Granite that looks like Carrara marble (laminate, countertops, cabinets, maple)

[sid369]

We have choice of going with the builders selection for the kitchen countertops. Santa cecelia with cherry Bordeaux. or go with laminate now and then get the granite done later.

I like the Carrara marble look, but don't want to put marble in the kitchen, anyone know of a granite that closely resembles the Carrara marble?

Also, would the carrara type light marble look good with white cabinets (maple butterscotch glazed actually), or cherry bordeaux.

The option from the builders in terms of cabinets are white maple butterscotch glazed, cherry bordeaux, espresso or oak.

We don't like any, but if we had to go with we would with the cherry bordeaux.

What do you guys think? which combination would look good?

[Sunbather]

If you aren't set on granite, you can find some great quartz counters (which I personally like better than granite) that are very similar to marble.

[fallingwater]

I wanted the same look. I ended up going with a whitish granite and it was a chore picking out one. I also found that some granite sellers make their own names for granite so when I would research, I would not find that particular name anywhere else. I went with Bianco Romano but even then I had to look at tons of slabs because some had a lot more garnet looking spots than others. Some had more black spots than white....etc. Of course it doesnt "look" like marble but I wanted the overall effect. I have white cabinets. I almost went with Formica FX series. They have a Carrara marble selection but the cost was actually higher than getting granite.

[Sunbather]

I think the key with selecting a granite or quartz in place of marble is not getting hung up on it looking EXACTLY like carrara marble because it won't. But the idea is getting the same vibe and look which is the gorgeous swirling of various shades of natural white and greys and taupes etc. If you have that mindset, there are a lot of quartz options and a handful of granite that work quite well.

Just go to your local counter showroom or supplier and tell them what they are looking for and they should be able to help Also sites like houzz offer great options for viewing products in actual peoples' houses instead of the stock pictures on a manufacturer's website.

[Cattknap]

The way to find what you are looking for is not by looking at showrooms or samples - that is like finding a needle in a haystack. Go directly to the warehouse and look at individual lots of stone slabs....that is where you will find that atypical group of slabs that have the veining and the coloring you are looking for. Showroom samples truly do not always represent what is available in the warehouse or what the entire slab might look like.

When we were looking for our granite, I had about 3 stone warehouses that I visited weekly - eventually the slabs with just the right coloring and veining came along but they were atypical of the granite name/type that was represented in the showroom samples.

[biscuitmom]

Shiny granite will never ever, in any incarnation, look like honed (matte) marble.
If you want marble, you'll have to accept it with all its imperfections. If you're willing to accept granite, there's a plethora of shiny quasi-marble substitutes, you just have to do your homework.

[chet everett]

I have seen andromeda white granite that, with the right slab selection, is about as good a substitute as you could ever hope for the traditional veined look at classic Carrara marble. I would recommend contacting local stone dealers and asking for their advice on what sorts of slabs they have on hand -- some will be more grey while slabs cut from the same location but slighter deeper / shallower may be much whiter...

[K'ledgeBldr]

Originally Posted by biscuitmom

Shiny granite will never ever, in any incarnation, look like honed (matte) marble.

Not true. You can get granite with a honed finish. There's even a rougher honed finish that done with flame.

[Cattknap]

Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr

Not true. You can get granite with a honed finish. There's even a rougher honed finish that done with flame.

You are right and it looks fabulous.

[sid369]

what is quartz, is it cheaper than granite? any advantage of getting quartz vs. granite