3 Family Friendly Natural Stone Countertops
and what we like about them
Today we’re sharing three of our favorite countertop materials and a little bit about why we like each one. We tend to go for a natural stone when sourcing for countertops because we think they’re more durable, last longer and look prettier. Natural stone can have a bit of a higher price point, but we think it’s worth the investment.
#1 Soapstone
If you’ve followed us for very long, you may have seen us post about how much we love soapstone. We have a whole blog post about living with soapstone (which we’ll link below), but here are a few things we love about it…
It’s naturally bacteria resistant, low maintenance, and very versatile. It comes in a few variations (more blue, more gray, etc.) and they all look beautiful in kitchens and bathrooms.
#2 Marble
Marble is one of the most popular natural stones and for good reason, it’s beautiful and such a timeless option. It does require more maintenance than other stones, so if you don’t mind a little patina, marble is for you. We recommend choosing a honed finish for both looks and maintenance of marble.
Normally when you think of marble, Calacatta and Carrara are the options that come to mind—which are both beautiful options that we use regularly, but we we’ve found a few new favorites that we wanted to share.
We recently used Danby marble in a project and loved it because it’s a little bit harder and more durable than other marbles. We also really like Calacatta Umber because it has warm tones, isn’t super expensive, and is a little bit muddier so it’s better at hiding stains.
#3 Quartzite
This is a great option because you can find slabs similar to marble but it’s much more durable and etch-resistant (however, the pricing for marble-like quartzite is similar to marble pricing). It’s also as hard as granite and quartz and can withstand heat well. One of the things we love about quartzite is that it comes in so many different options—some of our favorites are: Infinity White, Mont Blanc, Diamond White, Super White, and Taj Mahal. We’ve used a few of these in recent projects where our clients were nervous about stains and etching and were impressed at how similar they looked to marble. We would recommend a polished finish when using quartzite if you’re looking for a lower maintenance stone—a honed finish requires a lot more upkeep.
If you’re hesitant to use a natural stone because it may get scratched or chipped, just remember that stone requires maintenance just like anything else in your home (ex. floors, carpets, windows, etc.). Look for a reputable stone restoration or maintenance company in your area—often etching can be buffed out and the stone can be re-honed or re-polished to keep your countertops looking new.
Something to keep in mind when you’re slab shopping—a lot of slab yards use different terms (ex. Diamond White might be Snow White at a different slab yard). They also may call something a “statuary” marble when it’s not, so keep an eye out for that.
As always, let us know in the comments if you have any questions. Thanks for reading!
Where did you source the Diamond White quartzite in the Salt Lake Valley? It’s so gorgeous in your project!
Your soapstone post gave me the courage to leave my soapstone unsealed and your tip about Bon Ami has been a lifesaver! A year in and I’m still super happy with it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!