Golden sparkles on black background – Galaxy Star granite in an open kitchen
We decided to pay a visit to Miriam and Harry to find out how their worktop in black Galaxy Star granite has held up. Due to the little sparkling specks of gold on a polished black background this beautiful granite resembles a sky full of stars. In the young couple’s kitchen it shines on worktops and the massive kitchen island. Together with trendy cabinetry in dark gray and black appliances this stones makes for a solid and beautiful final look. But how about the practicality?
How did you get to this result? And why Galaxy Star?
That’s a tricky question to answer, because we didn’t really know anything about granite or about Galaxy Star when we started this renovation. Even when we were recommended this specific stone at first we kept looking at very different styles of granite, Emerald Pearl and this other one that also had little blue crystals…
Labrador Antique?
No, it was something else. Oh yes, Blue in the Night!
Our kitchen renovation didn’t start from the stone worktops, or even furniture or appliances. It started from the floor. At the beginning of our apartment modernization we got the idea of a kitchen island with a sink for this great space. That meant we had to plan canalisation and all before laying down the wooden flooring.
| Look for possibilities! |
We didn’t have an interior designer working with us so it was fully our own choice to prioritize beauty and comfort over a strict budget. Originally the “wet zone” of the kitchen was actually at the wall, but having the sink in a corner is very impractical.
Maybe everyone doesn’t go about these things like we do, and even cookbooks measure cooking time specifically, but really the time spent at the stove is just a fraction of the time the process of cooking takes. Half, or even up to four fifths, of the time goes for prepping. That in mind we decided to move the sink to the island. This way the majority of our actual counter space can be well utilized while the fridge and a stovetop with the oven have been installed in their own niche at the back.
This sounds right out of some lecture, basics of ergonomics for chefs?
It’s not that complicated. Simply the classic fridge-sink-stovetop model revisited. Cooking is definitely an art, up to an extent, and professional cooks need to have certain abilities like planning their actions in the kitchen and knowledge from topics such as food safety, but the principles are very universal and can all be transferred to the kitchens of every home chef. Comfort, cleanliness, efficiency and delicious flavors aren’t only for restaurants.
| Look for sinks! |
Why granite then? Wouldn’t quartz or stainless steel be a more obviously durable and hygienic material?
Granite is also a very durable material, and in our opinion better suited for home kitchen – especially one with an open plan. We did look at quartzes and we do have a white quartz slab for a backsplash. But using all quartz, no, not for us. It would feel too manufactured, too sterile somehow.
We bake a lot, too, and that was another important factor. Granite tolerates high heat very well, much better than quartz does.
Dark granites have been popular for decades now. I think they have more than proven their worth in all that time. Currently many interior design magazines promote the trendier composite stones like quartz but we think natural stone has a more genuine look. And we knew we’d want a granite with character instead of a typical single color option – now just look at how it sparkles in the sunshine from the windows, isn’t it pretty!
The dark gray matte cabinets were also a very conscious decision. I’ve experienced high gloss cabinets before and I don’t want to constantly go around with a kitchen towel cleaning up smudges and fingerprints anymore. Matte finish is much easier.
How has everyday cooking, rolling out pie dough and everything, affected the way your worktop looks?
I do have one practical tip from work I could share. Whenever you’re prepping, or rolling out that dough, cover the worktop with cling film. You won’t get a single smudge on the stone. And when it’s time to clean up you just fold the plastic up, toss in the trash and it’s all done.
Another habit of mine touches the placement of kitchen appliances. You can see our dishwasher is right next to the sink and faucet. That’s because I want to be able to quickly rinse all the dirty dishes before loading them up in the machine. That way I can use faster programs and the dishwasher will last longer.
What are you especially proud of in your kitchen? What would you change?
Everything in this kitchen makes us proud, it’s truly exactly as we dreamed it. A friend of mine also has granite worktops in her kitchen… Absolute Black or… yes – Nero Assoluto – yep. And every time she visits us, she comes to the kitchen to admire the golden specks in our worktops, she’s a little jealous.
If I need to pick one thing specifically, maybe it’d be this very low drawer for utensils we got fitted under the stovetop. It’s the kind of space that usually doesn’t get utilized but we managed to fit some storage space in there.
When it comes to failures or tricky surprises we should mention electricity. Thankfully it got all sorted out early on in the process, but anyways we had to draw the electricity for the kitchen almost from scratch. The thing was, even though the cables were new they somehow weren’t strong enough for the current needed to power all the appliances, lights and power sockets. We have the whole floor for ourselves since our apartment is made from two smaller ones. The electricity panel and the fuses, or you know, all those switches, were all good. But we really needed a lot of new cabels. Harry worked with an electrician and it all worked out in the end but it did make for some unexpected costs and renovation lessons.
And now you’ve decided to start using special supplies for taking even better care of your granite worktops?
Yep, although the granite is definitely very beautiful as it is, it will stay in even better condition once it gets treated with the specialized supplies.
If You’d like to calculate price for Galaxy Star granite worktop, or any other stone of Your choice from our wide selection, we recommend you try out the Granitop price calculator. Read about the best ways of caring for and cleaning your stone worktops on our website and contact our specialists with purchase inquiries about the right supplies for the job!
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!