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This is the second installment in a series of articles that offer advice to newlyweds and new homeowners. Read the first article here, and keep on the lookout for more write-ups!

Hooray, the kitchen is done! Good work. Now you can sit back, relax and enjoy everything that your new home has to offer. Until you have to go to the bathroom, that is…

What a nightmare!

Don’t flush your peace of mind down the toilet, because there is hope. With an array of easily-accomplished little DIY projects at your fingertips, you and your partner can get the powder room looking great on the cheap! Let’s go over a few ideas that we think will make the bathroom look like a million bucks, without costing nearly that much:

Lighting

A little lighting goes a long way, and if you do it right you’ll be oohing and aahing at your beautiful self in the mirror all day. But before you get caught up in a Narcissus type of situation, why don’t we get some lights installed. LEDs are all the rage these days because they shine bright and last virtually forever. Find a salvaged chandelier, hang it from the ceiling and voila! A gorgeous, brightly lit bathroom space. Also consider new lights surrounding the mirror.

Bathroom Vanity

Whether your vibe is shabby chic or distinguished classic, installing a bathroom vanity for your sink, counter and storage space is a fantastic idea. They’re relatively affordable, and as your go-to marble and granite installers, we’ll take care of its countertop! You can purchase prefabbed vanities online, but with a little elbow grease and wherewithal, you can also find a beautiful salvaged piece and convert it yourself!

Don’t Forget About the Walls

In the last article, we talked about the value of kitchen wall space for storing pots and pans. Let’s apply that same ideology to the bathroom. With a few two-by-fours, some varnish and right angle mounting brackets, you can install great looking shelves on your bathroom walls for way less than $100. Plus, they’ll look great!

As a premier marble and granite company serving Bucks County, PA and nearby areas, we’re often asked for home remodeling advice. Over the years, we’ve learned a few things about DIY remodeling projects, and we’re glad to share them with you. Take a gander at our selection of inventory, and keep checking back for more tips. Good luck!

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Wow! Look at those beautiful new quartzite countertops just installed in your Bucks County, PA home! That’s what they’re made of, right? If you look past the pots and pans, over the dry goods, through the paper towel roll and next to that stack of placemats, the three inch squared spot exposing your counter really shows off the beauty of it! I think it’s, err, quartzite? There’s not really enough showing to tell for sure.

OK, so maybe there’s too much stuff cluttering up your kitchen. Let’s make an organizational game plan.

Step 1: Elimination

The first thing to do is get rid of redundant/unnecessary items. Sure, you swore you’d use that crock pot on the regular when you first bought the thing, but we all know it’s been sitting on your counter unplugged since right after you made chorizo for that Macarena party back in 1993. Put it in the basement already. Spices also take up a lot of real estate, and chances are you have duplicates, triplicates and so on. Who needs 7 chili powders?

Take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror, then go through all of your items one by one. Ask yourself, “Do I really use this thing?” If the answer is yea, let it stay. If the answer is nay, throw it away (or donate it or something).

Step 2: Organize

So, you’re done purging. Great! If you feel extremely emotional at this point, you probably have hoarding tendencies, so you might want to consult a psychologist. Otherwise, let’s move on the step 2!

There are many approaches you can take to organizing. An essential ideology to which you should subscribe is this simple one: If it shouldn’t be on the counter, don’t leave it on the counter. As for the random items that we like to keep in our kitchen (things like scissors, notepads, pens and pencils, etc.), consider storing them in a basket, which you can place in the back corner of your counter space.

When it comes to your large utensils, spatulas, wood spoons and so on, keep them in a jar on the counter, so you don’t clutter and fill up valuable drawer space.

If you have a Keurig or something similar, think about storing the k-cups together in a jar that you keep next to the coffee maker. That’ll save you on drawer or cabinet space, and allow you to snag a cup and plop it in the machine easily!

These are just a few starting points that will make a world of difference in freeing up space on those gorgeous quartzite countertops in your Delaware County, PA home!

Step 3: Maintain the Organized Space

This part is more of a mindset than anything else. Once your space is completely decluttered and organized in a way which suits you, the challenge will be maintenance. It can be tough not going back to your old habits, but we believe in you. Doesn’t it just feel so much better to work in a sensible space with lots of countertop room anyway, though?

So what are you waiting for? Have at it! Also, keep on the lookout for subsequent Countertips from us here at Cosmos!

When we hear the word “quartz” come up in regard to kitchen or bathroom countertops, oftentimes it’s in the context of whether it’s better or worse than granite. But this post isn’t about granite vs. quartz. We deal with both materials regularly, and love them equally. One isn’t better than the other—they’re just different.

