living with marble and soapstone: our countertops 5 years in

Working with clients on a regular basis when it comes to their homes, and online, we see a lot of questions on the topic of design. But perhaps the most controversial {besides the question of should you wear your shoes in the house, amongst other things} is the topic of countertops.

For our own kitchen redesign, we used both soapstone, and marble. We’ve recently received a lot of questions on how we feel about it. The truth of the matter is, we still absolutely love it. So today we thought we’d cover a little on our countertops. Living with marble and soapstone: our countertops 5 years in.

fabulous photography by light by iris

Our stone is from Polycor. A little backstory: We love Polycor’s stone so much, we were honored to pay a visit to their quarry in Tate, Georgia a few years ago. It was quite the experience and I felt pretty tiny. {See below} It’s crazy to think about a stone straight from the earth in our own homes. Read all about the specifics here.

I tend to be biased toward natural stone, because it’s incredible to have something that comes from the ground, right on your countertops, as a functional piece. It’s literally living artwork.

To me, this is what makes it so unique and timeless.

The entire process is really quite fascinating, from the earth, to your home. I also wore my hard hat better.

Psssstttt… you’ll see our kitchen with different lights since we’ve already given the space a refresh with the fabulous Kichler! I realized how quickly I’m turning into an old lady, and don’t like to see dust on my globes. That doesn’t mean it’s not there… it just means I can’t see it. That, and I obviously love these lights.

So just a few things about marble in the kitchen:

I’ve shared this before, but I always give my clients this analogy. There are two ways of looking at a home. There’s the American way and the European way.

The American way, is everything shiny and new. Nothing imperfect. Big. Bold. Think granite in speckled finishes and builder mass reproduced homes. There is nothing wrong with this. It’s a preference.

Granite, by it’s own rite can be beautiful, and we’ve installed it as well. {I personally love black to imitate soapstone with less maintenance if a client prefers this route – we’re always looking for ways to make a space both functional and beautiful!}

Then there is the European way. Cozy. Traditional. Repurposed. Natural stones in timeless installments, an old ice cream shop countertop or in ancient architecture. It has nicks and scratches and tells a story. It’s organic and beautiful. Timeless.

It all depends on which approach you want. Every single countertop, from DIY concrete and butcher’s block, to quartzite and marble… come with it’s own pros and cons. For instance, I wouldn’t leave a puddle of coffee out on any of them. Everything still takes care and maintenance. Nothing is perfect. You still have to care for what you have.

So it all comes down to what you want in a kitchen.

For our own renovation, we chose both soapstone and marble. This freaks some people out. I will redirect you to what I just wrote above. I broke down the whole care-for-it thing, here.

It’s amazing to me how opinionated people can be about marble. I literally sat through a design meeting with a relative who was for some reason, in tow, and decided to argue with me when I offered it as an option for said client’s kitchen. She was definitely stuck on a preconceived notion on all things marble. And it definitely wasn’t even her house. {SHE DOESN’T EVEN GO HERE!} What I’m trying to say is, people are honestly offended by marble, and they’ve never even lived with it.

And if they have, it was the cheap stuff that comes on a pre-made vanity. So keep that in mind when your contractor’s daughter’s aunt’s dog has an opinion about your countertop selections. Because everyone does. Fun times.

Our marble is simple to clean. Its had subtle etching over time, which eventually fades into the background over time. It’s easy and beautiful in our kitchen. It will withstand the test of time.

On living with soapstone, our verdict is the very same. Even all these years later. I don’t regret choosing such a beautiful piece with gorgeous movement. I’d argue it’s one of the centerpieces of the kitchen.

I covered more of the ins and outs of it all, along with maintenance, here. We’ve had a few scratches over the years, but they either a. disappear on their own over time, or b. can be lightly buffed and waxed so that they disappear. All of them have been the former.

It’s a whole lot less babysitting, than people tend to think when it comes to a natural stone.

So the verdict, all these years later, is that we love our two classic choices for our kitchen.

The two best pieces of advice I can give you when choosing stones for your own home, are: {In this order…}

1. Know Thyself.

Know what you’re willing to work with, and use. Know what you prepare regularly in the kitchen, {or how you use any surface where you intend to use it} and what your needs are for that space. And know what your budget is, too.

2. Have a good consult with a stone expert.

Your designer should be able to hook you up with a great stone person. A fabricator or someone who works in stone. They live, eat, and breathe the stuff, and know the ins and outs of everything. Do you want to cut Christmas cookies on your light-colored stone and not worry about staining or scratching it? Do you want to have guests over and not feel as though you need to babysit bottles of wine? There are options for all lifestyles, so just know that it’s great to do your homework, first. Have a knowledgable expert who can help you in that.

We hope this was a little bit enlightening today, with all things countertops, and living with marble + soapstone. We have loved living with it in our home and still will, years later. It doesn’t get old.