I have recently returned from The Remodeling Show sponsored by Hanley Wood, NAHB (National Association of Home Builders), NAHB Remodelers and Remodeling Magazine in Las Vegas. I had a great time! There were so many exciting new products to see that I ended up walking away with a rolling bag full of every kind of sample, brochure and catalog possible with my head spinning in new design directions! Since there were so many quality products to see, I decided the best way to share them with you was by giving out awards for those that deserve special recognition.
Some of my awards you can expect to see are for products for the installer, the guru, the person that can’t get enough GREEN in their life and there’s even something for the spoiled in all of us. Be sure to check back because I will be posting a new award each day this week!
The first award is my TRENDSETTER award! The recipient of this award is a new product that will quite possibly have a dramatic and lasting effect on the design world. I applaud this company for its style, innovation and versatility.
There are many products that deserve attention here, but I must share with you a new type of countertop called Shirestone. Matt Jecker also made custom table tops and countertops for these clients. This created the market for Shirestone, a 3/8” to ½” thick pour in place custom blended countertop that looks like natural stone, but has features like custom color, texture and design that only an artist could bring to the table.
For the trendsetter, no two countertops are alike. This product can satisfy even the fussiest designers. I tried my very best to come up with an obstacle that these countertops could not withstand. No such luck. These countertops can have as little or as much texture as you like, as little or as much color as you like since all tops are custom colored and sheens from matte to gloss. You can have a 7 inch thick edge profile without the weight of stone (and the cost!). You can inset other materials like metal, natural stone or medallions. You can have any type of sink you can buy or any shape top, edge treatment or backsplash you can draw. Why stop there? Shirestone can also be used for hoods, corbels, columns, fireplaces, furniture tops and most anything you can think of. It even can be installed over existing tops.
Shirestone is also non-porous so you can’t harm it with cleaners as harsh as bleach. Once sealed, there is no need to reapply sealer annually like with granite and other natural stones. You can cut on it, set hot pots on it and since it can be poured seamlessly around any shape or object more quickly than special order natural stone you can have it now – with no transport limitations or worries with waiting on another slab if your piece is cut wrong. No wonder it was voted #3 in the Top 25 materials of 2006 by Surface Fabrication Magazine.
No Responses to “The Remodeling Show Awards: Products For The Trendsetter”
November 11th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Thank you for including Shirestone on your blog. We are honored by your “Trendsetter” Award. Becoming a trendsetter is exacly the idea that brought Shirestone to life in the first place. I believe Mrs. Lipton may have been misinformed about Shirestone. I would encourage either one of you to contact me for accurate information. Furthermore, it is important to understand Shirestone is sold to dealers in raw material form and each dealer is responsible for his/her own workmanship. This being said, I would very much like to find out where this information stems from, to verify this is truly an authorized Shirestone dealer issue and not a envious competitor. I look forward to hearing from you and again, thank you for the wonderful article.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:57 am
I have recently heard some pretty scathing, negative reports about Shirestone, namely that the customer satisfaction is very low, and that dealers and installers do not stand behind their work. Do you have information about these issues?