Ideas for updating bathroom countertops to increase home value

When you’re getting ready to resell your home in Nashville’s competitive market, or flip one you just purchased, few things can increase the value as much as a great bathroom remodel. What can you do to get the most valuable bathroom possible? It all comes down to materials and fixtures!

Choose long lasting hard surfaces

Remodelling a bathroom with the goal of increasing value, only to use cheap laminate, is a bad mistake. There is no value in it as it will not be seen as a long lasting option by anyone with any knowledge of the remodelling game.

The best choices you can make for your hard surfaces, including the countertops and flooring, are stone. This includes:

• granite countertops
• quartz countertop
• marble countertops

Stone bathroom cabinet countertops will be sure to last for years, impress anyone who walks into your newly remade bathroom, and they last for years. Home value is directly linked to the value of the materials used – cheap materials lead to cheap prices. You can’t expect to install plywood and get marble prices, no matter how good the laminate imitates it!

Fixtures

One great sink or faucet can make all the difference. Look at the items most often used in your bathroom and think about how much more valuable a space is if you love looking at those items. Try to shy away from gaudy trends that can turn people off, go for classic and simple.

For a real bonus, consider for a certain fixture will look with your granite, marble or quartz countertop. Proper coordination always leads to a better overall look.

Reface your cabinets

This is a cheap and easy remodel that can instantly upgrade how new your bathroom looks. Doors and cabinets take a lot of abuse that adds up over even one year. If you’re already installing new cabinet countertops, just $150 – $300 per door you can have an all new looking bathroom. Just make sure that your cabinets are structurally sound. If water has infiltrated and started to expand the wood you may not be able to slap some new paint over them to correct it.

Change the shower head

Is your shower head looking scaly and old? Find a stylish new one. I know that every time I walk into a bathroom I look at the shower – it is where I’m going to be everyday at least once and I want to get under a shower head that looks clean and interesting. This $100 fix can add more value than you think as people find your shower inviting.

If you think that some long lasting hard surfaces are best for your bathroom remodel, check out our wide range of granite, marble and quartz slabs available in our Nashville store. You’ll be sure to find the piece that adds value and style to your bathroom. For visual inspiration, check out the bathroom cabinet countertops in our bathroom gallery. Remodel the bathroom to increase home value and earn the most out of your investments.

What type of stone to use for bathroom countertops

Choosing a stone for your bathroom cabinet countertop is a natural decision. Their graining, flecks of color and durable beauty will look great, and function well for years to come. Not only that, but stone is also resistant to wear, easy to maintain if you have them sealed properly, and come in a variety of textures and unique looks.

We’ll look at the three most often used stones for cabinet countertops in Nashville, so that you can figure out which is the right type of stone for your bathroom..

Using marble for your stone bathroom cabinet countertop

There is no mistaking the elegance and refined beauty of marble. It has been used for countless centuries to decorate the most luxurious of homes, and using it in yours will surely increase the beauty and value of your home. You can find it in many colors, from nearly pure white, to a pale pink to a dramatic dark. Take a look at our own marble slabs as examples of what your bathroom cabinet countertop could use.

There is a drawback to using marble for your bathroom cabinet countertop: if it is not sealed properly, with a silicone sealer, it can stain rather easily. Once your marble is polished to perfection, be sure to have it sealed up so that you never have to worry!

Granite is a popular choice for stone bathroom cabinet countertops

Granite is known for a rich and interesting look. It is an extremely hard rock (any harder and we’d call it heavy metal!) that is formed by volcanic activity. This forged in fire origin makes it extremely durable. It is nearly impossible to scratch, it has excellent resistance to heat, and is resistant to bacteria. This bacterial resistance is especially important in a material used for a bathroom cabinet countertop as things tend to get wet there!

Granite is more stain resistant than marble, especially the darker colors, but with a little sealing your cabinet countertop can look the same as the day you bought it for years and years. Click here to check out the extensive granite range available at our Nashville location, if you’d like to see a striking varieties of color and graining.

Choosing soapstone for your bathroom cabinet countertop

Soapstone is a good choice as it is incredibly resistant to liquids. This non-porous nature is an advantage in a bathroom. It is a bit softer a material than most other stone, certainly softer than the ones listed above, and this does make it slightly more likely to chip and break when you use it as a cabinet countertop.

