Thursday, September 30, 2010

A few things...

Monday, September 27, 2010

Crema Bordeaux- Second Kitchen

Speaking of the Crema Bordeaux yesterday....
Here are some pictures of a Downstairs Kitchen that we did the countertops in.  The countertops are Crema Bordeaux granite and the edge detail is a Miter.
All photos are from MGS by Design's portfolio.

Friday, September 24, 2010

FAQ Friday: Can you backlight onyx?

You sure can! 
And in my opinion if you are going to spend the money on onyx you may as well put some lights behind it.
Photo source.

Working with onyx alone isn't easy.  It's a more difficult stone to work with for many reasons.  Throw backlighting into the mix and it makes it even more difficult.  Backlighting onyx isn't just throwing whatever light you want behind it.  I've seen many backlit onyx pieces look horrible and it's sad because I'm sure the homeowner paid good money for the stone and the fabrication/ installation. 

There are a few factors to consider when backlighting onyx...
1) Make sure the onyx is transparent enough.  Some onyx slabs just won't show the light well.  I use a flashlight to test all areas of the slab before committing to backlight it.
2) Choose the correct lights.  I have some secrets of the best lights that I'm not going to share here (sorry, sometimes I just don't feel like helping out my competition).  All lighting is not created equal.  You want a nice soft, overall glow.  You shouldn't be able to SEE the lights, unless it's a design decision that you want to and you have them carefully designed and placed.
One more hint....make sure they are lights that last awhile.  You don't want to be going through the hassle of changing them all the time.  Also on that note, make sure you have access to change them.  Seems like common sense right?  Unfortunately I've seen people forget that small step.
3) Work with an experienced and reputable fabricator.  You will pay more for this fabricator, but I promise it will be worth it.  There are tricks to placing the lighting and installing the slab.  There are tricks to choosing the right slab of onyx and fabricating the piece.  All of this knowledge costs money.  Sorry, but you get what you pay for in the stone industry.

Here's a picture of a poor installation of backlit onyx countertops.  I'm not going to credit this photo because I got it from the fabricator's website and...well, I shouldn't embarrass them. 
You should NOT be able to see the strand of light like this.  I wouldn't be proud and showing this off on my website if I were them.  Just sayin'.

I don't want to end this on an ugly note, so here is another beautiful (and correct) installation...
 Photo source.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

If you like a firm bed...

This bed made of Onyx may be for you.
  It even comes with an onyx pillow. 

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Awesome Outdoor Kitchen

I love the unique design on this Outdoor Kitchen we did awhile back.
The granite is Lapidus and the edge detail is a Bevel Step Half Moon. 

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Cute Girl's Bathrooms

Today I thought I'd show pictures of two cute girl's bathrooms that we did the countertops and tile in a couple of years ago.  Both countertops are the Quartz Reflections.  The slabs are 2 cm with a 1 1/2" Ogee Square Edge Detail.  These two, very cute, bathrooms are in the same house.
 

Monday, September 20, 2010

Naturally CaesarStone

CaesarStone has eight colors that contain recycled content. 
What is the recycled content in the slabs?  The Quartz Reflections and Ruby Reflections colors are recycled glass and mirrors.  The other slabs contain recycled remnants of CaesarStone...pretty cool right?

Today I took a picture of the recycled colors.  They are (from left to right) Marrone, Quartz Reflections, Ruby Reflections, Smoky Ash, Chocolate Truffle, Carbone, Starry Night and Spring Blossom.
Photo by me.

Here's the breakdown of the recycled content that my oh-so-smart CaesarStone Rep. provided me with...
*Carbone and Marrone-42 % CaesarStone remnants
*Ruby Reflections-35% post consumer glass and mirrors.
*Quartz Reflections-30% post consumer glass and mirrors.
*Chocolate Truffle and Smoky Ash- 17% post consumer glass.

Above is a beautiful kitchen with Quartz Reflections CaesarStone countertops.  Photo from CaesarStone's website.

Also click here for pictures of the Chocolate Truffle kitchen that we did a few months ago.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

White Diamonds granite in kitchen

White Diamonds is a beautiful black and white granite.  It's a good choice for the customer that doesn't want a lot of movement and veining in their slabs but still wants it to have some character.
Here are some pictures of a kitchen we completed awhile back that used the White Diamonds granite.  The edge detail is a 2 1/4" Miter.
*All photos from MGS by Design.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Vessel Sinks from Stone Forest

I love Stone Forest.  I often spend more time than I should on their website ogling over all their amazing sinks and bathtubs.
I talked about the bathtubs from Stone Forest here.  They also have a beautiful line of vessel sinks.  Here are some of my favorites...
Urban Vessel Sink shown in Multi Colored Onyx.

Verona Vessel Sink shown in Multi Colored Onyx.
Zen Vessel Sink shown in Black Granite.
Milano Sink shown in Carrara marble.
Cirque Vessel shown in Sandstone.
Roma Vessel shown in Papiro Cream marble.

Check out Stone Forest's website to see their full line.  Which sink is your favorite?  Today my favorite is the Roma Vessel, I just love the shape.

All images via Stone Forest.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Amazing deal on Madura Gold granite!

We recently purchased a block of 2 cm Madura Gold granite.  We had it pre-fabricated in China with a 1 1/2" Sandwich edge detail.  
Madura Gold is generally sold as a "group 3" priced granite (on a scale of 1-5, five being the most expensive). 
We are selling our pre-fabricated slabs of Madura Gold for less than "group 1" pricing! 
Are you sitting down? 
An average sized kitchen would only cost $2200.00! 
TOTAL. 
That includes material, fabrication, installation (within our region), sink cut outs, faucet holes....EVERYTHING. 

We have Islands that are 48" x 96" (pictured below).


We also have Kitchen Runs that are 108" x 25 1/2" (pictured below) and Vanities that are 96" x 22 1/2".  Both the Kitchen Runs and Vanities include 4" backsplash.

Madura Gold is a really soft and warm colored granite.  It's pretty neutral.  These slabs that we have here in stock are very beautiful, the color is great.
Here are some pictures I found online of finished projects using Madura Gold.

If you don't like the Square Sandwich edge detail that is on the countertops right now, for a small charge we can make the edge detail a Half Bullnose, Full Bullnose, Half Moon, Chisel, 3/4" or 1 1/4" Laminated Bevel, Ogee Square or Ogee Bullnose.  You can see these edges here.

Call or email us today for a FREE BID!  These are going fast....even quicker than we thought they would so don't wait!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Radianz Quartz by Samsung

We are excited to announce a great new addition to our quartz selections here at MGS by Design. 
We will now be carrying Radianz by Samsung exclusively in Utah County.
I'm excited about Radianz for a couple of reasons.  One is that Samsung is a trusted and established brand name.  And two is the thing I'm most excited about....the slabs are larger than other quartz brands.  I think this will make a big difference for some client's who barely go into another slab due to the slab size.
It's priced very competitively with other quartz brands.
They have a great color selection.  You can see the color options here.
Contact us today for your free estimate!
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