• Cultivate had a great article about where to splurge and where to save on your kitchen appliances.  Are High-End Appliances Really Worth It?  
• I love seeing pictures of stone quarries. They fascinate me.  Digging Into the History of Vermont Granite Quarries was an interesting article with a lot of fun pictures.
• If you follow us on Instagram you saw that we installed a beautiful Soapstone Kitchenette this week. Soapstone is one of my very favorite natural stones.  Read more about it on Houzz...  Counter Intelligence: Durable, Easy-Clean Soapstone.

Contemporary Kitchen by Somerville Architects & Designers Frank Valdes

Slab Sunday: Vein Cut Silver Travertine

Silver Travertine is quarried in Italy.

 

Photo: Counter Culture

 In this post we will be focusing on Vein Cut Silver Travertine.  The Vein Cut slabs are really popular right now.
Vein cut is the linear pattern.  To read the difference between Vein Cut vs Cross cut go here.

Photo: Walker Zanger

Designed by Steven Gambrel.  Photo: Elle Decor.

 Silver Travertine is a beautiful warm and grey stone.  There are quarries Turkey and Iran that produce a silver travertine as well, but what we mainly use here is the Italian Silver Travertine.

Photo: Kitchen Clarity

Beautiful conference room, they made the floor and table base the focal point instead of the actual table.  It's a great look.

Photo: Marble of the World

Other names for Silver Travertine include: Siena Silver, Silver Screen, Ocean Silver and Amorium Silver.

Photo: By Design Builders via Houzz.

Here's a picture of the block of travertine before it's been cut and processed. 

Photo: Alibaba

Incredible sink and bathtub from Stone Forest that are made from blocks of Silver Travertine.

Photo: Stone Forest

Photo: Artistic Stoneworks

Usually we see Silver Travertine used in pretty contemporary spaces.  As you can see in the photo below, it doesn't have to be the case.  This stone looks great with the Ogee edge detail and with the more southwest looking tile.

Photo: Pacific Stoneworks

Photo: Italy Stone Marble

Silver Travertine is available in 2 cm and 3 cm slabs as well as tile.

Saturday Link Up!

I'm always finding fun articles from around the web that I want to share with you, our readers.  Every Saturday I link up my favorite articles from the week that I think you'll enjoy as well.
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Selecting shower tile can be a little tricky.  For some great info and tips read the article on Houzz, Top 10 Tips for Choosing Shower Tile.

Traditional Bathroom design by Denver Architect David Johnston Architects

Nine times out of ten by the time clients get to us they are at the end of their project and at the end of the budget.  5 Ways to Design on a Budget on The Interior Collective has some great advice on how to plan ahead and not be over budget by the time you are ready for countertops.

Eclectic Kitchen design by San Francisco Interior Designer Kelly Berg, Arte Styling
Raven CaesarStone countertops.

 I LOVE seeing stone quarries in action.  Check out this video taken at the Danby Quarry in Vermont!

Enjoy this beautiful autumn weekend!

FAQ Friday: How is Granite Formed?

Granite is formed when magma (molten rock) is forced between other rocks in the Earth's crust. It cools and crystallizes deep underground. As it cools slowly large crystals are formed. Granites often form large intrusions in the core of mountain ranges, and they are usually surrounded by zones of metamorphic rock (rock that has been altered by heat or pressure). Granite areas have characteristic moorland scenery. In exposed areas the bedrock may be weathered along joints and cracks to produce a tor, consisting of rounded blocks that appear to have been stacked upon one another.

Below are a few quarry pictures. I am so fascinated by quarries.
Also, go to our website here if you'd like to see more quarry photos.

Photo: Roman Victor      Rock of Ages # 1,
Active Section, E.L. Smith Quarry, Barre, Vermont, 1991

 

 

Photo: The Brooklyn Rail

Photo: Central Coast Tourist.

Do you read Paul Anatar's blog Kitchen and Residential Design? It's a great blog to follow daily. Anyway, I really enjoyed his post called Here's a Working Definition on Granite, check it out. Also, read the comments on this post. I posted a funny story of a customer telling me how Verde Marinace granite was formed.

