I guess it depends on what product YOU like the best - what others would prefer doesn't really matter in this instance. A good fabricator can hide a seam fairly well...

Thanks for your comment Sammie J. The seam would be under our windows in the corner and I’m concerned it will be noticeable. I’m somewhat flexible about the counters mainly because I haven’t seen anything I love (other than marble and quartzite, which are too fragile IMO).

I chose seamless counters and love seamless. I have Silestone quartz countertops in a galley style kitchen. There are lots of posts with people unhappy regarding their countertop seams appearance.

Can you check with another fabricator to see if that one says the same thing? I ask because when I got quotes for my recently installed counters in a U shape kitchen, one fabricator had a huge, full counter width seam at one of the L corners. Not at all what I wanted! I ended up with a small seam in front and back of the sink (my sink isn't in the corner but is instead in one of the legs of the U).

I chose soapstone and like it a lot. Since you are considering darker granites, take a look at soapstone.

Julieste, I measured the width and it is ever so slightly too wide—about 65.5 inches—for and of the bigger name jumbo quartz slabs. So I think if I went with those brands,I’d have a seam. Because the sink is in the corner (wig expanse) and the windows are there, the seam probably would be more noticeable than a non-corner seam at the sink.

Kculbers, thanks for your comment. I love your kitchen. :-) My husband and I are picky so I feel like we will be unhappy with the seam and would rather go seamless.

I had a choice to go with one seam or two in my u-shaped kitchen. Going with the one seam option, would have meant that I was going to have rounded inside radiuses at both corners, so that the corners would match in appearance, as a rounded corner and a square corner would have looked unballanced and odd. I decided to go with two seams so I could have squared inside corners--a look I preferred--but maybe you are ok with the rounded corners. My seams are nearly invisible, because I carefully selected a countertop that had qualities that would hide seams well. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2591550/granite-counters-round-or-square-inside-corner

U shape requires a seam, no matter the width. You cannot ever fit an exact width anything into a space constrained on multiple sides like that. Not without damaging something.

Theresa21, thanks for bringing this issue up. I hadn’t even thought of how the corners would look with one piece vs. a seam or two seam. I will definitely mention it to the fabricator to see what my options are. We typically have done an eased edge in our kitchen/bath renovations, but I have always had galley kitchens with no turns.

Verbo—thanks for commenting. Are you a fabricator? The fabricators I have talked to have not indicated that we must have a seam for the 102x.65.5 due to the size. And the corner of that run has a sink cutout. Not sure that matters or not. But I will definitely ask about the risk of damage and whether it is even possible to do one piece. It would be a waste of time to look for different material if I need seams anyway.

Hi Joseph, hopefully I can find a fabricator who can do a seam that well. Not sure I will, which is why I am asking if I should try to do a single piece instead. If you were my fabricator, would you need/advise to do a seam based on the kitchen layout I described above—corner sink (42 corner sink base) with a 102 x 65.5 L-shape run (shorter run ends at our stove)?

I am moving my range 8” in order to have no seams! It was worth the extra cost to love range and micro because I know I would be unhappy with a seam in quartz near sink.

I am a fabricator. Properly done a seam in quartz is not noticeable; NOT invisible just not noticeable. My advice to you is to decide on the look you want and go from there. If your selected color has a lot of movement the seam will be more noticable because of the grain transition at the seam. A competent fabricator can show you what that will look like before anything is cut.

Thanks for your advice. Had Taj Mahal quartzite installed recently. We have a seam and it’s not invisible but looks fine.

Your countertop is bueatiful and I can barely see the seam! Good job @brn33!