Countertop Decisions

The first challenges to completing the kitchen counter were deciding what materials to use and then purchasing those materials and getting them to Torrey.

For ease of cleanup and stylish appearance, we really wanted an undermount sink. Solid surface materials such as granite, marble and quartz are some of the most common materials used with that type of sink, but the cost of those surfaces seemed prohibitive. Therefore we considered other options. That’s how we learned it is now possible to have an undermount sink with laminate. While that is very affordable, and we could definitely learn how to laminate a countertop, I was not sold on that look.

Since we had successfully completed a tile shower, counter and floor in the bathroom, tile became a more and more appealing material for the kitchen. That’s why we drove to Salt Lake to troll the tile stores on 3rd West where a good number of them are located. On that trip and others, we collected a good number of samples at Contempo Tile and Modern Tile. We returned to Torrey to contemplate colors and to make a final decision.

An issue we needed to address was how to keep water from the sink away from the straw bale wall. As you can imagine, water on that wall would have disastrous results. While I Iooked at tile color, texture and layout, Scott resorted to his typical behavior and did thorough research on products to address our concerns about water. Despite the expense, we decided to use metal profiles made by Schluter. From our perspective, their cove and edge profiles, used in conjunction with their waterproof membranes, were the best solution for our situation.

On a subsequent trip to Salt Lake, we met Rich Pease at Modern Tile. I cannot say enough about his outstanding help. Rich spent several hours looking at drawings of our kitchen, answering our questions and ordering everything we needed.

This included Eleganza’s unique metallic bronze tile to be used for the back splash and counter edge, all of the Schluter products we needed plus the tiles for the countertop. It was one-stop-shopping at its finest. Rich made it possible for much of this to be shipped directly to Torrey, and, at the same time, he saved us money. If you have a tile purchase in your future, Scott and I highly recommend Rich Pease and Modern Tile.