That's exactly why I DIDN'T want the laminated edgeâ¦all of the bad examples I've seen on GW! I don't think I've ever seen an example of one that actually looked good. Although, there must be some out there or else why would anyone choose that edge? My other option is to do an ogee edge stacked on top of a half bull nose. I wasn't sure if the particular type of stone being used makes a difference in what should be chosen based on stone veining, patterns, etc.

The quality of the look of a stack vs. a miter depends on the movement and particulates of the stone, the skill of the fabricator, and the selected edge profile.

It isn't too unreasonable to expect to see a mockup of each.

All edges are machined after they are stacked. He's making a distinction without a difference.

I have calacutta quartzite and wanted the mitered edge, but I was afraid seeing the seam might bother me. I am very ocd, and was afraid my slabs would be ruined. I went with this edge which gives a stacked look without actually being stacked. To me it was a good comprimise. I would definitely want to see both edges in person before you decide. Quartzite is a very hard dense stone to work with.

Michelle16, is that an ogee stacked on half bull nose? That was another suggestion he had. I've always loved your island!

Trebruchet, I just emailed him and asked if it would be possible to see samples of each. He basically told me that this would be time consuming and because he has already spent time doing quotes & explanations of the job for me, that it would cost a fee. What?? I thought your job was to give me quotes and explain the job. This man has been highly recommended by more than one personâ¦one a friend of ours who is the general contractor for our kitchen who says that his work is second to none. Another is my overly picky sister-in-law who uses him for flipping houses (and she is a perfectionist even in her flip houses). I have already given him a deposit of $3500 and he is in possession of "my" slabs, which I had a VERY difficult time finding...

Here is one of my slabs. Would this be difficult to do a mitered edge on?

I'm sure he's charging you extra to do the laminated edge as it is more work. It's not unreasonable to want to see a mockup. If it's a nominal fee, it would be worth yourbpiece of mind. If it's not, I'd try to negotiate with him. It's a more complicated (expensive) edge & how can he expect you to make such a permanent (more expensive) decision without a mockup. My fabricator did 3 mockups, no charge. I would not like it that he suggested a stacked laminated edge but won't show you a mockup. Even though he has a good reputation, I'd push for a mockup. The last thing you want (and he should want) is for your countertops to show up and be disappointed. We've seen too many of those posts on GW.
Your slabs are beautiful with really nice veining. If they are 3cm, you could consider not doing a laminated edge. I had originally planned to do a 2" mitered edge. Once the design was done, the mitered edge (which I love) wasn't the right look for my traditional cabinet design. I wanted to go back to a 3cm ogee like Michelle16, but I had a couple of cabinets that were going to the countertop so I had to stay with 2". I collected multiple pics of laminated ogee edges, another TKO research session. This pic is a laminated ogee on a square edge, a little less than 2". If you want me to send more pics of laminated ogee edges, email me through GW with your address. Also, Kaysd has maucabus quartzite and did a mitered edge. Her edge looks great. Eventually, all this worrying will end & you will have a beautiful kitchen.
Edit: corrected kaysd spelling.

This post was edited by romy718 on Fri, Nov 15, 13 at 11:30

Kaysd mitered edge, maucabus quartzite, 2cm slabs. She has a post "mini reveal" with more pics.

My counter is dark and sort of uniformly mottled, so there's that to begin with. I have a built-up (laminated) edge and I don't see it unless I get a few inches away, as this camera shot shows. Normally I just don't see it. Until I actually got my counters installed, I had no idea how they did edges.

I think it's very reasonable for you to ask to see samples of a built-up and mitered edge in your counter material. I have friends with a very busy granite and I can't see the seam of their mitered edge.

Thanks romy!! I swear, every decision I make, big or small, turns into a compromise on my part. Nothing seems to work out exactly how I want it. The one thing I was excited about is my counters. Is the first photo YOUR counter? I really like that. You make a good point about the mitered edge fitting in with the look of the cabinet style. My cabinets may lean toward the traditional style a bitâ¦recessed panel but has an applied molding (this is one of the decisions I may regret, think I prefer the shaker style). Also, my hood has corbelsâ¦again leans toward traditional (and again this was NOT how I envisioned my hood, but when the cabinet company couldn't do exactly what I wanted, I threw my hands up in the air in exhaustion and ended up with something more traditional than I originally wanted). Anyway, I thought the mitered edge could give me the sleek chunky look I yearned for and lend a bit of a transitional element so the kitchen wouldn't be overwhelmingly traditional. But maybe I shall go with the edge in your first photo because it probably goes better with my cabinets. The mitered edge of Kaysd looks great.

If I EVER do this again, I will hire a professional decorator/designer to do all of this work that I have spent hours upon hours doing!

linelle, your edge looks fantastic. I would not have a problem if mine turned out like that. However, I think because of all the veining that it wouldn't be possible :(

lcskaisgir:

One look at those slabs tells me if you don't miter your edges, you're going to be sorry. He's a fabricator, not a magician.

I hear you about all the angst & compromise.
This picture is my countertop & there's my tile that is still unresolved. As of last week I heard the blue tiles were in the kiln.
The pic I previously posted was my inspiration picture. I did see that countertop in person and the top (ogee portion) and the bottom (square portion) were equal so I believe it was a 2cm slab that was laminated rather than a laminated 3cm slab. I loved the look of that edge & tried to replicate it.
My slab was 3cm, so the bottom portion (square edge) of my edge is 3cm and the top is about 2 cm to equal 2".

If it were me I would absolutely NOT do laminated. Mine looks exactly like Kaysd and I'm really thrilled with it. There are a couple of places where there are some tiny chips in the edge that have been patched/repaired - I think this is due to the hardness of the stone and is something more likely to happen with mitered vs. laminated. I'm sure that basically no one but me (and probably my best friend) would notice. There are some places where the veins don't completely and totally match up but it somehow has to do the the movement of the stone - say there are three visible veins - somehow two will line up and one will not. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you of some potential issues with the veining and of this particular stone.

I honestly think that you will not be happy with the look of the lamination on a stone with movement like this. I'd advise that you do mitered or no lamination at all.

If you want a fancier, more traditional edge like the beautiful ones that Michelle and Romy posted, stacked/laminated is fine. If you want a sleek square edge or similar profile, get mitered. The veining will not match up correctly with a laminated edge.

We had a more speckled, less veiny granite in our last kitchen, so we used a laminated edge. (We didn't know about mitered option back in 2005.) I could see the seam on the front edge of the stone, but it wasn't terrible because of the stone pattern. I have to look closely to find the very faint line of the seam on the corner of my mitered edge, and I know it is there. I point out the edge to visitors because they think it is solid, as the veins were so well matched.

My fabricators were real artists at matching veins and producing a very fine seam. I chose them because I saw a sample of their work with the same stone type and edge at a local stone yard. I wonder if your fabricator is trying to talk you out of a mitered edge because he is not comfortable doing it? A mitered edge is usually an upcharge, so it does not make sense to try to talk you out of it unless he is nervous trying to do a mitered edge in quartzite, which is a hard (literally) stone to cut.

Here is a link that might be useful: my counter reveal

My instincts were right! No laminated edge!!!

Trebruchet, would I be wrong to consider the edge like Romy's with this stone (ogee stacked on a squared edge) or should I stick to mitered? And here's a related questionâ¦do they do something on the perimeter counters to compensate for the thickness of the island counter since they won't be the same height?

kaysd, we were posting at the same time! I believe he had told me from the get go that a mitered edge is an additional $800 or so. So I was aware of the up charge. He did not mention to me at the time that he gave me that quote that he didn't recommend doing it. You sure can't see the seam on your counters. They look like perfection. I will have to further discuss with him. To me, this is a big deal and could make or break the counter.

Another thing to consider, are your slabs 2cm or 3cm? I saw a stacked ogee like mine with 3cm on top of 3cm. It was too heavy looking.
What edge are you doing on the perimeters?

Good question! I'm not sure of the answer. I guess that's another thing I need to look into. I am doing a plain squared edge on the perimeter no matter what I choose for the island. Not sure what they call thatâ¦eased, pencil, ??

I just looked and they are 3cm. I never even considered that they come in different thicknesses. Ugh!!!

Romy, I meant to reply about your tile before I posted my last response. I can't believe you are still waiting. When do they anticipate the tiles will be finished? Are you in your house right now? Is this a new build, a whole home remodel, or just doing the kitchen?

"Trebruchet, would I be wrong to consider the edge like Romy's with this stone (ogee stacked on a squared edge) or should I stick to mitered? And here's a related questionâ¦do they do something on the perimeter counters to compensate for the thickness of the island counter since they won't be the same height?"

I would miter this stone no matter the edge profile. It has very obvious veining. When that doesn't match in a stack, it's going to be very noticeable.