Today we want to shed light on quartz. What is it anyway? Where does it come from? How is it different than granite? Should I get quartz instead of a different material? and so on. Sure, there are a lot questions to ask. You’re probably feeling confused. But it’s OK, we’re here to answer them. Think of us as more than just a marble and granite company that serves Greater Philadelphia; think of us as your quartz therapists.

Let’s examine quartz and all of its glorious benefits.

1. No Pores

That’s right, not even one. Actually, hold on, let’s double check… Confirmed. No pores. That means it won’t absorb the wine you spill on it, leading to a permanent stain. Its lack of capillaries means you don’t have to seal the stuff every year to protect it from potential devastating stains. Hooray.

2. Brute Strength

Quartz is like the Arnold Schwarzenegger of countertops. Although it’s never been the governor of California, the material is really, really strong. Most quartz countertops are made of a little over 90 percent quartz (go figure), with the other 7 percent, give or take a percent, involving a resin binder. And we all know there’s nothing dreamier than a strong, tan and handsome resin binder.

3. Color Options

Quartz isn’t man made in the sense that twinkies are, but there’s more human manipulation involved in the material than there is in natural granite or marble—which is pretty much cut and shaped straight out of the quarry. But the unique process of making quartz counters means more control, especially when it comes to colors. Since color can be easily added to quartz during the manufacturing process, it tends to show much more vibrancy and consistency, both of which are important to homeowners who need their counters to match the rest of their space exactly.

4. Easy Cleaning

After having quartz countertops for a while, you’ll probably forget what the word cleaning means. Cleaning quartz is easier than cleaning any type of natural stone, and the job can be completed faster than you can say soap, sponge and water.

So that’s the scoop on quartz. Sounds pretty neat right? Yeah? We’re glad to hear it! We knew you’d get along. But of course, as Montgomery County, PA’s leading marble and granite company, we have many other options available beyond quartz. Get in touch today to learn about our inventory!

Us!

We’re thrilled to announce that we have attained the esteemed Angie’s List Super Service Award for 2016! We strive to always provide superior service, and it’s nice to see that others recognize the work we put into making our clients’ homes look as great as can be. For that, we want to say THANK YOU! We’re honored to wrap up 2016 on such a high note (a high E flat to be exact), and we look forward to continuing to provide excellent service into 2017 and beyond.

We’d like to thank Angie’s List founder, Angie Hicks, for honoring us with this coveted accolade, and her kind words of encouragement. We often refer to ourselves as the leading marble and granite company serving Bucks County, PA, South Jersey, Montgomery County and all of Southeastern Pennsylvania. It’s a good feeling to know that a leader in exceptional service agrees.

In our Southeastern Pennsylvania marketplace, only a select few countertop fabrication and installation companies achieved an Angie’s List Super Service Award. We’re proud to be among the few!

What Sets Us Apart?

Our affinity for customer service: Our clients are truly more than dollar signs to us. They’re our neighbors and fellow community members, so we wholeheartedly believe in providing them the care and attention they deserve. Here at Cosmos, we really believe in the golden rule, and above all, wish to provide our customers with a service they will cherish for years to come. The kitchen is a homeowner’s sanctuary, and its countertops are the altar. Thus, it’s important that we deliver the highest quality service to go along with our top notch product.

Our quality products and expertise: In this business, low quality doesn’t cut it, so we treat our product offerings with the utmost seriousness. From the raw materials that come into our facility, to their fabrication and installation, you can count on us to complete the job with precision and years of experience. Combine that with the market’s highest quality materials and it’s no wonder we won a Super Service Award! (Not to gloat.)

Cutting-edge technology: We use the state-of-the-art machinery to complete every fabrication job. Our computer numeric control (CNC) machine completes cuts with exact precision, using a diamond. Our laser-based templates ensure 100 percent cutting exactness; not to mention, our workers who operate them are the most experienced in the industry.

All in all, we’re proud to win the Super Service Award for 2016, and we look forward to years ahead as the go-to marble and granite company in Delaware County, PA, South Jersey, Greater Philadelphia and beyond. THANK YOU!

This month, we’re switching things up a bit to offer you a quiz that determines one thing: If you were a countertop, what kind of material would you be? See it below to find out, but don’t worry. If you don’t like the outcome, we won’t make you pick that kind of material for your kitchen or bathroom remodel!

Take the quiz below, then check out the rest of our site to see the custom granite countertops we fabricate in Delaware County, PA and nearby areas.

So how did you fare? Whatever the outcome, if you’re ready for a new marble, granite or quartzite countertop in your Bucks County, PA home, get in touch today to learn about all we can do to make that happen!