Questions kitchen designers, studios & trade customers actually ask
Real project questions about quoting, material choice, templating, natural stone, custom details & fitting.
What should I send you so you can look at a project properly?
Send whatever you already have. A kitchen plan or drawing is the best starting point, along with rough worktop sizes, island dimensions, sink and hob positions, the project postcode, photos, material ideas and any inspiration images the client is working from. You do not need every detail confirmed before contacting us. If the kitchen is further along, photos of the fitted units and the latest drawing are useful too.
Can you work from kitchen plans before the units are fitted?
Yes. Plans are useful for understanding the layout, discussing materials and spotting things such as large islands, splashbacks, waterfall ends or unusual details before the kitchen reaches the worktop stage. Final worktop sizes still need to come from templating once the kitchen is ready, because the actual units, walls and final positions can differ from the original drawing.
My client has seen a stone kitchen online. Can you help us get close to that look?
Yes. Send the image or bring it into the showroom. We can look at what the client actually likes about it: the colour, warmth, movement, vein direction, contrast, pattern scale or the overall feel. From there we can compare suitable quartz, granite, marble, quartzite or porcelain options. With natural stone, the aim is to find the right character rather than promise an exact copy, because every slab can vary.
Can my client choose or view the actual natural-stone slab?
Where the slab itself is a major part of the design, that can be very important. Granite, marble and quartzite naturally vary in colour, movement and veining, so a small sample or website photograph cannot show every detail of the finished slab. For statement islands, large splashbacks or kitchens where the vein pattern matters, it makes sense to discuss the actual available material rather than relying only on a generic image.
What if the client wants the veining to run a certain way?
Tell us before fabrication. On a design-led kitchen the position of the veins can matter across an island, waterfall end, splashback or adjoining pieces. The earlier we can see the drawing and the chosen slab, the easier it is to discuss how the pieces could be positioned. Natural stone has its own movement, so the aim is to work with the slab rather than promise a printed or perfectly repeatable pattern.
Are quartz and porcelain more consistent than marble, granite or quartzite?
Generally, yes. Quartz and porcelain are manufactured surfaces, so the design is usually more repeatable than natural granite, marble or quartzite. That still does not mean every slab or batch will be identical. If several pieces need to work together across a large kitchen, island or splashback, the actual material and batch should still be checked rather than assuming a screen image will match perfectly.
What if the exact material or slab my client wants is not available?
Send us the product name or the image they are working from. Often the important part is not the name itself but the look the client is trying to achieve. We can compare alternatives with a similar colour, vein movement, warmth or contrast and explain where the closest options differ. That is especially useful when a client has saved an image from Pinterest, Instagram or another kitchen company but does not know the exact stone.
Can you help if my client has not chosen the material yet?
Yes. A lot of projects start with a look rather than a product name. Bring the kitchen design, cabinet colour, flooring, paint sample or inspiration photos and we can narrow the choice. The conversation might end with a straightforward quartz or granite, or with marble, quartzite or porcelain if the client wants something more individual. The material should suit the design rather than being forced just because it was the first name mentioned.
Do you supply Silestone?
Yes. RH Stone Surfaces supplies Silestone for kitchen worktops and other suitable surface projects. If your client is considering Silestone, bring the kitchen plans, cabinet or door samples, flooring and any colours they already like to our South Shields showroom. Seeing the options in person makes it much easier to compare the colour, pattern and finish against the rest of the kitchen before the final choice is made.
Do you supply Dekton or porcelain?
Yes. RH Stone Surfaces supplies and fabricates Dekton and porcelain surfaces. We have completed many Dekton and porcelain projects for a wide range of customers across the North East, including kitchen worktops, islands, splashbacks and other custom surface details where the material suits the design. If you are choosing between Dekton, porcelain, quartz or natural stone, visit our South Shields showroom with the plans or bring your client so you can compare the options properly before deciding.
Do you template, fabricate & install the worktops?
Yes. RH Stone Surfaces can handle the specialist worktop part of a suitable project from templating through fabrication to installation. That gives the designer or studio one team to speak to about the finished surface rather than treating the measuring, fabrication and fitting as completely separate jobs.
Can you help with difficult details, not just straight worktop runs?
Yes, depending on the material and the design. Large islands, waterfall ends, full-height splashbacks, upstands, sink runs, utility surfaces, shelves, vanity tops and other custom pieces can all be discussed from the plans. If there is an awkward corner, unusual unit layout or a feature the client is determined to keep, show it to us early rather than waiting until the worktop stage.
Do you only make worktops for kitchens?
No. Kitchens are a big part of what RH Stone does, but we also fabricate custom stone and premium surfaces for other fitted and one-off projects. Examples include bathroom vanity tops, media walls, stairs, utility areas, tables, outdoor granite barbecue areas, motorhomes and camper van conversions, unusual unit layouts and other made-to-measure pieces. If you have a custom idea, drawing, rough sizes, photos or an inspiration image, send it over and we can tell you what is practical.
Do you only work with large kitchen companies?
No. Independent kitchen designers, small studios, showrooms, fitters and other trade professionals can send us projects as well as larger kitchen companies. The size of the company is not the important part. What matters is the live project, the surface the client wants and having enough information for us to understand what needs making.
Do you only take on very expensive kitchens?
No. Straightforward quartz and granite work is an important part of what we do. We also handle more individual natural-stone and design-led projects when the client wants the surface to become a feature. A kitchen does not need to be ultra-luxury before it makes sense to speak to a specialist fabricator.
What if the client changes the material or design late in the project?
Send the latest plans, photos and the new material direction as soon as possible. Whether the change is simple depends on how far the project has progressed. A different material, thickness, splashback idea or island detail can change what needs to be measured or fabricated, so it is better to discuss the change before final fabrication decisions are made.
Can I bring my client to the South Shields showroom?
Yes. Bring the client, plans, cabinet or door samples, flooring samples, paint colours and any inspiration images you are working from. Seeing quartz, granite, marble, quartzite, porcelain and other premium surfaces in person is often much more useful than trying to make the final choice from a phone screen.
Do you cover kitchen designer projects across the wider North East?
Yes. RH Stone Surfaces is based in South Shields and works across Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland, Durham and County Durham, South Shields, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, Ponteland, Washington, Chester-le-Street, Crook, Darlington, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and surrounding areas. Send the postcode with the plans if you want us to check a particular project.
