Robin and Mike Jones of Lumberton, just outside of Beaumont, TX, lost so much to Hurricane Harvey last year. Three feet of water flooded the first floor of the home they had built 13 years before, plus Robin lost her thriving Aquaponics business. In addition, since they lived outside the 500-year flood plain, they did not have flood insurance, but didn’t want to borrow either. As a result, they vowed to take renovations one step at a time. They started their remodel by disagreeing on countertops. Mike wanted soapstone and Robin wanted granite. She envisioned a kind of a farmhouse meets elegance style, and even has a chandelier in her pantry. She knew she wanted white cabinets because her research (remodeling shows and magazines) told her that white cabinets have the best resale value. 

Mike stayed steady on wanting soapstone for the countertops. He felt soapstone countertops were traditional for old farmhouses. Though they are a softer material than quartzite, they stand up well over time. “You remember those countertops from science class with the Bunsen burners?,” he asked. “They stood up to thousands and thousands of kids and have great properties that make them ideal not only for chemistry labs, but kitchens too.”

Robin was set on a white cast iron farm sink, but when their sink did not match their custom-made cabinets, they had to come up with another plan. So, they began searching for soapstone sinks and ended up finding Stone Store countertop fabricators in Houston, who brought their new kitchen dream to life, including Mineral Black Saratoga soapstone perimeter countertops with a custom-made soapstone farm sink and a striking White Fusion quartzite island. 

“We are kind of in a remote area outside of Beaumont, TX, east of Houston, so we do not have many luxury items in the stores near us,” said Robin. “We were so happy to find a fabricator that could create our soapstone farm sink, as well as our gorgeous quartzite island, along with the rest of the kitchen. Daniel Robinson, one of the owners at Stone Store, was instrumental throughout the entire process. 

“This countertop turned out so beautiful, even the contractors wanted to stop and look at it,” Robin added. “The island and kitchen are all perfect, but the soapstone sink, which wasn’t my first choice, might just be my favorite part of the kitchen.” 

The Joneses are very happy with their renovation/remodel and have nearly recovered from Hurricane Harvey, as much as you can recover from your home flooding. The one-year anniversary is August, and they have one room left to renovate to finish their home – then they start outside. 

Stone Store is a part of the Artisan Group, a network of independent countertop fabricators, held to the highest standards of stone quality, customer service and safety. The group’s buying power allows members to offer the highest quality countertop surfaces, and they are among the nation’s most automated shops in the industry, with highly skilled craftsmen.