Archive for August, 2010

Aug 26

Just When You Thought It Couldn’t Get Any Better…

Just when you thought you had us figured out, here we are, throwing you a curveball. Many people know us as quality providers of granite countertop overlays, glass countertop overlays, refaced cabinets, acrylic bath liners, and glass mosaic tile – commercially as well as in the comforts of your own home. But now we have taken our talents to a slightly less affixed sector – furniture!

Granite and wood, handcrafted together.

Granite and wood, handcrafted together.


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Categories Design, Furniture, Granite and Trend stone
Aug 24

Revitalize Your Kitchen in Time for Football Season

During the month of September, most Americans know that football season begins, and unless you are able to travel to every game, that also means the start of football party season. It’s much easier to go to a party than throw one, but eventually your friends will notice that you haven’t hosted one since Brett Favre retired the first time, and it will be your turn.

Get the snacks ready. Football season is upon us.

Get the snacks ready. Football season is upon us.

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Categories Countertop Overlay, Design, Fun Facts, Services
Aug 23

Quickly Refaced Cabinets

Anything can happen when you’ve got children in your home, and I mean ANYTHING. They run around, throw things in the house, spill anything housed in a glass or cup, and generally run amuck unless they’re told not to. Why do I mention this, you might be asking? Well, this is a classic tale of the threat a baseball has on your kitchen cabinets (among other things.)
Not long ago, Fourth of July to be exact, I was at a barbecue hosted by a neighbor of my parents down in Central New Jersey. The ages of the attendees ranged from toddlers to geriatric, and the mood was jovial, accommodating, and lively. Children were running around the yard, adults were sipping drinks and talking about their lives, homes, work, and kids. It was good times, to be certain, but then disaster struck: the kids were getting tired and wanted to hang out inside.
On its face, you might think that tuckered out youngsters dragging their feet on their way indoors would be a good sign that the rambunctiousness is coming to an end, but this wasn’t the case. They plopped down on the couch and began watching the Cartoon Network. We thought that they would be satiated by age appropriate cartoons, snacks, and juice, but be couldn’t have been more wrong.
One of my friends who had accompanied me to this party went inside to fetch us a few beers (after all, we’re adults) when he realizes that the kids are tossing a football around between the living room and kitchen. He then notices that one of the cabinets has been completely knocked off of its hinges and is sitting on the counter! This destructive development didn’t stop these kiddies from continuing to enjoy their devastating game of catch.
Once my parent’s neighbors found out about this cabinet distress that had just taken place they seemed mad. Though, in almost minutes that anger turned to optimism, surprisingly enough. The neighbors in question, whose cabinets were now sitting in shambles on the kitchen counter, just went back outside and continued to host the party, serve food, and enjoy drinks in anticipation of the impending fireworks.
After the night was over and everyone had went home I left wondering what the outcome will be for the kitchen cabinets – at least one needed to be replaced. I asked my parents to give me their number so I could call them the next day. I talked to them about the damage and what they were considering. They said they had been meaning to get their cabinets worked on for a while and that this mishap might have been the figurative kick-in-the-pants they needed. I told them about refacing their cabinets as an option. They contacted the nearest Granite Transformations franchise (South Jersey) and the rest is history. They love their new cabinets!

Anything can happen when you’ve got children in your home, and I mean ANYTHING. They run around, throw things in the house, spill anything housed in a glass or cup, and generally run amuck unless they’re told not to. Why do I mention this, you might be asking? Well, this is a classic tale of the threat a baseball has on your kitchen cabinets (among other things.)

Uh oh.

Uh oh.

Not long ago, Fourth of July to be exact, I was at a barbecue hosted by a neighbor of my parents down in Central New Jersey. The ages of the attendees ranged from toddlers to geriatric, and the mood was jovial, accommodating, and lively. Children were running around the yard, adults were sipping drinks and talking about their lives, homes, work, and kids. It was good times, to be certain, but then disaster struck: the kids were getting tired and wanted to hang out inside.
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Categories Cabinet Refacing, Fun Facts, Services
Aug 9

Granite Countertops…Outdoors!

Day after day the thermometer seems to poke its head annoyingly above 90. With each passing day the commute to work is filled with more air-conditioned car rides, dry air-conditioned offices, fans blasting at a rate usually seen only in wind farms, and yet when we get home we don’t want to wallow indoors. It’s the summertime! And for those of us who live in the northern states this is our chance to soak up our yards, patios, and outdoor areas to their fullest – regardless of the oppressive heat (just whip up some lemonade).
Although our last post was about things you may want to steer clear of when it comes to extravagantly remodeling, this post is all about excess. While some of us might be content with a patio or a deck, others won’t settle for anything less than the maximum. In this case, going the distance means only one thing: an outdoor kitchen. What do kitchens need? Countertops! Here we go!
The ever-luxurious poolside bar. Some people simply don’t need to cook fanciful meals equipped to please attendees sporting only the highest of brows in an outdoor kitchen – indoors will do them just fine. Some people just want a bar to entertain, a poolside bar at that. It’s a fun feature that turns your backyard/pool area into a veritable summertime destination for family and friends.
Getting creative with your outdoor granite countertops can keep the outdoor kitchen in steady use long into the wintertime. This granite-laden outdoor setup comes equipped with a raised brick oven, perfect for dishing out crisp breads and pizza just a short walk from the home and a short walk to the yard. It’s a great way to incorporate a year round tool into a seasonal setup.
These guys went to all the trouble of installing an outdoor kitchen without considering the most important element of all: the countertop material! As you can see they opted to adorn their outdoor cook-space with plastic countertops, which are not only not as durable, but in our opinions not as attractive. Granite countertops give your outdoor areas that “am I even outdoors?” feel. You’ll see.
So next time you have a boatload of cash lying around and you figure that sprucing up your property is a good use of that surplus take a long hard look at a granite countertop containing outdoor kitchen or bar. They are functional, fun, and a great way to keep yourselves lounging in the backyard just a little bit more. Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Day after day the thermometer seems to poke its head annoyingly above 90. With each passing day the commute to work is filled with more air-conditioned car rides, dry air-conditioned offices, fans blasting at a rate usually seen only in wind farms, and yet when we get home we don’t want to wallow indoors. It’s the summertime! And for those of us who live in the northern states this is our chance to soak up our yards, patios, and outdoor areas to their fullest – regardless of the oppressive heat (just whip up some lemonade).

poolside bar

A decadent poolside bar setup.

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Categories Countertop Overlay, Design