The Wonderful World of Soapstone

Used in fireplaces, kitchens, bathrooms, used as insulation for electrical components and a medium for sculpture, even carved into un-meltable ice cubes, soapstone is a rock revered in households for thousands of years.

Black Moon Soapstone, found on the showroom floor of Natural Stone Source, in Nipomo California

Soapstone is a great choice for kitchen countertops. This stone is not porous, nor does it stain from notorious foods such as tomatoes, fruit juice, vinegar, and wine. It is also substantially resistant to heat and will not crack nor burn if hot pots are placed upon it. Because it does not absorb water, and actually repels it, soapstone also makes for superior shower wall coverings and bathtub surrounds.

Marisol Black Soapstone, a non-porous and water repelling surface that is great for tub and shower surrounds

Soapstone gets formed in areas of the earth where the tectonic plates converge, creating great heat and pressure upon the material.

This rock gets called soapstone due to the occasional soapy feel of it's surface. Being composed of much talc, the surface of soapstone often appears chalky, even when machine polished. It is with a loving coating of mineral oil that the luster and inner beauty of a soapstone slab can be revealed.

The hardness of soapstone varies, but it is generally considered a softer stone than granite. In fact, if a slab is too hard to be scratched with a knife, it is no longer technically considered soapstone. However easy it is to scratch soapstone, it is a simple matter to gently sand and treat the stone with mineral oil to remedy the situation.

Soapstone colors range from blue to green to grey to black.

Soapstone is revered around the world for it's soft carving qualities. It had historically been made into food bowls, worshiped idols, and pipes, as well as molds in which to cast metal implements. To this day, it is traditionally carved into "whiskey stones", which are polished cubes of soapstone that can be frozen and placed into ones glass of whiskey, where they will never melt and water down the drink.

Fun fact: The outside layers of the Christ the Redeemer, the famous massive sculpture in Rio de Janeiro, are made of soapstone.

Our Favorite Granite Kitchen and Beyond, In Pictures

Over the years, Natural Stone Source has provided some stunning slabs of granite for various kitchens and bathrooms, but this last summer, NSS was able to participate in a project that became our favorite kitchen to date.

The following kitchen is a grand vineyard owner's dream house remodel, located in the countryside of Paso Robles, California. In this building, every nook and cranny was revamped with great imagination and unique style.

Meeting with cabinet maker Erica Luhr, proprietor of Luhr Kitchen and Bathworks, we were allowed a special tour of this project upon it's completion.

After admiring this incredible granite, if you are looking for slabs to transform your own kitchen with, please visit www.nssgranite.com and see what fine stone we can offer you.

A nickel apron front sink contrasting against dark cabinetry.

Starting with an Abrolious Green Quartzite, which is a very tough but placidly soothing green stone, the kitchen covers over 200 square feet of countertop space, including two islands, a pass-through, and a coffee bar.

The inside-kitchen view of the granite pass-through.

The home features elaborate molding around every opening, and crown molding at each high ceiling giving the feel of the old south.

The ornate living room side of the pass-through.

Class was mingled with whimsy and great imagination at many turns. From the lighting in the upper reaches of the well-built cabinetry, to the leaning oblong slope of the coffee nook door, no detail was neglected in this fine kitchen.

A charming entrance to the coffee pantry.

The laundry room apron front sink reveals the layers of stone laminated together to achieve this look. A single laminate is featured inside the sink's edge, and a double laminate gives every ogee-to-flat countertop profile in the home a solid, chunky feel.

Ogee to flat edge profiles are displayed throughout the home.

Not topped with granite, but too beautiful to ignore, the wine cellar had to be photographed. This wine cellar is equipped and furnished for guests to sit and have a taste of appetizers while awaiting the grand meal inside.

To every winery an elaborate wine cellar.

And last but not least, the salt-water pool positioned between the main house and the guest house is very inviting on one of Paso Robles many sunny days.

The salt water pool contains no chlorine.

Our website features slabs like these and a whole lot more. Please visit us at www.nssgranite.com .

Small Kitchen Granite

You don't need a spacious kitchen to enjoy luxurious granite countertops. Turn your small kitchen into an adorable bundle of class with an easy granite make-over!

Some of our favorite kitchens have been cut out of one nice neat single slab of stone. The single slab kitchen is affordable on a budget, simple for your fabricator to put together, and usually the kitchen looks neater because it requires no seams. Take a look!

One slab of Verde Bellagio updated this small home.

Meet Jim Rivers. One day he woke up and knew that his kitchen's formica had to go! With the color green in mind, he ventured to his local slab yard and purchased Verde Bellagio granite. From start to finish, two weeks later his home was transformed into the glossy, un-seamed granite kitchen that you see above.

Terra Nova graces this simple "L" shaped kitchen.

The Sheen's built their home in the early 70's, just before they began to have children. They originally installed tile for the kitchen counters, which was popular at the time. Once the children were grown and moved out, they decided that the year 2013 was the year they would update the kitchen once and for all! The Sheen's chose a slab of Terra Nova granite, one that complimented the honey tones in their cabinets quite well. Today they are happily retired and free of endlessly cleaning grout!

No project is too small to be topped with granite. In fact, the smaller daintier kitchen can show off the pattern of natural stone like a gem without overwhelming the eye. Here at Natural Stone Source, we believe granite belongs everywhere.


Please visit our website to see all the dazzling granite, marble, quartzite, and travertine colors that we have to offer at www.nssgranite.com .

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.