Rio Largo Kitchen Countertops with a Large Island and Custom Half-Bevel Edges for Elaine M.

Project: Kitchen countertop replacement, large island countertop, sink and cooktop cutouts
Client: Elaine M.
Material: Rio Largo
Total countertop area: 81 sq. ft.
Slabs: Two
Slab dimensions: 138 × 79 inches each
Edge profile: 1/2-inch bevel
Island: Large countertop with double-bowl sink opening and extended overhang
Cooktop: Separate cutout for a gas cooktop
Backsplash: Existing tile backsplash with stone transition requiring field measurements
Faucet: Existing faucet to be reused
Scheduled removal: October 9, 2026
Project manager: Iurii Pirogov

Elaine McDermott's kitchen had white cabinets, dark hardware, a subway tile backsplash, and a large dark island in the center of the room. The cabinetry was staying, but the countertops needed to be replaced. We were working with 81 square feet of Rio Largo, using two slabs for the island and the surrounding countertop sections. The project included a double-bowl sink opening in the island, a separate gas cooktop cutout, a half-bevel edge, and an extended island overhang.

The largest piece was the island countertop. It had to accommodate the sink while projecting beyond the cabinets on the seating side. The wall countertops had their own conditions to work around, including the existing backsplash tile, appliances, and cabinet openings. There was also a requirement to preserve Elaine's existing faucet for reuse. We documented these details during templating and carried them into the fabrication drawings.

I like to see a kitchen before the old countertops are removed because the cabinets, backsplash, and appliances tell us a lot about what we're going to be working with. A drawing can give you the general layout, but it doesn't always show how the tile meets the countertop or whether a cabinet is sitting exactly where it should. On this job, the large island and the existing backsplash were the two areas that needed particular attention.

The photographs from our site visit show the cabinet tops exposed, with rigid white templates positioned along the wall runs and across the island. The kitchen had a long counter beneath the microwave, a shorter section near the refrigerator, and another run along the opposite side. The existing white subway tile backsplash was already in place, so the new countertops had to fit below it rather than being followed by a completely new wall finish.

One of the original drawings showed a 126-by-41-inch island section with the sink opening and a separate 129-by-29-inch run for the cooktop. There was also a 65-by-29-inch section. The drawing was revised as the project developed, and a later version showed different dimensions, including a 125-by-49½-inch island layout, a 129¾-by-25½-inch cooktop run, and an additional section approximately 64½ inches long.

The revisions are important because they show why we don't treat an early drawing as the final instruction for cutting stone. Measurements can change as the layout is refined and the actual cabinet conditions are checked. A few inches make a substantial difference on an island this large, especially when the overhang and sink position have to work together.

We templated directly over the cabinet frames. On the island, the white strips ran around the perimeter and across the sink area, with reference marks showing the edges and measurements. Along the wall cabinets, we marked the countertop boundaries against the existing tile and recorded the exposed front edge. These templates were then available to compare with the fabrication drawings before the material was cut.

The island was the main feature of Elaine's kitchen, both in size and in how the finished stone would be used. The final drawing showed a countertop approximately 125 inches long and 49 1/2 inches wide, with a sink opening positioned toward one side. The work notes also included an instruction to add 24.25 inches for the island overhang. That overhang needed to be included in the layout from the beginning. The size of the cabinet base alone would not tell us the finished dimensions of the countertop, and the sink opening also affected how the piece would be fabricated. We had to distinguish the cabinet footprint from the stone extending beyond it.

A large island always needs more attention than a regular countertop run. There is the overall size, of course, but you also have to consider how the piece will be brought into the house and positioned on the cabinets. I've worked with island countertops as large as 139 by 79 inches, and the limiting factor isn't always the slab itself. Sometimes the bigger question is whether the finished piece can physically pass through the available openings and reach the kitchen.

Elaine's island also had a double-bowl sink opening. The existing faucet would be saved for reuse, so the new layout had to account for the sink and faucet arrangement. We marked the sink position during templating and included it in the countertop drawing rather than leaving the cutout location for the installation stage.

The existing backsplash added another measurement requirement. White subway tile ran along the wall countertops beneath the upper cabinets, with outlets and switches already installed. The new stone needed to meet this finished wall surface without assuming that every section had identical clearance.

The templating notes specifically instructed the shop to check the backsplash thickness. One recorded measurement was 5 1/16 inches, marked as the height of the backsplash. Another template included the notation “WALL B/S 5 1/16 – TH.” That information helped identify the dimensions of the existing wall condition before fabrication.

The tile also stopped at different points around the kitchen. Near the ends of the cabinet runs, the countertops had to finish against exposed walls or cabinet panels rather than a continuous backsplash. We marked those locations individually on the templates, including the transitions where the stone would meet the existing construction.

When we're replacing countertops without replacing the backsplash, I pay close attention to the wall behind the old stone. You can find gaps, uneven surfaces, or places where the previous installation concealed an irregularity. If something needs to be adjusted, I prefer to explain it before fabrication. I don't want the client discovering an unexpected gap or a change to the original plan after the countertop is already installed.

