Way too many questions remain, not the least of which is why you didn't arrange for a sitter for the kids and stay HOME for the install. Or have hubby stay home.

"I actually put two colors on hold but never saw them physically Pavle the bundles for me."

I am so confused...............

You're young. You'll get over it. You have a new house, young children, and lots of time to be aggravated over much more important things. Don't beat yourself up over this. Did this cost less than the builder wanted for the countertop? Wonderful. Enjoy your new kitchen with its lovely counters. Hire a babysitter and go out to dinner with your husband with your savings.

ALWAYS SEE THE ACTUAL SLAB THAT WILL BE INSTALLED IN YOUR HOME

This is a lesson learned. You didn't see the actual slab in person and this is the risk one takes when doing that. Your kitchen still looks beautiful so chalk this up to a learning experience and move on. Quartz does vary between batches so they're not lying to you. Next kitchen remodel you know to personally select your exact slab and supervise install.

This is why i cringe every time I read a suggestion to install things after closing on a new build to save money.

Is this Daltile Nature Flecks? If so, I went to Daltile's website and White Sand seems to match your counters and is more grey than your samples.

This is Jasmine White which looks more like your samples on my monitor.

I think your counters look great. They read white, not grey, and are fabulous with your floor. They're neutral and I can't imagine that they clash with the rest of your house.

It may not have been what you were expecting but I agree that it turned out beautifully.

barncatz, whatever you see on your computer screen will NOT be what you see in person. this is a major problem that I see in Design Dilemmas every day. There are a multitude of reasons that you need to see a color in YOUR space in YOUR light, and cannot discern the subtleties of neutrals by viewing them on a computer or even on the printed page.

Read this discussion on color for a visual illustration on the problems in selecting color:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5820599/help-me-find-a-color

I did see the slab in person and it was not this color. That is my point is that these are not the slabs I ordered. Yes, they are beautiful just not what I asked for. I looked at numerous samples of the color in my space with my lighting. I even compared it to the slab I thought I was getting to be sure there were no differences.

my mom is in the business but on the manufacturing side. I took my time to pick the right color and it’s frustrating that it is not what I got.

I appreciate the kind and thoughtful words and insight. For the person who basically told me to suck it up and should have had my husband watch kids, thanks! If that was an option I would have, but It wasn’t.

bichon babe, I did it after closing because there simply wasn’t enough time to choose what I wanted and I wasn’t 100% sure with the look I wanted at that time. I thought it would be better to take my time creating my house rather than going by their timelines. Saving money ways just a byproduct.

I do see the difference you are talking about. But I think your kitchen looks lovely. Ignore Jan and people Like her that simply make people feel worse about there situation. Good luck to you.

Agree with

Diana Bier Interiors, LLC. It looks great to me from here but if you want to add warmth change the lighting temp to a warmer temp like Diana suggested and enjoy your kitchen. Looks great so far. No point in beating yourself up. Enjoy it.

How about this? This is what I’m really hung up on... my master bath

You can get a remnant from your fabricator. Many of them have lots of options.

It will be an additional charge to you, but an easier issue to resolve versus changing an entire kitchen counter.

Diana, perhaps I wasn't clear. I understand the monitor issue which is why I mentioned it.

turfmeetssurf--you say you saw the slab in person but it was not this color? How is that possible? It seems that maybe it's just the lighting that's the issue.

What do you dislike about the master bath? I think the counter top is fresh, and it brings together the white grout in the shower and other whites in the room.

Agreed, they read white, not gray, and white goes with everything! Who knows, maybe down the road you might want to change your wall color, and white counters are much easier to match with...As for your bathroom yes it’s a little stark, but it doesn’t bother me. As the others said you can easily change that one out for a remnant at minimal cost.

Wait a minute! First it's the kitchen counter, now it's the master bath?!

And Jan thought she was confused before...

This is just free-floating angst. Focus!

did you see the slabs at the distributor and sign off on them? that is what we did - i had ordered 6 x 9 samples from the manufacturer to be sure as the stores samples were too small (4 of them in the color we chose); ordered our quartz and then brought my samples to the shop and looked at all 3 of our slabs to compare with their light and our own flashlights; i also had them do a rendering / plan of which direction the quartz would be cut and used in the kitchen.. what does your order say is the color? contact the manufacturer and order a new sample of the one you chose to compare with what you were given.. it is understandable that you did not want kiddos home and underfoot but in hindsight i would have at least stayed long enough to check the slabs before they were installed; contact the distributor and tell them you have an issue and would like them to send someone over to check your samples against what they supplied your fabricator with and make sure your fabricator was given the correct product. as a last resort if you cannot replace these paint your walls to complement the counters in kitchen and bathroom and call it a day - your counters are beautiful - your kitchen is beautiful - the current counters look great with your cabinets and trim and you can leave as is... Good luck in whatever you decide to do :-)

