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First, she said goodbye to her standard stainless sink and faucet and introduced a white porcelain sink and elegant brass gooseneck faucet to the mix. Next, she installed a zellige tile backsplash, but that wasn\u2019t all. \u201cI changed out all the cabinet doors, re-painted [them], and added new knobs,\u201d Muller explains. \u201cIt looked great, but I still wasn\u2019t fully happy.\u201d In particular, she was bothered by that faux wooden countertop in her space and decided it had to go \u2014 marble was calling her name! \u201cAs soon as I had made up my mind, there was no going back,\u201d she says. \u201cI had no idea how much this would cost or what it would entail, but I knew I needed to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Mueller had to secure her dream materials before she could make her next move. \u201cAfter perusing a ton of stone yards for the perfect marble slab, I finally found one that felt right \u2014 and it was right in my neighborhood,\u201d she shares. She located a gorgeous slab of honed Carrara marble \u2014 \u201csimple, classic, beautiful,\u201d in her own words \u2014 and then worked with a fabricator to hone (no pun intended!) her vision. \u201cAltogether, the marble slab, fabrication, and installation ended up being about $6,000 in total \u2014 which was three times more than what I imagined I\u2019d be paying \u2014 but it\u2019s honestly totally worth it,\u201d Muller shares.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Muller notes that working with the fabrication company was a lengthy process. \u201cThe process required a lot of back-and-forth email correspondence,\u201d she shares. \u201cOne day, I finally decided to just waltz into the fabrication yard to go over everything in person. That ended up being the best thing I could\u2019ve done \u2014 it gave me the reassurance that I was getting exactly what I wanted.\u201d From there, the process moved swiftly. \u201cA week or so later, a team of two came to my apartment, swiftly ripped out my old countertop (for an additional fee!), and beautifully installed each piece in its rightful new home,\u201d Muller shares. \u201cThe installation team doesn\u2019t deal with plumbing, so I had to coordinate with my plumber to come over the night before to remove my sink, and then come back after the countertop installation to put it back in.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Given that Muller is a renter, she also had to loop her landlord into her grand plan. \u201cI had a phone conversation with my landlord soon after moving into this apartment where I asked him about a couple changes I wanted to make \u2014 specifically, installing a new shower system and sink,\u201d she comments. \u201cHe told me that any upgrades I wanted to make were fine by him \u2014 and [we have] the mutual understanding is that if it\u2019s not a necessary upgrade, I\u2019d just have to fund it myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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To get the most out of her money and marble investment, Muller used a few other pieces of marble to spruce up additional areas within her apartment. \u201cI decided to have four additional pieces cut to make the most of my purchase: two pieces\u00a0to go on top of my radiators (to essentially turn them into console tables), one to go on top of the vanity in my dressing room, and one for the top of the sideboard in my kitchen,\u201d she shares. \u201cThe sideboard is actually right beside my kitchen counter, so topping it with a matching marble piece makes it feel like a continuation of the new countertop. It\u2019s super-cool, and I love how it\u00a0looks. Honestly, it takes my breath away.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Muller couldn\u2019t be more pleased with the look of her vanity either. \u201cThe marble totally changed the feel,\u201d she comments. \u201cIt\u2019s piece of furniture I bought from Lowe\u2019s. Lowe\u2019s! I swapped out the original knobs for some pretty brass ones, added the marble top, and voila: a custom piece you won\u2019t find anywhere else!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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She\u2019s also greatly enjoyed the new and improved radiator situation. \u201cOf course, I have to be careful with what I place atop these shelves during the winter months when the heat is on, but they look pretty even with nothing on them.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n