BTW this is the agreed upon computer generated layout of the lower countertop and backsplash......I would have like to rotate the picture, but note that the backsplash is on the bottom of the picture while the front edge of the countertop is on the top of the picture.

Yes, - that is rather poor fabrication. I don't know how the computer generated graphic relates to the actual slab, but if you had agreed on a certain look, you should be given that look. If I were you, I would definitely ask them to redo it.

Wow, I would be incredibly disappointed. You did your due diligence, agreed upon a finished product, and paid a premium to ensure it happened. This is a centerpiece of your kitchen, and you will be mad every time you look at it. I would have them replace them. I'm sure it's possibly they would be able to reuse some of the pieces on another project.

I would start over and make them do it again or go somewhere else. Don't worry about what it costs them. The computer system is either not calibrated properly or the operator put in wrong numbers. Not your issue!

Wow, I can't believe someone would proceed putting this in. What would really bug me is that the edges don't even align (top horizontal surface on the second picture), regardless of the failure to match the pattern.

NoSoccer - I think I understand you correctly - but the edges would line up once the backsplash is installed and the piece is mitred into the top....for now I told them to hold off because a piece that is 3cm short is not acceptable...How the hell a reputable fabricator can be 3cm short just blows my mind.

Still waiting to hear back on their solution, and I really appreciate the input - as I want to be reasonable, but frankly my blood is boiling. It took me forever to find book matched calacutta gold with minimum "gold" elements.

I guess I don't understand. Would that backsplash piece then be nudged in where the two uneven edges meet?

"BTW this is the agreed upon computer generated layout of the lower countertop and backsplash......compared to the pictures of the finished product above, this layout is "upside-down"

Am I looking at this wrong? When I look at the computer layout, it shows the back of the countertop at the bottom of the picture along with the backsplash, and the front edge of the countertop is at the top of the picture, correct? While the matching of the pattern is off, it doesn't appear that the layout is upside down.

I would not be happy with that.

Jelly - ideally I could have rotated the layout picture so that the backsplash was on top of the picture and the front edge of the countertop was on the bottom. Ultimately, where the pieces were supposed to bookend on the countertop is off my 2 inches (the right piece is the one they messed up) and the backsplash doesn't match at all.

no-soccer - yes the backsplash piece would be nudged in.

BTW this is a picture of the island from further away (not showing the lower level which has the issue). Its a work in progress. Waiting to have a custom made 84 inch wide stainless hood to go atop the range area, and three levels of floating shelves along the far wall :)

That's a great approach Sophie. Iron hand, velvet glove and all that.

Redo. We have book matched seams and they don't look anything like that. There is no compromise solution to this- it all has to be redone.

The kitchen is going to be stunning--how disappointed you must feel.

"... the edges would line up once the backsplash is installed and the piece is mitred into the top ..."

It
appears from the wider shot that the back and side edges of the
countertop are mitered, but how will they miter the front edge of the
slab since it's already installed, even if the matching was acceptable? Are the pieces already mitered--the angle can't be seen in the photo?

I
think nosoccermom is seeing the same thing that I see--the two pieces
of upper countertop don't appear to line up flush, where they are
butted. When you run your finger over the edge seam, does one side stick
out a little more than the other?

Apart from the mismatch, to my eyes, that is a sloppy looking seam. How do your mitered edges look? Hopefully oldryder or srosen will weigh in.

I can't get past the sloppy seam work for the mismatch to bother me.

The sloppy and poorly color-matched seam is all I see.

Romy and Lantro - I'm glad you brought up the seam - what do you mean by sloppy. I've taken closer pictures of the seam and mitered front edge. I did think the seam was unnecessarily wide, but I'm no expert. Also the fabricator asked that I don't get overly concerned with the details - as they'll need 2 post install trips to finish/clean up the seams/edges (the mismatched countertop is of course not a post install fix).

Mana and nosoccermom - the countertop does line up flush. As for mitering the backsplash they already cut an angle in so they could do the work at the site. I've added a picture.

That's not what you contracted/paid for, so they need to redo it or refund you so you can go elsewhere. Don't worry about their loss - that's why they have insurance - and don't be persuaded to "live with it" for a discount unless the discount is significant and you really think it won't bother you.

It's not what you approved; they definitely need to redo at no cost to you, even though it means you'll have to invest more time finding the right slabs. BTW, I've attached a pic of my (quartz) seam so you can compare widths.

I hardly ever comment on threads like this because this level of quality of materials and cost is so far out of my personal experience. (It's gorgeous material, and a beautiful design.) But if it were me, I'd land on this fabricator with both feet, fast, to be sure they didn't think they could slow play you into accepting it.

Whether or not you accept a discount or have them redo it is hard for anyone but you to say; from your first post, I think you'd need a pretty huge discount to make up for how disappointed you are. (I would be too, based on the expectations they gave you with the detailed layout drawings.)

They messed up. New fancy tools have a learning curve. That learning curve should be their cost, not yours.

I hope you get this sorted out so you don't feel bad about the end results!

The great thing fabricators love about this kind of software is that it's a slam dunk when the customer objects after installation, because he can just show the customer the pictures he signed off on. Unfortunately for this guy, this works both ways. You're showing him the pictures you signed off on and they clearly don't match the installation.

With this level of sophistication, the seam is unacceptable.

The whole job is a slam dunk do-over.

Have your fabricator attend a trade show and see what bookmatching looks like:

As you can see, being even a little bit off on something that is supposed to match can look awful. This is one of the reasons why some clothes meant for Saks end up at Stein Mart or TJ Maxx. This seam would look best if it were matched, but would look WAY better than it does now if they had left it random.

Since you have an agreed upon layout, I would stand my ground and make them fix it. The problem is that you may not end up with book matched slabs that match the rest of your counters. You may have to choose between book matched slabs and matching materials. Personally, I'd go with matching materials (if there's some of the original bundle left or turning one of the sections around). Either way, it has to look better than what you have now.

And as others have said, I too think that seam is very poorly done. When I looked at your photo before reading the text, I thought that the seam was the point of contention. For a $3k Home Depot granite job, perhaps its par for the course. For something that was probably north of $15k, absolutely not.

siran808:

What substrate supports the cantilevered bar?

Joseph - the fabricator is supporting the bar top with around 8 metal brackets (I hope that answers your question as I'm not sure what you mean by substrate)

I'm typically not that picky about stuff like this, but those are crappy seams. Do over. Sorry you're having to deal with this. The kitchen looks amazing.

siran808:

Your last picture doesn't show any duplex receptacles in the splash. I would confirm with your electrical inspector that none are required before this splash is installed. You can't get a red tag for a mismatched seam, but a missing receptacle will get you one.