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Natural stones have advantages that speak for their use in kitchens and bathrooms. They are scratch-resistant, natural, easy to clean, practical and robust. They tolerate heat to a certain degree and moisture well, last forever when properly cared for and are easy to keep clean. Dirty natural stone slabs only need to be wiped with a damp cloth because nothing sticks. That's why demand has been rising strongly for years, especially in the kitchen, but more recently also in the bathroom. More and more homeowners are opting for granite, limestone or quartzite because they can use stone to make their bathroom or kitchen more individual. From the modern designer kitchen to the traditional country house bathroom.
Granite, limestone or quartzite look different and have their own character. Make sure that the natural stone matches the style in the kitchen or bathroom. With the Online bathroom planner by Habitects, for example, you can try out different variations and easily visualise your dream bathroom.
Natural stone can be used for many things in the kitchen. For kitchen tops or for kitchen splashbacks, of course, but also for the floor tiles or for the window ledges. If you want to go one step further, you can have a kitchen table made with a tabletop of the same natural stone and thus furnish the kitchen uniformly. Most natural stone surfaces can be flamed and brushed, ground, polished or satin-finished.
Natural stone lasts almost forever, so the choice needs to be carefully considered. When making your decision, listen to your gut, but also let yourself be advised by kitchen experts from your region.
Granite is a classic and still very popular. The coarsely crystalline stone is available in many colours - from white to light to dark grey, sometimes with shades of blue, yellow or red - and glitters slightly with its quartz dots. Depending on the treatment of the surface, granite fits better in a design kitchen (elegantly polished) or in a country house kitchen (rustic flamed). The surface is particularly hard, scratch-resistant and easy to clean. That is why granite is excellent for daily use in the kitchen.
Granite kitchen tops, like most natural stone surfaces, are scratch-resistant. Your knives will become blunt if you cut on them. It is better to use a cutting board that is gentle on knives.
Limestone is plain. The colour spectrum of the light stone ranges from cream to light brown. Thanks to the filigree structure, an elegant silk look is created, which is most effective when the natural stone is processed without joints. Limestone radiates warmth and suits many kitchen styles. For use in a kitchen, the surface must be treated to better protect it from (strong) acid. Limestone is best cleaned with a mild soap cleaner. This keeps it scratch-resistant and free of lime streaks.
Quartzite is created in chemical processes that take several thousand years. That is why quartzite is so robust and particularly weather-resistant and is used both indoors and outdoors. The natural stone can be refined in many ways, changes the character of the kitchen with its fine- to medium-grained structure and dominates a room when used over a large area.
Quartz or quartz composite is, in contrast to quartzite, a synthetic resin, but is still considered a natural stone. The synthetic resin consists of 93 percent natural quartz crystals and is mixed with resin binders, dyes and glass pieces. Quartz looks similar to quartzite and is also used in a similar way. But only indoors, because it is not weather-resistant like quartzite.
Quartz is less heat-resistant than quartzite. Above 150 degrees, the synthetic resin can discolour. A pot of hot water is sufficient for this.
Slate consists of clay rock with a high proportion of mica minerals, which give it its characteristic sheen. The colour spectrum ranges from anthracite to silver-grey, sometimes with bluish, greenish or even reddish shades. The natural stone looks very different, depending on its origin. It is usually used raw and with a rough surface. Especially for worktops, because it is easy to clean, acid-resistant and extremely robust.
Natural stone is also being used more and more in the bathroom. On the one hand as floor tiles and wall tiles, on the other hand for bathtubs, shower walls, shower trays as well as washbasins. As in the kitchen, mainly granite, limestone, quartzite and slate are used. They defy the humid air and the strong temperature fluctuations in the bathroom without any problems and convince with the same advantages as in the kitchen. Moreover, they retain their timeless beauty with age and even gain in character over the years.
Entire bathtubs, shower trays or washbasins are made of natural stone. Often in one piece and without joints. This makes care and cleaning even easier.
There are almost no limits to your imagination. Read our article «Bathroom Planning: 13 Tips for your New Dream Bathroom» and talk to certified bathroom experts from your region.
Travertine is derived from the Latin lapis tiburtinus for stone from Tivoli and is a porous limestone. The colours are light, mostly yellow or brown, sometimes beige or red. Travertine is widely used in southern Europe, especially in Italian and Spanish bathrooms. Lighter slabs with a honed or tumbled surface are particularly suitable for modern bathrooms, darker slabs with a tumbled surface for a Mediterranean-style bathroom. Tumbled travertine is non-slip thanks to its rough surface, so you no longer need a bathroom mat.
Natural stone as a mosaic is particularly suitable for the floor in the family bathroom, even in the shower. Because the limestone or travertine mosaic tiles are small, there are many joints. Thanks to the many joints, the floor is very slip-resistant. Even when the children run out of the shower into the bathroom with wet feet. That's why with a natural stone mosaic made of limestone or travertine, you can save on the non-slip bathroom mat.
Heat attacks the impregnation. Therefore, you should not place hot pots (over 100 degrees) on an impregnated natural stone surface for too long.
A kitchen or bathroom renovation needs to be well planned. In addition, depending on your requirements, a lot of money is at stake. That's why it makes sense to seek advice from professionals.
