Posted by Kevin Brooks on Mon, Nov 21, 2011 @ 11:05 PM
Hey Guys,
Latitude had a busy day today... CITYLINE and STEVEN AND CHRIS in the same morning.
Here is a really sweet island countertop that we did for Stephen and Chris for their "Good, Better, Best" segment.
They took a store bought island, painted it and then added one of my favourite new Marbles (now available).
The GOOD was the white island cabinet;
the BETTER was adding some paint to the Island; and
BEST was the island with the great marble piece on it.
The Marble is Aqua Bianca and it is so much more refreshing than the typical white marbles you see.
If you want to do something similar and add marble to island countertops or buffet counters, just be sure to think about care and maintenance.
You want to make sure to keep it clean and seal it frequently!!!!
Have a great night,
Kv
LEARN MORE
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Here is a photo of a work in progress of an Aqua Bianca kitchen countertop that we are doing for an amazing couple in Toronto; 
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Posted by Kevin Brooks on Mon, Nov 21, 2011 @ 10:00 PM
Are you thinking about doing your own kitchen makeover?
Are you on a budget? Are you worried about pulling it off?
Don't worry, there are great tips and tricks that you can use to make your kitchen into a dream space without shedding out thousands and thousands of dollars.
Designer Cheryl Torrenueva shares tips on how to achieve the perfect DIY reno. See the clip from this morning's episode of CITYLINE.
ABOUT THE RENO
Cheryl turned this poor functioning kitchen into a stunning showpiece. She came to Latitude to take advantage of our remnant program and got a stunning White Stone countertop to add on top of the existing cabinetry which she painted in a dramatic tone. Combined with the marble backsplash, the simple updates brought the small kitchen to life and succesfully make the kitchen look like a custom-made masterpice.
Cheryl gives a number of tips to help you plan your space and save money while doing your reno.
Be sure to watch for the before and after clips of the kitchen in the video! Believe me, it's well worth waiting the few seconds that CITYLINE makes us wait to see their commercial on the site.
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Read some of Cheryl Torrenueva's articles on Ivillage
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Want to see more about our remnant program?
Posted by Kevin Brooks on Thu, Nov 03, 2011 @ 12:09 PM
We are so excited to share that Latitude’s remnant marble vanity countertop was featured on the Marilyn Dennis Show, on CTV today! The segment illustrated how you can bring stunning designs into your home on a small budget… Like 60% to 75% less on countertops from Latitude, dependent on the options you choose.
The great team on the Marylinn Dennis Show thinks our remnant countertops in granite, marble and quartz is incredible. You will too! Really :O)
Are you tired of looking at your kitchen countertops or bathroom vanity countertop but don’t feel you have the cash to pay for a contractor and new cabinetry?
Designers have been using Latitude’s remnant program to get beautiful high end Granite, Marble and Quartz countertops for their clients while still keeping within conservative budgets. We simply use remnant pieces to manufacture your custom made countertops. Sometimes it is too good to be true. With our remnant program, it really is true.
Remnant countertops at Latitude start at $195 + tax for a 5 foot countertop including a polished undermount sink cutout and a polished ¾” square edge profile.
If you do your research, you will find that many places charge you $195 just for the polished sink cutout! Not only is our price on the remnant program incredible, we also turn orders around in 8 business days!
Get to Know Latitude
With over 32 years of experience, Latitude is known as the most trusted source for countertops in Ontario. You have probably already seen our manufacturing and installation expertise on other Television Design shows such as Love it or List it on W Network and on Candice Tells All on HGTV. We also supply countertops and natural stone design projects to Sarah Richardson on Sarah’s House and Sarah 101. We can certainly do the same for you whether you choose a remnant granite or marble or if you want to select from one of the 9 major brands of countertop options we carry.
Wanna Know More
If you would like more information about our remnant countertop program or want to book an appointment to view our remnant stock for your project, Click below:
Read more about remnant savings ...
Reno on a Budget
If the layout of your cabinetry does not need to change, you can easily give your kitchen or bathroom a brand new look with a stunning granite, marble or quartz countertop facelift. You don’t have change all the cabinets or demolish walls, simply freshen up your space by painting the cabinets and changing the countertop to granite or quartz.
