These days, consumers are generally familiar with quartz, granite, marble and even quartzite countertops; but soapstone remains one of the more elusive surfaces in homeowners’ eyes. Soapstone has been quarried and used throughout the world for centuries, but there is recently renewed interest in using this material from designers and homeowners alike.
IRG’s Soapstone is a unique and long-lasting countertop choice. Read on to learn why this material is fast becoming a go-to surface for working gourmet kitchens and rustic homes.
1. non-porous and stain resistant.
Soapstone is extremely dense – even more so than granite or quartzite. Unlike other natural stone, acids and spilled liquids do not penetrate the surface. That means no stains! But be careful not to confuse density with hardness. While denser and unsusceptible to staining, soapstone is softer than granite and quartzite so it can scratch more easily. That hasn’t stopped extensive use of this impervious surface in laboratories and science classrooms as sinks, flooring and work surfaces.
2. It Takes the HEat!
Any natural stone will fare better with heat than engineered quartz (which contains resin), but using trivets under hot items on marble and granite is still wise. On the other hand, soapstone is the most heat-friendly natural stone. Traditionally used for colonial fireplace hearths and wood stoves, soapstone absorbs, holds, and radiates heat extremely well. So go right ahead and place hot pots from the stove or baking trays from the oven directly on your soapstone countertops!
3. Low-Maintenance.
If soapstone’s impervious and heat-absorbent qualities weren’t enough, the material doesn’t require any long-term maintenance. No yearly sealing or special cleaning rituals required: a simple wipe of soapy water suffices as regular cleaner.
Soapstone countertops will never fade with direct sunlight, but some homeowners choose to evenly darken the natural color with wax or mineral oil. If you do enhance the surface, there will inevitably be some follow-up waxing or oiling involved.
4. An Organic and Rustic Look.
The naturally-occurring patina on soapstone adds to its earthy and organic look. Soapstone works tremendously well in rustic spaces with wood elements, making it a wonderful inclusion in farmhouse kitchens and mountain homes. Even when enhanced with oil or wax, dark soapstone countertops with veining meld beautifully in nature-inspired spaces.
5. It’s Versatile.
Besides traditional kitchen countertops, soapstone is now being used in pizza ovens, outdoor kitchens, for architectural accents, thresholds and more. From country to contemporary, non-porous soapstone has a naturally lustrous silky soft feel. You will find slabs in dark greens and blues, from light grey to dark charcoal in color.
There is no better place to see and choose your own slab of soapstone than IRG. With vast California warehouses in Sacramento, Brisbane and Dublin, IRG’s stone experts can help you select the perfect soapstone for your space! Contact us to schedule your visit.
Today, we see cabinets in every imaginable color from bright yellow or white, warm browns, and cool blues, to dark black. Whatever you choose for your cabinet color, the right material and color of countertop can result in highlighting the best features of both. Don’t panic, it doesn’t have to be difficult to decide on the perfect combo. Here’s how to start:
Start with Your Home Itself.
The style of your home and your great room areas are factors playing a major role in your kitchen decisions. Is your style sleek and modern? Then a neutral palette inspired by nature with a splash of color might be appropriate. Casual, comfy country might call for blues and yellows or greens. Fun, fantastic bohemian space more your style? Then the sky’s the limit for your color palette choices
Go to your local bookstore, look through, and then buy, home design magazines with styles that appeal to you. Pay attention to the colors in the photos and see if they fit with your home style.
Pick a Palette and Go in Style.
We’ve written about choosing colors for areas in your home based on the feel and effect you’re wanting to achieve; calming, exciting, motivating, etc. Your kitchen is no exception.
The kitchen is often the central meeting place to socialize while prepping and enjoying meals or entertaining. The easiest color starting point is to choose two main colors, based on the mood you want to set, and then add touches of a third to set your own design tone. For example, start with a main palette of black and white, then add in touches of light birch, highlights of gold and a splash of silver.
But don’t stop your investigation here.
Consider Color: The Best Match.
If you’re still daunted by color, you might look at a color wheel. A color wheel can help you develop a palette to choose from. You can pick and adjust colors based on color harmony rules. Here’s three to start with.
Complimentary Colors. These colors sit across from each other on the color wheel. As the name suggests, they complement each other, bringing out the best in each other.
Analogous Colors. These sit next to each other on the color wheel. They can share the same space just as comfortably in your kitchen. The result is a less contrasty more calming setting.
Neutral colors. These colors include, black, greys, whites, beiges, and brown tones. Neutrals are extremely popular in interior design right now. While not vibrant choices, these hues often form a safe background and starting point for entry into color decisions because you can change out you color scheme more easily with stronger color choices in accents and accessories.
Mix, match, compare, and contrast color. There’s plenty of online tools to help you visualize color choices. Here’s one of our favorites.
Cabinet or Counter: Which comes first?
We have good news on this choice: It doesn’t matter.
If you fall in love with a cabinet color or a countertop, just match it with the other. Understand, however, that not all cabinets go with all counter surfaces. For example, a white countertop with white cabinets might be too much of a good thing. The result can be, well, white. Instead of accenting the room, it can be one bland, monotonous room that doesn’t feel comfortable to live in.