I agree how did we get from the kitchen to the bathroom sorry but IMO you dropped the ball when it was in your court. You choose slabs you mark them and you make sure when they come they are the ones you choose that is what happens when you decide to do this yourself.Yes dye lots differ that is why you choose your slabs that are on site . I agree choose 300K Leds and move on this is a battle I am pretty sure you will not win

When the slabs were delivered to your fabricator, what color was written on his paperwork? Is it the same that you had ordered? I have seen dye lot differences and this seems a bit more. What brand is your quartz? Do you have any areas where you can see underneath to see if there is a stamp or code that you can confirm with the manufacturer to be sure this is the correct color??

While, I do agree that if it is a dye lot issue, you will not win this battle; but lets make sure you got the right tops in the first place.

Good luck

To be honest, I prefer what you received over the samples.

When I selected my quartz, my fabricator had me come in and approve the template. The slabs had my name on them and I brought in the sample to compare. Even though it was clear that my slabs were ordered correctly, there was still a big difference between seeing the tiny sample vs the big slab. Then when the countertops were brought to my house, the installers made me come out and look at them on the truck and sign off that they were correct before they brought them in the house. I took a day off of work to make sure everything was correct. My point is when you take this into your own hands, it becomes your responsibility to make sure everything is correct before installation.

All you can do at this point is verify that this is the same pattern. If the wrong thing was ordered, then yes, it's on them, but on my monitor the pattern looks close enough where it just could be a difference in dye and how they cured.

turfmeetssurf you are not crazy, this is a huge variance in the color. The one installed is a blue gray white vs the creamy samples.

While I agree that you can expect some variance from one slab to the next, a high quality quartz is going to have little variance from slab to slab. They have formulas that standardize the amounts of each component and quality controls in place to ensure that what they manufacture and you purchase is not discernibly different from slab to slab. (Granite is natural and has a much wider threshold for color and pattern variance.)

If this is a bargain basement quartz, the quality control checks may not be part of their manufacturing process and may account for the ability to produce Quartz at a lower cost.

I would not just lay down and agree. I would fight. I would remind the dealer that he is the expert and if this was a risk he should have discussed the risk with you. I woultd want proof that this was the color that you ordered. I would want to see additional slabs that are in stock.

I sometimes don't win, but generally if they believe that you will be noisy - you will go to the BBB, you will write reviews, you will let every person you know that they are not to be trusted, companies will protect their reputation rather than leave a noisy, unhappy customer harm their business.

This happened to a friend. A different quartz than what she ordered was installed. She was persistent and it was replaced. I would not accept it. Your countertop should match your sample.

Just to be clear everyone.... This countertop was put throughout the house! My qualm is that my house color ways are creams and beige. The undertone of the quartz is GREY! While it works in my kitchen just fine (although not what I initially set out for), it definitely clashes mores in the bathrooms because my bathroom tiles are creams and beiges.

As for seeing the stone in person, this is exactly WHY I am baffled! I saw the stone and I made sure it matched with the multiple samples that I was given. Now, it does NOT match at all and clearly looks to be from a different slab all together. Yet they are calling it white quartz. Bottom line: these are not my slabs!

I've spoken to the rep and at this point they are not even to get the "correct" color. They are waiting to hear from my what I request to make this right..... I am trying to determine what my best plan of action is..... I appreciate those who have made productive comments.

Were you able to look under any of the tops for code numbers? I feel like if you are going to have any leg to stand on, the first thing that needs to be determined is if you even have the right slabs.

What brand is this quartz?

The SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO ME !

I am so sorry to read of another misadventure.... I am almost ashamed to admit that I arrived home on installation day, excited to see my new counter tops and then literally burst into tears. 1st world problems, I know.... but still. I was more that 50 years old when I finally got to design/pick my own kitchen.

In my case, I wanted something more white but got something more grey, making the whole room look really drab. We used a company called Compac which was supremely unhelpful and unsympathetic - would never recommend (I've posted about them).

I went man-made quartz since I didn't have the time to go look at natural stone/granite/marble slabs (where we live, 2 hours away and I too was overwhelmed with a whole-house renovation). As an engineer I had mistakenly thought that since it was a man-made substance the manufacturers would have some kind of quality control which would allow for consistency or at least a smaller range of possible outcomes (I'm an engineer).

I was rather unhelpfully told afterwards that one should always pick exact slabs, even for man-made materials.

