Oh Peke, that's a nightmare. :( How frustrating that it's so close but so far away from working.

That does sound like a fairly large slab to begin with...not sure that a ton of them are going to be much larger, so it might be difficult to find one that you like as a single slab. As I recall, you were having a tough time with slabs that you loved anyway, right?

If you need to go to a 2nd slab, do they charge you for the full 2nd slab or do they do partial slabs? Our fabricator would do 1/3 and 1/2 slabs. If they don't allow that, do you have other places that you could use the rest of the slab???

Since you said that there isn't enough for the part that hangs over the counter, I'm assuming this is for the island...any chance that the island could be 3 inches smaller? This might be a less expensive option than buying an additional slab maybe?

I have no suggestion for a different slab that might work well with yours Sea Pearl if you decide to go with a contrasting slab.

I love contrasting slabs! but thats all I really have to offer. It always seems that contrasting slabs make one more of a focal point!

jen

I say look for a 2nd slab and use it for your backsplash as well. I was set on 6 cm edges on all surfaces, but they couldn't match the veining well enough and there were no more matching slabs. I could only get a 6cm edge on my baking bump out. It left enough stone for me to have a full height slab backsplash. I worried that it would be too dark, but it is so wonderful having my beloved granite in a vertical application so I can enjoy it from across the room. The cost for the splash was actually less than some of the higher end tiles I was considering.

Sea Pearl is beautiful. Use it everywhere if you can :-)

I think in this case, I'd consider manufactured countertops for the perimeter. Or do a built in cutting board somewhere to free up a few inches. There are plenty of (vertical) cabinet filler pieces, you would think there were at least a few (horizontal) countertop filler ideas!

I'm sorry to hear your slab is too small. If you can find a wider slab that you like that could be an option, but I don't know where you are and how feasible that will be.

Anyway, I thought I'd share my experience which may or may not help you! -- after months of searching I found two beautiful Mother of Pearl/Monte Bello slabs to use in my new kitchen - an L shaped perimeter and an island. Long story short, the installation was messed up on the perimeter. My options were to replace everything in order to get matching slabs (two slabs, which, if you are looking at Sea Pearl you know what $$ I was looking at re-spending -- even if I was refunded for one slab and part of the installation) or come up with a Plan B (your option #3). I opted to preserve the island which was perfectly fine, and replace the MOP perimeter with a manufactured product (Caesarstone Cinder). The result was so much better than I thought it might be. The Caesarstone ended up framing the island so that the MOP there really stands out. I'm so pleased with the result.

As to your question of what (manufactured material) would go with the Sea Pearl -- I haven't seen your slab, but around here (central TX) the Sea Pearl I've seen has lots of movement and lots of depth of color. When looking for something to coordinate with the MOP, we found that sticking with a more solid coloring worked out better. Anything with too much variation competed with the MOP vs. complementing it. I went to a fabricator that carried everything -- Caesarstone, Silestone, Corian, Cambria, etc. with a sample from my slab and just chose the material based on the best color.

Good Luck.

Can the cabinets it sits on be an inch smaller ?

Thank you for all the ideas that I didn't think of. I made the island smaller and sent the drawing to the fabricator. Instead of 48" by 96 it is now 44" by 90". This is barely going to make it. I knocked off 6" on one side because there has to be a 2 3/4" by 36" bridge with two seams across the back of the rangetop. The seams may or may not match with the countertop. I guess it won't be seen since it is behind the island trim. There cannot be any mistakes with this one slab.

If the fabricator messes up the slab who pays for the new slab and labor? Surely if they okay the slab and drawings, they are responsible if they mess up. Isn't that why they charge more for the slab?

Peke

I like the idea of different countertops. How do you feel about butcher block? I think something nondescript on the perimeter maybe even a man made stone would let your beautiful stone on the island sing.

I'm hoping you speed right through this problem.

Peke,

Sounds like you already have your solution. I'm sure this had already been checked, but sometimes the stone yard has some variety with the slab sizes in the same bundle. For example, your 126' x 75' slab might have available a slightly larger size, usually in one direction like a 126' x 78' or a 129' x 75'. Rarely both directions will be larger. And if book matched slabs, they are always the same size. Might not help solve your layout problem and you might have chosen your exact slab for looks and not size, but might be worth checking.

I can recommend with the one slab that is being fabricated, and all of the trouble that you went thru to find this, that you put a second slab on hold at the stone yard just till yours is fabricated and installed. Will give you piece of mind. Preferably put it on hold yourself and keep up with the hold 'fall off' date, and put a second hold on to extend it if needed. And take off the hold once yours is installed and all ok.

And to your question on who pays for the slab if they mess up, it would be the fabricator. I missed your posts on getting the slab, so unless they are working with one that you purchased directly, that would be the case.

Hope all goes well for you. You have really been thru the ringer on this one. It is a gorgeous slab and will really look and function great!

Cindi

I am toying with the idea of a butcherblock on the 30" to the right of the rangetop. It is right by the wall.

There will be stainless steel, I think, on the wall behind the rangetop. I had planned to put the stainless steel down the wall 6" like Bluestar says. Then I was going to use a 3" x 36" granite for the small strip behind the trim piece.

Now I wonder if I could somehow run the stainless steel down the wall 6" below the island trim AND somehow use stainless steel on the 3" x 36" piece instead of the quartzite.

Would that look weird to have Sea Pearl, then rangetop with stainless steel, then wood top for the last 30"?

Thanks! Peke

My Sea Pearl does not have a lot of movement. I cannot imagine what granite to match it to. I don't really like the dark colors because I only have one window in the kitchen.

This 30" cabinet is against the wall so I could put butcher block there. Directly across it is a spice cabinet that is 6" deep. Not an ideal place for a butcher block top.

The sink countertop is 101" so it is possible I could find a slab that length. I just cannot imagine any granite that would go with the Sea Pearl and still keep the room light.

Here is one Sea Pearl polished.

Hi Peke,

Just wanted to pop in and say that is one gorgeous slab! I hope you find a way to use it.

Gigi, did you get yours installed yet? Seems like you said the middle or end of July. Peke

Going to the house tomorrow to meet with the fabricator for template. Figure another week or two until install. In the meantime, ordered a natural cherry top for the island. Hoping it's all going to come together beautifully.

You asked if it would look weird to have the various finishes, including butcher block, in one counter run. Here's mine. I like it. But I wasn't thinking about looks - I really needed the function in my small kitchen. Having the granite BS unifies the space, too.

gigi, I can't wait to see your kitchen!

Ginny, that really looks good. I think you are right about the backsplash helping to meld everything.

Peke

I had dinner at a home last night. She took all the extra granite and used it to make a square kitchen table. She bought legs from an unfinished furniture store, and stained them to match kitchen cabinets.

Just a thought, if you have to pay for an extra slab.

bookworm, that sounds interesting. I could do that with the way my kitchen is laid out. I just don't want to buy two slabs if I don't have to.

Pek