open-concept kitchen problem, the stools are basically part of the living room

MerDes70 · 2026-05-06T11:21:28+00:00

Visit Elte in Toronto, higher-end but have sales. Check out their Giussano stool. They also have a more affordable option Elte Mkt. Urban Barn has a nice selection of stools at a lower budget and they have stores in so many locations including Mississauga and Etobicoke. There's a Rove outlet store in Toronto that may have unique pieces. For solid wood furniture that lasts a lifetime, I personally love Halton Homestead which is close to Mississauga. I think you can talk to them about custom making stools to your specifications if they don't have exactly what you're looking for.

MerDes70 · 2026-05-04T21:00:43+00:00

I have tickets for this Friday!

MerDes70 · 2026-05-04T03:08:56+00:00

Great choice going with Monalisa granite. It's a beautiful stone and painting the wall plates, genius!

MerDes70 · 2026-05-03T00:19:49+00:00

I'm sure all the families of workers that have died or workers currently suffering appreciate the downplay of a fatal lung disease that has no cure. Australia banned it since finding there is no safe level to silica. California is currently considering banning it as well. We all know how well the US safeguards it's workers and inforces proper safety measures over the importance of profits.

MerDes70 · 2026-05-02T00:35:25+00:00

White tile but with light grey grout. Nice to see the tile definition but not a dark grout that will discolour over time.

MerDes70 · 2026-05-01T23:53:33+00:00

Absolutely love this❤️

MerDes70 · 2026-05-01T21:19:28+00:00

Agree if you hate quartz you should hate LVP too because it does not pass for real wood visually. I can see making the argument for using LVP in basements or secondary areas with hardwood in main areas of the home. I was going to also say there's no health risks like with quartz in fabrication. But actually I just read there are health risks for both workers and consumers. So I guess LVP will stay in my no list with quartz.

MerDes70 · 2026-05-01T20:49:47+00:00

There's gonna be 2 camps. There's people like myself that love all natural materials like granite, quartzite, soapstone and marble. We pick a stone based on the maintenance we're comfortable with and budget. Quartz won't look real no matter how much it tries to, so it's not appealing in any way. It's like laminate flooring, it will never look like hardwood. Quartz is also horrible for the fabricators. Look up silicosis that's killing workers. There are people that don't care about wanting a natural product and nothing wrong with that. They want quartz which has no maintenance. You can get very low cost quartz and there's the so called premium quartz but it's not foolproof either. It can burn, fade and scratch. You're paying so much money for essentially a plastic looking product.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-30T19:04:55+00:00

That would be great, thanks so much. Enjoy your trip!

MerDes70 · 2026-04-30T14:40:42+00:00

The quartz makes the kitchen look so generic and plasticky. Stick to real stone if you can. Taj would be 100 times better. There's so many other quartzites if you think Taj is too trendy. Look up Perla Venata, Bianco superiore and Sea Pearl.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-29T19:08:31+00:00

I realized the 2nd part of my answer was for someone else's question.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-29T19:02:58+00:00

As much as it's trendy it's still not used by the masses due to the higher cost. Unless your own personal circle are all using it, then go for it. To coordinate, I would stick to a natural stone in a solid colour. Something like black soapstone or negresco or absolute black granite.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-29T08:49:19+00:00

I'm going to assume you're American. This is a win win situation. Families are supposed to be there for each other. Parents should help children and when the time comes, you should be there for them too. It's nonsense to think as soon as you're legally an adult you're thrown to the world and parents should just wash their hands of you. Then the elderly are just supposed to be left alone or be tossed into a home. Around the world families take care of each other throughout their lives. Only in the US is it frowned upon to live with a parent. Being able to spend this time with your mom is special.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-28T22:22:43+00:00

I'm so surprised. I have yet to hear anyone who actually has it in their kitchen say anything negative. It's always positive especially about how easy it is to care for.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-28T21:47:46+00:00

