Mining Quartz

The hard working folks at the Kitchenistan Department of Caves and Mines are at it again. But this time all their digging has resulted in some real value. They are ingenious folks, figuring out how to turn the most abundant mineral in planet's continental crust into something extremely valuable.

Quartz is pretty common both in the ground and in the form of prism necklaces on earthy types who believe they have spiritual power. But in Kitchenistan, they are more focused on function. So, what do do with a really hard and abundant material?

Counter tops.

Now on display in the national museum, you can see the new Kitchenistani industrial triumphs in a white grainy "Yukon" and the eponymous "Absolute Green." The stuff is a mix of natural quartz with about plastic resin holding it together. And it is pretty indestructible: scratch resistant, non-porous (so it does not need to be sealed annually), and won't scorch with the occasional hot pan or pot put carelessly placed. Pretty darn ideal. Pretty darn easy to find. We looked at a pricey brand fabricated in Israel, but ended up with the stuff they sell at Home Despot which is fabricated in Spain. But forget the fabrication locations---long live Kitchenistani innovation!

With the installation of the counters, there is now a sink and a faucet in place---though who knows when we will get the plumber in to hook it up... Still things are shaping up quick. And, as you can see from the photo, we are getting ready for the painter.

BTW, the photo above is of the bar which has a pretty cool return so that it runs from the window bay about 8' and then makes a 90 degree dive straight into the floor.

The work space (the vast majority of the counter) is the more muted off-white (clearer in the photo to the right). Very clean, despite the crapped up wall board from today's installation. It will mimic the limestone on the benches pretty nicely. Looks swank despite the fact that they got the profile of the eased edges wrong and forgot a big chunk of our back splash...