Design Ideas Using Granite

This is an excerpt from the Book called “Design ideas for decorative Concrete & Stone“. Continue reading to learn more about Design Ideas Using Granite, thanks to the author.

Thrust into the earth’s crust by millennia of volcanic rumblings deep beneath the surface, granite is a hardened mix of igneous rock and a great pastiche of crystalline minerals. Quarried in various parts of the world, it is sometimes found in outcroppings enveloped by patches of flat, sandy soil; other times it is extracted from boulders dug out of mountain canyons. Mineral content determines granite’s colors, all of which occur in nature. Despite radical differences in color and graining, all granites share common traits of strength and solidity, making the practical choice for a variety of domestic uses. 

Like it for Granite 

  • Beauty and versatility 
  • Kitchen options  
  • Bath digs 

Two different granites, each with its own edge treatment, point up the versatility of this surface material in a kitchen where a shaped island has a spherical sink cut-out. 

Beauty  

Granite’s enviable toughness and wide availability have made it the stone of choice in key residential as well as commercial applications. Because its hardy surface almost defies weather damage, it has long been used to create the distinguished face of office buildings worldwide. Now it appears domestically in nearly every room of the house: on floors, walls, stairways, the facades of fireplaces, and the tops of counters, where it remains amazingly undamaged by either kitchen knives or hot pots. There is elegance in its tone and texture, and its long-term durability is awesome. A gift from the ages, granite can withstand a lifetime of abuse. In any form, it is a most forgiving product.

Beauty and versatility 
Beauty and versatility 

Kitchen options 

Granite is as hardy as your kitchen’s heaviest iron frypan. It resists nicks, scratches, and scorching, and its beauty is legendary. Some granites are porous, however; they must be dutifully sealed, and when used on the floor they can be slippery when wet. A range of finishes would enable you to easily adapt this stone to any home need. Polished is a high-gloss finish that makes a particularly powerful color statement. Brushed creates a smooth surface with a timeless, worn character. Flamed, ideal for floors, is roughened, the result of high heat. Honed presents a smooth-as-satin finish with a flat rather than reflective look. 

Fast fixes 

Recently imported materials now make it possible to have the look plus the indestructible surface of granite without doing a major demolition. 

  • You can transform almost any surface by the application of special tiles over whatever material you have. These tiles are set so close together that the result resembles a single slab of granite. 
  • The beauty of such transformations is that change can occur quickly, so you can enjoy the benefits shared by all users of granite. If the work is done skilfully, no one need know that yours is not a complete kitchen makeover. 

Bath Digs 

For pampering the senses, few materials are as inviting as granite, with its rich textures, dramatic veining, and color choices that literally stretch the palette. Granite’s expanding popularity is astonishing, as so many synthetic alternatives are available today. But it is clear that granite’s appeal is largely because it is a natural product that was formed when fiery magma near the earth’s core merged with feldspar, quartz, mica, and other minerals to create unique textures and coloration. In the bath, specifically on countertops, the sheen of polished granite is highly desirable, presenting finish nearly as sleek and reflective as a bathroom mirror. Under foot, granite in a roughened finish creates a tough surface that is slip-proof, wet or dry. For the people who love it, granite is a safe bet and best used in the bath.

Bath Digs 
Bath Digs 

How To Keep It Looking Great 

  • For countertops in food preparation areas, make sure your installer applies a nontoxic penetrating sealer. It will make the surface spill-resistant and ensure that you can cut on it. 
  • For everyday counter clean-ups, use a sponge or soft cloth with a mild liquid dish detergent mixed with warm water, then rinse. 
  • For granite floors, no matter what the finish, dust with a fresh, nontreated dust mop. When necessary, clean with a mop soaked in a solution of mild household cleaner and warm water. 
  • For any granite surfaced, avoid grout, tub, or tile cleaners with acid. And never use abrasive cleaners or harsh cleaning implements. 

Bright idea 

Precaution! 

Though durable, granite is porous. Some granite stain easily and should be sealed after installation, then sealed yearly, depending on frequency of use. 

OPPOSITE Trimmed in wood, this rectangular granite backsplash and countertop in a marble-like pattern is topped by a mirror that reflects a frameless glass shower and makes a narrow bathroom feel considerably larger. 

RIGHT Distressed cherry cabinetry adds a period touch to a sumptuous powder room where a painted-floral sink is set into a granite counter. 

BELOW A stall shower received a modest makeover when resurfaced in tiles installed to resemble ceiling-high slabs of granite to create a glamorous master bath.

Marble is a luminous material that, since antiquity, has been quarried all over the world. It’s metamorphic rock that achieves its character from contact with sedimentary rock such as limestone. The swirls and veins of many strains of marble result from impurities—clay, sand, silt, and iron oxides among them. All create a recrystallization caused by the pressure and heat underground. Marble is relatively soft compared with other natural stone products, but its tensile strength makes it unlikely to shatter. Its characteristic glow results from light penetrating beneath the surfaces, creating a sleek, waxy look.

Marble Opportunity 
Marble Opportunity 

Marble Opportunity 

  • Glowing beauty 
  • Kitchens with caution 
  • Bath gems 

Adding to the exotic nature of this pool, local stones, shells, and rocks form a wall, while African marble tiles form stepping-stones that appear to float across the pool. 

Glowing Beauty 

Over time, marble has attained its status as the most elegant of nature’s bounty. Like granite, with which it’s often compared, marble is available in a wide range of dazzling colors. Because marble is sold in two basic grades—commercial and select—it’s possible to know in advance the quality of whatever you prefer. Select marble is more costly; it also has fewer imperfections. Because of its inherent softness, it can be beautifully handcrafted to suit individual needs and a variety of styles. Fireplace design is a popular marble application, and modern artisans have become adept at re-creating classic architectural forms to give their designs timeless focus. Depending on how or where it’s used, marble can reflect the past in authentic-style reproductions or present itself in a contemporary way, but as one designer describes it, marble “has an eternal feel,” 

Kitchens with caution 

Marble creates a surface that always commands attention, but in a kitchen it also demands attention. Here it works best where it’s less likely to be subjected to cuts and spills—a baking centre, for example, where it’s cool smoothness is ripe for kneading and rolling dough. In a workhorse area, care must be taken to wipe up spills immediately—particularly from tomatoes and other acidic juices—to avoid permanent staining. A protective penetrating sealer, applied regularly by a professional, will ensure marble’s long life, and using cutting boards will prevent nicks and scratches from chopping and slicing. Marble can be marvellous when handled with care.  

Bath gems 

It is in bathrooms where marble really shines, and particularly in guest baths and powder rooms, where homeowners are likely to tap into marble’s panoply of vast colors and sophisticated patterns. In any bath, marble maintenance should occur regularly, to keep the surface looking bright and flawless. Soap scum is the foremost bathroom main-tenancy issue. Keeping a squeegee handy (and using it often) is one way to expunge the problem, but should scum build-up occur, the best way to remove or a solution of a half-cup of ammonia to a full gallon of water. Be sure to mix with care. Over-use of ammonia can eventually dull even the brightest marble surface.

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