Grow With The Flow

Consult with your client about the direction they’d like to see the grain flowing, and then show them what that will mean for the location of their seams. This may limit their selection choices and, if they want a uniform grain throughout, it may also add more stone and cost to counters.

Click photo to enlargeIf cost becomes an issue at this point, a discussion of cross-graining: seaming pieces together that flow in different directions may be in order. I’m not a fan of cross-graining, but I’m also a realist and accept the fact that it may be required when going around a corner. In many of my kitchens, adding a cross-grained seam is the difference between ordering two or three slabs.

I won’t, however, cross-grain on a straight run, even if it means I get underbid. I think it looks ugly; and, by changing the direction of the grain, you can also change the base color tone of the pieces, making it appear they come from two different slabs. Even if you convince your client the stone is from the same slab, it still looks bad.

The easiest thing to do is lay out the cost of having a unified grain versus a crossed grain, and then let your client decide. I try to mention that they are making an investment in their house and it ought to be done right, just so they know where I stand on the matter.

Encourage your clients to bring along cabinet doors, flooring/backsplash samples and sink color chips with them when looking at stone. In a flowing or heavily-patterned granite or marble, the dominant colors are not always easy to identify. By holding up components of the kitchen against the slab, one is better able to see if the colors are going to work or clash.Click photo to enlarge

Personally, I look at my role in the slab-selection process as someone who gets a client to the warehouse and then gives advice on the quality of stone slabs available – and how well they will work within the kitchen or bath design. I’m not getting paid to pick colors, but I can certainly be blamed if someone runs with my opinion and turns out unhappy.

Let the client select their stone on the basis of what they feel works, even if you think they should select something different. If a customer is really stumped, give them some names of consulting interior designers and back away. Even if this seems a little impersonal, it’s better than being labeled as the guy with bad taste and having a client who doesn’t want to pay.

Once the slabs have been selected and the templates made, the next step in the process is to lay the pieces out within the slabs. If the client or a designer has very specific ideas about where certain countertop pieces should be cut out of the slabs, I don’t mind involving them in the process. I’ve taped the templates for entire kitchens onto slabs before.

Before inviting people into the stone shop though, it’s best to warn them that the process is like a puzzle. They may have ideas about arranging the templates on the slabs, but in the end all the pieces have to fit and work with the grain. This may limit what choices they actually have.