Carrara Marble Kitchen Island... Delivered!

Writing to you tonight from the great state of Bliss because the carrara marble counter top I have always wished for was delivered today by the fabulous people at Surface Products in Cornelius, (just outside of Charlotte) North Carolina. 

If you missed seeing me choose my slab click here. And, if you would like to see my new carrara island counter top being fabricated click here. To see the kitchen before our two remodeling projects, click here.

Now that you're all caught up... I simply cannot say enough positive things about Surface Products or the process. From Brenda, who took my initial call, faxed over a quote and then went out of her way to suggest I shop their yard sale event to save even more, to Jan who offered directions to their showroom not once but three times, after I left my directions at home... To dear Ann who isn't just amazing at selling marble and granite at prices that beat the snot out of her competition... but who also lent me her insight and recommendations to deliver a truly spectacular result. 

Words to describe the sales, fabrication and installation teams at Surface Products are: Expert, professional, kind and highly accommodating!

All the best qualities for a customer suffering from

severe carrara'itis, exasperated by a serious case of...

Spring Fever!

While cruising home in my Mini with the top down helped ease the

spring fever... Only seeing this could cure my terrible case of carrara'itis!

I am embarrassed to say I was nearly forty-five minutes late for my date

with my new island. But you would have never known it by the reaction

to my tardiness by the Surface Products team. Instead of being cross

with me, I was greeted by two of the nicest marble installers. Ever!

They didn't even mind lifting my 350-pound piece of carrara over and over

again until I felt it was positioned just right. And when I told them I thought

it might look better turned the other way, they just smiled and lifted it again!
As you can see, I put down a sheet of felt-backed vinyl over the Corian counter
previously installed on the island. I did that to protect it, in case we ever move
and I decide to take my marble island top with me! And, because it's vinyl on
the side against the Corian, it won't slide around under the carrara marble!

I believe you already know the story of why I do not not have marble counters

all over my kitchen... The man I love thinks it looks too much like tombstone

while I on the other hand have always been desperate to recreate my Oma's

kitchen as my own. Her kitchen was always the warmest place in the house,

with its coal stove and cararra marble counter tops that were worn down

smooth from decades of working in her kitchen to feed six children at a

time when she literally had to make a lot of something out of the nothing

they had. I may be a little careful with my new marble counter top; however,

if it ends up stained, pitted and worn like my Oma's I'll be just as happy...

Because to me... It will mean that I lived here and enjoyed it!

This celebration called for my favorite beverage...

Fresh-pressed orange juice with a splash of Pellegrino!

But seriously...

How fantastic is this island?!

Especially when you consider where we started...

If you have an island in need of updating, I highly recommend you consider topping

it with a new counter top. And, if you're buying or already own a production home

and don't want to or didn't opt for the counter upgrade - because you're smart and

prefer not to pay a 300% mark-up... I encourage you to visit your local marble and

granite yard and pick something that says this is your kitchen! And, don't hesitate

to mix materials and/or colors. As you know, I chose Corian Rain Cloud for my

kitchen after a certain someone refused to consider my only choice... Carrara. He

did win that round. But I refused to give up and was able to satisfy my desire for

marble by adding it to the island. By the way, which do you think costs more? Is

it natural carrara marble or Corian? I assumed it was carrara, but I was mistaken!

Had I done my research I would have known that Corian runs roughly $12-17.00

per square foot more, depending on the style, color and sink option you choose!

Trust me... Had he known we were paying more for Corian, there would have

been carrara all over my kitchen to start with! So do your homework

or better yet, call Ann at Surface Products... She'll tell you!

So... Have you ever seen prettier carrara marble?

My only regret is that I couldn't go bigger! I would have, but the kitchen

is only so wide and I still have to be able to stand at the sink, open the

oven and, get through the door to get to other parts of the house!

So what do you think? Before... (but after I tore down the ceiling fan!)

Or after?

I know which I prefer!

 You know where to find me come this weekend, right?

As much as I wanted to stay home and play with my new island

after it was delivered, I had to run out to Williams-Sonoma for

Boos board cream because someone decided the arrival of my

carrara island top warranted refreshing my cutting board too!

You do realize this maple cutting board began as the original island right?

When it was separated from the base to prep for the installation of
the Corian, I almost threw it away... But then I started shopping for
over-sized maple cutting boards and suddenly keeping it seemed like a
brilliant idea. And it was! And, every now and then, after I've dribbled gel
food coloring all over it during one of my cookie decorating adventures,
he sands it down for me to make this 42-year old island top look brand new!

All it asks of me in return is a little Boos board cream!

Put it on and rub it in with your hands!

The Boos combo of unbleached bees wax and food-grade

mineral oil makes my maple cutting board look like honey!

Massage it in, leave it overnight and wipe off the excess tomorrow...

And it'll be ready to go for another 42 years. Or until I drip food color on it again!

I want to thank all the amazing people at Surface Products for their

dedication and care. My island is truly better than I dared to imagine!

If you're in the market for counter tops or anything else you can envision

being expertly crafted from marble, stone, granite, wood or any of the solid

surface options available, show Solid Surfaces an opportunity to earn

your business. I guarantee you they will! For more information about them,

on of their upcoming yard/remnant sales and all the wonderful work they

do to support our amazing troops, please visit Surface Products here!

I am submitting my budget-friendly, mostly DIY kitchen redo

to Amy! Who has mentored me for longer than she knows!