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sjzucker7

Crazy or beautiful or both?

szruns
9 years ago

Comments and opinion welcome, please!

I am in the home stretch of our kitchen design, and need to choose the granite(s) ASAP.

It is a big kitchen with a medium-dark cherry shaker cabinets. Lots of light from good exposure and lots of windows. 10 ft ceilings. The flooring is a mixed-width (3.25, 4, and 5 inches) natural oak.

We are leaning towards this Bianco Platino granite (the simpler granite at the top of the photo) for the perimeter, and are tempted by the crazy English Oak (which I think is a quartzite) for the raised bar as well as the main island. We had them hold up the Bianco Platino next to the English Oak to make sure the colors complimented each other, and they looked nice next to each other. (The Bianco Platino is a whitish background with sagey grayed-green speckles throughout).

We like green. We like nature. The wild pattern will be the only crazy thing going on in the room, as everything else will be mellow.

(I was leaning towards a mellow crackled glass backsplash, but obviously am waiting until the counters are in.)

FWIW, the English Oak is apparently so hard that the first time they cut a slab, three teeth flew off their saw and they burned out a $2000 motor before they could shut down the saw. They had to run the saws super-super slow for all the cutting/etc in order to work it. I found one remnant that I oohed and aahhhed over, and then found a full slab hidden in a corner of the lot.

So, anyway, I'd love any opinions or input on either or both of these stones. I tried googling them and couldn't find much on either. I don't know if that is because they are often sold under different names (any guesses?) or they are unusual stones.

I definitely don't want to deal with etching, etc, which is why I've stayed away from marble and soapstone. (Love the look . . . but don't want to worry about my counters.)

Comments (20)

  • Jillius
    9 years ago

    I don't these two go together. I wouldn't mix them.

    If resale is not a concern, you clearly love the English Oak. I say go for it. But I just can't picture what would would be a good complement to it for your perimeter, and I actually don't think the English Oak is the best match with cherry cabinets either.

    Do you have money to burn? You could make the most spectacular dining room table top out if the English Oak. It'd truly be magnificent. That would fix any resale concerns too, if they exist. You can just take your crazy awesome table with you when you move!

  • szruns
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Resale is not a concern. This is the forever house -- very customized for multi-generational living, etc. If we were concerned about resale, we wouldn't be doing most of what we are doing, lol. We'll be here for at least 15-20 years. For sure.

    I have an antique dining table with lots of leaves that I just had refinished, so the dining table won't work.

    What would you put in the perimeter if you put the English Oak on the island and bar?

    Do you not like them together because the blanco platino reads grayer on the screen? That had been my concern, which is why I had the guys move one next to the other to look at them together. When I held them together at the stone yard, the colors worked. The grayish green in the blanco platino actually matches pretty spot-on with the grayer-quartzy-green portions that run through the English Oak.

  • Jillius
    9 years ago

    I just think the differing patterns together is really busy. The colors seem fine.

  • funkelsgw
    9 years ago

    I think the oak is very cool. I would do it throughout. If not, the other alternative might be a honed black for a subtle contrast. My 2 cents.

  • taggie
    9 years ago

    Oooh I love that English oak and would do it with the cherry cabs in a heartbeat. Definitely would not do raised bar separate from the rest of the counter though. Keep the English oak to just the island, or else put it throughout.

    I echo funkels above that a soft black would be a better contrast vs the speckly gray for the perimeters.

  • szruns
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here is a larger view of the Bianco Platino. It is more of a grey-ey- sage-green than a grey. In this larger view, does it still look busy? I was thinking it was a fairly quiet granite, which is why I thought to combine it with the dramatic English Oak.

    Synthetic counters just don't do it for me (even though I know using a simple quartz or solid surface on the perimeter seems common . . .so I was hoping to find two natural stones for that concept.

    I don't think the stone yard has enough of the English Oak to do my entire kitchen, even if I am feeling bold enough to do it. I will look at some black granites. I'd rather something with a bit of "noise" as any pure really dark or light color is going to show more crumbs and dust than I want . . . we are messy people. :)

    Another question, why not do the different stone on the raised eating bar (that divides the kitchen from dining room) in addition to the main island? Is it just "not done"? If so, why?

    THANK YOU!

  • joygreenwald
    9 years ago

    They don't look like they go together on my screen. You should feel free to trust your gut. If you like them together, that's great. But with the photos you posted (even the second one) the Bianco Platino looks like speckling gray.

    I love the English Oak. And I love someone doing what they want for their forever b kitchen.