So if you’re ready to update your space, extremely discounted rates on “remnant material” is a good place to start.
Remnant Kitchen Photo
Here is an example of a stunning Bianco Carrara marble kitchen countertop, designed by Emmanuel Belliveau of Floro Designs and host of World’s Greenest homes. The material came from remnant inventory.
Remnants are new and unused pieces of stone that are “leftover” from a previous—normally larger—project. Because of the high volume of larger kitchen countertop projects that Latitude manufactures, we have an incredibly large selection of sizes and colours in our remnant inventory for you to choose from.
Remnants come in many different colours, shapes, and sizes
Our remnant program prices are marked down so much that essentially, you only pay for labour and even that has been discounted. The remnant program allows you to get the superior quality and craftsmanship of Latitude at bargain basement prices.
When you see prices at other places that are too good to be true for your countertop, beware. They may be using poor quality granite, prefabricated pieces or they may not have the expert equipment to fabricate or install the countertops correctly. Remember, you rarely escape the adage “You get what you pay for”. At Latitude, we make sure that you always get Latitude’s amazing level of service, expert workmanship and quality products.
Each of these counter tops are made from remnant material
Our remnant program works best for vanities and smaller condominium kitchen layouts as well as galley kitchens and laundry room countertops.
When looking for remnant granite and quartz for your kitchen countertops, we must find pieces that are from the same block and lot or we will have to cut all countertops from the same piece of stone. Anytime two pieces of countertop sections are seamed together, as in a corner or in a long section, they must come from the same block of stone so that when the pieces meet, the colours match as closely as possible. Generally, it is more difficult to use remnant pieces for large kitchens.
LEARN MORE
If you’re unsure if you can get your kitchen or bathroom countertop out of a remnant piece or you would like get a quote for your space; contact us by filling in the Contact Form on the top left of this page.
We will call or write to you within 1 business day. You can also visit our showroom, call us at 416-638-8586 or email info@latitudeonline.ca. We look forward to assisting you with all of your remodeling projects!
Posted by Brett McLennan on Thu, Jul 28, 2011 @ 01:10 PM
“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”
- Warren Buffet
These days more than ever, most customers are looking for value when they buy. Today’s consumers lead busy lives and are often looking for added value that will save them time, along with a quality product that lasts, something you won't get by buying the cheapest product.
At Latitude, we pride ourselves on our cutting edge fabrication techniques and our customer service. We know that most customers not only want to work with someone they trust and who does quality work, but is also there for them post sale should any issues arise. This is the reason why a lot of our work is featured on the home shows that are filmed around the GTA.
If you have a rennovation coming up, make sure you stop by for your countertops, sinks, faucets, and more. Don't forget, Latitude offers financing at competitive rates that can be paid off at any point in time without penality.
Notice the Latitude difference,
Brett
Posted by Brett McLennan on Fri, Jun 17, 2011 @ 09:07 AM
At Latitude we've always had recycling initiatives for our left over granite slabs. Sink cutouts are no different, we've come up with some great ideas over the last year to make products that consumers want out of our left over granite. We've made granite cutting boards, granite lazy susans, and now we're making granite bbq shelves. They are custom measured so they fit any side shelf and they add a look of elegance to any bbq. When we mentioned them to our friends at Barbecues Galore they loved the idea, and so far they are selling them as fast as we can make them. We've been making them in all colours but the black ones seem to be the biggest hit. For more information on how you can get your custom barbeque shelf please contact Latitude or Barbecues Galore.
Posted by Colin Ackroyd on Mon, May 30, 2011 @ 10:28 AM
Over the last few years, many different finishing options have come to market for granite and quartz countertops. Before these last few years, we had only been able to see Granite and Quartz in polished finishes. Now that the industry has grown and quartz and granite are hugely popular in modern design, we are beginning to see a variety of available finishes for stone countertops.
Leathered and honed finishes are often related to each other, but do have specific differences between the two. Honed finishes were first introduced to give stone a softer look compared to that of polished stone. One of the only problems to consider with using a honed finish is that it can affect the overall performance of the stone when it comes to staining. Leathered finishes have advanced the honed look to allow for better performance. Leathering closes the stone pores, which make it much more difficult to stain than a honed finished. Leathering also retains the natural stone colour while honed finishing tends to cloud out the natural colour of the stone.
Silestone has been offering quartz countertop colours in a leathered finish for a nearly five years. Coming very soon, Silestone will introduce a new texture to the market that has not yet been approached: Volcano. This new Volcano texture is said to give the feel of an orange peel, while continuing to offer the same performance standards as their leathered and polished finishes. Silestone expects to release this finish, along with a variety of new and exciting colours this summer. Silestone is able to offer their remarkable 15 year warranty with these new finishes as well.
If you are interested in learning more about leathered, honed, or Volcano finishes to your granite or quartz products, please visit Latitude Countertops or speak with one of our knowledgeable and friendly sales team members.
Posted by Karen Yuen on Tue, May 17, 2011 @ 12:03 PM
I can’t see the difference, can you see the difference?
Ok, enough taglines from old commercials…or is it?
Many people ask me what the difference is between Quartz and Granite counter tops. And the answer is this: Granite is natural and mined from the earth. Quartz counter tops are man made in that quartz is ground up in to a powder, resins and binders added and processed so it’s like a rock. Granite is porous, which allows for liquids and germs to penetrate the surface, and thusly, requires sealing every few years. Quartz on the other hand is non porous and does not need to be sealed, ever.
Spills on granite should be wiped up right away and with quartz, it’s ok if you leave it there for a few hours or a couple of days before you clean it, it wouldn’t stain as easily as granite can (I've left red wine on a white quartz and was able to clean it off). Simply clean it with soap and water or a light abrasive cleaner…It’s that easy. Quartz counter tops really takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Less time cleaning and worrying about your counter top means you have time to do more.
So why do people still want to get a piece of the rock a.k.a. granite? Because up till now, quartz tended to look too uniform and too, well, man made. While some people love the uniform look of CaesarStone’s Concrete, Silestone's Grey Expo or Hanstone’s Blanco Canvas, there are still people looking for that unique granite look. Every piece of granite is unique, you can almost see a moment of earth’s history in a slab of granite, what created that red spot in the stone, or that green swirl? Many different minerals make up a slab of granite and how delicate or strong a particular piece of granite is depends on these minerals. So care for the granite becomes paramount in maintaining the beauty of the stone.
Is it possible to combine the look of granite without the maintenance? As you can see from the above pictures, the answer is a resounding “yes”. Finally, through research and the miracles of science, CaesarStone, Silestone and HanStone are rolling out their uniquely patterned quartz surfaces made to look like granite and are durable like quartz. It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature, but if it means you don’t have to worry about your counter top, then may be it’s worth it. Quartz durability with the look of granite makes it hard not to love it for life.
(Can you spot the taglines? Put your answers in the comment box)
Posted by Karen Yuen on Wed, May 11, 2011 @ 04:32 PM
Because if we were, the answer for me is always 2. Mmmmmmm, Pasta.
But since we are talking about sink bowls, the answer is a little more involved. Most commonly, we see single or double bowl sinks. There are some 3 bowl sinks available, but the selection is relatively small.
There are many reasons why someone would select one type over another:
ONE BOWL: They are usually larger sinks that fits large pots and baking sheets.
TWO BOWLS: If someone would like to install a garbage disposal, it might be nice to have a little bowl dedicated to that in addition to a large bowl. Some people like to put the dish drainer directly into a bowl and use the other bowl for washing dishes. My mom like 2 bowls because one is for washing with dish detergent and the second one is for rinsing.
THREE BOWLS: People may want to dedicate one small bowl to garbage disposal, and have two large bowls, one for accumulating dirty dishes and one for prepping food, which would come in handy for large dinner parties.
If we are looking at current design trends, Single bowls are the way to go. Large rectangular ones like Blanco’s Precision U Maxi are very design forward. This look is in line with the clean, minimalistic trend seen in today’s kitchen and bath designs. Appliances are hidden, Countertop thickness (see my blog on What’s “In” in Counter Top Thicknesses), handles, etc. are minimized and now, so is the look of the sink.
Blanco Precision Maxi U 1 Stainless Steel Sink
In the end, It comes down to functionality and how you like to wash your dishes. Do you have a dishwasher and like a large single bowl to wash the pots that you can’t put in the dishwasher? Are you the type, like my mom that likes to have one bowl for washing and one for rinsing? Some people believe that they tend let dishes pile up if they have double bowl sinks since they still have a bowl to use and a single bowl sink forces them to wash the dishes every day. The one or two sink decision also depends on a lot of what you are used to. When I went from a double sink to a single sink kitchen, I had to almost relearn how to wash dishes. Then going back to a double sink, I found that I was only using one sink, and still used a bowl of soapy water on the counter top. Now, since I have experience in both single and double bowl sinks, I would make the choice according to functionality and look. Do you have a lot pot and pans? Do you bake a lot? Do you have a dishwasher? I bake a lot, and hate washing cooking sheets in double bowl sinks. I also have a big slow cooker and when I have to immerse in water, I can’t do it in a sink. So for look and functionality, I would go for something like the Blanco Radius 10 U Maxi. It’s big, stylish and the corners of the sink are rounded for easy cleaning. Food would tend to get caught in tight corners.
Blanco Radius 10 U Maxi
Posted by Brett McLennan on Thu, Apr 28, 2011 @ 05:16 PM
This is a common question I hear as couples are discussion options in our showroom. Often a couple will come in and one person doesn't want to change while the other person does. There are a couple of easy answers that come to mind.
1) To increase the value of my home
It's no secret that the best way to increase your home's value is to rennovate the kitchen and/or bathroom. Since getting a facelift on your cabinets is so inexpensive these days it's an excellent time to put in a countertop with a wow factor. One of the first things people notice when viewing a house is how great a nice kitchen can look. The type of customer working to increase the value of their home will typically go for one of our sale granites. They look great and are quite inexpensive. They will typically pick a colour that blends in very well and won't offend any potential buyers because everything matches perfectly.
2) To create a look that you want to come home to
Let me elaborate: When you buy a house that you know you're going to live in for some time it is important that it looks the way you want it to. The previous owner may have had different tastes and since you're going to spend the next 10-20 years there, it's a great opportunity to create a space that you enjoy coming home to every day. These types of customers will typically pick something more exotic that is suited to their specific tastes.
Which answer is correct? I guess it depends on which picture you like the best.
Brett McLennan
Posted by Karen Yuen on Thu, Apr 28, 2011 @ 10:03 AM
For many years, ¾” Granite and quartz was the go to thickness for counter tops. Many times, especially in kitchens, the edge is laminated to a 1 ½” edge. This size edge is perfect for framed cabinets since that thickness edge can cover the gap between the top of the cabinet and the cabinet door. Even as cabinets became frameless, 1 ½” edging is still popular. But what about people on the cutting edge? What thickness counter tops are they interested in? For the last few years, thick counter tops with 2 – 3” mitred edges was the story. On islands, the thick edge and material would also go down the side of the cabinets to the floor to create a thick side panel. This gave the counter top a thick and substantial look. This is still very popular in North America.
www.caesarstone.ca
In Europe the emerging trend is to go with super skinny counter tops – 1 cm thickness material. This look is sleek and modern. It goes along with the whole integrated kitchen/home idea that is so popular right now. Appliances are built to be hidden from plain view or its appearance as muted as possible. Likewise, counter tops are becoming more subtle in terms of material thickness. Latitude currently has various 1CM quartz material in stock and acrylics such as Corian and Staron come in 1CM only (traditionally, Corian and Staron edges are built up to that thicker looking edge). It is a new look that will definitely make its way to North America.
www.boffi.com
I love the clean look of the thin counter top, but whether or not I would decided to go with that or another look would depend on the overall look of the house. The styles in the home will have to work together. Thinner counter tops would look better in smaller kitchens because they make the space seem bigger and as you can tell from the picture above, will look good in a larger space as well. Thick, 2” – 3” counter tops may work better in a larger space will give it a more substantial look without compromising the clean and modern look of the space
Karen Yuen