THE REAL THING – THREE AMAZING NATURAL STONE WORKTOPS

The trend to real stone and colour continues. I popped into the workshop/warehouse this week to photograph one of these – and ended up having my eye caught by all three. The patterns are wild, but the colours are subtle, and all three stones could suit either a traditional or very contemporary kitchen with a large area of island or peninsula to show off the large-scale veining.

Note that the finishes shown here reflect the actual slabs in the photographs – other finishes are available!

Previously featured on this website… Terra Bianca Dolomite as fitted in a Surrey kitchen. Yes – yet more natural stones are available!

A lovely slab of leathered Taj Mahal on our arrivals rack

Taj Mahal Quartzite (and copies of it) recently had a whole blog to itself. This material is incredibly popular at the moment and we seem to see new slabs coming through the workshop most weeks. I love it – the soft greenish yellow tones are beautiful and restful to the eye and the complex patterns always fascinating. The stone presents some challenges and drawbacks that you need to be aware of:

• It is very hard and resistant to cutting. This can make it tricky to work, and especially not so suitable for fancy edge profiles. (Man made versions – especially in quartz – are MUCH easier to work)
• As a natural stone, no two slabs are identical. Don’t set your heart on a precise pattern – it will never be repeated – and that’s part of the beauty of it! (Man-made alternatives ARE predictable!)
• Taj Mahal was expensive even before the present wave of popularity. Be ready to dig deep for this beauty! (Man-made alternatives can be a lot cheaper!)

Polished Piracema Granite in our kitchen worktops warehouse

Piracema is quarried near the Piracema River in Brazil. The soft grey palette could create a good conservative suit if it weren’t for those wild patterns! Somehow Piracema manages to be both wild and understated at the same time, though some slabs have more colour, even with splashes of pink! . This lovely natural stone is sold at a more accessible price point than Taj Mahal, and is easier to work and install. Altogether, this is one we enjoy working with

Fusion Wow Quartzite in a Satinato finish

Fusion Wow is another Brazilian stone which has huge wow factor, as the name implies. Fusion Wow will bring the vibrance of Carnaval into your kitchen! Like Taj Mahal it is hard to work with – no fancy edge profiles please! – and it isn’t cheap. But for both colour and pattern it is hard to beat. 

• Do consider getting the satinato or other non-polished version – the texture of the surface adds a tactile element to the pleasure of this stone.
• Do remember that no two slabs are alike – so be ready to look around to find the right slabs for you.