Anyone with the Black Cambria Leather (Antique) granite?
vfish
16 years ago
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lascatx
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Cambrian Black in Leather, Antique, Satin finish
Comments (8)I certainly considered white granites and other white surfaces too -- just not tile (I've had it, don't like the guk that settles in the grout spaces and wanted a solid surface for working with doughs, etc) or Corian (my mom had white Corian in one house and the stains and issues with that were worse than marble). I couldn't find any white granites that weren't too busy or didn't have too much of the wrong colors. I found one when we considered a grey with blue inclusions -- but that stained terribly even after one or two coats of sealer. DH and I both decided that what we wanted was that well-used and possibly somewhat worn look of a honed marble -- something that looked like it could be in an old bakery or ice cream parlor. We didn't settle -- it was what we had to have for the look and feel we wanted for our kitchen and to keep the feel we wanted for our home (it isn't an old home, but it has some of that feel and character, which is one of the things we love about it). I never really liked most granites in most kitchens. The shiny polished look was not something either of us wanted, and while we loved some of the woods we looked at, for us, butcher block was more of a headache than marble. I'd have a harder time not having the wood look great or having something called butcher block that wasn't a working surface than I ever would with an etched spot or ring on the marble. We have the marble on the perimeter and Cambrian on the island. The Cambrian is as close to bullet proof as I think a stone can be. It was so dense that the guy at the yard had a hard time breaking off a chip for us. I do have a chip on the edge though -- my son dropped a heavy trombone mouthpiece right on the edge, but nothing short of that or a hammer is likely to cause it any concern. Having it on the island means we can do a lot of prep there (tell my son to work there -- LOL) and not be concerned about the marble -- but so many things I thought could stain it have not. We saw the Cambrian slab and the texture intrigued us, plus we loved how it was calm but had subtle bits of interest and color with the "ice crystals" in it. I do agree that it pairs well with so many other stones or surfaces. Probably the only thing I would not pair it with would be another black stone, and that not because it would clash but more out of a concern that it would look like a mistake, afterthought or that we ran out of the right stuff if you know what I mean. It could be done, but would need some care in the planning and execution....See MoreAntiqued vs Leather Cambrian Black - what is the difference?
Comments (3)I don't know the answer to your question (although my impression is that they're basically the same thing) but I wonder what maintenance issues you are talking about with soapstone? Our soapstone seems as easy care as anything I can imagine. Just wipe it off with a damp sponge and it's good to go. We haven't oiled it (it's been in about a month) because we're loving the way it looks without oil but if we did want to oil we'd only have to do so every few months -- or as often as we felt like it (or didn't). Good luck with your search. We also wanted matte black counters and are very happy with our soapstone....See MoreGranite care: shades of black/gray in leathered finish.
Comments (3)Well, judging from the lack of jumping on response, combined with reading a lot of previous threads on nonpolished finishes (one below) and other websites, it seems like the thing everybody's talking about and worked up about maintenance of is just the honed finish, and the leather or antiqued (I think they're basically the same) is a lot more easygoing. So, we ordered our slab, and are perfectly happy with it! The installer is a fan of the leathered, is surprised more people don't choose it, and will be applying a sealer. Here are 2 photos from the stoneyard, the Steel Gray in leathered finish in the lefthand photo, and the polished finish in the righthand photo (if you concentrate you can see the granite in there, it's not just a mirror...) And just a reference, this is what Steel Gray looks like head-on: Here is a link that might be useful: Previous leathered granite maintenance thread...See MoreShow me your dark honed/leather/antiqued granite counters
Comments (2)Thanks for posting this! I'm looking for the same info. Found some slabs of Cambrian Black Leather finish this weekend for $14 sq ft (material only). That was in Los Angeles. Still looking for something a bit more interesting (why can't I find honed Virginia Mist???) Looking forward to reading the responses!...See Moreauchmedden
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