Natural Stone Features & Benefits

Materials range from old-world marbles to splashy granite. Colors span Autumn Brown, African Red, and Blue Pearl. Finishes can be honed (basic smooth finish) or flamed (rough and uneven), pillowed (rounded edges) or grooved. Veins run from fine-grained to patterns that resemble foliage. The look can say formal or funk; the feel can be cool as an Asian waterfall or warm like a winter hearth (thanks to radiant-heat systems).

No matter what type of stone you choose, natural stone offers many benefits and style choices for your home:

  • Extremely durable, repels water and stains
  • Creates an unrivaled luxurious ambiance in your home
  • Available in a wide variety of textures and colors
  • Frequently used in accent areas such as entrance foyers and as accent inserts in hardwood floors.
  • Can have a big impact on small spaces
  • For an eclectic style, mix and match the natural stone throughout your home combining rugged and refined.

Below, we’ve highlighted a few of the most popular types of stone.

Granite

  • Granite is a coarse-grained igneous rock composed mainly of quartz, feldspar, and mica.
  • These materials are found at the center of the earth where granite crystallizes under extreme pressure.
  • This pressure is what forms the granite’s hard surface and timeless beauty.
  • Its variety of striking colors and distinctive structural characteristics make any home unique.

Travertine

  • Travertine is a variety of limestone that is created when heated waters rise to the surface and leave layers of mineral granules.
  • Over time, these deposits cool and crystallize into travertine. In the home, it provides unrivaled beauty, mood, and comfort.
  • The characteristic holes in travertine are the result of trapped gas bubbles. Travertine is usually filled with cement before it is honed or polished. The stone will have a high sheen while the filled areas remain dull producing a one-of-a kind finish.
  • With colors ranging from deep gold to light blond, creamy travertine can lend itself to a contemporary or neoclassical style.

Marble

  • Marble is coveted for its distinctive variegated appearance or smooth veining throughout its body.
  • It is a metamorphic rock of crystallized limestone that consists mainly of calcite or dolomite.
  • Marble is an elegant addition to any home. It evokes a cool, elegant mood in a traditional or contemporary home.

Slate

  • Slate is popular because of its variety of exciting shapes.
  • A dense, fine-grained metamorphic rock, slate forms when ancient sea beds fill with sediments of clay and shale.
  • It is extremely durable in a range of beautiful colors.
  • All slate has clefting along its surface, which gives it a unique texture and makes a dramatic statement in any room of your home.
  • The varied surface and distressed edges of slate give a room a more rustic feel.

Limestone

  • Limestone is both durable and beautiful. It is a sedimentary rock formed by the accumulation of rock, shells, and coral and consists mainly of calcium carbonate. In the home, limestone turns floors into natural works of art.
  • Its inherent beauty can be used in a traditional, neoclassical, or modern room.
  • The muted tones of limestone are perfect for today’s more casual and comfortable lifestyles.
  • With a wide range of colors including soft beiges, tans, and greens, limestone can be either polished or honed to achieve the finished or rustic look you desire.

Natural products bring rich colors, textures, and patterns to your floors. Consult your design professional to help determine which natural stone is right for you.