Why Engineered Stone Is the Top Choice for Luxury Kitchens
While marble counters were once the hallmark of luxury kitchens, natural stone is making way for a new contender: engineered stone. In this blog, we will explain why engineered stone has become the top choice for luxury kitchens.
What is engineered stone?
Engineered stone is a manufactured material using the beauty of natural stone materials such as quartz and boosting their appearance and performance with the addition of resins and pigments. Quartz is the dominant stone material used in engineered stone composition, helping the solid slab material maintain its natural stone look.
Engineered Stone Is More Versatile in Design
Luxury kitchens call for versatile materials that allow you to achieve the exact look you desire. While natural stone surfaces are beautiful, Mother Nature takes control of the stone’s appearance. As a result, it becomes more difficult to find the tones, veining, and overall appearance you desire.
With engineered stone, you have more control over the level of veining, colours, and patterns created with designer-influenced, man-made stone surfaces that are carefully crafted to meet the trends that elevate luxury kitchens.
You can also take advantage of highly patterned designs to create compelling effects, such as running heavily veined striations horizontally to add drama. Additionally, you can create an interesting focal point on an island front by installing a “mirror image” of veining patterns, such as Vicostone Vivalioro or Eternal Bella.
Engineered Stone Suits Your Sense of Style
Due to its versatility, engineered stone effortlessly adapts to all design styles. From rustic to sophisticated and classic to modern, you can find engineered stone surfaces that simplify the kitchen design process. An impressive selection of engineered stone distinguishes your kitchen style from the expected, allowing you to achieve endless design possibilities.
Engineered Stone Simplifies Slab Selection
You can spend an hour or more selecting a natural stone slab that captures the exact look you desire. In fact, even if you find a slab that speaks to you, natural stone is ordered in pre-cut slabs. As a result, you might spot something close to what you envisioned for your kitchen counters, only to find that it is too small.
Another challenge is that even if you find the right look and size for one element of your design, such as an island, you might not find a complementary slab for other surfaces in the kitchen.
With engineered stone kitchen counters, you simply browse the samples in a convenient showroom and choose the colour and style that suits your design needs. The manufacturer then crafts your counters, backsplashes, island finishes, and other elements tailored to your unique specifications.
Engineered Stone Is More Customizable
In some cases, such as kitchens with large or awkward spaces, natural stone might be more challenging to customize. While engineered stone does come in standard slab sizes (typically around 63" x 130"), it offers more flexibility when it comes to installation and design.
You can finesse veining, match patterns more easily, and design around the fixed dimensions more effectively than with natural stone, which can vary drastically in look from slab to slab. The consistent appearance and predictable sizing of engineered stone make it easier to plan for seamless, elegant installations, especially in complex layouts or multi-surface kitchens.
Engineered Stone Is a Convincing Stone Alternative
If you love the look of classic marble such as Carrara, but are concerned about staining or cracking, engineered stone convincingly captures the beauty of natural stone. Engineered modern counters, such as Mars Elegant Bianco, play the part of luxurious, elegant Carrara beautifully, creating an elevated aesthetic.
For those working on a tighter budget, engineered stone is the affordable alternative to high-end stone, providing the level of luxury you deserve, often at a fraction of the cost.
Engineered Stone Is Low Maintenance
While they say beauty is pain, homeowners today don’t want the pain of taking care of beautifully stone surfaces. Natural stone, such as marble, provides a certain sense of aesthetic, but also requires protection to maintain its beauty. Homeowners are opting for the splendour of natural stone looks in manufactured modern countertops and surfaces such as backsplashes.
Made of easy-care engineered stone, the non-porous surface once again comes to the rescue. Natural granite, marble, soapstone, etc., all require sealing every few years to protect the surface against stains. Engineered stone is low maintenance and resistant to moisture and stains that can mar the beauty of your kitchen surfaces.
Engineered Stone Is Repairable
Over time, cracks, pits, and stains in natural stone ruin the look of your sophisticated kitchen. This type of damage can’t be repaired. Instead, you need to replace the entire slab. Engineered stone can be sanded, filled, and repolished on-site, restoring the original appearance for years of enjoyment.
Engineered stone might not be the first material that comes to mind when designing a luxury kitchen. However, it offers a sophisticated twist of versatile, stylish design that stands out from the typical designs common in kitchens renovated over the past decade.
Contact the Professionals at Quartz Co Surfaces
Quartz Co Surfaces’ engineered stone kitchen counters are available in a wide variety of luxurious, high-quality materials, crafted by leading brands, including HanStone Quartz, Vicostone, Wilsonart, and more. Our designers can help you choose a visually stunning material that elevates your kitchen design beyond everyday luxury.
Call us at (905) 892-0395 or contact us here to learn more and to find a showroom near you.
