Resources

Sep 15 2023

Live Inventory Guide

We’ve taken the guesswork out of slab shopping. With up-to-the-hour inventory updates, accurate slab dimensions and high-quality stone images, you can find exactly what you need. Access it all from the “Inventory” button on our home page. Here’s a quick guide to get you started:

Main Gallery View and Search

Search by color, material (granite, quartz, dolomite, marble and more), slabs and remnants, finish (polished, satin/leather or honed) and price group (ranging from 1 to 22).

Visualizer

From the main gallery view, click on “SEE IN VISUALIZER” in blue underneath the right side of a small stone photo. This tool lets you create a unique, real-time stone preview in nine customizable room settings.

Toolbar

Once you select a stone, a pop-up page will appear with an image of the stone, all the stone details listed underneath it to the left, and then you will see this very useful set of buttons underneath the image on the right (highlighted above in yellow):

Measure this slab	Measure any slab in our inventory and see if a specific slab will work for your project.
Share this slab	Quickly and easily share this slab via Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter or Houzz.
Favorite	Click the heart to create a list of favorites.
Download PDF	Download one-sheet PDFs of your favorite stone images with all the slab details.
Bookmatch this slab	Bookmatch 2, 4 or 6 slabs together to see what your seams will look like.
Inquire	Ask questions about any specific slab in our inventory with quick customer service. Once the slab inquiry form is submitted online, our dedicated team will respond within 24 hours.
View slider	Click the arrows to view all the slabs available in that color.

Have fun browsing!

If you have any questions, you can click the “Inquire” button on any stone detail page to reach a dedicated sales assistant.

Sep 15 2023

Granex Visualizer Tour

Granex recently launched a new inventory site which not only helps narrow your search for the perfect stone, but also provides a very useful tool, which we call the Visualizer.

The Visualizer does exactly what it says: it allows you to visualize how certain stones will look in different spaces. It takes your stone selection from 2D to 3D. Honestly, we’ve seen various applications that can do this, but the Granex Visualizer is by far, the best that we’ve seen. And that is why we’re so excited to share this with you. While browsing inventory, click the “Inquire” button on any stone detail page to contact us with any questions. We have a dedicated sales assistant to help you with any stone that you find on our website.

Sep 15 2023

Nesting Trends

Nesting Trends—How the Pandemic is Steering Interior Design

After months of staying at home during the pandemic, we’re re-discovering the simple joys of cooking with family and gathering safely in comfortable outdoor spaces. We’re working, playing, resting and entertaining in place—and as a result, re-evaluating how spaces function, what rooms work and what features would make living easier.

“People are spending more time at home, so making it comfortable and enjoyable during this unprecedented time is desirable,” acknowledges Maureen Isaac of Maureen Isaac Design in Solon.

For some, this means refreshing interior decor—fresh paint, updated upholstery, a new rug or furniture pieces. Others are reconfiguring living spaces to make room for dedicated offices and workout areas. Projects put on the backburner are moving front and center, such as finally renovating the kitchen or bath.

Isaac notices more urgency in homeowners’ requests to start and complete projects. “People are more focused,” she says, adding that virtual materials selection and video meetings is easing the process, making interior design safe and accessible.

Here are some trends interior designers are spotting amid Covid-19.

Reconfiguring Living Spaces

With many families shifting away from formal dining, choosing instead to gather in or around the kitchen, the dedicated space for hosting meals is less important. “People are reevaluating that and perhaps building out an office or place where their kids can study,” says Granex’s Shea Pacak.

Pacak shares how her family reimagined a closet that was a drop-spot for clutter, opening up the spot so it could house a beverage center stocked with teas, coffees and drinks suitable for all ages. “It’s in the main living space of our home and gives us the versatility to offer someone a glass of wine or coffee while we cook and enjoy time together,” Pacak says.

Working out at home is also a necessity for many clients, who want to create dedicated space for gym equipment. Pacak opted to refinish her basement with a spot for Zoom yoga and on-demand workouts, complete with a spa bathroom. Laurie Lindbloom of LZL Interiors in Shaker Heights shares how one of her clients decided to spruce up the spot where the basement furnace is located so workouts at home can be more pleasant. “They are not planning on going back to the gym anytime soon, so we are definitely seeing people finish out portions of their basement for this purpose,” she says.

Decked-Out Desk Spaces

While open floor plans are what most families desire, and great rooms that flow into expansive kitchen/dining areas are what homebuilders today deliver, some families are seeking more privacy to manage remote work and homeschool obligations. “The open floor plan we all wanted might not be the proper setup for people who want a private place to work with doors where they will not be interrupted,” Lindbloom points out.

Isaac also notes a demand for office and learning spaces. And Pacak says this can also mean selecting furniture and creating dedicated work/school zones within existing rooms, such as a nook of a child’s bedroom.

