Add Some Backsplash To Complete The Look Of Your Kitchen Countertops…

Adding a backsplash often completes the look of your kitchen countertops.While there are number of backsplash choices for consumers including:  3-1/2″-4"(standard), full height, tile, and a combination look, in this blog, We wanted to focus on our standard backsplash.Let’s take a look at some standard 3-1/2″ to 4" backsplash we fabricated the other day in our shop…

                             3-1/2″-4" granite backsplash runs to match countertops

As you can see, we fabricate a bunch of backsplash everyday. Over the years, a standard 3-1/2″ to 4″ backsplash has been the most popular choice. It ties the look and pattern of the stone from the countertop to the wall together and also allows for easy clean-up with spills and splatters when cooking.At K.B Factory Outlet, we typically trim our backsplash down to a 2 cm thickness because it offers a cleaner, “less bulky” look. Not all fabricators however, do this, as it may save them time and money. Both 2 cm and 3 cm thicknesses for backsplash however, are considered acceptable. Keep in mind, there may be circumstances where the backsplash can not be trimmed down. If your kitchen or project involves some atypical design, or if  you have selected a fragile stone the backsplash may have to be left at it original 3 cm thickness.Let’s take a look at few kitchens those we recently installed with standard backsplash…

Thanks for reading!

K.B Factory Outlet

6 Ideas For 2-Tiered Island Tops…

Over the years, islands have become a very popular addition to the kitchen space. That’s because they not only add functionality, but also make a nice focal point for the room.  Islands work great for food prep, as well as provide a nice central gathering area for family and guests. Many also offer additional space to store, pots & pans, utensils, etc. Some consumers even like to add storage for cookbooks and wine racks. Others like to have built-in appliances in their islands such as refrigerator, freezers, or dishwashers. Many islands are custom-made, so the possibilities are really endless.  In this blog, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some 2 tiered island tops.

Let’s take a look…Recent Installs

This island top provides a nice focal point for the room, as well as a large seating area. I love the warm colors.

 The built-in book shelves in this 2-tiered island. It makes a great place to store cookbooks, etc.

This island top provides a nice focal point for the room, as well as a large seating area. I love the warm colors.

   Island with the dark brown cabinets and light countertops. The large apron front sink also provides a nice look and I am sure comes in handy for clean up.

The beautiful curved island with the built-in wine rack on the end. It is beautiful and provides a nice, large seating area.

Here’s a nice, big 2-tiered island.The dark cabinets for island with the lighter countertop looks amazing. It is a nice contrast to the white perimeter cabinets.

If you are interested in adding an island top to your kitchen, make sure you stop by our showroom today. We would love to help you with your selections.

Thanks for reading!

KB FACTORY OUTLET

How can natural stone increase the beauty and value of your home?

Stones have color, depth and quality that cannot be duplicated by any man-made material.


Natural stone is made up of minerals that have crystallized in the earth’s crust throughout the ages. Once a sheet of stone is cut and finished, the unique colors and patterns of these minerals take on a three-dimensional brilliance.Even if your kitchen is brand new, granite might just be that “something” that is missing from your home. The kitchen aside, the other high traffic area of your home is the bathroom, where the possibilities for natural stone are endless. Counters, shower seats, inlays and accents are all common to see going into new and renovated homes.

Bring in the dimensions of your kitchen or bath for a free consultation and find out how simple it is to uniquely beautify your home. https://www.kbfactoryoutlet.com/recent-installs.html

How To Choose Edge Profile

How To Choose Your Edge Profile

There’s more to choosing your countertop than just selecting the perfect slab! Picking out the right kind of edge is the next step. At K.B Factory Outlet, we have different edge profiles to choose from, and though that may seem like a lot of options, we guarantee that we can help you find exactly the one that best fits your needs, budget, and aesthetic.

The different edge designs are called edge “profiles” because they are viewed from the side to get the best sense of their shape and effect. Each different profile can evoke a different style in your kitchen, and each offers different levels of utility. Here’s a quick look at some of the fundamental edge styles.

Bullnose

These are most popular in apartments, condos, or developments because they’re one of the most appealing designs to the widest variety of people. Because there are no sharp corners or blunt edges, you (or your tenants) are much less like likely to damage your countertops by chipping or scratching their edges. The gradually disappearing underside of a bullnose edge can create a sensation of smooth, almost floating endlessness, though it can also make your slab seem thinner. However, the shape does make it slightly harder to completely wipe off water or debris, and water can roll back up under the lip of the countertop. If you’re worried about this, ask us to drill a small trench around the edge on the underside of your counter that will stop drips in their tracks.

Flat

The “flat” or “straight” edges are a standard option that bring a distinctly modern feeling to any kitchen. If you are using stark white and blacks, shooting for minimalist or contemporary design, or incorporating a lot of industrial materials like steel or cement in your kitchen, you may want to choose a flat edge. Of course, bear in mind that the sharper the edge, the more easily it will chip, and though granite is very difficult to damage you may want to soften the edge slightly if you anticipate swinging around a lot of cast iron pans.

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Rounded

Not only does it make the granite more structurally sound to round off the corner of a “straight” edge, it also makes it a lot more forgiving to the human body. A rounded corner will make your counter more comfortable to lean or bump against, and if you have any children who might be bumping their heads against the countertop edge rounded is the best choice. You can apply any level of rounding, from a 1/8 inch round-over to keep the look but lessen the severity of a straight profile, to a complete round-off. This makes it easy to wick water or debris from your counter without inviting water to follow a path underneath your counter and cause potential moisture build up.

Bevel

You can have a countertop edge “bevelled” at different angles, which essentially shaves down the corners of an edge to a straight slope that either extends the length of the countertop lip, as in our premium Hollywood Bevel, or something shorter, like our 1/4 inch bevel. Either look impressive because they add a new dimension to your countertop that catches the light and shadow and outlines the surface. Remember when choosing the extent of your bevel that the farther it cuts into the countertop, the less usable countertop you have, and a dramatic bevel on all sides of a kitchen island will functionally make it smaller.

Ogee

This is a classical profile for countertops, defined by a dropped groove that becomes a downward curve in the opposite direction. Ogee profiles feel fancier and more ornate, and evoke Victorian styles that almost resemble the trim of an antique piano. They can make a kitchen feel more formal, austere, or impressive, which can be exactly what many homeowners have in mind. Ogee profiles, depending on the angle of where the drop meets the curve, can be slightly harder to clean because you need to first wipe off the surface, and then along the edge parallel to the counter to catch anything that rests on the curve.

PremiumEdges

There are also a number of premium edge designs that combine the aspects of the above, such as the Dupont, which has a perpendicular drop onto a curve similar to an Ogee but with a much harder angle. Our popular Cove Ogee has several layers of stacked Ogees that create the appearance of a tideline along a beach. There are literally dozens of different stunning profiles, and we encourage you to come into our showroom to see them in person!

K.B Factory Outlet takes pride in doing the finest granite work in the Tampa Bay Area, and we would love to help you decide on the perfect profile for your countertop!

How To Measure Kitchen Countertops

Kb Factory

Granite vs Marble for Kitchen Countertops

Looking at marble versus Granite kitchen countertops is basic. Numerous need the simple upkeep of granite, yet incline toward the shading and color of marble.

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What's more, justifiably so... marble can be completely flaw less. Which is the reason you see a lot of photographs web showcasing kitchen outlines with marble countertops.

Shockingly, a marble kitchen countertops can be hard to keep up.

Designers don't shy away from installing it. But I fear many aren't truly aware of marble characteristics, or are just sacrificing function to achieve the "look".

All things, sufficiently considered execution or useful contrasts exist in the middle of stone and marble to altogether effect your choice on which countertops material to introduce in a kitchen.

We encourage people to put the marble in their bathroom instead of the kitchen. 
Protection, care and cleaning of a granite countertop is so much easier than a marble kitchen countertop. 

• Granite does not etch... (Well in rare instances it can, but for all intents and purposes... it does not).
• Most granite countertops can be well-protected from staining with the easy application of a sealer like these recommended marble & granite sealers, however.....
• Many granite countertop colors don't need sealing at all, since they are naturally dense and non-absorbent.
• Granite does not scratch. It is much harder than marble. Marble kitchen countertops will get scratched.
• Granite is the most heat-tolerant of any countertop material. Virtually impossible to damage from hot pans.

A granite countertop is essentially more sturdy and less bother to clean and keep up than a marble countertops and that is the thing that you need in a kitchen.

A marble bathroom counter-tops is once in a while an issue.

Surely marble and granite present distinctive looks or styles and in a few occasions the look is the most important element. However, in specific regions of the home, similar to the kitchen countertops, function is a great deal more vital.

Even people who love wall-to-wall carpet would probably choose not to put carpet in a bathroom.... just doesn't make much sense when you have far better choices.

And given that you have 200+ colors of granite to choose from you should be able to find a few choices that will satisfy your style requirements without sacrificing function.