Hoping to gain some perspective here: A few months ago, I received a quote for Calacatta Nuvo countertops from my kitchen designer. The quote said it was for a 4cm “D-edge” edge profile, but did not include a picture of what the edge/profile would look like.

Knowing that edge profiles and countertop thickness can make a big difference in overall look as well as price, on the same day I received the quote, I sent my designer a picture of the edge look that I wanted, which I believe is a 3cm “pencil edge” (all pictures included below). In my email, I specifically asked whether there would be any additional cost for the edge profile in the picture. I thought her response was pretty unambiguous: “Thanks for the photo. The fabricator that we use their d-edge is exactly like the photo.”

Fast forward 3 months, my designer asked if I could come by the store with a cheque for the countertops, which are to be templated this week. I drove across town (in the snow with my two month old), sat down with her, and wrote out the cheque in full. Only after I had written and signed the cheque, she casually mentioned that the edge would have a horizontal seam running all along it. This is the first time a seam had ever been mentioned. She showed me a picture of what the profile would look like and it is NOTHING like the picture I had sent her as an example. She followed up with the fabricator, and apparently it will be over $1000 more to get the look in the picture I sent as an example.

Am I wrong to feel mislead by this? The image I sent clearly did not have a seam. I’m not a professional, and this is the first major renovation I’ve ever done, but to me it seems like this type of seam can make the difference between a really high end “slab” look and a cheap afterthought. I tried to go out of my way months ago to be clear in what I wanted so that there would be no surprise costs. I would have expected an obvious seam like this to be something my designer would have pointed out.

A few questions for people with more experience:

Has anyone ever done this type of seam with Calacatta Nuvo or another quartz or marble with a veining pattern? It seems like the seam will be extra noticeable because it is a flat edge (no fancy profiling) and a veined pattern (unless fabricator can line up veining exactly).

My designer knows that I’ve planned pretty much every other detail of my kitchen around the countertops: hardware, faucets, lighting, accents, etc., so it’s definitely too late to change my mind on the countertops. If the seam is going to ruin the look of my kitchen, is it unreasonable to expect that they would eat the extra cost of getting the 3cm pencil edge “slab” i had asked for and thought I was getting (roughly $1000 on a $45000 contract)?

Thanks in advance for the input!