Of all the design debates while renovating a home, the “natural versus engineered stone” one can really paralyze you. You know the debate – natural stone can be gorgeous (and expensive), but it can stain, show wear and tear, and many people can’t stand the aged look (including my brother and SIL). Engineered stone (Quartz) is highly durable and easy to clean but has less “real” looking movement to it. It can be more affordable, comes in jumbo sizes (for large islands), and you can get multiple slabs easily.
My Real Stone Rule/Philosophy…
My philosophy (which is loose because there are exceptions to EVERYTHING) is that I prefer natural stone slabs in more traditional or vintage style homes (cottages, cape cod, bungalows, farmhouses, colonials, Tudors, etc). I also think that real stone is best in homes that were built before 1950 if you are remodeling an older home (pre-mid-century) My rationale is that quartz didn’t exist then so it stays more integral to the house. The real stone patina works with the age of the house, especially if you are trying to add charm. But if you have a midcentury, contemporary, or otherwise clean-lined and modern style home then IMHO you can do either real stone OR the right simple Quartz. Goodness, that sounds nuanced, but I feel really solid about this philosophy and have for years. I have had both in different homes and love them for different reasons. I love our leathered LA kitchen, in a 100-year-old English Tudor and I LOVE our white engineered stone in the kitchen at the mountain house (and so did Ken and Katie – it’s just SO easy to clean, feels fresh, nothing stains, etc.)
So early on, since this is a contemporary style home built in 2024, clearly new construction, we could do either. Due to Katie and Ken’s hesitation about natural stone, we all decided that engineered stone was the way to go for their family. Also, they were coming from a traditional home with a huge polished piece of white carerra on their island that got etched and stained very badly so they were reacting to that and did NOT want to repeat these stains. It drove them nuts and I wanted to reduce that pain point for them. Quartz it is!! But of course there is a twist in this story…
Two years ago I reached out to Caesarstone to partner on their countertops – mostly because I was super attracted to their concrete slabs which look SO GOOD and the movement looks really real. Max had used it before and loved it so we very early on “checked that box” (LOLOLOL b/c the box became unchecked).
At first, we chose based on these smaller samples. We are all attracted to the simpler designs with some movement, but not a lot of faux veining (sometimes that really works but not in this house IMHO). Before fully making the decision, I wanted to be triple sure about these, so we then went to EleMar (Tualatin) to see the slabs in person.
The concrete look still cleans up great and isn’t porous at all, just looks like concrete. We loved this one and the Black Tempal (below). Remember that they would both be horizontal (you won’t be looking at it like this).
We loved them both. They definitely lean contemporary and a little industrial, but the texture is organic, loose, and large in scale in a good way.
We hadn’t fully decided where they were going (a big debate over if you put the darker stone on the perimeter of the cabinets and the lighter stone as the island, or the other way around).
Then as the design of the house evolved I felt nervous about the kitchen. Like couldn’t sleep nervous. You see, we chose a simple white backsplash tile for the kitchen (it’s very pretty but being so neutral it wasn’t going to make a statement). I realized that this kitchen (while meant to be minimal) needed color. Katie is a bit scared of color and when we designed this house (like 3 years ago) the design world was far more neutral than it is now. So our super neutral and warm minimal house was feeling now like there wasn’t enough going on. Was it going to look just like the mountain house kitchen??? I still LOVE that kitchen and it was the original inspiration for this house, but we are in Portland where it’s so gray outside. We needed color! You can’t have a house like this then have an overly simple kitchen!
So we had two options: 1. change the backsplash tile, or 2. change the countertop stone in the kitchen. Again, the stone order hadn’t been placed yet but we had selected six different slabs from Caesarstone that we loved a lot for the entire house. At this point, we thought that the tile couldn’t be changed or it would hold us up due to lead times (LOL again, still not installed so we could have changed the tile) so I begged my brother and SIL to go shopping with me to find a dope natural stone.
They were hesitant to do natural stone, but I convinced them that their house, which they are obviously investing heavily in, can’t have a kitchen without color or a bold design choice. White tile on gray or black stone with white oak wood cabinets just was too neutral. I promised them that we wouldn’t go for a carerra or something light and we wouldn’t go for polished (which is easier to etch). Off to shop!
We went to two stone yards – Bedrosian and EleMar in Tualatin (both non-spon, but local businesses that are great). If you are looking to see Caesarstone slabs in person head to EleMar – they have a great selection so you can choose based on the slab and not a sample.
We went on two different trips and Max and I liked some of the same ones but disagreed on others. So finding three VERY large slabs that we all loved plus would work in the design proved challenging. It just meant a lot to all of us that we completely love whatever we chose.
…And Then We Found These Lovely Ladies
TADA!!!! Three emerald Quartzite slabs. My heart tripped with delight. The wood against them would be soooo incredible. It felt so Oregon to me, so “River House”, so “foresty”. Think wood cabinets as the trunk then the green slab as the tree branches. It would integrate so well into the overall look and feel of the house and the exterior (which is all trees and a river view). I texted the photos to Max and thank god he was enthusiastic, too. We all agreed that while this was our stone. I slept GREAT that night.
