Design Inspiration - kitchen counters

If you've been reading this blog from the beginning, you may remember that I had my heart set on the Lowe's Angel Ash quartz for our kitchen countertops.  It was the perfect blend of taupe/gray, and everything else that I looked at seemed to pale in comparison. 

"Why quartz?"  I want a countertop that's durable, easy to clean, non-porous and heat resistant.

When we got the bids for the Lowe's Angel Ash, I wanted to vomit realized that we would have to look into other options.  Since Sage Surfaces provides the Allen + Roth quartz directly to Lowe's, it's impossible to find it anywhere else.  With that being said, Lowe's charges a premium for that particular product: $75/sq foot installed.  I went to Lowe's, talked with the crotchety countertop lady who should've retired when Reagan was in office sales rep and wasn't able to get anywhere under the $75/sq ft price, not even with the contractor's discount. 

Let's break it down in simpler terms.  We're putting 96 square feet of quartz in our kitchen. 

96 square feet x $75/sq ft = $7,200 JUST FOR THE KITCHEN COUNTERS

We just don't have the budget to stick with the Allen + Roth Angel Ash, so I started to look at other options. 

I ended up finding a quartz by Pental called Riverbank Brushed, and while it's a bit more chunky, I've decided that I love it just as much, if not more than the Angel Ash.  It's definitely more of an organic look, but I think it's going to look beautiful against the white shaker cabinets and the matte subway tile backsplash.  The best part: it's $55/sq ft!

96 square feet x $55/sq ft = $5280 

By using the Pental quartz, we'll save just over $2,000.

Allen + Roth Angel Ash quartz

Pental Riverbank Brushed quartz