Fabrication · How it is built
How a waterfall island is made
The stone turns down the side of the island so the vein runs unbroken from the top to the floor. Here is what makes that possible.
A waterfall island continues the countertop vertically down one or both ends of the cabinet. Done well it reads as a single block of stone; done badly the seam at the corner is the first thing you see.
The corner is a miter: the top and the side panel are cut at matching angles so they close into a sharp, tight edge. The panels are cut from the same slab, in the right order, so the veining carries around the corner instead of changing direction.
Because a mitered edge can be built from panels, a top can look much thicker than the slab it came from. The assembly is dry-fitted and taped in the shop before it leaves, so any adjustment happens on the bench and not in your kitchen.
Seam positions and vein direction are decisions, not accidents. We agree them with you on the actual slab, and our own crew sets the island.
Keep reading
Book-matching, explained
Two slabs cut one after the other and opened like the pages of a book, so the veining mirrors across the seam.
Why a miter is hard
Two 45 degree cuts have to meet along the whole edge with the vein continuous. A tenth of a degree shows.
ChoosingBuying guideHow to choose a slab, and why to see the actual one
Photos and small samples show the type of stone. Only the actual slab shows what your countertop will look like.
Questions about your stone?
Send us a photo or the slab name and a person from ONC will answer.