Incorporating Natural Stone Into Your New Kitchen

When planning the kitchen for a new home, you'll need to work with your home builder to choose materials for the flooring, benchtops, splashbacks and so on. One excellent choice is natural stone, which you can incorporate in various places around the room. Here are more specific ideas and information for doing so.

Benchtops

One way to introduce stone into your kitchen is via the benchtops. You'll have a selection of species—such as marble, granite and soapstone—each of which offers various colours, patterns and overall qualities. Marble is available in white with black veining but is also possible in grey, blue, fawn and red. Being porous, marble needs regular sealing and prompt wiping of spills to prevent staining or etching. Once you regularly take care with your benchtop and remember to place hot pans on trivets, it becomes second nature. 

Granite and soapstone are both tougher than marble. Granite is scratch and heat resistant but, similarly to marble, requires regular sealing. Soapstone is exceptionally resistant to damage and sometimes doesn't require sealing at all; seek specific advice through from the manufacturer. Rather than the streaky appearance of marble, granite usually displays multitoned speckles in various hues including copper, green and pink tones. Soapstone is available in greys and blacks and shows linear streaks of other shades.

Splashback And Flooring

Other ways to incorporate stone into your new kitchen is to spread it across the backsplash or floor area. Keeping the same rock over the splashback will generate a stunning seamless look. In these designs, make sure the surrounding hues—on walls and cabinets, for instance—harmonise with the stone. Creating a light-dark contrast between the counter and cabinetry add spark to a kitchen, preventing it from looking insipid. You could pair a dark benchtop with light-coloured cabinets, or vice versa. 

Stone tiles create beautiful kitchen flooring; however, make sure to stick with hard stones such as granite or slate. Slate tiles—in greys, blacks and greens—resist scratching and are excellent for high-traffic areas. You can either go with a natural cleft texture with an uneven surface or a smooth, satiny honed finish. Being relatively heavy, stone requires a subfloor strong enough to hold its weight. You can also extend this beautiful material to other areas, both inside and outside. For instance, spread stone across bathroom vanity tops, around fireplaces, and across patios, pathways, driveways and pool areas. Your home builder can advise on options for your specific decor, building and hardscape. 

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