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18|December 2021
New Treatments for Natural Stone Make Them More Accessible in Kitchens
Slippery rock Gazette
can share some quartzite options that are about the same price as a manmade quartz, the choice is obvious. They’ll go with the quartzite.”
It’s hard to beat the beauty, tex- ture and movement natural stone provides. “Natural stone has beauty and depth that enlivens any new kitchen or remodel,” Stratton adds. “It’s original and one-of-a- kind. So why go with a manmade product? Not every edge detail can be made with quartz, where you can with natural stone.”
Caring for Natural
Stone in Kitchens
Homeowners are often con- cerned about using natural stone in a space that gets a lot of activity, such as a busy kitchen. They may worry about staining white mar- ble with red wine or pasta sauce, for example. Stratton shares main- tenance tips with his customers to help minimize these concerns.
“We always let clients know that natural stone will need to be sealed after install,” Stratton says. He notes some impregnating sealers on the market need to be applied twice at install but last for years after that process.
Sealing is typically completed by the fabricator after install. In heavy use areas, Stratton recom- mends resealing periodically.
Being diligent when spills hap- pen and cleaning them up imme- diately means they don’t get absorbed and stain the stone. Stratton reminds clients that nat- ural stone countertops are much easier to maintain than they think because they aren’t having to clean porous grout on a regu- lar basis. A simple wipe down is usually all you need.
For example, Stratton notes that quartzite is just as durable as man- made materials and a regular wipe down is all you need. Marble, he admits, requires a little more attention and if you spill wine on marble, you should wipe that up before it has a chance to set.
What about natural stone floor- ing in a kitchen? “Limestone floors can also have an impregnat- ing sealer applied,” Stratton says.
“They just need to be cleaned with soft soap and water on a reg- ular basis, to remove excess dirt.”
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Homeowners looking for ways to update their kitchens are not always looking for a gut rehab job. With more natural stone options avail- able on the market, and with recent advancements in sealing technology, choosing to install natural stone in busy household kitchens is an easier decision than ever.
“It’s very easy to change out countertops and backsplashes to give the kitchen a fresher look,” says Lance Stratton, president of Studio Stratton, a Southern California-based luxury kitchen and bath design firm.
“The look and color of a nat- ural stone is paramount,” says Stratton. If the client doesn’t need to worry about whether the mate- rial will withstand normal wear and tear, the selection comes down to look, color and finish and available slab size.
Stratton and his firm tend to specify natural stone on most of their jobs. While he has five stone countertops on display in his showroom, he and his team typ- ically accompany their clients to specific slab yards that they work with.
Natural Stone Trends in Kitchens
Marble is still king when it comes to kitchens, and Stratton has noticed quartzite being requested more often due to its hardness. They also occasionally specify soapstone.
In three recent kitchen proj- ects, Stratton and his team used Nacarado quartzite for the
Mont Blanc quartzite
Megy Karydes
usenaturalstone.com
Photos Courtesy of Studio Stratton; Photography by Martin Mann Photography
Below(2): Casablanca Super White marble kitchens
counters and Versailles Chiseled limestone on the floors. Another home used a stunning Mont Blanc quartzite on the countertops. For a third, he used Casablanca Super White marble.
“Each of the homeowners of the three kitchens had different aes- thetics and needs,” says Stratton, who worked with the homeown- ers to choose the stone mostly based on aesthetics and at that time the durability of the partic- ular stone. He often recommends to homeowners to consider how a stone moves them. If it doesn’t
move them, move on.
Speaking of movement, there
seems to be a movement towards stones with a lot of pattern to them. Another trend Stratton is seeing is a desire to make a strong statement by using the same stone for both the countertop and the backsplash.
Choosing Between Quartzite and
Engineered Quartz
“Quite often, clients are con- fused between quartz and quartz- ite,” Stratton admits. “When we