The Warm Tone Granite Kitchen

Natural Stone Source continues to import it's slab stock bundles at a time from over the ocean, and currently we are carrying such a wide variety of slabs, it's almost overwhelming! Where does one begin with such an array of colors?

A good place to start is to decide the tone of your future kitchen. Today we will focus on warm toned kitchens that have a cheerful, cozy feel to them. These kitchen schemes generally feature gold tones and cozy bordeaux colors that remind us of a warm day in the sun, or snuggling around a fire.

Solarius slab from Natural Stone Source's bundled stock

This gorgeous, warm, gold toned slab of granite makes for a very happy kitchens when paired with goldish brown cabinets.

Via http://www.storyblog.us/comfortable-solarius-granite-and-dupont-edge/

Typhoon Gold

Our Typhoon Gold slabs are the perfect example of exotic granite. The movement in them is sweeping waves of gold, peach, and bordeaux. A kitchen of any of the bordeaux slabs can make a warm inviting home.

Warm Tone Kitchen in Shell Beach, California

A Natural Stone Source project, this Shell Beach home involves a bordeaux slab countertop that is paired with rich cabinetry and warm limestone stacked stone on the fireplace for a look that leans toward the Spanish style.
                             

The Cool Tone Granite Kitchen

Natural Stone Source continues to import it's slab stock bundles at a time from over the ocean, and currently we are carrying such a wide variety of slabs, it's almost overwhelming! Where does one begin with such an array of colors?

A good place to start is to decide the tone of your future kitchen. Today we will focus on cool tones that includes whites, grays, and blues.

Cool toned kitchens are very much in style, and go well with stainless steel appliances, as seen below from this Houzz project posted by Judy Cook Interiors, LLC. A hot selling granite color for cool-toned kitchen is the Alaska White granite slab.

Alaska White through Natural Stone Source

               

                     Beach Style Kitchen by East Lyme Interior Designers & Decorators Judy Cook Interiors, LLC

Another popular slab for cool toned kitchen is the classic and iridescent Blue Pearl granite slab. Blue Pearl is a bit darker, so it goes best with a lighter backsplash and light cabinets.

Blue Pearl granite slab

                   

                                            Traditional Kitchen by Durham Kitchen & Bath Designers emma delon

This stylish kitchen combines Blue Pearl with a light grey marble and an inventive argoyle backsplash behind the stove.

One of our very favorite slabs now carried in bulk by Natural Stone Source is the brazilian Lake Placid quarzite. Lake Placid is a calm jade green with very little movement. This stone is a little more rare than the others, so we do not have any projects showcasing it in our pictures, and the internet does not yet have a single kitchen of the Lake Placid quartzite. So we invite you to make this soothing stone into the next cool tone kitchen, and we will display it here on our blog, on facebook, and our main website, www.nssgranite.com!

We love Lake Placid quartzite

Cambria Stone Offers a Wine and Cheese Party Hosted in Your Home!

Cambria makes lovely quartz slabs. The colors that Cambria has developed are some of the most realistic we have seen. The surfaces of their engineered stone slabs are not porous, and therefore will not stain, nor do these countertops ever need to be sealed.

And now whats even lovelier is the wine and cheese party that our Cambria representive will host when you choose Cambria Stone slabs in your kitchen! Invite your friends into your stunning kitchen for a glass of wine, a bite to eat, and some laughs when you choose any of the following colors:

Berkeley, by Cambria

(Psst: this is by no means a complete list! It's just some of our favorites. For every single Cambria color that comes with a complementary wine and cheese party, visit Natural Stone Source's Cambria Stone page...)

Minerva, by Cambria

This slab is sparkly and pleasing with both modern and classic cabinetry.

Windmere, by Cambria

Windmere is a slab that is very popular among our clients...

Canterbury, by Cambria

The Canterbury slab carries an ode to the garnets found in natural granite slabs, such as New Venetian Gold and Oro Brasil, bringing along the golden coloring as well.

Give us a call at Natural Stone Source, 805-540-7171 for pricing. Or come in and visit us in our glorious showroom at 425 N. Frontage Rd., Nipomo CA 93444

How to Clean Granite, and How Often

The most common questions we hear from homeowners is:

"How do I clean my granite? How often should I clean it? How often should it be resealed?"

How to Clean Granite

Granite is actually very simple to care for. The most important thing to remember is that whatever solution is used to clean your stone, it should be rather neutral. This is to keep the sealer from being removed during cleansing, which in turn prevents your granite from being open to attacks such as stains. A mild soapy water will do just the trick to lift oils and dirt off of the average granite countertop without eating away the sealer.

Photo Credit  Dustin Schmieding, Creative Commons

In addition to soapy water, some companies produce fancy cleaners for granite counters that may also appeal to the homeowner.

• Lustro Italiano makes Stone Cleanser Wipes specifically for stone countertops that can be safely used on a daily basis. 
• Ecostone Solutions makes a cleanser called Kleen Stone Plus for granite that has a particularly pleasing odor.

Granite-oriented cleaner will identify themselves as such on the label with the actual word "granite". But again, a mild soapy water solution will always be sufficient to clean granite countertop.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons,http://www.hwchomeworks.com/

How Often to Clean Granite

Cleaning granite countertops on a daily basis with a mild cleanser such as those stated above is a reasonable routine that will prevent build-up. Since the cleanser will be neutral, the sealer shouldn't wear away in less than a year. 

Warning: If harsh cleaning products such as bleach, ammonia, or other products like 409, expect your sealer to wear away quickly. When the sealer goes, your stone is open and more prone to soak up substances like coffee and wine, and therefore leave a stain.