Material Selection: Round 1

When going on a big vacation, half the fun is the planning, anticipation and envisioning that takes place ahead of the departure.  A bathroom remodel project is no different.

Since we had taken a run at the two original contractors - twice - before choosing another, we had begun to make some material selections with them and their suppliers.  Then of course, we did a course correction and inherited a new set of material selections and different sources with our chosen contractor.  This too, turned out to be a better outcome.

The orginal countertop material we looked at was from Caesar Stone, a man-made product.  It is made of bits of quartz nuggets with a small amount of pigments and polymer resins.  Very attractive, practically no maintenance and of course, would last a lifetime.  What we later found out, the subtle differences in reflectivity between the granite and the resin made it look like it was waterspotted when the light hit it just right.  This would have been a constant source of frustration, wiping and wiping, but not having any way of eliminating the tiger's spots.

Along with the quartz was a ceramic tile and accent tile combination.  No issues here.  The sample board we were able to borrow confirmed everything would work with our colors and more imporantly, with the countertop material.

Then, we saw the light.

Remember, we were dealing with the trip from La La Land to the Land of Reality while considering the above samples.  When we finally made the contractor selection, we were exposed to a fresh set of materials and suppliers they normally use.  What a wonderfully fresh perspective.

Next up: the final selections.