Why would perimeter counters be different thicknesses than an island?

Deleted post because I figured out it didn't make sense! I was thinking of something my contractor said to me today and posted based on that, but I was confused :)

This post was edited by lcskaisgir on Fri, Nov 15, 13 at 15:41

3 cm is good. If you decide you don't want a mitered edge you could do the pretty edge like Michelle16 did on her island. I think her slab was 3cm and the edge was not laminated. I believe she did an eased edge on her perimeters. If I hadn't had to have a 2" thick counter because of the counter cabinet height, I wouldn't have done a laminated edge.
If you still want a mitered edge, have the fabricator make a mitered edge mockup for you. If he isn't able to make a seam like Kaysd's, either choose another edge or another fabricator. I know he has your money but if he can't do the edge you want, you should have your contractor help you get your money back. I'm not home but I have some pics on my computer of some pretty 3cm ogee edges if you decide to go in that direction.
My kitchen is a remodel. I had cheap cabinets & pink formica for 17 years.
I haven't heard anything about the tile since last week. I'm patiently waiting.

Ok, romy, whenever you get a chance and if you wouldn't mind, I would LOVE to see the pics of ogee edges in 3cm. No rush at all. Cabinets won't even be in for another week and a half (although they're starting electrical, etc next week:). So your island is stacked, 2cm on 3cm? Are your perimeter counters also?

Michelle16, all of your counters are 3cm, just different profiles?

3cm laminated is overkill. That might look great in a really modern kitchen where it's the center stage island, but in a transitional one, it just looks odd with all of the other traditional details. An ogee edge in a transitional kitchen also looks odd, unless it is surrounded by a lot more modern details. Transitional mixes contemporary and traditional and is really hard to pull off well without standing back and looking at the whole mix of choices. You almost have to assign them labels and not let any one overpower the other.

This is a 3 cm ogee (not laminated). Actually, it is called a 3cm double ogee. I emailed the designer on Houzz about this edge. It is a 3 cm slab.

This post was edited by romy718 on Fri, Nov 15, 13 at 20:56

Same 3cm ogee. I have a bunch more pics. I finally have a photobucket acct. so I will figure out how to post several pics at a time & post more.

Close up of Michelle16's ogee. Michelle, I hope you don't mind I'm posting pics of your kitchen.

A simpler ogee edge.

Romy, thank you so much!! Is it just me or do the first counter you posted and Michelle16's look thicker than the third one? It must be the edge. They look thicker than a standard 3 cm counter w/an eased edge. I like the first two better for that reason. I really like yours too!

I am wondering if those thicker appearing edges are a cove dupont or a cove ogee?

Well imagine that, after I sent my fabricator an email telling him to never mind w/the samples and that I would be more than happy to pay him for any extra time he has put in to "explain the job" to me and give me quotes....he responded saying that some jobs have been moved around and he now has time to do the samples for me. He is now being overly accommodating. Well ok then!

I don't like any of the pictured edges with a top point. It is not a matter of if that edge is getting chipped, it's a matter of when. If you pick any of those, at least have your fabricator round the point a bit. It will delay the inevitable somewhat.

Good point, Trebruchet. Are you referring to edges such as ogee, cove, and dupont? What about the point on the mitered edge?

Icskaisgir: Yes, round 'em all.

hollysprings, I've been thinking about your comment since you posted! It makes me nervous. I don't like things extremely traditional or extremely modern. I guess I would lean more toward traditional but do like some transitional elements. I was thinking that the mitered edge or the edge like Romy's (with the eased edge under the ogee) could work. I have seen traditional kitchens with a mitered edge that look fantastic and transitional kitchens with an ogee stacked on an eased edge that also look good. Thoughts? I couldn't tell which one you were advising me to do or not do.

Michelle16, do you have any pictures of your finished kitchen and information about it? I LOVE your beaded inset cabinets! I love the white on them and I love the counters so much! I love the edge chosen on the island. I love the hardware. I love your sink. Thank you for sharing your counters and your beautiful island!

Romy718, I love your inset cabinets and I love your counters! The backsplash you are considering is very nice!

Sorry-just saw this, i think they are 3cm and the edge I believe is called an "o" edge, its in my dtails uder- "almost finished...lots of pics" if u google that lynn all pics will come up. It's not a normal ogee, alittle different, makes it look thicker, that's why I chose it.

Thank you Michelle16. You have a gorgeous kitchen and chose such a gorgeous slab with a beautiful edge! I also adore your inset cabinets?