10 Creative Ways to Repurpose Granite and Quartz Countertops

Stone countertops are beautiful and elegant. They’re also notoriously heavy, expensive, and difficult to move. But stone is a durable material that you’ll want to hang onto as you can repurpose granite and quartz countertops in creative ways! We’ll talk about how to reuse stone countertops, and potential limitations when doing so. We’ll also share some of our favorite repurposing ideas for leftover stone remnants.

Whether you’re knee-deep in home renovations, or just wondering if you can move and reuse your stone countertops, there are plenty of ways to recycle (or upcycle) a few extra pieces of stone.

Can you reuse stone countertops in another room?

That depends on the dimensions of your base cabinets. If you’re getting new kitchen countertops, you could potentially reuse large portions of the stone in another room in your house, say for a bathroom vanity.

Consider the size

This works only if the dimensions fit. You could reasonably cut down large pieces to fit a smaller base cabinet, but you probably don’t want to start combining small pieces to fit a larger base.

Consider any cutouts

Maybe you’re wondering if you can repurpose an entire slab. Don’t forget to consider any cutouts. For example, if you have granite cutouts for a kitchen sink, the new sink must be the same dimensions for this to work.

Consider the layout

If you want to repurpose granite and quartz countertops, the great thing is that they are custom-designed to fit your space. The downside is that they are custom-designed to fit only that particular space.

So unless your new layout and dimensions are exactly the same as your old one, you may encounter some issues.

Potential issues with reusing stone countertops

When working with granite, quartz, and other natural stone countertops, you might encounter various potential issues.¹

• Weight: As you know, stone weighs a ton! If you remember during your kitchen install that there were plenty of strong, helping hands around to carefully move and maneuver large stone slabs. If you’re planning to DIY, ensure you get some help.
• Breakage: While stone is a durable material, it can easily snap or break during moving—especially if pressure is placed in the wrong spot. Many contractors won’t be held liable if any breakage occurs.
• Patterns and seams: If you’re planning on extending a section of your countertop, it may be difficult to match the pattern nicely, or you may end up with a seam in an awkward place.

Before you toss it, consider trying to sell or donate

You’ve already spent a fortune on your countertops. If you have leftover granite countertop pieces, don’t toss it out—somebody out there would be happy to take it off your hands.

Donate

There are many housing organizations, eco-depots, reuse centers, or non-profits you could donate your leftover stone slabs to.

Habitat for Humanity accepts many items through their ReStore program including used cabinets, countertops, windows, and appliances. Double-check with your local ReStore to see which items are accepted.²

Sell

There are plenty of handymen, home renovators, or crafty DIYers looking to turn your remnant stone pieces into something new. Consider selling your pieces on Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist.

10 ways to repurpose granite and quartz countertops

If you’re feeling creative and itching to make something new out of something old, here are a few ideas for inspiration.

1) Cutting board

When we installed our quartz countertops a few years back, we had a few remnant pieces we asked the countertop installers to cut into small usable pieces for us.

We have a block placed on our moveable kitchen island. While we don’t necessarily use it as a cutting block per se, we do love using it as a smooth surface to roll out dough when making cookies and other treats.

2) Kitchen island

Over at GrowIt BuildIt, the creative folks attached a piece of granite to a wooden table to transform it into a kitchen island. Since working with such a large slab of granite that weighs over 200 lbs. the structure and integrity of the wooden table had to be inspected first. The results look fabulous!

The stone countertop doesn’t necessarily need to match the rest of the kitchen. Having an island that contrasts with the surrounding pieces serves as a focal point.

3) Granite coffee table

If you have an old coffee table with great legs, spruce it up with a slab of granite. Design Sponge did just that by converting a tired, retro wooden coffee table into a revitalized centerpiece.

4) Stacked stone outdoor fountain

This tutorial teaches you to make a stacked fountain out of pretty much any natural material, including scrap granite pieces. This project requires several flat, stackable stones (if you have leftover countertop pieces, this would work perfectly). You’ll need to drill holes through the center of each piece to insert copper piping.

5) Granite cheese platter

Serve up your cheese in style with a stone cheese platter. You can go rustic with jagged edges, or go for a sleek look with straight edges.

6) Pet memorial stones

To honor a beloved family pet, you could turn a piece of remnant granite into a lasting memorial. You’ll need clear contact paper and a sandblaster to etch a personalized message. Check out this video tutorial via Soat Mon.

7) Granite Lazy Susan

Every kitchen would benefit from a Lazy Susan. Keep it at the center of the table to store condiments or cutlery. Keep it on the countertop so you have easy access to spices. Check out this tutorial from Instructables. 

8) Granite Coasters

There are plenty of online tutorials on how to make faux granitecoasters, but if you have the real thing, that’s even better.

This video tutorial makes coasters out of leftover granite tile. To protect your tabletop, stick adhesives to the back of each coaster.

Check out the video tutorial via French River Springs.

Here’s a handy tip: to make the cut edges of your coasters darker (they tend to turn lighter after being cut), rub a bit of olive oil along the edges.

9) Minimalist bookends

If you like sleek and modern design, you might be inspired by Norwegian designer Silje Nesdal who creates beautiful pieces using remnant granite from tombstone memorials.

If you have a few thick slabs of leftover quartz or granite, cut them into creative shapes.

10) Stone Tea Light Candleholder

While this tutorial uses natural rock, you could easily replace it with a granite or quartz remnant. You’ll need a few different diamond core drills in various sizes, a diamond burr, a rotary drill, and a few other tools. This is a great project as you can create a candleholder with one or as many candles as you like.

Check out the tutorial via Eternal Tools.

👉If you like this post, see other Frugal Ideas To Save Money.

References

1. Flintstone Marble and Granite, Can You Remove Granite Countertops and Reuse Them? https://www.flintstonetops.com/can-you-remove-granite-countertops-and-reuse-them/. Accessed June 2021.
2. Habitat for Humanity, Acceptable Donations for Our ReStore, https://habitatgnh.org/restore/acceptable-donations-for-our-restore/. Accessed June 2021.

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