Classics are always in style What is hot today may not be so hot tomorrow. How can you be sure that what you choose will stand the test of time? Let’s face it, Natural stone is a classic like the black tie. It has always been and will remain the premier surface. Synthetic surfaces last only as long as their branding and marketing campaigns and most of them are just trying to reinvent the original, “Natural Stone".

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Finding your stone
It is not the same old granite. Today, the Natural Stone market is bigger, more vibrant and better than ever. Through advances in machinery, importing and new mining frontiers there is now a world of choices. Gone are the days of selecting your stone from a small box of samples. Although those staple colors are still around, today there are hundreds of colors available from all over the world. Color and character is driving the industry. Slab Viewing is now the standard, a must, in the selection process. “The stones of today are amazing, each stone has its own unique character,“ says Kathy Johnson of Eastern Designs.  “We take this process very seriously, and our clientele just loves seeing all the materials, OHM does such a great job of creating an inviting atmosphere. Our clients are not pressured nor rushed. It is the most enlightening and intriguing experience you will have when designing your home or kitchen.” There is a world of choices available today, don’t short your investment. Just like buying fine art, it is always a better experience when you go to a gallery.

Color Trends in Natural Stone
What are consumers looking for when they view their granite slabs? It appears the majority of granite purchasers fall into one of two extremes. We can categorize these two extremes aesthetics,“All Natural Earth” or “Rare Exotics”.

“All Natural Earth” aesthetic
Granite is the original earth tone. The beauty of nature just cannot be copied. Many designers are drawn to Mother Nature's use of natural color tones. These aesthetics make us feel connected to the planet and the world we live in. With the growing popularity of designing a rustic, Tuscan or the “modern mature chic” kitchen, the look of granite captures this feel like no other.

 

Such popular colors of this look are: Copper Canyon, Golden River, Golden Thunder and Mascarello.

 “Rare Exotic” aesthetic
The other popular aesthetic, is the Rare Exotics. They are the stones that make you step back and admire the amazing beauty which only nature can create. They are the stones that make you say "Wow! Did that really come from the Earth?" It is for the consumer who is looking for something different, unusual or mystical.  A celebration of colors, crystals and shimmers that, like diamonds, are not common in nature. Designers today are pressing the envelope and are creating eclectic designs to capture the clients' specific tastes. Unique is the key here, there is something special in owning a rare stone found only in a small remote area of the world. A material specific to you, one your neighbors can’t easily copy. Stones so electric they beg to be shown off. Such colors are: Verde, Labradorite, Magma, Metallic Wild Sea, Surreal or the rare and most sought after Blue Louise.

Movement
Going beyond color is yet another new trend in stone, “movement.” Today a “hot, must have” granite slab is viewed as natures work of art, a canvas painted only by time and evolution. We are seeing more and more consumers looking for that character which comes only from movement within natural stone. We are moving away from the consistent color look, which we saw for years with Laminate and Corian. Nature just can’t be copied, and the trend today is to “show it off.”  Movement can be classified in two ways, linear or random.

Linear movement
Linear movement is when the stone has color patterns moving along a horizontal or vertical plane. This movement often spans throughout the stone.  When designing with a linear material, the look can make an area more defined and pronounced. Like clothing, should the stripes go down or across? A quality fabricator is a must when striving to establish the right look of the design. Careful planning to insure seam matching and material flow is required. When fabricated accurately, the material can really make a statement. Linear movement examples include;  Lemon Spice, Lady Dream, Golden Exotica.

 

Random Movement
A high percentage of the most sought after stones in the world have the random movement characteristics. Swirls in multiple colors all moving around without defined boundaries, is what random movement is all about. Want to make a kitchen “POP”? Get away from the uniform 1980’s look of laminate, and celebrate nature in random movement.

Random movement examples include; Delirium, Rain Forest, Typhoon Bordeaux, Capalavaro and the classic Monet.

 

 

Finishes
Although, most of the natural stone sales are in polished material, designers are starting to gravitate to some new finish options. Different finishes add depth and character to the stones. Some of the options available in the market are Honed, Flamed and Brushed.

Honed finish
Granite is called "honed" when the polishing process is halted just before a reflective shiny surface is achieved. This gives a softer, matte appearance to the stone.

Flamed finish
Granite is flamed by applying immense powerful heat to the surface of the stone. This causes the surface to melt and some of the crystals to shatter, leaving a highly textured look

Brushed Finish
Granite with fine varied texture, created by a mechanical process of steel brushes

Material Integrity
Mostly on the aesthetic aspects of natural stone, it is only fitting to address the advances in its structural and material integrity. New processes such as vacuum resining and mesh backers have added to the increased strength of the material. Fabricators have also devised strength techniques such as rodding, (rods added to the underside of the stone to add support after installation). Finally stone sealers have evolved by leaps and bounds. Today sealers are as easy to apply as wiping down your countertop, and they provide years of protection. Don’t let the staining propaganda fool you. Granite is difficult to stain in everyday use. In the rare event the sealer does break down and a stain occurs; stain removal is not impossible. 

The natural stone industry has certainly come a long way. It is hard to imagine a better surface for a countertop. Although there have been other products that have tried to top the look and characteristics of natural stone it is natural stone that has evolved to become far superior.