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The 2011 New England Design Hall of Fame Ceremony

November 17, 2011


At an annual ceremony on Thursday, November 3, 2011, New England Home Magazine inducted a select number of architects, interior designers and landscape architects into The New England Design Hall of Fame. The 2011 gala event that took place in the State Room atop the Sixty State Street in Boston, Massachusetts was the magazine's fifth annual awards.

Hall of Fame nominations were made by community members of the design industry as well as the general public. The nominees were then evaluated based on professional work history and three to five representative projects. A final round included further thorough evaluation. The chosen inductees were announced at the special ceremony on November 3rd, where they were honored for their career, influence and community involvement.

The 2011 New England Design Hall of Fame Inductees:

Architecture
Bernard M. Wharton of Shope Reno Wharton Associates
Matthew and Elizabeth Elliott of Elliott + Elliott Architecture

Interior design
Nancy Serafini of Homeworks Interior Design

Landscape design
Kris Horiuchi and Daniel Solien of Horiuchi Solien, Inc.


Specialty award
North Bennet Street School

As a respected wholesaler of imported natural and engineered stone products, Marble and Granite, Inc. was honored to participate in The New England Design Hall of Fame as one of two Gold Sponsors for the second year in a row.



Event Details and Photo via New England Design Hall of Fame
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Top Reasons for a Bathroom Remodel

November 10, 2011
You may have to look beyond function to find out whether you are due for a bathroom update. Here are the signs that it is time to commit to a bathroom remodel.

  1. You plan on selling your home: Not only due bathroom improvement projects have one of the highest returns on investments, but it can make or break a potential buyer's decision.
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Differentiating Between Premium and Commercial Grade

November 06, 2011

In our last post, we went over why certain stones are labeled "premium grade." Now, we are going to explain what makes commercial grade stone different from premium grade. Of course, premium grade materials are always the first choice amongst distributors and fabricators, but there is still a need to offer commercial grade stone to the industry as well. To clarify what we mean by "commercial grade," here are a few of the qualifications and applications of this type of stone.

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What Exactly Does "Premium Grade" Mean?

November 03, 2011

How do you know you are getting the highest quality of natural stone from the distributor you choose? You can make sure that the distributor carries premium grade materials. In order to explain what "premium grade" means, we will use one of the premium grade granite stones that we carry here at Marble and Granite, New Venetian Gold, as an example.

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Remodeling Inspiration: Award-Winning Bathroom Designs

November 01, 2011
After spending so much time discussing kitchen renovations, it's time to move to the other most popular room to remodel . . . the bathroom! According to the Remodeling 2010–11 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com)the national average of the cost recouped from a bathroom remodel was 70%. This high return on investment makes bathrooms one of the top rooms to renovate to increase the value of a home.
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Cleaning and Caring Resources for your Stone Countertops

October 26, 2011
You may have heard of famous story of Meg Ryan rubbing sliced tomatoes all over her brand new white marble countertops in her kitchen to "break them in." This is called acid-etching because the natural acid from the tomato literally etches the surface taking off the finish. This is pretty risky and not recommended, however, as acids can interfere with the stone's chemistry.

If you are looking for sound advice on the internet for how to clean and care for your stone countertops, you may be bogged down and overwhelmed by the thousands of forums and Meg Ryan-like testimonials. This is why Marble and Granite offers multiple outlets for reliable resources on learning how to maintain your granite, marble or other natural stone surface.

Of course, you can always find regular Care and Maintenance posts right here on our blog, but you can also go directly to our website, www.marbleandgranite.com, for several convenient Helpful Resources. From treating individual stones and spills to all the do's and don'ts you would need to know, our website can serve as your go-to source for quality stone caring guidance.

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Celebrating Your Stone Countertops with Kitchen Decor

October 24, 2011
Now that we have taken you through the entire kitchen countertop renovation process from why you should renovate your kitchen to the installation of your countertops, it's time to celebrate and decorate. We turned to one of the most popular interior design magazines, Elle Decor, for ideas on different ways to glorify your countertops through beautiful kitchen decor. Since it is the season of cold temperatures and warm hues, we chose our favorite decor that was inspired by the warm colors and natural textures of autumn. Tell us in a comment which decorating ideas are your favorite or share with us one of your own decorating ideas!
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How to Evaluate Your Stone Countertop Installation

October 20, 2011
Voila! You are officially the owner of brand new shiny stone countertops! After the installation is complete, it's time to evaluate whether you received the quality job that you paid for. Here is a list of specs to double-check in order to feel confident that you received the proper installation to ensure your countertops will last and look fabulous for generations.

  • All seams are where they should be.

  • Stones are perfectly level.

  • Countertops feel satin smooth, and there are no chips or etches.

  • The edges are polished to the same luster as the surface.

  • If you opted for an undermount sink, the granite overhang should be equal around the whole bowl.

  •  The counters are sealed and actively repelling liquid; to test, splash some water and make sure that the droplets bead up like a freshly waxed car.

  • The installer advised you on how to care and maintain for your stone countertops.


Marble and Granite offers a list of the top fabricators in the stone fabrication industry nationwide right on our website. Search our list of fabricators by entering your zip code to find a fabricator near you that you can trust for a high-quality stone countertop installation.

 

Photo via Traditional Home
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All You Need to Know About Stone Countertop Seams

October 17, 2011


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How to Prepare for Your Stone Countertop Measurements

October 13, 2011

The exciting part is soon to come...your stone countertop installation! But first, it's time to take measurements. In order to get ready for your stone countertop measurements, there are a few things you should know. It is important to have certain items completed and ready before your fabricator comes to take the measurements for your stone countertop template in order to get the most accurate dimensions.

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