For those who say she should have been home to see the installation, she would have been told the exact same thing.

And by the way, after 3 years I still notice it. The good news is that I now no longer feel like I've been punched in the stomach every time I enter the kitchen....

Fight it! Don't just settle for what they gave you. It is clearly wrong, and YOU have to live with it. Make sure they understand that this is being discussed on Houzz. Let them know you will tell everyone you know. Write letters to the CEO. Call the BBB.

Big companies just run people over because when they screw up, they don't want to correct it. Squeaky wheels get greased, so be one.

I'm sorry this happened to you. And don't listen to the "pros" who tell you that it's your fault, you should have been there, etc. Companies need to take some responsibility for their products and your orders. We as a culture have allowed this kind of business practice to become commonplace, and it shouldn't be.

I understand your frustration. But if this is the biggest problem in your life you are one very lucky individual. Move on!

I believe you contractually should get what you ordered. As in remove the countertops that were "NOT" ordered and install the ones that were ordered. I wonder who got your original ones?

I'm with frznpch. I would be livid. Find the contract. Stop payment. Do whatever you have to to get what you CHOSE and paid for. I feel awful for you and mariejose124 who went through the same thing. You've already had the high cost of materials and installation, now you're paying the price in anxiety, self-doubt, etc. As a consumer, I take it very personally when I feel I've been taken advantage of. At the very least, get some money back...

Compromise and ask them to replace the bathrooms and live with the kitchen...repainting walls may also help. Good luck.

Thank you for words of encouragement! I am engaged in conversations with the district manager and being as amicable as possible. I’m just hoping they do the right thing and compensate in some manner as I am not interested in going through more construction to have them replaced. Trying to make it work. They have been communicative and I am very hopeful! Thanks again!

If you bought name brand (Silestone, etc) the mfr should fix this. If you bought Chinese or India-produced products, they vary a great deal. Chinese and India-based products are not food safe due to the resins they use. Good luck.

Were there signs posted in the store that samples may vary from actual product? Did your contract say you need to verify the slab? WTF? Everyone knows that undertone matters, meat and potatoes of the design industry, and the photos show a marked difference. That is why they offer so many countertop options, it matters. It is a pretty countertop, but I would not settle. At least find out what dollar max in small claims court and go that route. They may cave once they have a court case to deal with. And pretty sure a judge would see your point. Maybe take photos of showroom to show no slab warning, etc. but if color variance is common it should be on the contract. Home Depot sells off 2” samples and gets the right product. Just like clothing people put the dye variation is not defect on clothes, if there is a possibility it should be disclosed. Manufacturers should have tolerances on color, especially base color. Yours is quite off. Don’t settle. They will wear you out, wait you out. small claims, Yelp, google reviews...they have a lot to loose.

Let us know what works out. So disappointing, I think you now realize looking at a slab instead of tagging and designating as yours were the issue. They could have been more helpful and explained that to you. I recently got a colonial white granite and went to 6 yards to find the perfect slabs. I also looked at quartz and was told to tag the slabs as well due to variances which I wouldn't have thought with a manmade product. Most of the places recorded our favorite slabs to make it easier to purchase.

If you can get them to change your bathrooms and keep the kitchen as someone else suggested that may be a fair way to divide responsibility. If it makes you feel better we have several rooms of tile where we asked for the wrong color

We had samples from two floor and decor stores and in the end it was the best mistake we made as we love what we have now.. They were in almost a month before we noticed when we pulled out samples as we selected so many materials. WE have the whiter tiles and they go so much better with our cabinets, tile and counters as we were afraid to go with something so white.on the floor. Hopefully you will grow to love yours too. We specified Sahara Sand instead of the Sahara Autumn. I consider it divine intervention.

Good luck

I had a similar experience I wasn’t 100% sold on my original quartz countertop choice and went to the distributor to view other options. I found a countertop that I liked and saw the actual slab but was still at work when it was installed several weeks later. My husband was home when it was installed but as he wasn’t with me at the distributor’s showroom and as the countertop was somewhat similar to the small sample they had given me at the distributor, he assumed that is was exactly what I had ordered. However, pictures I had taken of the slab showed I was right. Is this the worst thing in the world? Of course not but we all work hard for the money that we spend on our homes and it’s disappointing when things like this occur.

I feel your pain, and you know what? It is a big problem. I'm in my 50's and going thru the process for the first time. I didn't do anything recommended by the designers on this blog. My template is being taken this weekend. I can only imagine the POS countertops I will end up with.

@SNJmom SNJmom - Just making the template this weekend - they have not cut any of the stone yet - tell them you need to see the stone before they cut.