Family-Friendly Fabrics

Everyone is home–which means more traffic, more wear and tear. Jane Marquardt of Maison Maison in Rocky River, says outdoor rugs are moving indoors. “They’re not just for the patio,” she says of the durable polypropylene material that is “virtually indestructible,” with some resembling persian rubs. “Durability has met beauty in a wonderful way,” she says.

The same is true for furniture textiles. Marquardt is fielding many upholstery requests and sees a marked demand for new sectionals and couches amid the Covid-19 pandemic. People are going for performance fabrics in gray, beige and white. “The advances in fabrics are massive,” she says, relating how she will spill ink or mustard on the surface to show clients how to effortlessly clean the toughest stains. “Leather is not as durable,” she adds.

Virtual Materials Selection

From furniture to paints and countertop surfaces, the ability to view, select and purchase materials online makes completing interior design projects possible during the pandemic. Pacak calls out Granex’s “visualizer” app that provides 3-D images of slabs along with pictures of all remnants in their inventory. “They can shop based on the color of stone, size or material such as marble, quartzite or quartz and take care of 98% of their shopping experience from home,” she says.

Lindbloom and others are conducting virtual consultations. “People trust us to help them select furniture and they are confident making purchases without seeing the products in person or sitting on a sofa,” she says.

In fact, the time people are spending at home allows flexibility for perusing interior design trends, materials and products online, Marquardt says. “And, while they are sitting they are realizing, ‘This sofa is so uncomfortable,’ or, ‘This never really worked,’” she relates.

Indeed, interior design demands are evolving as we live the new normal. Meanwhile, heading into fall and the upcoming winter, there is uncertainty about how the pandemic will play out–however, we know we’ll be home a lot more. And, as Lindbloom says, “We’re paying more close attention to our comfort and how we use our spaces.”

Sep 15 2023

What Is Dolomite or ‘Hard Marble’?

Maybe you have been perusing marble patterns to select an appealing surface for your kitchen and you came across a “marble that performs like granite,” or the proper name: Dolomite. As a stone that usually flies under the radar, Dolomite is sometimes marketed as a user-friendly marble, yet the sedimentary rock has its own category and deserves attention. After all, it offers on-trend patterns and elevated resilience to everyday wear. Though, we think it’s important to understand: Dolomite is not actually “hard marble,” and it does not perform like granite.

What’s the Dolomite Look—Defining Characteristics

The clean-and-crisp color palette of grays and whites that is in demand is naturally Dolomite. Usually, dolomite is gray, white and can include some tan tones. Sometimes, Dolomite will feature tinges of pink, brown, black or green—but most Dolomite is shades of gray and whites similar to the classic marble coloring.

Another defining feature of Dolomite is more prominent veining and streaked patterns, reminiscent of marble yet bolder in many cases. Dolomite delivers a sophisticated finish to kitchens and bathrooms. While on the surface it resembles marble, there are some key differences.

Marble vs. Dolomite—What’s the Difference?

Marble is a classic, luxury surface with a calcium carbonate composition that causes it to react to acids (a squirt of lemon juice) and can cause etching. Its porosity also results in staining if spills are not tended to immediately. Yet, marble is rich with character and a sought-after stone surface that is timeless, durable, available in a range of colors and patterns, and features characteristic veining. No two slabs are alike. Plus, you can choose polished, honed or textured finishes.

Dolomite is a sedimentary rock made mostly from the mineral dolomite and it’s also known as dolostone. Sometimes, showrooms will label Dolomite as “hard marble,” and the reason for this is because it is denser than marble. Dolomite is porous, though not as susceptible to staining, etching and cracking as marble. Still, you must take care of the surface, including sealing it. If you spill pickle juice on a Dolomite countertop and neglect to clean it up immediately, the surface will remind you of the oversight with etching and a stain. If you set a glass of red wine down that leaves a cabernet ring on a Dolomite surface—again, expect a stain unless you wipe it clean right away. That said, Dolomite can handle more wear-and-tear than marble, which is ideal for households that want a marble-looking surface in a high-use area like a kitchen. Basically, Dolomite performs like marble with more give.

When to Choose a Dolomite Surface

Selecting a stone surface for a kitchen, bathroom or any space in your home or commercial setting can be overwhelming because of the different stones available and, for each, an expansive range of patterns. Many are interested in the marble appearance, and Dolomite can be an appealing alternative if you’d like a little bit more peace of mind related to staining and etching, and you’re looking for a marble appeal without the price tag. We don’t consider Dolomite a stand-in for marble—not at all. These two different stones are beautiful and functional in their own right. But understanding the differences will help you make an informed decision when the time comes to narrow down stone surface options.

We encourage you to ask about Dolomite—find out how it can work in your space. Tour our showroom so you can personally see the difference and let the stone speak to you. We’re here to help.

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