Benchtop colour consistancy

Just wondering, has anyone had issues with colour samples not matching the end product?

We recently had benchtops (engineered stone) installed in our kitchens and bathrooms, I got a colour sample from the distributor and what has been installed is really quite different from my sample. The sample I had was very very similar to the sample my kitchen cabinetry place had.

Colours alway look different in finished products v's samples. Few reasons, one is variations in the product, 2nd is the size of the peices (sample is small, finished usually massive in comparsion) and of course light in rooms, again effected by size etc.

Go look at the samples again and see if there is one that looks like your bench top. At least that way you can check if they have installed a different colour by mistake

Colour samples do not really represent the actual colour of the benchtop. They do come close. But it’s always best to find out whether your cabinet maker has cut out pieces of the actual benchtop that he can show you as a sample. This will help you visualise what your benchtop colour will look like when it’s done.

Unfortunately it seems to be a batch problem with Silestone, they are replacing the whole lot so it was obvious enough to them to that the sample and actual product were significantly different. They are sourcing product from interstate that is hopefully a closer match with the samples. One of the reason I chose them was that that they said they have great consistency of colour with their products.....not this time, the white stone had a definite pink tinge to it made more obvious by white tiles right next to it!!

I'll be going and checking the stone slab before it goes to the stone mason just to make sure its close to the sample I've chosen tiles and cupboard colours around. Pretty frustrating, we were supposed to have handover 10 days after the benchtops went in, I had removalists, cleaners for the rental, power and ph final readings all organised and had to cancel it all, now it looks like it'll be an extra month before handover, so although they are replacing it, it's costing me a months extra rent!!

Not really.

Especially if its man made stones like CaesarStone. Colour can differ slightly from batch to batch. Also cabinet makers and kitchen companies out source the stone. It is most often done by a stone mason!

Your best of actually going out to a stone mason and looking at there large format samples!

The stone was supplied by a distributor that then went to a stone mason, it was labelled correctly so the stone mason received the product in good faith from the distributor that it was correct. There is a certain tolerance allowed and I can understand that (the sample I collected from the distributor and the sample my cabinet maker had were slightly different and either would have been fine)

The distributor did have large pieces available to see that were the same as my sample, but not at all representative of what they carried in stock. What I see the issue as, was that no one actually checked the incoming batch against the large or small samples they had on display. It actually goes right back to the manufacturer, if they had any standard procedures to check for colour consistency, they would have known that this batch was significantly different and should have sent new samples with the batch and informed the distributors.

It's so demeaning when sales people tell you that 'this is the first time that something like this has ever happened' ??!! Do they think I was born yesterday??

I can understand that, but.

I might be the first time it has happened to that sales person.

I have never had any come backs on stone colour. I think you were very unlucky. Normally the colour consistency is pretty good.

Yes you are probably right....
Still, am feeling a bit jaded and let down, as is my cabinet maker
It is not something I would be in a rush to recommend that is for sure

And the lesson is, Buyer Beware!!