Quartz Bar Top and Ledge at B2 Harlem

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We recently had the honor of completing a bar top and ledge at the new restaurant, B2Harlem located in Harlem, New York. The counter is made from quartz stone and features a natural marble design. We had the opportunity to work with renowned interior designer Mikel Welch of the Steve Harvey Show on this project. The entire restaurant looks exquisite and are proud to be a part of it. 

Bar Top, Quartz

Bar Top, Quartz

Bar Top & Ledge Wrap Around

Honed or Polished Marble Counters?

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Marble is a beautiful and classic choice when choosing a stone for your kitchen counters. Italian tradition dictates having natural honed marble as your kitchen worktop suface. This means cutting, chopping and unfortunately staining the natural marble. If you are going for a more refined and less 'lived-in' look, then here are some facts to consider when choosing whether Marble, honed or polished is the right choice for you and your family. 

Honed Marble:

Honed surface

Honed surface

Look and Feel:
Honed Marble counters have a satin finish and are not reflective. The counter tops will appear as a classic matte and feel velvety on the surface.

Characteristics:
Being that honed finishes are etched rather than shiny, they will not easily show scratches and abrasions. Since etching can happen from the simplest things such as a lemon juice spill, honed marble is a very popular choice for kitchen worktop surfaces. 
On the other hand, honed counters will soak up cooking oils and drink spills easier. You can opt to have your honed marble counter sealed, which will help with absorption of liquids and staining. 

Where to apply it:
Since honed counters show less wear and tear when scratched and scuffed, they are mostly used in high traffic areas such as main kitchen counters and as flooring in either kitchen or bathroom areas. 

Maintenance and Repair:
Once liquids spill on the surface of a honed marble, wipe it off asap! Do not use regular soap on honed marble, this may cause additional staining. Instead, use mildly abrasive household cleaner with a small amount of bleach. You can also lightly sand honed marble. Since the material is not polished, sanding it will remove the absorbed stain without changing the appearance of the counter.

Polished Marble: 

Polished surface

Polished surface

Look and Feel:
A polished finish gives the marble a glossy look and a smooth feel. The surface will also reflect light.

Characteristics:
Polished marble counters have a coating over them which will protect them from stains. The shiny reflective surface will show scratches easily and can become etched (dull) if acidic liquids are left on it. 
The polish that coats the marble also acts as a type of protection, therefore allowing it to withstand stains better. However, the reflective characteristic of the finish makes it more prone to scratches.

Where to apply it:
Polished marble should be used in areas of less activity to avoid the apparent wear and tear of the glossy finish. Best applications are bathroom vanities, fireplace surrounds, and walls.

Maintenance and Damage Repair:
A polished surface does not usually require sealing. Any substances that spill on polished marble should be wiped of immediately to limited any etching. Staining is less common in polished marble due to the top layer being less porous. To clean, use water with a small amount of bleach and a small soft brush. Make sure to not brush too roughly as you need to preserve the polished finish without creating scratches.

Choosing Granite Counters

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GRANITE IS EXTREMELY DURABLE

Granite is a great material for heavy-use counter tops. You can cut vegetables directly on the granite without having to worry about scratching or damaging the counter. Granite is resistant to wear and tear and is one of the best stones to use for a worry free kitchen surface. 

GRANITE HAS MANY DIFFERENT FACES

Granite is made up of many different types of crystals. The natural color of the stone will vary quite a bit giving each counter a uniqueness in rich & vibrant color. The most common colors include white, gray, black, pink, and orange. Since Granite is made up of crystals, your counter may have an interesting iridescent effect when viewed at different angles. 

Horneblend & Biotite, Feldspar, Mica & Quartz are some of the beautiful crystals that make up natural granite. 

GRANITE IS GREAT FOR YOUR BUDGET

Some of the most common granite is actually quite affordable due to the abundance of the material. The popular grey and black granite that comes to mind is made from hornblende and biotite crystals.

Granite is available in many different colors and can complement and style kitchen.

Granite can often mimic the look of more expensive stones such as marble & quartzite. Having a different finish on the granite can also change the appearance and give it the characteristics of various natural stones.  

New Samples at Our Showroom

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We have brand new samples available from glass and stone tiles to solid surface stones. Our showroom is open from 9AM to 4:30PM.

Visit us to check out samples and discuss your project!

mitered edge showroom

Brooklyn Kitchen Design

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We take pride in our roots as a Brooklyn based business, having established friendships and relationships that have grown over the years. 

The folks over at Brooklyn Kitchen Design can turn your 'Dream Kitchen & Bathroom' into a reality.  We've been steadily working with them over the last few years in providing solid stone surfaces and fabrication for their clients. 

Check out a recent project below:

Brooklyn-kitchen-quartz
brooklyn Kitchen quartz
brooklyn Kitchen design

Visit their website at: www.brooklynkitchendesign.com

(Wh)oreHaus at The Architectural Digest Design Show

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We love having the opportunity to work with world renowned designers and innovators. This past month we had the pleasure to be a part of the (wh)ORE HAüS Exhibit at the Architectural Digest Design Show. 

(wh)ORE HAüS is a furniture and design studio offering a range of products from the newly launched bedroom collection to one-of-a-kind and bespoke pieces for residential and commercial spaces.  

Foro Marble was commissioned to provide the stone fabrication and installation of the massive headboard to a Queensize Masterpiece created by (Wh)oreHaus. 

Our expertise was also used to fabricate the corner end tables and bedroom vanity table seen above. 

All About Quartz Surfaces

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Quartz is a manufactured product and a very attractive option when looking for a counter top surface. The manufacturing process allows a wide range of colors. The appearance of finished engineered stone is rich, polished and even luxurious. The finish has a depth that can’t be produced with solid surface materials.

Quartz has the same durability as concrete and granite, but is quite a bit more forgiving. Quartz is not as easily chipped or cracked as many natural stones. Although it doesn’t have the same hardness in feel that some people find less appealing.

Like other hard surfaces, quartz is non-porous so it resists staining much better than granite and marble. It stands up to juice, oil, wine, tomato, coffee and other sources of stains in the kitchen. You can always be confident that you are getting your quartz countertop absolutely clean, and that’s a great benefit in both the kitchen and the bathroom.

How To Clean Marble Countertops

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What You Need

Equipment
Warm water
Gentle, non-abrasive dish soap
Spray bottle
Dish cloth or cleaning rag
Soft, absorbent towel

Instructions

  1. Mix warm water and gentle dish soap: Fill a spray bottle with warm water and add about a tablespoon of gentle, non-abrasive dish soap. Don't use anything with acid or lemon juice. Shake gently to mix the soap and water.
  2. Spray the counter with the dish soap solution: Spray the countertop lightly with the warm dish soap solution.
  3. Wipe with a hot, wet dish cloth: Wipe the soapy water off the counter with a wet dish cloth.
  4. Dry with an absorbent towel: Rub the countertop dry and buff with a soft, absorbent towel.