Diorite Verde – magnificient emerald green granite adorns IKEA kitchen furniture
We started 2024th with a visit to Liza and Liam, to see how their spacious and modern U-shaped kitchen was completed. Purchased by young couple from IKEA, the kitchen furniture with integrated appliances is covered with Diorite Verde, an moss-green granite with flowing golden-brown veins, which changes color depending on the viewing angle. Indeed, it is in the bright light that the character of the stone is fully revealed, as well as the diorite crystals and the lighter spots resembling quartzite are better seen against a dark and velvety background.
What did you start with when decorating your kitchen?
During the renovation and remodeling, the biggest change was relocation of the kitchen. Whereas the kitchen used to be a separate room, now it became part of the living room.
A smaller apartment could have easily accomodated a corner kitchen, but now, as we had a bit larger space, we decided not to be overly restrictive, as far as furniture and appliances were concerned. There`s never enough cupboards and drawers and we wanted a larger surface as well. So we let our imagination fly, went to the IKEA website and planned as many cupboards as we felt necessary. We slightly exceeded our budget, but we are happy with the result!
The open U-shaped kitchen is practical, all the equipment fits and the right side serves as a kitchen island. We knew right away that we wanted to have a slightly wider surface to create a seating area, as well as vertically prolonged surface (so-called waterfall effect) would be perfect for our project. In the meantime we even considered saving money and using a background of other materials, such as quartz or ceramics, but fortunately the experts at Granitop convinced us to be wiser and choose a full-height stone background. How grateful we are for that advice!
As it seems, there were somewhat doubts and choises at the time… What else completing your kitchen has been a challenge, or what would you like to bring out as a success?
Installing the furniture was quite easy. However, during the installation we had to invent some spacers to make the dishwasher fit nicely and the doors open smoothly. The floor was also quite uneven, even 6 mm difference in height, but well… the craftsman of Granitop helped to fix the problem, placing both furniture and surfaces perfectly. No matter how experienced construction company you use; small plaster bumps, a bit of wavy concrete on the floor or slightly rounded corners are still quite a common problem. And if you do`nt notice these things earlier, then you`ll notice them when ordering stone surface installation!
There were no particular complaints about furniture: Liam and his friend installed it and everything was plummeted and attached nicely. Perhaps surprisingly, there were no holes drilled in the cupboards for handles or buttons. On the other hand, it is understandable – one can choose a wide variety of handles for cabinets and drawers.
We also bought some appliances from IKEA, to fit with the furniture. We chose Kilsviken sink, black, 56x46cm. I measured it specifically to fit the baking tray. If the sink is too small, it is very inconvenient to wash the baking plates.
The stove is Matmässig induction cooker, 59 cm, separate timer for each boiling point, automatically switching off when overboiling.
Black microwave Mattradition, with steam function and programmable defrost by weight. Air purifier Underverk is quite common, integrable, also from IKEA.
Obtained elsewhere was Franke Urban faucet with pull-out tap, color onyx. What comes to the faucet, I wished the pipe not to be at a right angle but ascending, so I can fit even taller kitchenware under the tap. The nozzle can be rotated 150 degrees, lever on the right side. Initially we liked the Franke semi-pro, but it already made a strange impression in the sample room, as if it was kind of rickety, so we choose Urban.
My definite wish was Whirlpool`s integrated oven, energy consumption A+, pyrolysis and XXL-size baking chamber (IKEA`s oven was smaller). Hisense Nofrost 246 L freezer, hight 178 cm, integrated, automatic defrost, open door alarm and rapid cooling system. And of course, integrable dishwasher. I had it selected already: intended for 16 sets of dishes (the largest capacity among dishwashers with a width of 60 cm), 9 programs, 42 dB, separate low cutlery drawer. This dishwasher opens automatically after the wash cycle, which means it dries faster – that means better energy efficiency…
Well, all these choises took some time and at first we did`nt know anything about Granitop. In retrospect, we could also have bought the sink and the faucet from Granitop among other things – that way we could have avoided a lot of racing between different showrooms and the result would probably have been just as good.
So you finally got around to choosing the stone?
Exactly! We wanted granite surface and Granitop seemed promising: lots of different stone surfaces at a reasonable price. True, at first we fancied the Belvedere granite, but when we looked at the pictures of the stone slabs, the new batch was somehow more modest and less impressive.
However, the pattern varies with natural stone. For example, Viscount White or Verde Savana is found to be either serene or intensely flowing pattern …
Finally… as we continued to discover all the choises, we considered: Diorite Verde is a stone just for us. There were plenty of options – for example, excitingly beige-pink Shivakashi , but when the time came to order, there was no room for doubt. Diorite is somehow very expressive and somewhat even controversial material, which has both the Nordic calm character of the granite and the passion of the flowing pattern. Thus, it can be said that both our demanding tastes met in this stone surface, because depending on the angle of view and light, our granite surface is always different and a joy to discover. There is the golden-brown glow of Belvedere as well as Viscount White or some other granite with its uniform grain structure, balancing the overall impression.
After all, we are very happy with the result. Let`s take for example this smoothly liftable socket box – this is just beautiful! My bestie told me that the stone-integrated pop-up module is not supposed to be very practical and not so waterproof, but … you don`t have to flood it!
The planned wine cooler in the cupboard is not here yet, but our kitchen is actually ready. Even spot lights with LED-strips were installed (also from IKEA) and this remote control can be attached for example right here to the oven handle with a magnet!
And, of course, the compatibility of the stone patterns, the transition points! By the way, our kitchen is actually made of two stone panels. But you can`t really tell, from where which piece has been cut – everything is so smooth and beautiful. I am very satisfied with Granitop`s skillful craftsmen!
When designing furniture, it is useful to play through the various layouts of cabinets, drawers, and equipment in a drawing or in a special program. That’s how you get a complete and logical result! In the room, boxes, newspapers or tape can be used to mark the boundaries of furniture, so that it can be assessed whether there is still enough free floor space for moving and food processing.
Our skilled craftsmen do their best to ensure that the continuity of the pattern is as perfect as possible. The pattern of successive slabs may also vary, therefore it is worthwhile to rely on the recommendations of the measurement team and the draftsmen, whose drawings are prepared to join and fit in the best possible way.
In the case of natural stones, the stone may not always look exactly like some earlier photograph. Depending on the batch, the pattern may vary, being calmer and more uniform or, on the contrary, having a brighter or more powerful character. Sometimes, by the will of nature, a stone panel contains a mineral or rock with a different, somewhat extraordinary color or even fossils. These features may be the „cherry on the cake” that makes your kitchen countertop into a work of art.
If You’d like to calculate price for granite worktop, or any other stone of Your choice from our wide selection, we recommend you try out the Granitop price calculator. If you’d like to share with us pictures of your new or newly renovated kitchen or tell us how you use stone in your home you can contact us by email or add pictures to the Granitop Google account!