The other drawback to soapstone is that you can have it in nearly any color you like – as long as you want grey or dark grey! There aren’t exactly a wide variety of colors or graining available, hence why many people wind up with granite countertops, or even quartz countertops, for their cabinet countertop..

Your home in Nashville deserves an excellent stone bathroom countertop, we offer a wide variety of marble and granite that will make your bathroom really stand out. Take a look around and see the actual granite or quartz that could be used for your bathroom cabinet countertop, not just a sample!

5 ways to save on new kitchen countertops

A stunning kitchen countertop will always be a focal point of a kitchen remodel or new design. This is especially true for those who choose to use granite, marble or quartz for their kitchen countertop – there is no laminate or resin available that truly mimics the beauty of real stone, or add to the value of your home.

If you need to save a bit of money on your kitchen countertops, so that you can enjoy that long lasting stone that you want, here are our five best ways to save.

Take all of your own measurements

Why hire a ‘professional’ to come over to your home to measure for your kitchen countertops when you know how a tape measure works? Just be absolutely certain that your measurements are spot on. Measure where the countertop will be, where the sink will be, and accurately get dimensions for any angles you’re incorporating

Select the actual slab for your kitchen countertop yourself

This is another situation where design experts think that only they can help you, most of them in the Nashville area are coming to us for their natural stone needs – and you can come to us too! We offer a wide range of slabs from our location in Tennesse, know your dimension and we’ll help you choose accordingly.

Choose a thinner slab of stone

Most manufacturers and distributors of stone will offer their stone for kitchen countertops it in a variety of thicknesses for different uses. As an example, we offer quartz countertops in thicknesses ranging from 12 – 30 mm. Be sure that you’re ordering the thinnest option that will work in your kitchen to save a few dollars.

Cut your own stone

This may sound like bit of a risky proposition, and it is, but with a diamond tipped dry cut blade on a circular saw, you can cut the stone for your kitchen countertop yourself. This is an instance where measure twice and cut once can not be emphasised enough. Measure five times and cut once is a better saying here!

Prep your kitchen countertops yourself

Your countertops will need a piece of 3/4 inch plywood on the top of it to support the stone. Cut it to fit exactly on top of your cabinet with no overhang and screw it down with perfectly centered screws. If you can’t handle the cutting of the stone itself, you can surely cut a few pieces of plywood to save you some money in the overall installation process for your kitchen countertops.

Check out our own kitchen gallery to get ideas for affordable kitchen countertops. You’ll see some gorgeous stone kitchen countertop, the type that will add incredible value to your home in Nashville.

5 ways to save on new bathroom countertops

A bathroom remodel can get pricey. Not everyone is a plumber and electrician, but nearly everyone from Nashville can use the most basic hand tools.

We’ll look at the 5 simple things that you can do yourself so that you can afford to purchase the long lasting materials, such as a granite cabinet countertop, that will make your bathroom remodel last for years.

Take all of your measurements yourself

It is crazy how much money you can save by doing all of your measurements yourself. It is one less time that a consultant will have to come to your home. Why hire someone to use a tape measure – you already know how it works! For homework, measure the height, length and width of bathroom cabinet countertops in your friend’s homes to find the measurements you’re most comfortable with.

Design your bathroom yourself

Walking into a design room with a complete set of measurements lets you and the designer get right to work. If you already know the overall size of your bathroom, the size you want for the cabinet countertops, and what fixtures you want as well, you’ll be even more prepared. This cuts out more time that you have to pay a designer to work.

Install your own cabinets

Once the plumbers and electricians have everything arranged, you can get your hammer and a level and get to work. This can be the perfect time to get your child familiar with swinging a hammer, or be a good time to get the boys over and have a few drinks – once the power tools are away!

Prepare your cabinet countertops yourself

In addition to installing the cabinets yourself, you can prepare your cabinets for the countertop to be installed. For a granite countertop, you’ll need a 3/4 inch piece of plywood, a jigsaw, and some screws. See our other article on installing a granite countertop for more help.

