Hi! Thanks for subscribing :) Typically it’s difficult to say what the “best” quartz is. There are a lot of companies that carry their own brands of quartz, and a lot of them are specific to your region. Caesarstone and Cambria are two of the biggest names in quartz that are available pretty much everywhere (though I personally prefer Caesarstone’s quartz offerings over Cambrias). Having the same quartz or stone for a counter and backsplash is a nice way to elevate the overall look of your kitchen, regardless of size! :)

@@JarrettBlairDesign grateful, Ty

Thanks for this wonderful video!! Make sure you hire a reputable fabricator no matter which surface you choose. I opted for Silestone Calacatta Gold (quartz)for my kitchen countertop,s, waterfall island and full backsplash). And Silestone Estatuario (also quartz) for the bathroom countertops. Consentino website has a list of certified fabricators in many areas. In my area, there were only two. I chose the best of the two fabricators, of course. It was the same fabricator that installed all their countertops at their local showroom. And their showroom was stunning! The fabricator have done a great job with the install and 3 years on, I’m still very happy. Happy to cook, happy to clean, and when you touch it-it feels like a real natural stone.

Hi :) Typically they’re both good options, however porcelain is more durable and won’t fade in sunlight. Many quartz companies make this claim as well, though I have witnessed some (especially white shades) that discolour and yellow over time when they’re exposed to the elements and intense direct sunlight. Hope this helps!

@@JarrettBlairDesign thank you so much! Have you had experience with Caesarstone? Would their quartz be more durable? My kitchen is going to be next to my south facing window so there will prob be a lot of direct sunlight there. That’s why I am worried and doing my research.

Caesarstone is definitely a reputable brand, though this isn’t necessarily a guarantee. I don’t say this as a caution or to scare you away from it, as it is often perfectly fine for thousands of people. My first recommendation would be to narrow down on the look that you are after, and then see what options are available to you with that look.

@@JarrettBlairDesign that’s makes total sense. Thank you!

Apologies for the late reply! At a basic level porcelain is within the ceramic family. Ceramic is a more general umbrella term that refers to a material (typically clay) fired at a high temperature. Many counter companies may have a “porcelain equivalent”, which often is them branding their own ceramic counter product which more often than not is basically porcelain- often they don’t want to say porcelain because it’s not as exciting or marketable as an “exciting new innovation”. That being said there are some ceramic sinks and basins that are more bespoke and specialty, though they’re typically not great for high traffic food areas like kitchens

Yes, quartz is generally good if natural stone isn’t a viable option for you! There’s no right or wrong, just what works best for you! Plus granite isn’t really showing up in kitchens anymore, it was very popular in the mid 2000’s to get a higher end look to homes. Like many trends, it is now seen by many as “dated” - though this is always subjective. I personally find that other stones such as marble and quartzite tend to offer more timeless designs that will age with the home gracefully and elegantly

I haven’t heard of it yet, no! I’ll do some digging into it now! Thanks for the lead :)

yes, its a fantastic product. make sure the person you hire to install is comfortable working with it. if done right its a ridiculously good product, fabricators are just struggling to get the techniques down.

Dekton is a brand created by Cosentino, and I almost like to think of it as their own personal recipe of porcelain counters (though there are some slight variations between the two materials). Technically, Dekton is slightly more heat and scratch resistant , but not to the point that the average consumer is going to be able to tell. One thing that I like about Dekton is that it comes in different thicknesses, which can make it easier to install based on how you want to use it. However, at the moment Dekton is available in a limited range of colours compared to standard porcelain, which is something to keep in mind depending on your design. Regarding quartzite, I really love it as a material, though a lot of people get it and quartz confused. Quartzite is a natural stone (like marble, granite, travertine, etc), whereas quartz is a human-made product. Quartzite is going to be more expensive than quartz because of it. Quartzite is gaining a lot of popularity because of its durability (it’s much stronger than granite, though it does need to be revealed every so often because it is a porous stone that will absorb liquid stains) Hope this helps :)

@@JarrettBlairDesign omg! What a well thought out reply. Very grateful to you. So much to consider. 😘

@@JarrettBlairDesign porcelain is resistant to knife scratches like dekton? I never saw porcelain sellers do the knife test, unlike dekton sellers.

Thanks for your feedback! Yes, after publishing I noticed the sound mixing was a bit wonky. I'm in the process of getting some new sound equipment so hopefully this is fixed moving forward :)

I feel like in the next few years we're going to be seeing a lot more awareness about it, but for now it's quite shocking how nobody is really talking about this issue!

@@JarrettBlairDesignyou said that the health issue with quartz is mostly about the manufacturing industry, not the users. I am in the process of building a small house, so I was thinking that quartz would give me the contemporary look I need. Now I’m confused! Help