I think I'm one of the lucky ones that found out about the problems with Honed ABH countertops BEFORE purchasing them. The trouble is, my husband and I are now stumped as to what to put in its place. We much prefer a matte finish to a shiny finish. We don't like the surface to be too busy, and we'd prefer it to be a darker colour (black/grey). Any thoughts? I'm also a fan of marble (I'm a baker) -- is that a suitable surface for all kitchen countertops? Are there darker/grey-black tones available in marble? Thanks in advance, Alison

 

Dear Alison:

 

The best alternative to hone-finished black granite is soapstone.

As for the marble thing, whether the choice of hone-finished marble is a good one for the applications that you have in mind, it is not a matter of stone; it is rather a matter of collective culture of a certain community.

Let me explain myself better:

People buy blue-jeans for their practicality and, not only won't they mind when their pants will “age”, but most people actually look forward to that!

Within the North American culture, the same principle does not appear to be accepted and embraced when it comes to natural stone. In here, most people would like to have their stone – no matter what the original finish is – to stay brand-new all the time, and any sign of “aging” is considered a “damage” that must be rectified.

That is the difference between the collective culture of, say, the Mediterranean basin and other communities, such as North America.

Over there they just use and abuse (enjoy, that is) their stones and they only care for them with a good-quality stone cleaner. And… the “older” they get the better they look!

Over here, we're “slave” of our stones!!

In conclusion, as you can see, I can't answer your question objectively.

You are the only one with the answer!

If you decide to go with marble, only light-colored ones (White Carrara is the one and only is you ask me) should be considered.

 

May I ask you now to please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm?   :-)

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri zio Bertoli

 

www.marblecleaning.org – The Only Consumers' Portal to the Stone Industry Establishment!