Bamboozled by quartz companies/brands...any recommendations.

[bobkate]

So I wrote a long post earlier, but it never seemed to manage to get posted so trying again.
Basically we've chosen our kitchen, not ordered it yet, but it is going to be a light grey and dark grey/blue island ( yes, I know....maybe predictable of the moment but I like it ).
And I really like the look of quartz. I think it feels nice , like the cleanability of it and it's cool to touch which I also like.
I got a sample of Silestone Eternal statuario and I thought I liked it, but saw a big slab of it and realised it's a bit more veiny than I would like.
I would like a white base, with some very, very faint veiny bits running through. Everything I see in a small sample, when you look at a big slab it's really bold veins.
Has anyone got any recommendations for a white, not too veiny, veiny quartz. No flecks, no ice chips.
Is Silestone just a very popular brand of quartz? Are there any lower end budget, but just as nice quartzs out there?
Ta!

Totally shameless bump

Have a look at Rock & Co quartz website. We are looking at ordering from them.
You can get samples

We are going for light grey units and dark grey island so not dissimilar to you. We are going for Aspen De Lusso which is white but does have specs of glitter - it’s very very tame glitter specs, it’s hard to see them when you look at it but when I’m certain lights it catches the odd spec and looks lovely (in our opinion )

Have a look at Silestone Lagoon, it should work with your colours and has a lovely soft veining. It never hurts to ask whoever you're buying the worktop to let you see a full slab image, most fabricators will do this if asked so you can be sure you're happy. Unfortunately small samples never do much to show the effect of any veined or patterned surfaces.

Agree that you should try to see some full slabs or similar kitchens with the products you are looking at. We really struggled to choose so made an appointment and went out to the Cosentino warehouse in Dartford to look at Silestone and Dekton slabs. Even though we eventually went for a different brand it really helped us narrow down what we wanted.

You want exactly I wanted. I ended up get silestone calacutta gold I think was the name. It was definitely silestone and had gold in he name too...

Thanks all - funnily enough newkitchenideas1 I visited Rock and co today!! I think I"ll go back as I've had a re jig of the island so I can keep it in under the 1600mm max depth. Then I can go for a standard slab instead of a jumbo.
Will check out the other recommendations - thanks all. I think I have a small sample of the aspen - which I also like.
I cannot believe how much brain power is going into this kitchen. My brain is hurting so much!!!

Really, how funny! I wonder whether we should visit the showroom but not sure on the distance from us. Might have to sort something out.

I couldn’t agree more with how much brain space the kitchen is taking! It’s in my thoughts from the moment I get up. We have our design which I love but for some reason I feel we are missing something. I’m still waiting for the sample from Rock & Co too - fairly confident we want to go with it but want to make sure it’s what we think before committing!
Im worried we haven’t got enough work surface but we do have a large island. It’s all a bit much 🙈🙈
It’s even more heightened when your friend says “will you have enough work top”! I will be glad when it’s all over

I found silestone quite expensive, even when shopping round suppliers.

I went for a beltrami quartz in bianco massa. its very white with very faint grey veining. I did get to see the slab beforehand though, but it was exactly what I wanted.

Thanks - cujo - just made an enquiry on that one.
newkitchenideas1 yes - that whole...is something missing thing. What are your worktop measurements. We'll have a run of 3 metres, but that's got the sink ( 800mm) out of it, plus 300mm out where a steel is boxed in.
Then our island is 2240 x 1540mm. That's all my worktop space.
I will SOOOOOO be glad when it's all over!
Rock and co have just come back with a quote for their quartz ( urban quartz I think it's called ) for £3560 for the sink run, upstanding and island or £2520 for just the island ( with hob cut out ).
I could do with getting it all for sub £3000 really. Or sub £2500!!!!

bobcat I am waiting for our designer to confirm the exact measurements, hopefully will have these by the end of today! He was supposed to let me know the details last week but think he has been busy!

