When the time came for Roman Sharf and his wife Anna to remodel their new home in Richboro, there wasn't a moment's hesitation over whom to call to help with the kitchen and bath.

"Let's Get Stone'd was recommended to me by a friend years ago," says Sharf, "and I've used them for two houses now. You can tell the difference when you have a good contractor…I've referred them to others too."

The Sharfs first worked with Kirk Raysky, owner of LGS, when he installed a stone tile floor in their Langhorne townhouse, an older home, requiring special care be taken to correctly align the floor tiles.

When Sharf moved into the new home, he knew it needed a lot of work to bring it up to spec for his growing family. Almost immediately, Roman and Anna set about reworking it to fit their personalities.

The end result is a study in ultra modern. The kitchen is sleek, with clean lines and a solidly minimalist approach. White Formica cabinets were custom-made to offer plenty of hidden storage areas, allowing the countertops to remain clear and open. Smoky glass and brushed stainless rod-like drawer pulls accent the white finish.

Stainless appliances include a SubZero side-by-side refrigerator freezer, double Jenn-Air wall oven and flat black Jenn-Air cook top over which a flat stainless exhaust fan hovers, suggesting a kitchen of the future.  The couple's choice of granite counters—Juparana Bordeux—a rosy hue sprinkled with quartz deposits is an excellent complement to the glossy Brazilian Cherry floor. The walls are painted a pale rose.

Raysky and his crew went above and beyond, according to Sharf.

"He's there with you from start to finish," says Sharf, "even though they've got a high-volume shop, Kirk comes out and gives great personal service." In the Sharf's case, Raysky worked personally with the cabinetmaker and floor supplier, helping to mesh the different design elements in order to create exactly the kitchen the Sharfs envisioned.

The kitchen counters were cut from two massive slabs of granite, hand-picked by the couple at LGS's shop on Route 611 in Warrington. First they talked with Raysky and a fabricator in the shop, then moved around the outside, in the back, where the huge slabs are stored.

It's hard to visualize what a small square of granite will look like when enlarged and installed into the expanse of a full kitchen. But looking up at the slabs makes it easier to decide on the right color and design.

Let's Get Stone'd was opened in 2001, and sells granite, marble, travertine and limestone for counters, backsplashes and flooring. Raysky says that synthetic, manmade surfaces such as ceramic and corian, which were the first choice of consumers a few years ago, just can't stand the test of time like granite can. With the advent of improved mining methods and new custom fabrication technologies, the cost of granite has come down, making it affordable for many more people.

"Granite is so durable and beautiful, that it's not just a countertop," says Raysky. "It becomes very personal, and almost a piece of art that is unique to the customer and their house."

The Sharfs fell in love with the designs formed by the veins running through the slab of Bordeaux. They worked with the fabricator to decide how and where to make the cuts in order to have that darker vein become a focal point in the slab that became their center island. Several large chunks of gray are visible. These pieces of quartz are actually considered imperfections, but the Sharfs find them beautiful counterpoints to the veins.

LGS also remodeled the downstairs bathroom, using 2' x 1' Italian porcelain tiles laid in a subway pattern. Roman Sharf is a tough customer, by his own admission, and the bathroom was a tough project. "I wanted the walls and floors all in alignment…with the seams matching around the whole bathroom, even into the shower pan. I wanted nothing to be offset."

To achieve the desired effect, Raysky's team had to take the room down to the studs, replacing drywall to ensure a flat surface. Then they ran the cream colored tiles around the entire room, with a line of double taupe tiles around the middle, in a horizontal stripe.

"This bathroom was a big deal," Sharf concedes. "And it's perfect."

Sharf worked many summers with a general contractor, and knows his way around a construction site. He recognizes good materials and knows what constitutes quality workmanship.

"The workers at LGS don't take shortcuts," Sharf explains. "They do all the detail work by hand, which is a little more expensive, but gives a longer-lasting, more beautiful result. And you aren't forgotten about the minute the job is done. Kirk stands by his work and does great follow up. You always feel like you're number one; like your job is number one."

- Brenda Lange is a freelance writer who lives in Doylestown (www.brendalange.com).