Saturday Link Up!

Happy Saturday everyone!  I have a few really great links that I wanted to share with you all today.

Through the lens of a Quarryman was posted on Walker Zanger's blog this week.  It's a collection of black and white photos taken at an Italian quarry.  It reminded me how amazing & beautiful Mother Nature and this industry are.  Really, you must check this out.

Photo: Walker Zanger

 10 New Looks For Fireplace in Older Homes on Houzz has some great fireplace photos and design inspiration.

Traditional Family Room design by San Francisco Kitchen And Bath Julie Williams Design

I thought Apartment Therapy's article Make Your Bed! For Productivity, Profit and Peace was pretty interesting.  I'm one of those people that have to have my bed made every day.  It drives me crazy when I get into an unmade bed at night!

Photo: Kaboodle.  If my bed looked this perfect everyday I'd be a happy camper.  :)

 Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Saturday Link Up!

Here are a few things from around the web that I enjoyed this week....

• A Traditional Kitchen Goes Modern on Shelter Pop.  Be sure to check out the 'Before' photos.  It looks like soooo many of the kitchens here in Utah (sadly including my own).  The 'After' photo (below) gives me hope. 

Photo: Shelter Pop

• The pictures of Artistic Tile's Danby Quarry Tour on their Facebook page are pretty cool.  I wish I was invited.  ;)
• Interior Designer Harry Daniell went on the aforementioned Danby Quarry Tour.  You can read his account on his blog.

Photo: Artistic Tile

 

AMAZING video of the Carrara quarry

I saw this on Walker Zanger's Facebook page over the weekend and just had to share it. It's stunning.
BJ made fun of me, but I said I wanted my ashes scattered over this quarry.
I'm only half kidding.
Enjoy the video!

Slab Sunday: Carrara marble

For as much as I talk about Carrara marble around here I can't believe that I am just getting around to doing a Slab Sunday about it.
Better late than never though.  Today is all about Carrara marble.

Carrara marble is quarried from a bedrock quarry in Carrara, Italy. 
It is a dream of mine to someday visit this quarry.  If I were to have a bucket list, this would be on it.  :)
There are several quarries in this region that produce white marble.  Carrara is actually one of the least expensive marbles that comes out of this area.

Photo from MGS by Design.  This is a slab from our current stock.

Carrara marble has rich history.  It has been used in construction and sculptures for centuries.  The Pantheon and Trajan's Column in Rome are constructed out of it.  Michelangelo's David, was carved from Carrara marble. For Michelangelo, Carrara marble was valued above all other stone. 

Below is a picture of the Carrara quarry in Italy.

Photo: Delicious Italy

Photo: Decorpad

Carrara can have pitting in the surface of the stone.  This is normal and shouldn't be considered a defect in the stone. 
It is a calcium based stone, so anything acidic that gets on it will etch the surface.  (Read more about etching here).  Also, marble is softer than granite.  So it will scratch and stain easier. 

modern kitchen design by san francisco architect J. Weiss Design

Obviously in Italy they have used Carrara in their homes forever.  If you have ever been there you will notice that the stone in their homes it etched, stained and scratched.  They don't expect the marble to look perfect.  It is an aged and worn look.  A lot of people look at this as charm, other people can not handle it.  You need to know which category you fall into before putting Carrara (or any other marble) in your home.

eclectic bathroom design by chicago interior designer Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.

Carrrara has been one of our most popular stones for countertops in both Kitchens and Baths this year and last.  It's a beautifully classic countertop option that homeowner's are appreciating more and more.

spaces design by san francisco interior designer Mark Newman Design

Photo: Decor Pad

modern bathroom design by san francisco architect John Maniscalco Architecture

Photo: Hooked on Houses

contemporary bathroom design by toronto interior designer Melissa Davis

Photo: Stone Forest

modern kitchen design by los angeles general contractor See Construction

traditional bathroom design by birmingham photographer Sylvia Martin

modern spaces design by san francisco general contractor Dijeau Poage Construction

Carrara marble is available in 2 cm and 3 cm slabs.