To be honest your island sounds about the same size as ours...

It’s hard to picture but your sink run sounds like a good size of work top space even with the sink cut out. Ours is much less than that and this is what I am worried about. It actually kept me awake worrying for a bit last night as we are spending a lot of money on this extension and it has to be right.

I wonder if there is any wiggle room on the quotes from Rock and Co, be good to know I spoke to them yesterday and the quartz we want has sold out so we have to wait 3-5 weeks for a new sample of that batch and I think we will have to order ASAP to avoid missing out!

So we have 1800mm of work top along the back wall with space for a sink 550mm
Our island is 2260 x 1240 and that will have our hob 830mm x 515mm and that will be all we have in terms of work surface

I have a quartz worktop - Angelo White from Roann, sounds like the sort of thing you are looking for. A cheaper version of Silestone Lagoon, I went for it because Silestone was above budget, and I am pleased with it.

Thanks hawaii - will have a look. Don't suppose you fancy posting a pic?!
Newkitchen I reckon that'll be enough. It's so hard trying to work out kitchens. I think I saw a pic of your design on another thread and reckon it'll look fantastic. Can you remind me what colour units you're having.

Hi. It sounds really similar to my new kitchen. I have a 3m straight run with sink cut out. A small island 1.2 x 1.2m and a hob area 1.5m with hob cut out.

I ordered the kitchen (light grey and also Hague blue) and the silestone marble effect worktops from DIY kitchens. (Appliances and sink ordered elsewhere). The total price for worktops and units was bang on £3k

When the worktops were templated and later fitted, they said they also do all of the worktops for the builders merchant MKM. So it may be worth getting an online quote from DIY-kitchens and also from the builders merchants.

I found the worktop company were really good.

@bobkate my kitchen design was the handleless light grey units along the back wall and the island in dark blue, although we are now changing that colour to match our bifold and front door colour which is a dark grey/charcoal colour! We are still struggling to find a worktop, the one we want is only available if you buy the kitchen through Wren, so we need to re think!!

I hope its enough space, not much we csn do once its installed but we are getting everything we wanted so might have to just comprimise on the work surfaces.

Have you found one you like yet?

This is the only close up i've got at the moment

Thanks user - that sounds amazingly good value!
Newkitchen - I am fairly certain we are going to go for the alchemy ellerton range, which is a handless shaker. It's the colours I'm still dithering over! I had my heart set on light grey and hague blue, with the ellerton that would be partridge grey and hartforth blue so very similar. I'm now pondering doing it chalk and charcoal! Or maybe chalk ( which is an off white really ) and the blue on the island.
I wish I had more vision!!
The worktop - is that the aspen de lusso? I only wonder if it's that because the bloke from Rock and Co said they do one that is so similar to one that Wren do.
These are my 3 mock ups of different colour options....Although may still swap the grey for white. The flooring won't be that orange!!
We're wondering if we can recycle our old oak worktops and I wonder if they would look better with white or grey. Too many bloody decisions for my liking!

Thanks HawaiiFiveoh that looks great. I'll def give Roann a call tomorrow to get some prices. Thank you!

@bobkate your kitchen is going to be beautiful, so spacious. I like the colour option 1, its very similar if not the same as our design and firsf set of colours we chose.

Yes the Aspen de lusso, we have a sample frimom rock & co but its different to the wren version.....i am slowly coming round to it though. Its hard to see how its going to look currently as we have rubbish lighting, once the extension is finished it will look very different under bright lights etc

The chalk and charcoal sounds really nice, can your designer change the colours for you to see how it will work?

have you considered using a warmer colour cabinet than the grey? the white quartz is quite clinical if combined with cool toned cabinets. obviously it depends on the natural light you get into the room as well.

what about 'stone' on the lower and tall cabinets and 'chalk' on the upper ones?

I think oak worktops are too much hard work :) :lazy: