Surveying the barriers to designing with natural stone
Countertops are an essential and expensive part of most kitchen renovations and remodels, and understandably so. Most of us spend time in our kitchens almost every day where countertops are an essential element. Most likely, they are the largest hard finish in the kitchen and hence, drive the color and design palette for the area. So, getting the color of this one surface wrong could throw the whole palette and design for a toss. Sadly, it is only after going through this journey myself that I realized the hurdles of designing with natural stone and a few possible solutions to these barriers.
Having seen natural stones all my life and more recently procuring, promoting, and selling them for over seven years, there are a few things I can say for sure. One of them is that they are one of the hardest products to photograph - even for experienced and seasoned photographers. Every natural stone is different in its structure and composition whether it is color, minerals, texture, or pattern. There is always some nuance you cannot get right.
Black natural stones like Absolute Black from India are so reflective that you must photograph them only in dark rooms from behind a screen to avoid reflections or scan them section by section and stitch the images together. Other stones like Himalaya White from Brazil just do not photograph well or scan accurately matter what you do, just like some people don't photograph well. With these stones, the only way to understand the colors or appreciate them is to see them in person.
While not being able to photograph natural stones is just one setback, what complicates the situation truly is the variation of color and pattern we see in a lot of natural stones. The more dramatic the patterns and/or colors are, the less reliable the samples become as you do not know what your specific slab(s) will look like or what the color balance of your slab is going to be.
The only solution to this is to visit a slab yard near you, find the stone you like, and hand-pick the slab you want in your home. If you find a stone you like but don't like the pattern or color balance, call and visit a few more slab yards to see what their selection looks like - remember, natural stone changes from block to block so you might find what you like.
The worst of the issues arise when the slab is laid flat on the cabinets, and you realize that the color of the stone you saw in person and selected in the slab yard is different from what you see installed on your counter. The color of natural stones when the stones are stacked upright or vertically in slab yards with lights very high and angled versus the general horizontal installations at homes with lower ceilings and lights right above can make some stones look different.
The solution to understanding the true color of your selected slab is to get a sample and see it in the area it is going to be installed. Place the sample in the area it is supposed to be installed in, place a piece of white paper, and evaluate the color only in natural light. That is the best way to see the true color of the stone you chose and avoid color clashes later on.
Another change to anticipate is the slight (almost negligible) change of color that happens when stones are sealed post-installation. Most if not all natural stones need to be sealed which modifies the color of natural stone countertops to a small extent. However, stones like soapstone (which do not need to be sealed) will become significantly darker when you apply oil, wax, or sealer on them.
Since countertops are one of the largest and most imposing hard finishes in a kitchen and the fact that they are usually the last of the hard finishes to be installed during construction or renovation, we must be extra careful while choosing other finishes and colors allowing for color variations.
These precautions and tips are not to say that it is impossible to work with natural stones. They are simply to caution you about issues that could arise and help you plan for disruptions. Also, working with contractors, fabricators, and designers who have worked with your choice of natural stone is a great way to avoid such mishaps.
Having been in this industry purchasing and selling thousands of countertop materials for so long, I have seen all kinds of issues that arise due to poor awareness, bad selection, or just lack of knowledge. If you are in one such situation and need professional advice or are just getting started and need advice on the best countertop material to go with, just hit up the Countertop Hotline. ;)
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