Counter Intuitive

Chickens!

I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend, and that you remembered to take a moment to have a good thought for those in uniform and the families who support them, and those brave servicemen and women we have lost.

Things are still hopping over here at the casa, and today was a good day!  Today we got the first two countertops installed in the basement!

Did you catch the first countertop post?  No? I'll wait here...

So, today the amazing installers from Stone Masters arrived with the countertops for the basement bathroom and laundry room, and here is how it went...

The guys showed up right on time, and started unloading:

This is the Silestone that our gurus over at Cosentino helped us pick out.  It is a really cool color called Cemento Spa, and I just love it!  I originally thought we would go white in the laundry room, since the cabinets are white and it seems so clean, but Cosentino thought it might look a little sterile, and suggested this one to pick up on the concrete floor and stone walls, and I'm so glad we did!

Dry fitting the counter.

Starting to work on the silicone...

Installing the backsplash and lining things up just right!

Installing the undermount sink.  One of the things that is great about Stone Masters, they carry a wide line of sinks, so that you can do one-stop shopping if you choose.  We got one of their stainless single bowl utility sinks.

 Getting the sink set ...

Working on the silicone caulking.  This is where I learned a cool trick for all you DIYers...after they lay down the bead of caulk, they spritzed it with glass cleaner before using their finger to remove the excess.  That way the silicone sticks to their finger and doesn't smear onto the stone, so no having to go back with a knife to try and clean it up, it was a very slick move, and they said you can also use just soap and water in a spray bottle.

Here is the sink, all ready for the plumber!  Its important to know what your faucet is before you have them cut your countertops so that they can pre-drill during fabrication.

The finished product!  I know it is a laundry room, but I still think it is sexy.  And I'm so glad Cosentino advised us on this color, it just looks fantastic!  And of course, Silestone is nigh on indestructible, so this should last forever.

Then it was on to the bathroom.

There is our bathroom counter in the truck!

Coming down the hall...

Dry fitting, and getting the sink set properly.  You might remember from this post that we are doing a single long trough sink with double faucets.  The sink is from Wetstyle, a really amazing company with a range of cool products that we really fell in love with.

Getting everything in order.

Here is a good shot of the stone.  This is a natural soapstone.  Originally we thought we would also do a Silestone product in here, but once again, Cosentino to the rescue!  They suggested that since we were repurposing an antique buffet as a vanity, we might want to make it look more like it was the original top of the buffet!  Since you know we are all about period appropriateness, we were very intrigued by this idea.  We knew we didn't want to go marble, which would have been common at the time, so Cosentino recommended this soapstone, which has some wonderful green undertones, which would have absolutely been a palette that would have matched the period of the buffet, and some really nice movement  and variation in the stone.  It really stands out in the bathroom, since it is the only place we are using it, and I just love how it grounds the space.

Getting ready to attach the countertop to the undermount sink.

Settling it into place.

Final caulking, again with the glass cleaner trick!

Love how this looks!

SQUEE!

As usual, the guys from Stone Masters were exceptional, the whole install on both pieces was fast, clean and impeccable.  They offered great advice on care for both counters, which was really helpful, especially that you should only use either Windex, or a mild white vinegar and water mix to clean them, and never anything abrasive or acidic.

There will be much more next week as we finish up the basement countertop project, but in the meantime, if you love your Polymath, do me a favor and be sure to Like both Stone Masters and Cosentino on Facebook!

More soon.

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath