Kitchen & Bath: The Granite Look

The Granite Look by Patrick Galvin Up until a few years ago, choices for “working” kitchen tops were threefold: ceramic tile (the old standby); Corian (introduced by DuPont in 1971); and high-pressure decorative laminates. Laminates proved to be the overwhelming favorite because of the variety of textures and almost unlimited range of colors, patterns, and woodgrains they provide. Genuine marble or granite was too bulky and too pricey for most situations. But this changed dramatically when laser technology allowed European marble and granite to be sliced wafer thin—as thin as ¼-inch. And 4×8 sheets of reinforced thinly-sliced marble and granite quickly won favor on commercial walls. When high-end West German cabinet manufacturers began introducing the panels in their U.S. kitchens, the die was