Our kitchen renovation is still underway although we seem to have hit a speedbump. Or a median. After finally saving enough cash for new countertops, I was 100% sure that I wanted honed black granite for the perimeter countertops as seen in this Apartment Therapy kitchen:
That was until this past weekend when we actually started scouting out granite suppliers and installers.
Grrrr. Every person we spoke with claimed the honed finish was more porous (thus more susceptible to stains and oils) than the traditional polished finish. It seems the honing process removes the barrier that protects the stone from spills and fingerprints. In fact, the companies we spoke with wouldn’t offer the 15-year warranty in the honed finish like they would with the polished. Coming from a design standpoint, the honed granite is softer and chalkier in appearance… giving it a more textured/worn feel. Polished granite, on the other hand, lends a slicker and colder feel as seen in this kitchen:
Don’t get me wrong. I’d take either over my builder laminate. Still, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted. The slab warehouse did offer an antiqued finish (available with a 15-year warranty) that was matte yet kind of bubbly and wrinkly in texture. I like it.
They also offered another solution. (They must have seen the tears forming in my eyes.) Maybe just not polishing the polished granite so much would give it the duller appearance I was looking for but still keep it relatively maintenance-free. I actually preferred this dusty, dirty slab in the warehouse. I’m pretty sure I could coax my boys into dulling up the surface quite nicely for me at home.
So, can you see my conundrum? Honed is pretty much out of the question at this point after discovering how much maintenance (sealing) and cleaning it would require. Not to mention the void warranty. So polished, antiqued or dulled? (Handy Hubby is indifferent.) It’s definitely not the end of the world, I know. However, it’s a lot of moolah and it’s gonna be with us for a while. I’ll let you know what we decide…
inspiration