Condo kitchen in calacatta quartz
A walnut slab-front condo kitchen with a long breakfast bar, taken from a flat dark counter to a bold-veined white quartz.
- Material
- Calacatta-look quartz
- Service
- Quartz Countertops
- Completed
- June 2026
A city condo with a galley kitchen and a breakfast bar running the length of it, in walnut slab-front cabinetry with the grain matched across the doors. The original counter was a dark, almost matte surface that made the whole run disappear at night — and in a condo with windows on two sides, night is when you see the kitchen most.
The replacement is a white quartz with a genuine calacatta-style vein. On a bar that long the vein has room to actually travel, and the walnut grain reads properly against it now. The overhang was kept deep enough for stools on the living-room side.
Before and after
Walkthrough
On the job
Quartz bar and sink run seen down the length of the galley toward the window wall 
Close view of the vein traveling across the quartz bar top 
Before: the galley at night, dark counters running past the refrigerator to the balcony door
The specification
What went in, in the owner’s own words on the job sheet.
| Detail | What we used |
|---|---|
| Completed | June 2026 |
| Material | Calacatta-look quartz |
| Service | Quartz Countertops |
Town and month only — we do not publish a customer’s address.
About Calacatta-look quartz
This kitchen is topped in Calacatta-look quartz. We fabricate it in our own shop, which means the seams, the sink cutout and the edge are cut by the people who set the tops — not shipped in from a third-party shop that never sees the room.
- <a href="/countertops/">See the full countertop range →</a>
- <a href="/services/quartz-countertops/">Quartz Countertops — how the job runs →</a>
- <a href="/guides/">Homeowner guides on choosing and caring for stone →</a>
What a job this size runs
Our published installed-project ranges — the same in every town we serve.
| Kitchen size | Engineered Quartz | Granite | Quartzite | Marble |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galley kitchens (30–45 sqft) | $3,600–$6,750 | $4,200–$7,650 | $4,500–$8,550 | $5,100–$9,000 |
| Small kitchens (45–60 sqft) | $5,400–$9,000 | $6,300–$10,200 | $6,750–$11,400 | $7,650–$12,000 |
| Medium kitchens (60–75 sqft) | $7,200–$11,250 | $8,400–$12,750 | $9,000–$14,250 | $10,200–$15,000 |
| Large kitchens (75–90 sqft) | $9,000–$13,500 | $10,500–$15,300 | $11,250–$17,100 | $12,750–$18,000 |
| Extra large kitchens (90–120 sqft) | $10,800–$18,000 | $12,600–$20,400 | $13,500–$22,800 | $15,300–$24,000 |
Installed project ranges as of 2026-07 — template, fabrication and standard installation included. Your kitchen gets a firm number after a free in-home template.
Questions we got asked on this kind of job
Can my existing thermofoil doors be painted instead of replaced?
Usually not with results worth paying for. Thermofoil is a vinyl film bonded over MDF, and paint adheres poorly to that plastic skin; add the common problem of foil already lifting near ovens and toasters, and a painted thermofoil door tends to chip and peel early. Most pros will steer you to replacement fronts instead; at roughly $30-$80 per door for new MDF or thermofoil doors (as of mid-2026), replacing often costs about the same as quality repainting and lasts far longer. The cabinet boxes can typically stay and be painted or left as-is.
Can my old cabinets and countertop stay out of the landfill?
Cabinets in decent condition, yes: Habitat ReStores accept them (keep doors and drawers together and make sure pulls work), most offer pickup for large items, and the donation may be tax-deductible. Working appliances, unchipped sinks, and light fixtures also qualify. Countertops are harder — stone tops rarely survive removal in reusable sizes, though intact laminate or butcher-block sometimes finds takers. Ask your contractor to price careful removal instead of demolition and call your local ReStore before demo day, because pickups need scheduling.
Can my thermofoil or laminate cabinets be painted?
If the surface is fully intact, yes — but only with a professional system: industrial degreasing, scuff sanding, a high-adhesion bonding primer, and a coating rated for slick surfaces (specialty bonding acrylics, catalyzed lacquer, or 2K polyurethane). Standard paint sits on vinyl and laminate without bonding and peels within months. If the thermofoil is already peeling or bubbling, painting over it fails; loose foil must be cut back and repaired, and widespread peeling usually means replacement doors are the smarter spend.
Can thermofoil or laminate cabinet doors be painted?
It is possible but rarely a good bet. The slick vinyl surface resists adhesion even after scuff-sanding and bonding primer, results are not guaranteed to last, and paint cannot fix the classic thermofoil failure - the film peeling away near the oven or dishwasher. If thermofoil is already peeling or yellowing, replacing the doors or the cabinets is usually the more durable spend.
Want one like this?
Free in-home template, an honest number, and one crew from measure to install.
Ready for a real number?
Free in-home template and an honest quote — you keep your money until there's a countertop to trade it for.