Instead, you might select a cabinet color that you love, and look for a counter surface that has an accent of that color in its veining. For example, maybe you fell in love with white cabinets. Instead of white marble, which might look too sterile, maybe choose Black Moon Polished Marble, whose rich black will complement the cabinets and tie them together with the white veining.
There are many countertop choices, the most popular being natural stone, including marble, granite, quartzite, and soapstone. Engineered stone such as pental quartz or porcelain slabs are also choices many homeowners feel fit their needs. Occasionally consumers choose butcher block, stainless steel, or concrete for their countertop surfaces.
The most-used cabinet material is wood, with many styles to choose from, including open shelving.
If you’ve found a countertop surface that brings hearts to your eyes, hold a photo of that cabinet style (or better yet, get a sample door panel) against it to consider the effect of the combo. Likewise, an existing set of cabinets may be your starting point, consider that many can be successfully painted, modified, or totally changed out.
Color Counterpoints.
Sometimes, seeing is believing, so here are some well-chosen examples:
Warm-toned wood cabinets get extra oomph from a frosty white quartz or quartzite.Beautiful blue marbles are a luxurious choice with cherry woods or dark walnuts.Obviously wood grained cupboards pair well with blues and greens in granite, marble, or quartzite.Reddish oak shelving makes richly veined marble stand out even more stronglyDeep charcoal or very dark brown countertops can be enhanced with creamy colored cabinets.
And then there’s the New Countersplash!
Thanks to the new and soaring interest in natural stone slabs, a technique has emerged using the same slab material on the backsplash area as the counter itself. This flowing look has given birth to a new term in the design world: Countersplash. When well matched, the look is a modern, seamless take on traditional backsplash treatments—very in and very worth a look.
When You’re Ready.
When you’ve thought it through and you’re ready, let IRG help you choose the right surface for the cabinets that you want. IRG’s experienced staff can give you the personal attention you need to make that choice from an unsurpassed in-stock selection of natural and engineered stone.
With a creamy background and subtle veining resembling marble, IRG’s Mont Blanc Quartzite adds luxury and value to your home immediately upon installation. Unlike marble, however, this lovely Brazilian surfacing material offers practicality as well: it’s classic, versatile, and durable when properly sealed and maintained.
As with many light colored quartzites, your fabricator should pay special attention to sealing during the fabrication process of Mont Blanc and we encourage you to speak with your fabricator before selecting your slab.
IRG’s Mont Blanc Quartzite is as practical as it is aesthetically pleasing. Use this material on countertops, countersplashes, kitchens, bars, and fireplaces. It also pairs well with a variety of cabinet colors and woods, and blends effortlessly with many design styles, although it is most popular today in clean, less-rustic applications.
3. How do I care for MONT BLANC QUARTZITE?
Quartzite is heat- and stain-resistant, making it a very durable and practical material. That’s why you can use it on everything from a spectacular waterfall kitchen counter to a minimalist installation. And remember, we highly recommend proper sealing on an 8-month to annual basis to keep out the moisture and bacteria while retaining its magnificent appearance.
4. Where can I find MONT BLANC QUARTZITE?
No one has a better selection of in-stock Quartzite slabs than IRG. Visit an IRG showroom near you (conveniently located in Brisbane, Dublin, and Sacramento) and IRG’s staff of surface experts can take you through Mont Blanc Quartzite’s performance guidelines while you view our inventory. Schedule an appointment today by calling (415) 657-0280.
Q: Why is this stone so unique? A: The intense colorations of Picasso Onyx make it not for the faint of heart; it’s prized for its extreme movement of brown, black, cream and gold swirls. Known as the “sexy” stone, Onyx is quite rare and considered to be a semi-precious stone.
Q: Where can this stone be used? A: Create your own masterpiece by lining the walls of your living room with this breathtaking stone using four book matched slabs. Or make a grand statement by mounting a framed slab over a minimalist fireplace. IRG’s Picasso Onyx truly reflects the art of opulence.
Q: How do I care for this stone? A: Calcereous stones such as Onyx require more maintenance due to their more porous composition. We recommend sealing and cleaning regularly. Onyx Is sensitive to scratching and any liquids should be wiped dry immediately. Keep these points in mind when deciding where to place your slab.
Q: Where can I find Picasso Onyx? A: Picasso Onyx is only one example of the vast in-stock inventory of Onyx slabs at IRG. Visit an IRG showroom near you (conveniently located in Brisbane, Dublin, and Sacramento) and IRG’s staff of surface experts can guide you through your selection. Schedule an appointment today.
The secret to the popularity of Pental Quartz is its price, durability, and ability to mimic the beauty of natural stone surfacing. Not to be confused with quartzite, QUARTZ is a low-maintenance, beautiful, manmade alternative to natural stone.
The scratch- and heat-resistant (up to 250°F) qualities of Pental Quartz make it viable for kitchen counters, islands, bar countertops, closet islands, laundry rooms, bathroom vanities, and tub surrounds.
