Barroca soapstone-scratches with fingernail?!
Comments (16)
marthavila
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoI don't know if I can be a true help as I don't own Barrocca soapstone and, in fact, have never seen it in person! However, I do have Green Mountain Original PA countertops that sound very similar to your description of Barrocca. Hopefully, what I will share about it can be of some help to you.
My GMOPA is primarily a very hard, black and quiet stone that does not scratch easily, and certainly not with a fingernail. However, it does have occasional, very dramatic, very soft, multi-colored veins of caramel, green, blue black and white that look like dried river beds or snake skins. I love this stone! The veins are so unusual that they lend an exotic, striking touch to an otherwise low key. black countertop surface. BUT I must tell you -- those quirky, exotic veins are an extremely easy target for all kinds of nicks and dings that seem to suddenly appear out of nowhere! I wish that weren't the case but, so far, I haven't attempted to do anything about those dings except to wring my hands and sigh when I look at them. (Since these inclusions are not of soapstone, I'm afraid to just sandpaper them as I would the rest of the slab). The next step will probably be to call the fabricator (Jay at Garden State Soapstone) to see what he has to say. In the meantime, though, I live with my dings, accepting them as "patina" and proof of a working kitchen! And, again, the main body of the slabs are very hard and certainly not subject to scratching with fingernails. Bottom line? I do not regret this soapstone decision, dings and all!
Minus the bounce back from the flash, here's what my GMOPA veins look like:
Close-ups of veins with blemishes (note circular, white spots)
HTH!
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13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoremodelfla
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoI just picked out my Monsoon Wave SS. It is GLORIOUS! It's a harder stone with much veining and sea glass colored inclusions. I don't now if you are looking for something quieter. This isn't quieter but looks equally beutifully unoiled as it does oiled.... different looks.
oiled
littlesmokie
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojulieh1926
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLittlesmokie -- I've heard similar things to you -- that Barroca is a classic soapstone in that it is the charcoal grey with white veining, but not tons and tons of veining. I didn't want a green soapstone (they're lovely, just not what I was looking for). I wanted a muted charcoal. Barroca is a perfect fit for us.
And I get what you mean by trying to have one star in the kitchen. I have to say, though, that while I love my ss counters (and still can't believe they're mine), they sort of recede into the background when looking at the kitchen overall. When you focus on them, they're beautiful. But I don't think that they're showy or in your face, if that makes any sense.
Here are some pictures and the link to my "reveal" post:
link:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg110959489147.html
marytwit
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agohoneychurch
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoI don't have Barroca, but Santa Rita Venata, which is also one of the softer stones, I believe? I definitely chose it for the looks! It does ding, and easier than I would like, but one plus of having a "wilder" stone is that I really can't tell what is a ding and what is a natural part of the stone!
I love looking at them while I butter my toast :-)
In the end you have to go with your gut; I knew this was probably the only kitchen I would ever do in my life, so perhaps I went overboard and went for things I loved, not caring if they competed with each other or stood out too much...I do know the soapstone is perhaps our favorite thing about the new kitchen!
littlesmokie
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agojulieh1926
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agomarthavila
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agosabjimata
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agolittlesmokie
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agosabjimata
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agorjr220
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agofarmgirlinky
13 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
julieh1926