They came polished, so we asked our stone guys what would be the best, most durable way to have these slabs and they said to leather them (which is essentially sandblasting them, adding texture, and making them very matte). Then they would need to be sealed. They assured us that they wouldn’t etch or stain. GREAT.
Here is the slab installed (above), but not sealed yet (which is a whole other saga with a huge hiccup that I’m waiting to tell you about once we have a solution). This photo (below) has the seal on it so it became darker which we still LOVE.
I’m so so so glad we chose this stone, it added the punch that we needed but in a super non-risky design way (green isn’t a risk to me, but might be to others). It’s not busy, just dark and organic (I even think the veining feels like the current of a river). We chose Caesarstone in the mudroom, bathrooms (some of our vanities came with countertops), the laundry room, and even a slab on the fireplace. The kitchen was the only place where we chose real stone as you can see. If you are in the market for engineered Quartz here is what we chose and really love from Caesarstone: Airy Concrete, Organic White, Fresh concrete, Blizzard, and Black Tempal which I’ll show you all soooooon.
The house is almost done, y’all. There are some hiccups that I’ll of course share, but we are in the process of figuring out how to solve them first and the even more fun part is figuring out who pays for these hiccups. More to come, soon. But we are SO HAPPY with all the stone thus far and can now see so many of the rooms really coming to life. xx
*Pretty Photos (unless otherwise noted) by Kaitlin Green
All the heart eyes! What stunners!
I love the green. I agree it is so much better than the original choices.
Helpful post – I love the green! I would also be curious to see examples of the stain / patina on natural stone. I’ve read a lot about it over the years, but think I’ve only seen the shiny new stuff pictured.
Second this, please! We will be redoing the kitchen in our 1939 PNW cottage in 2026 *fingers crossed*. We cook 90% of our meals at home and hubby does a lot of that and is definitely a messy cook. The only natural stone we’ve ever lived with has been granite, which we’ve found fairly easy cleanup. But I would love to consider marble to add more vintage back into our cottage kitchen. We don’t mind some patina, in fact, are quite fond of it, but having never lived with marble, I’d love to have a better idea of what to expect.
We put in 6 slabs of marble in our kitchen in 2010. I cook about 5 nights a week and it’s lived through all the phases of kids so it’s seen it all. It’s honed, which eliminates the vast majority of problems I see in marble counters. I sealed it 2x a year for 5 years which was super easy and I did it myself with Akemi sealer…pretty much wipe on/wipe off. After about 5 years, I realized I don’t need to anymore. I’m happy to answer any questions anyone might have about it.
Soapstone is still rarely talked about in the design & decor blogs I read. I have an instagram account that I almost never look at, maybe the sm folks talk about it more? It is a natural stone (and priced as such), but I’ve always heard it’s hardworking like an engineered stone counter. It was used for a long time for the chemistry/science lab tabletops in American schools – those big black slab tables – because it could stand up to teens having accidents/pranks with bunsen burners and chemicals that etch or explode. It comes in other colors if you don’t want a yawning black hole in your kitchen.
I love the stone!!
This is exactly my story! Just finished my kitchen remodel with white oak cabinets and white zellige backsplash. I was sure I wanted quartz countertops for ease in our busy household. But I was working with a designer who pushed and pushed for more contrast and interest and we found a gorgeous slab of leathered Cielo quartzite. Now it’s installed and is my favorite thing about the kitchen. It adds so much depth and warmth, and the sealed quartzite is super easy to maintain.
Gorgeous! Love the colour. I also want to share that while engineered quartz must be more durable, it is hardly maintenance free. My 16 month old quartz countertops are chipped, stained, clouded, and the company I purchased them from (and who did the install) say it is all “regular wear and tear”. I still love them, but clearly there is something I’m missing! I’ve had paperstone and granite in the past and at the moment, my conclusion is that no matter what you choose, there is maintenance to do and damage done. I have four kids, we work from home and homeschool, and cook pretty much every single meal (except for bagged lunches on an adventure a day or two a week, but I still prepared those! We eat out or get take out maybe 4 times a year). It makes sense that my kitchen will wear faster than others for sure, but I was very clear about this and my wants for materials and I was assured that these counters would be exactly what my family needed, and they were damaged within 3 months. So while I’ve never had a simpler natural stone to figure out the maintenance on,… Read more »
Yup! We have white porcelain (Dekton) in our kitchen which were supposedly supposed to be super durable. We’ve had them 2.5 years and they are chipped and cracked in multiple spots. If we let wine or other staining materials sit on them for too long, it takes elbow grease to get off. They are my least favorite selection we made in our remodel 😐. If I could have a do-over I’d definitely choose something with more natural movement and life to it, so the inevitable imperfections are not as obvious!
Yes! We looked at Dekton because some friends (who are much lighter on their things) loved it. And in their house with two adults it looks amazing and is holding up well- they even have their stove elements right on it- no cooktop. The salespeople were raving about it but reading reviews it seemed like a bad idea. Plus it was WAY outside our price range.