3. How do I care for Pental Quartz?
Use a cloth or sponge with mild soap and warm water for daily cleaning. Rinse soap thoroughly to remove soap residue which can affect the appearance of the surface.
Clean spills immediately and rinse surface thoroughly with water.
Remove stubborn spots using a soft, non-abrasive cloth or sponge with a mild and neutral cleaner along with plenty of water.
Avoid using harsh chemicals such as bleach cleaners on the surface.
Never cut or chop directly on quartz. Pental Quartz is scratch-resistant but not scratch proof.
Use a hot pad or trivet between hot pans or plates and the surface. Direct contact with extremely high heat can cause damage (such as with crock pots, electric skillets, etc.)
4. Where can I find Pental Quartz?
Pental Quartz is available from many outlets but most suppliers stock only small samples, making it difficult for a consumer to choose. IRG stocks full-sized slabs of Pental Quartz, allowing you to truly visualize this engineered stone in your next project
No one has a better selection of in-stock Pental Quartz slabs than IRG. Visit an IRG showroom near you (conveniently located in Brisbane, Dublin, and Sacramento) and IRG’s staff of surface experts can guide you through your selection.
Bold, Quiet, Excited, Relaxed, Energized, or Calm: Design Choices make a difference.
The studies are in, and they support the commonsense notion that interior design does indeed affect how you feel—emotionally and physically—inside your home. Whether subconscious or intentional, a person often makes design choices based on texture, color, and space. In other words: the immediate and emotional impact that an item evokes when you first see it can make you fall instantly in love…or not.
Let your feelings show.
Leaving all design decisions up to a professional is, of course, an easy way to operate. But that influencer must know you—what you like and how you react to color, surfaces, texture, and space. The newest looks, today’s design trends, and daily Twitter feeds don’t necessarily represent your preferences or the emotional impact you feel when reviewing these beautifully photographed surroundings.
At IRG, the designers we work with tell us customers are asking for new and statement-making uses for natural stone. While island waterfalls have become today’s norm, book-matched slabs used in home offices or as standalone art pieces are truly unique, one-of-a-kind applications that you might consider. At IRG, for example, our in-stock selections of Onyx or Calacatta Marble make stunning bookmatched natural stone statements.
Color is a biggie.
Almost everyone has a favorite color. Think about yours.
When you think about colors, ponder the following:
Why do you gravitate to that specific color?
How do you feel when you stare at it, does it bring back memories?
Is there a color family or varying tones that speak to you most often?
Besides clothing choices, where do you most often enjoy this color (or colors)?
Color therapy has been used in medical situations, public places, and vehicles. Adding color to a space can help achieve a different state of mind for the occupants.
Green and blue tones historically make surroundings feel more safe, calm, and relaxed.
Reds and oranges can add excitement, passion, and stimulation to an area.
Some color combinations can help us concentrate or feel creative.
Others bring back memories of pleasant times.
Identify colors that tire or depress you and your family and avoid them. It’s important to make your color choices personally and wisely.
Does bold stone speak to you?
Sometimes all you have to do is let the stone speak for itself. Large striking slabs used on walls or in large format design should be left to shine on their own. Rarely is there a need to enhance the dramatic impression natural stone can make by adding strong accessories or equally bold fabrics. When it comes to a brilliant—and often backlit—slab of onyx, no competition is necessary.
Nature is a natural.
Another option to consider is the effect of bringing nature into your spaces.
Natural elements can lower your heart rate and help you feel at peace with your life. Sometimes just the “awe” of a slab of natural stone puts a perspective on a situation. Knowing that a slab of marble has been in existence for centuries and that this element is right in front of you can literally bring you back to earth.
AT IRG, one satisfied customer mentioned “losing themselves” while staring at an elaborate piece of onyx mounted as a fireplace surround. Others tell us it feels like swimming or floating while in a bathroom lined with sensuous blue/green granite.
Design choices can bring out the texture and dimension of the stone and can also set the tone for the room: exciting, calming, thoughtful, energetic…and more. It can become a fascinating focal point or an ethereal transcendent mirage – the options for mood set through stone choice are fascinating.
Leave space for space.
How the space of an area is perceived isn’t totally dependent upon its square footage. Almost any physical dimension can become more inviting through the use of furnishing choices, color and lighting. Feeling cozy and snug versus claustrophobic is an example.
Transforming a small area into a feeling of vastness can come from the inclusion of a wall of natural stone, adding depth to a shallow space. Conversely adding a high impact stone choice to a very large great room can balance the openness. This rule sounds contradictory but don’t be limited by your boundaries.
Ask for Help.
When you’ve thought it through and you’re ready, let IRG help you choose the right surface for the design and mood that you want. IRG’s experienced staff can give you the personal attention you need to make that choice from an unsurpassed in-stock selection of natural stone. Call or visit us at an IRG showroom convenient to you in Brisbane, Dublin, or Sacramento.
The IRG Blog is your resource for stone product information, ideas and inspiration. Use our informational articles, project features, and product spotlights to help create your vision, then come into one of our showrooms to bring your ideas to life!
