A rock-solid reliance on granite (The Cincinnati Enquirer)

A rock-solid reliance on granite
BY JOY KRAFT

Design trends - especially for kitchens - are changing constantly, with each invention prompting a new generation of ovens, refrigerators, sinks, cabinets, flooring and finishes.

Today's decisions on materials and finishes, many in the spotlight at next weekend's Kitchen Bath & Design Show at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, are in danger of being dated before a hammer lands its first blow.

Granite may be the exception to the rule.

Though designers and homeowners continue to flirt with new and unusual countertop surfaces, from stainless steel to glass, granite is holding its own as the most popular upscale choice since it entered the mainstream 10 to 15 years ago.

"For a long time the choice for higher-end kitchens was solid-surface material," says Brian Till, designer at Renewal of Cincinnati in Walnut Hills. "Granite came in 2 centimeter slabs and had to be built up to get it closer to the 1¼- to 1½-inch standard thickness, so there was a lot of labor involved. It got to be quite costly.

"Now, most granite and stones come in 3 centimeter thicknesses ... so labor is not as extensive."

Its beauty and practicality keep granite at the top of the kitchen wish list. Now, homeowners and designers are taking granite out of the kitchen into other rooms for use as bar tops, fireplace mantels and surrounds, tub decking, shower walls, flooring insets, even furniture.