The wall countertop also required a cutout for a gas cooktop. We had the manufacturer's dimensional documentation for a Whirlpool gas cooktop. The reference sheet identified models WCGK3030PS and WCGK5030PS, with an overall cooktop width of 30 inches and a length of 21 inches. It also showed the burner-box dimensions as 28 3/8 by 18 7/8 inches. These dimensions were provided to help establish the appliance requirements, although the final cutout still needed to follow the applicable installation instructions.

A cooktop opening is different from a sink cutout because the appliance must fit into the stone while also clearing the cabinet and the components underneath. The burner box, gas connection, and required installation clearances all matter. We can't just measure the visible cooktop frame and make the opening the same size.

We allocated two Rio Largo slabs to the project, each measuring 138 by 79 inches. The fabrication software showed the countertop pieces arranged across both slabs, with the larger sections taking up most of the first slab and the remaining pieces distributed across the second.

Rio Largo has a light background with delicate gray movement. In the finished photographs, the veining is subtle enough that the countertop appears almost white from across the room, but becomes more visible when you stand close to the island. That makes the material a good visual match for the white cabinetry without turning the entire kitchen into one uniform surface.

The large island required particular consideration during slab layout because it was the most prominent countertop in the room. The sink opening interrupted part of the surface, but most of the stone remained visible. The surrounding wall runs also needed to be cut to their respective dimensions, including the cooktop opening and the sections beside the appliances.

Using two slabs gave us the material required for the planned pieces, but that didn't mean the shapes could be arranged without regard to their final positions. We had to work from the template dimensions and keep track of the designated pieces throughout fabrication. The slab layout provided a visual reference for how the available material would be divided.

Elaine chose a half-bevel edge, specified as a 1/2-inch bevel. This profile removes a small angled section from the upper corner of the stone, creating a defined edge without the rounded appearance of a bullnose.

Most of the countertops we fabricate have a flat edge, but I don't recommend one profile for every kitchen. The choice depends on the design and what the client wants to see. Elaine's kitchen had traditional white cabinet doors, dark hardware, and a large contemporary island, so the half-bevel provided a restrained detail without making the edge look overly decorative. The edge was particularly noticeable around the island because so much of its perimeter remained exposed. On the wall countertops, the front edge provided the main visible detail, while the rear sections fitted against the existing backsplash. The same profile needed to be carried through the different countertop pieces.

I generally prefer an edge that works with the material and the cabinetry rather than one that draws attention away from them. Rio Largo already has gray movement through the surface, and the half-bevel gives the perimeter a finished shape without competing with that pattern.

The finished photographs show the Rio Largo countertops installed across the kitchen. The large island has a light polished surface with subtle gray veining, set against the dark cabinet base. The double-bowl stainless steel sink is fitted into the stone, with the opening positioned toward the working side of the island. The overhang extends beyond the cabinet footprint, creating a broad continuous surface.

Along the main wall, the Rio Largo countertop runs beneath the existing subway tile backsplash and around the kitchen appliances. The light stone blends closely with the white cabinetry, while the gray veining introduces enough variation to distinguish the countertop from the surrounding painted finishes.

The installation also changed the visual balance of the kitchen. Before the new countertops, the dark island base occupied much of the center of the room. With Rio Largo installed, the island has a much lighter upper surface, and the contrast between the stone and dark cabinetry becomes one of the main design features. The stainless steel sink, refrigerator, microwave, and ovens work naturally with the gray movement in the material.

The finished images confirm the island sink opening and the installation of the surrounding countertop sections. They also show that the existing subway tile remained in place. The photographs do not establish final installation of the gas cooktop, so that appliance remains a separate item from the confirmed countertop result.

Elaine's kitchen received approximately 81 square feet of Rio Largo stonework, planned from two 138-by-79-inch slabs. The project included a large island countertop with a double-bowl sink opening and an extended overhang, along with wall countertops requiring a gas cooktop cutout and careful fitting against the existing subway tile backsplash. The stone was finished with a 1/2-inch bevel edge, and the work instructions called for the existing faucet to be preserved for reuse.

The finished countertops changed the kitchen without changing its basic layout. The white cabinetry and backsplash remained, while the Rio Largo introduced a light stone surface across the island and surrounding cabinets. On the island, the material contrasts with the dark base, and the gray veining is visible across the broad uninterrupted areas around the sink.

What I like about this project is that we had a large amount of stone to work with, but the measurements were still specific to each part of the kitchen. The island needed an overhang and sink opening, the cooktop required its own dimensional reference, and the backsplash dictated how the wall pieces had to fit. We also had multiple drawing revisions, which meant keeping the fabrication plan aligned with the actual measurements.

I want the installation crew to arrive with pieces that have already been thought through. The templates, slab layout, edge specifications, and appliance measurements are all part of that preparation. When those details are handled before cutting, the finished countertops can look as straightforward as they do in Elaine's kitchen.