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago

    Wow - that is an amazing piece!
    The English oaks I spring/summer and the other is fall winter. I would try to find a spring/summer match for your oak to complement each other

  • OOTM_Mom
    9 years ago

    I dont think your perimeter selection is busy at all, so I think it would be great as a quiet perimeter, as long as the colors work like you say they do. Monitors are notoriously off colorwise, not to mention cameras. On my screen they look good together. Is the raised bar separate from the island, or is it a dual height island? I dont think I'd want a dual height piece with that stone, I think it would detract from it's impact, but if both areas were large enough, and templated properly, maybe it would look awesome also. If it is two separate items, a bar and an island, that might be better, but definitely be there for templating!!! Get the movement going the same direction relative to the bar and island. A plan of your kitchen might clear up some of these questions. I hope it is a nice big island for that stone to show off!

  • raenjapan
    9 years ago

    They work together on my screen, and they look like they'd be great with cherry. I would keep the raised eating bar consistent with the perimeters, assuming they're part of the perimeter, just because I think it would look kind of random and chaotic to have the English Oak there. But I like the combo.

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    I would need to see the layout to see what you mean by raised bar and where it is.

    But I would def used that Engl Oak if resale is no concern. Gorgeous. But use it only one place; bar or island.

    And use it with a soft honed black.

  • szruns
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here is a floor plan of the kitchen. I hope it is helpful. It is the best I can do. Please don't critique it or tell me what is wrong with it. It is a done deal. For sure. Please. I am doing the best I can, but time is very limited for critical reasons (terminally ill mother living with us, need to get this done so we can enjoy what life is left once this crazy home renovation project is complete), and this is what it is. No changes are possible.

    The raised bar is a 42" height eat-at and/or serving bar between the kitchen and the dining room. On the kitchen side, there is a regular working (meal prep/serving) counter. FWIW, on the dining room side there is also a 36" huh serving/dishes buffet (with counter, that would be in the perimeter counter).

    Thanks again!!!

  • crl_
    9 years ago

    I like your two choice together. They look good on my monitor. I would do the English oak on just the island. I think that would make it stand out and look more special. Spreading it around would diminish the effect, IMO.

    Your backsplash would have to be super plain for sure.

    Did you test samples of these for etching, staining, etc?

    Beautiful, dramatic choice!

  • sprtphntc7a
    9 years ago

    love the english oak....beautiful, dramatic!!!!!!

    i would like to see a pic with a sample of cabinets...
    i think the EO would like great with the cabs,, but not sure the BP would look just as great....

    if possible have a floor sample also....

    i think the two go together, but i think i would do a solid black or dark grey to make the EO really stand out...not sure if BP is quiet enough or a good enough compliment to EO

    i agree with others, just EO on island.....

  • GreenDesigns
    9 years ago

    Too much pattern and color together just doesn't let the specialness of each piece work together. Plainness is your friend here. I like the lightness of the greenish granite for the perimeter, but not it's greenishness or busier pattern. I do think that a plain cream quartz would be your best bet to let the island be the star. You could do a busier backsplash with that that would echo the island colors, and that would tie that together better.

  • practigal
    9 years ago

    That is a spectacular piece of rock! Or maybe not,...in your post you said you think it's a quartzite and that you don't want to deal with etching. Be sure to take home and try a sample of whatever this is and see how it really holds up. That may be the final determining factor as to where and how much of it you choose to use in the kitchen.

    I would side with those that say to put it on the island only and to use another color along the perimeter, not because I wouldn't love each and every inch of it along the perimeter but because sometimes using too much of something you love makes it much less prominent and kind of boring.

    Because of the incredibly wonderful design that is in this "rock" if you decided to use it on the island, I think you should reconsider your decision to split the island top into two pieces as the full drama and motion would be better served by one large piece.

  • feisty68
    9 years ago

    I am not a fan of mixing stones. I LOVE the solution that my neighbour did - marble island top, stainless perimeter counters. Super practical and looks fantastic.

  • malabacat_gw
    9 years ago

    They look good together on my monitor too. I agree with others who've suggest that you use the english oak only on the island.

  • kitchendetective
    9 years ago

    The answer about the English Oak, which is spectacular, depends upon template possibilities and the skill level of your fabricator. If the seams will clash or only a small area of the pattern shows up, it will be hugely disappointing (read nightmare). Could you use it in a way that will continue up the wall as a backsplash behind your rangetop? I cannot answer about the compatibility of the other green stone. I think many people are too timid about mixing stones, but whether these two would work together is too difficult to discern onscreen. Generally, greens are nice with cherry.

  • gone_south
    9 years ago

    What a dramatic and interesting stone! I'm so glad you found something that you responded strongly to, and are going to use it.

    I can't tell from my screen if it goes with the second slab or not, so you'll need to go with your guts on that.

    I did a search for "English Oak Granite Slab" and got a few hits. Per this website (http://nssgranite.com/english-oak.html), "ENGLISH OAK is a green colour quartzite from Brazil."

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