That color is gorgeous!
Beautiful as always! Just an FYI that Australia is banning engineered stone due to its impacts on the lungs of workers. There’s talk from doctors that this is up there with asbestos in terms of health hazards. We were considering engineered stone for our kitchen remodel, but will now go for a natural material. See: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/14/australia-will-become-the-first-county-to-ban-engineered-stone-bench-tops-will-others-follow
I just learned about this as well and was pretty much horrified! I’m a designer so from now on I’m sticking with natural stone and porcelain slabs. I actually think that porcelain slabs blow quartz out of the water anyways when it comes to natural looking veining.
Also second porcelain!
The LA Times also has a whole series on this issue (paywalled though). Until we can be confident quartz can be manufactured safely, I’d avoid it.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-09-24/silicosis-countertop-workers-engineered-stone
Having had quartz and granite, I am now double-sure that I prefer quartz. This looks nice, but the color sure changed after sealing!
The colour change after sealing was certainly unexpected to me … hopefully not for the home owners!!
So glad you did natural stone. it is always my preferred choice. I went so far as to do a gorgeous remnant pink-hued marble slab for my kids’ bathroom. The toothpaste and water marks clean up really nicely. My postmodern condo was built in 1977, but I think I will do real marble or quartzite or granite (or marble terrazzo) everywhere. I dont think the Emily’s Brother’s green quartzite even went “darker” with the sealing. It looks like that photo just has less light. I doubt anyone would notice that the countertops went “dark” after staining in real life.
GORGEOUS choice!! Yes, really evokes the feeling of the river and the forest. Couldn’t be more perfect!
The natural stone looks beautiful! Can you say a little more about how much the leathered finish costs, and on what type of stones/stone patterns (simple, deep veining, etc.) it should be used? Also, can leathering be done on already-installed countertops, or would they need to be removed for the process? I toured a new build in my area and fell in love with the leathered countertops so I’m curious about how I might be able to adapt it for my own kitchen now.
Cute clothes, as usual:
I’m glad Lucy Ellen raised the issue of the impact of engineered stone on installers’ lungs. I would add that a leathered or honed surface on engineered stone can be problematic: I installed a concrete-like quartz counter in my last house and went with the honed surface, only to be dismayed by how much it showed water marks, and needed to be constantly wiped down with a soft cloth. In my current home, I love the quartzite counters that the previous owner installed. I’m still not a fan of the very dark and varied granite counters that were everywhere 20 years ago, but slabs like this green one you’ve chosen are so beautiful.
Beautiful stone, definitely a great choice for a river house!
It is indeed a very beautiful stone.
I have come to hate imitations of Carrara marble veins. They look cheap.
I renovated a contemporary house (originally built in 1990 with a faux-Craftsman look) and I’m OCD about etching/stains. Coincidentally I went with the same countertop combo, plain quartz in all the bathrooms but a special quartzite for the kitchen. I chose Fantasy Macaubus quartzite and I LOVE how it looks (especially paired with the SW Pewter Green cabinets that I copied from the Portland house) and any etching stains from oil have slowly disappeared on their own over a few days. Also, natural quartzite in my area was actually more affordable than Cambria or Caesarstone (name brand) quartz, go figure.
Fascinating. The green looks SO good!! I’m getting ready for a kitchen renovation next year and briefly considered quartz but very much prefer the drama of real stone.
Gorgeous, Emily! Ya’ll, THIS is the value of a designer—someone who knows just when to encourage clients to leave their comfort zone for something really special that elevates the whole design plan. Absolutely love the green. And while I have had clients who were very happy with porcelain slabs, I love stone and embrace patina. Just think of all the ancient, patinaed marble you see all around Europe!
That green is gorgeous! Totally says river house!
So curious about the leathered finish. Do you have control over HOW leathered it is? How textured did you make these? I’m thinking of my SIL’s countertops (which were already installed when she bought her house) and the finish reminds me of cobbled leather or hammered metal.
We have Fresh Concrete in our scandi modern kitchen, which I generally love – but beware if you choose from a sample vs. a slab. Our slab has way more “flaws” I.e. subtle gray vein-y type variation that we didn’t see on the slab in the showroom, nor in the sample. It doesn’t bother me at all, but drives my husband crazy. So try to see your actual slab rather than choosing from a sample. Also, this was three years ago, so may not even be a thing anymore…
Also, our fresh concrete does stain. We did a matte finish and it is sealed, but is still susceptible to anything colorful. It comes out with barkeeper’s friend (usually) and rubbing alcohol. That said, the night the counters were installed, a blue slushie sat on the counters and I had no idea, and I came out to a blue stain right on the corner of the island. I nearly died. It came out – thank god – but FYI that these counters can still be a little fussy.
This stone is gorgeous and simple enough that you won’t be tired of it in a few years. Really beautiful.
Oh my goodness I love love love this! What an absolutely stunning choice, feels bold but timeless at the same time, and perfectly matches the river/forect inspiration!