Order and cut the marble slab yourself

Home designers love to think that they have the inside line on the best raw materials for bathroom cabinet countertops, the secret for those in the Nashville area is that many of them come to us! We have a large variety that allows you to find the style and color that you want – why pay someone else to find it for you?

Once you have the slab in your home, you can cut it with a diamond tipped dry cut circular saw. We go into greater depth in the installation article mentioned above!

These few things can help lower the labor costs of your bathroom remodel. Creating more affordable bathroom countertops can allow you to spend more on long lasting materials that add great value to a home in Nashville.

Top 5 things to remember when designing an outdoor space

Your outdoor living space has to live up to two key factors – the fact it is outside and subject to the rain, wind and sun of a year long weather cycle in Nashville, as well as being functional for your family to use. There are 5 tips to designing outdoor space for a functional, long lasting and enjoyable year round experience in this article.

Consider the boring stuff first – landscape and draining

Nothing bums out a homeowner in Nashville with big plans more than trying to fight their own outdoor space. If you don’t consider your natural landscaping, how it lays and where natural features are, you’ll find yourself paying someone lots of money to move objects around.

Drain your property properly to stay dry and save money

Your draining is a major concern. If you build your dream outdoor living space, only to have it flood, shift and sink due to poor draining, you’ll have wasted money and effort. Having a plan for capturing runoff water for use in a pool, fountain or other water feature can also help you reduce ongoing costs.

Develop a focal point

As with all things that lack direction, your outdoor space can become a confused idea that is difficult to use. A focal point gives your guests and family a natural point to gather, talk about and will organize how people move around your outdoor space. This can be a patio, a fountain or a great big stone BBQ.

Balance natural elements

You know us, we love stone. But even we have to admit that you can’t just lay down granite everywhere and forget the rest of the elements. Water, greenery and open grass spaces are important. Relying too much on any one element will create an imbalance in how diverse your outdoor space is. If all you have is grass, where will people put tables and chairs without ruining your grass? If all you have is stone, where will the kids play? If all you have is water, well, who will feed all the ducks?

Use long lasting materials

Materials that are ready to take on the abuse of weather and temperature change are ideal. These is, simply put, no better choice than stone and granite for all of your hardscaping. A granite countertop can last for years. Quartz countertops are another option for your BBQ area.

Take a look at all of the stone we have on offer at our Nashville location and envision how this long lasting material can work in your outdoor space designs. A granite countertop just may be that last touch that takes your outdoor space from one that lasts a few years, to one which lasts a lifetime.

White kitchen counter top options

A white kitchen is just the thing for those who want a clean, bright and open look for their next kitchen remodel, or brand new kitchen. Choosing stone countertops for your kitchen is a great idea as it resists heat, is strong enough to last for years and is stain resistant when sealed properly.

White quartz kitchen countertops

If your go to choice for white stone is always marble, I’d like to draw your attention to quartz. The great thing about quartz, for those who want a truly white stone, is that it doesn’t have the black and grey marbling that marble gets its name from. Some examples of white quartz that makes for an exceptional kitchen includes our own Helix and Pulsar.

Not only will these look amazing in your white kitchen, but they also resist acid, stains and breaking or chipping. Don’t overlook quartz when you go stone shopping, it may be the best choice out there.

White marble kitchen countertops

Everyone loves to have marble in their homes. It has been used for centuries, thousands of years even, to decorate the most ornate and beautiful of living spaces. You can bring this into your home, affordably, by installing a marble countertop in your kitchen

Marble countertops are a bit softer, but they are still plenty strong enough to handle your daily kitchen duties – just try not to drop something heavy on it like, say, an engine block. Be sure that you the marble countertop in your kitchen properly sealed and maintain that seal to keep it from staining.

White soapstone for your kitchen countertop

This non-porous stone is less popular when it comes to countertops. You’re more apt to find it as a coaster or pestle and mortar. You can, however, find some white soapstone slabs that can work in a kitchen, just don’t expect to easily find the whites you’d get with quartz or marble.

If you’re looking for actual examples of the marble and quartz stone that you can use for your white kitchen countertops in Nashville, TN, take a look at our offerings. We have a number of options and work with other distributors, we’ll be sure to get that perfect white stone that you want for your kitchen countertop