It gets done a lot - quite often with a plain stone like Black Impala, Nordic Black or Cambrian Black as perimeter tops.

You could also combine materials (like you want with laminate & granite). Just know, that if you would decide some day to redo the perimeter tops in natural stone too, that you would not be able to find an exact match for your island top and would have to go with a complimentary stone anyways.

Most stones are resined nowadays, and in conjunction with the improved sealer technology available, coffee stains are the least of your worries. In fact, you will find that the granite would probably be the easiest counter tops you've ever had to care for :)

Sounds pretty - do you have a picture of the Sienna you picked?

If you don't have a lot of counter space I would suggest getting the granite now for all counters as well as the island since it's 10% off. You might also be able to bargain with the stone yard for more off. Good luck!

That's a tough one, but it reminds me of myself when I'm face with a time-limited sale and wanting to talk myself into something I already decided I couldn't afford... "But it's such a good deal and only right now!" Usually, I need to stick to my original plan and be happy I'm getting the sale price for the amount I'd planned. But that's me, and may or may not apply to you or this particular situation.

The granite sounds gorgeous, particularly for your black island. It's a hard call to say whether you'll prefer it everywhere or want to set it off just on the island. Without seeing it, I'm going out on a limb to say it'd probably look beautiful everywhere and its variations will help. But I think it sounds like one you could fairly easily find a gray or black counter (stone or laminate) to go with it, or even a cream. Stainless counters could also look sharp.

Figure out the price of the granite for the whole kitchen and see if that's something that you can do and feel right about. If it pushes the budget, think about how else you might spend that money and which will be more important to you in the long run. Will you be able to feel blessed and lucky to be able to have this gorgeous stone on your island, or will you feel deprived to have it 'only' on your island and go to a 2nd choice for the rest? Those are inner things that tug at each person's heart and soul differently.

Stonegirl wrote: Most stones are resined nowadays...

How do you know whether a granite is resined or not? And is this resin similar to what's used in quartz countertops? What is the value of adding resin to granite? TIA!

kmarcel, that's a tough decision and I feel your pain. I'm going through second guessing right now, too. I'm feeling a bit guilty about the money we're allotting to kitchen redo so I'm trying to figure out if I'd be just as happy with a less costly alternative. This seems so self-indulgent (we have a son heading to college, another to follow 2 years later) but then I remind myself that we intend to stay in this home for 10-15 more years. Besides I know how we work. Our short-term solutions always end up long term. Like the "temporary" closet organizers used as office furniture for 12 years.

rhome has shared excellent wisdom. It was meant for you but I intend to heed it, too (thanks, rhome!). Good luck with your decision!

You are all so right, I feel self-indulgent and do wonder if I will feel blessed or deprived.Right now I'm thinking I will feel deprived! I went to the granite place on my lunch and told her my thoughts and she felt that I may not be happy trying to find a laminate that works with this. She did say of course that she wasn't trying to sell me more granite. She also said that if I put a deposit (50%) that I can take as long, months if I want, to take delivery and whatever my balance, no matter how small or large I could then do 1 year interest free. By putting the deposit it will all come from the same lot because they would mark the slab sold. Really sounds tempting.

This granite is a cream color with the black specs and brownish redish tones, and as much as I know it will look good on my black island I think it will look even better on my cream colored cabinets! I will try to get some pixs.

Beware putting down a deposit in the expectation of taking delivery of the granite down the road. What if the granite place goes out of business? Then you lose your deposit. Maybe they are offering 10% off because business is down-- I'd be leery.

Sounds good, unless down the line, when you're writing checks to pay your monthly bills, it is a real burden to make the payment. If not, it does sound very tempting and beautiful. I like creamy granite on cream cabinets, too. :-)

Think of the difference in price divided over the next however many years you'll have it, then divided per month and see if it's worth it. If it comes out to something like $6/month, it's probably worth it. If it's more like $60, then it depends on your financial situation.

http://www.marvamarble.com/GRANITE-SiennaBordeaux.HTM

is this it?

I think you should go for it if your thinking about it that hard. It's only money and there is never enough. :) It's so easy to spend other peoples money. Hee hee.

These days it is very important to consider whether anyone you are dealing with may go out of business. We were partially lucky and partially the beneficiary of DH having the foresight to realize that a fabricator we were dealing with to use remnants for our bathrooms might not make it in this economy. When we did the deal with the fabricator DH did it as a sale of the stone with a bill of sale so we owned the stone no matter what happened. This way we were a creditor with a valid legal position in a bankruptcy. Sure enough the fabricator went out of business and we thought we would have to go to court for our stone or reimbursement but we got lucky because another company bought out contracts of the bankrupt company, secured the stone and made the deal for fabrication for us. The long and short of it for you is to make sure that your position is secure. I think in this economy a stone counter in the kitchen is worth two sitting in the stone yard or fabricators shop. Make your deal and get it done asap.

Unfortunately, a laminate will look terrible when placed in the same kitchen with a WOW granite. It will scream - someone made a mistake.

You could do the laminate now and replace it with a solid color granite such as black later on so that the contrast complements the other granite.

It will be hard to find the same granite in the future.
I would spend the extra money and do the entire kitchen in the same granite and cut costs someplace else. Try to talk them down considering that you will buy more if it were cheaper. Or find a cheaper source.

There are some pretty funky laminates out there - what about a solid coloured one (like a coppery brown?) or an interesting edge (square and thick)? Or mixing the granite island with a butcher block perimeter? I think that keeping the island as a wow is totally doable, perhaps going with a more solid/speckled granite down the road.

Other options for saving somewhat is to watch upgrades = like fancier edging or going with a more reasonably priced but beautiful granite for the perimeter countertop (with less expensive edging?)

Today I put a deposit on the same granite for the countertop too! This company has been around a long time and one of the most well known in this city so I'm not concerned about them going out of business. Besides I know once I get my island done I won't want to wait that long to do the rest.

I think you are right Pharaoh that it will look terrible. Maybe a butcher block or something completely different, but the laminates look too much like "fake" granite and by themselves in a kitchen are very nice, but not mixed with granite. My biggest deciding factor was that I think this granite will look really good on cream cabinets.

Yes Jan,that is the same Sienna. One of pictures looks like it has more red than what I picked out. There is alot of movement however. They are coming tomorrow do measure for the template and I will probably get the island done in the middle of June, maybe the rest in the fall, if I can wait that long!! I will post pictures once the island is done.

Can't wait to see...Congratulations!

It looks very pretty and I'm sure your going to be so happy you did it. How exciting! Congrats. Can't wait to see your finished pictures. Jan