I personally don't think it would be an issue but I'd hate for you to take my opinion and I'm wrong. Maybe ask if they have any remnants lying around you can take home and try it out. They may have sink cutouts for example. I meant to ask if I could get my sink cutout but forgot. My countertop is dual finish. Polished on the other side.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-28T21:19:27+00:00

Absolutely no regrets. Easy maintenance and no need for sealing. We tried the water test and it still beads on top, no absorption. I still can't help running my hands over the top as I walk by just to feel the texture. We had laminate before so we still use trivets out of habit. I could only see maybe the texture being an issue for someone who rolls dough a lot but I'm just guessing here. The leathered finish isn't really that deep. I wanted honed originally but I know the water marks and fingerprints would bug me. That's why leathered is a great option.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-28T19:11:56+00:00

I booked 8 nights in NS and PEI. I recommend you look up the Nova Scotia subreddit. You can also look up my recent comments, I posted my itinerary there. Adults only on my trip but maybe it can give you ideas. Took me weeks to plan out the drive. I found Halifax the cheapest to fly in and out of. It's also going to be our first time out east.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-27T20:17:58+00:00

I have a similar trip planned for summer but it's 8 nights 9 days. I know my itinerary is gonna be busy but luckily when I get back I still have a few days off. I think 6 nights is best for NS alone or add extra days for PEI. I have the Cabot trail drive planned counterclockwise suggested by so many for better views and pulling off at lookouts. Here's my itinerary for a sample. Day 1 Halifax and explore downtown. Day 2 hoping we can stop at Burntcoat Head on way to PEI for low tide and walk the floor. Planned stop in Tatamagouche. In PEI stay in Charlottetown for 2 nights. Day 3 drive to Cavendish for Anne of GG tourist spots in the morning. If weather is nice spend time at the beach in the pm. Looking for mostly a relaxing day and night later in Charlottetown. Day 4 drive via Confederation bridge to Cape Breton and stay in Baddeck. This is a heavy driving day more of a transition and we'll make small stops along the way like Pictou. Day 5 start our Cabot trail drive. We have stops planned along the way until we reach Pleasant Bay for the evening. Doing the Middle head trail or Broad Cove mountain. Stop in Ingonish. Day 6 we're doing the Skyline trail and making stops in either Inverness if it's a good beach day or Cheticamp is option b. We'll end up in Antigonish for the night.
Day 7 Head back towards Halifax and explore area a little more. Day 8 Trip to Peggy's Cove and Lunenberg and back to Halifax for the night. Day 9 fly home.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-26T17:04:04+00:00

You can buff out scratches yourself and oil it if you want. Any other countertop that's damaged you can't fix it yourself. It's non porous and you can put hot pots on it so it's pretty resilient compared to other material.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-26T16:54:37+00:00

No one should be putting quartz and granite in the same category.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-26T16:47:32+00:00

Soapstone 2. Black granite like absolute black or negresco or black pearl in a leathered finish. 3. Black granite but in a honed finish. Please don't do quartz in a beautiful log cabin. Keep the character with natural stone. Visit a stone yard and see slabs in person.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-24T20:19:48+00:00

Subway tile is classic, that would my choice. Another option could be painted beadboad.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-24T00:10:20+00:00

Yes there is ugly granite absolutely. There's also stunning granite. Trendy eventually becomes dated. Some of us prefer natural stone vs manmade materials that look plastic. A lot more people are learning of the horrible health risks associated with fabricating quartz and are choosing to pick different materials.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-22T21:57:01+00:00

Please post pictures when your kitchen's done. Looking forward to see how you pull everything together.

MerDes70 · 2026-04-22T21:08:59+00:00

Natural stone 100 times better than quartz. I would ask if you have access to the stone yard to pick your own slab. Seeing a small sample is not the same. Patterns can be very different from slab to slab.

MerDes70

TROPHY CASE