip from a glass bottle coming down at a weird angle. Though TM has held up beautifully against knocks for the year we have had it, overall. Your fabricator is guiding you well since though I love the look of the ogee edge, I'm glad we used it in the less busy bar area. We used eased edge for the main counter.

In my opinion, having seen the different edges "in the flesh" at my fabricator's shop, full bullnose absolutely makes the slabs look thinnest. (Incidentally, the HALF bullnose makes the slab look it's thickest, though people debate this topic heatedly :).

Do you have a photo. I asked for ogee edge with a pull back.

J_stallone, Thank you so much for your feedback! It's greatly appreciated!I have an appointment on Monday, so hopefully, they can show me different options.

Good luck and enjoy your TM, Camp64!!!:)

Agdinardo, if you scroll up 15 posts, you will see a picture of my ogee and the eased edge.

Hi! Taj Mahal owners... I have a quick question for you. I am looking to put Taj Mahal quartzite in my master bathroom remodel. I just want to know if the price I was quoted is reasonable as I don't know anyone with it to ask. My quote is for a total of 37 sq ft for two separate vanities with sink and at threshold around shower and shower seat. This price also includes two Kohler sink bowls installed. I have been quoted $7,725 or $208/sq ft installed. Thoughts?

Thanks all!

Hi Lisa, I received several quotes for my TM (installed) ranging from $133 to $180/sf. The higher prices included premium edging like roman ogee or full bullnose, while the lower prices only included standard/eased edge. Not sure how much you are paying for the sinks. Also, I would imagine where you live and cost of living plays a role (I live in Upstate NY). Hope this helps!

Thanks again, J_Stallone! We decided to get the full-bullnose. I can't wait to see it installed :)

LIsa Reidel:

That seems a tad high, but I don't know where you live. More important than the price is the reputation of the fabricator/installer.

want to use Taj Mahal Quartzite on master bathroom counters. What do you think of using Calacatta Marble flooring? I had planned on the marble floors set in diagonal, with rectangle border - with a tiny 1x4" linear border between the diagonal and rectangular marble tiles. Photo shows taj mahal with the color of the glass 1x4 (not in tiny squares though) and the calacatta marble sample. I thought I had wanted the all calacatta counter look but with Caesarstone London Grey but I fell in love with Taj Mahal and am trying to tie it into the flooring... Here is the inspiration floor layout photo. https://www.houzz.com/photos/kenilworth-private-residence-2-traditional-bathroom-chicago-phvw-vp~85759

Can anyone recommend which quartz to use on the perimeter countertops when using Taj Mahal on the island? My cabinets will be white. Thanks to anyone who can give me some suggestions.

I had chosen TajMahal quartzite but unfortunately when they were loading on truck it wad damaged. For edging do not do straight edge especialky if it is the thinner slab as you will see the material they use to put two pieces together. ogee with under offset. there are guides on internet. In the end I chose Perla Venato which is quartzite and so very similar to Taj Mahal in colour. I am so glad of my choice. This slab was thicker so just a straight edge. simple but timeless. Make sure your fabricator is goid with quartize as it is a harder stone to work with. Go there and talk to them. Go view the slab before delivery and check it. Do a final hand sweep especially along the edges before they glue it down. My only regret is that we did not use same stone as backsplash. Will use quarzite over granite again in future.

We just had Taj Mahal installed in our new kitchen island, back counter tops & back splash---love, love, love it as does everyone who walk in our home.

Jean Fielder, what is your flooring?

tile just like photo shown (same color, etc., but cabinets pecan, nice contrast)