Beautiful, unique and distinctive, granite adds a sophisticated flair and accent wherever it is used. When remodeling, granite is recognized as a material that gives a big payback in the form of resale value.



Jay Oshesky, president of central-Illinois-based U.S. Marble & Granite, calls it "an affordable luxury."



He and Frank Kopecky run U.S. Marble & Granite. They said when they started importing granite six years ago there were only about six different colors.



"Now we handle about 80 different colors," Oshesky said.



George Jaworski, owner of the Granite Guy in Springfield, Ill., said granite started becoming more affordable and more practical about 10 years ago when it started being brought in and processed in larger slabs that were just a bit thicker than before.



"We started getting standardized sizes and colors and that made it easier to use and work with," Jaworski said.



Kopecky and Oshesky, as well as Jaworski, let clients choose what granite they want by browsing through samples or checking out the large slabs of stone stored on their edges in the warehouse.



Homeowners can bring in cabinet pieces from bathrooms or kitchens to help pick a specific color for a specific area.



"We have colors we call standard colors," Kopecky said. "That means they are regular colors imported in quantities where we've always got some on hand."



Because the stone is natural, a piece of marble, granite or quartz can never be ??manufactured?? to look exactly the same as another.



"We can get in a piece called one thing, turn around and order more and it will look different," Oshesky said. "You can get a thick slab, split it horizontally and each side will look different."



The veining and color variations within the same color can make it look different even though technically it's the same piece of stone.



"What that means," Jaworski said, "is that you should order all of what you want the first time you select it."



U.S. Marble & Granite and The Granite Guy aren't just doing kitchen counters and vanities. People are using granite for high-end conference tables, dining room tabletops, fireplaces and decorative accents mixed with high-end tile.



Jaworski has even done a set of granite stairs. The stairs were made of unpolished granite. The shiny granite on countertops is polished and then sealed. It is easy to clean and does not hold bacteria. It is, cautions Oshesky, a natural product and so it is porous. Eventually it will have to be re-sealed, but when that is depends on how much use the area is getting.



Granite's value

Homeowners who remodel recover the following percentages of their remodeling costs at resale (note: upscale projects include stone

- Bathroom remodel-upscale: 92.6 percent

- Bathroom addition-upscale: 84.3 percent

- Kitchen remodel-upscale: 79.6 percent