Quartz "soapstone" that's a true charcoal?
We're going for a "Plain English" kitchen with a warm, neutral feel, using BM White Dove on the wall cabinets and BM Gray Mirage on the island. The sinks will be warm white, the hardware will be Top Knobs ash gray, and except for a black cooktop, the appliances will be slate gray, with Pietra di Ostuni ivory (has some gray in it) limestone tile flooring. Overall, the kitchen is going to be soft white, light gray-green, and gray.
To ground the lighter colors, I'd like a darker countertop, but charcoal rather than stark black. I love the look of soapstone countertops, but out of all the counter surfaces we've had in the past, we liked quartz most–even more than natural stone, because it doesn't stain or chip easily–so I'm searching for a soapstone-look quartz.
Today, I looked at samples of Silestone Charcoal Soapstone and was disappointed. I liked the veining, but it was decidedly blue. Can anyone recommend a soapstone-look quartz that doesn't read as blue, but a warmer charcoal gray? It can be any brand/manufacturer.
Right to left, below: Silestone Calypso (close, but missing the veining), Silestone Charcoal Soapstone (too blue!), and Silestone Merope (also missing the veining and has a bit too much rusty brown).
For reference, my cabinet colors:
Comments (20)
petula67
last yearRelated Discussions
Soapstone or serpentine -- and why would it matter?
Comments (6)Take a cup of water. Throw it on the (upright) stone. If it falls off without wetting the stone, it's likely soapstone. On a flat (horizontal) piece it'll make a mounded shape and not spread. If it trickles down the (vertical) stone and/or leaves a wet spot, if it flattens on a horizontal piece, it's probably not soapstone. I've never seen soapstone less than 3 cm thick. Serpentine is often 2 cm, though it could be 3 cm. Oil doesn't soak into soapstone. It kind of sticks to the top. Soapstone is oliophilic--it attracts oils. If you take a dab of butter and smear it on with your thumb, it should stay. When you wash it, especially with a bit of grease cutter, it should come right off. I have serpentine in my master. It looks and feels more like marble, and is often classed with marbles, though it's a bit harder. Very veiny. Your translucent ones (the top two) might just be serpentine, on looks. They don't look soapstoney to me. Oh! Another test! If there's powder where it's cut, that feels like talcum powder (i.e., if there's loose talc), it's a sign you have soapstone. Soapstone is composed mostly of steatite and talc, with veins of quartz. I don't know that I've handled an unpolished cut of serpentine, but most crystaline stone dust feels more sand like. Wikipedia says "Most serpentines are opaque to translucent, light (specific gravity between 2.2Â2.9), soft (hardness 2.5Â4), infusible and susceptible to acids. All are microcrystalline and massive in habit, never being found as single crystals. Luster may be vitreous, greasy or silky. Colours range from white to grey, yellow to green, and brown to black, and are often splotchy or veined. Many are intergrown with other minerals, such as calcite and dolomite." Soapstone is heavy. At least mine is. Susceptible to acids suggests another test. Lemons or vinegar might be interesting. Soapstone isn't crystaline, it has platelets or something, so it's not brittle like granite, and doesn't need a lot of support....See MorePlease help! Inexperienced soapstone fabricator woes :-(
Comments (27)FWIW, I'd like to chime in with support for the calmer-minds faction here. *deep breath*. Maybe -- can you ask the fabricator to hold off for a day or two while you get grounded and more information and importantly, a fuller sense of the guy's capabilities? I'm not really sure that this question is terribly easy to get a grasp on, a person's capabilities. But if you're allowed to interact with the guy - that is if he's willing to talk with you and your GC is Ok with the conversation, could you feel out his willingness to watch some of those DIY youtube videos and the like? If the difference between DIY and professionals is that the former is a little more humble and willing to learn, and your fabricator has already demonstrated some willingness to learn inasmuch as that he asked that "dumb" question, maybe you can still yet get the best of both worlds. I'm sure, for example, the fabricator knows that's a "dumb" question that he asked, but he needed to know it and is letting on to you his non-experience with this particular stone. That's not a crime or certainty that he can't do a good job .... just, as you say and others make very clear, a warning sign. But maybe not a game-changer? So, can you buy yourself a little time to see whether the fab's willing to continue staying open to learning? I think his attitude is really key. If he's exasperated by the requirement to cut this exotic, and all that he will need to learn and the necessity of interacting with the pesky owner, etc -- then I'd hazard that those are important data that suggest you start, as they say here 'running'. But if you feel this guys is like a professional version of the DIY's, open and willing and eager to learn, then you're golden. Hopefully he'll see this as a great getting-paid learning experience on a new, hot material that he's likely to have more opportunities to cut some of in the near future. That's the sort of "can-do" attitude you can really benefit from. But if it's just grumbling and complaining and resentment, then, well ......See Moresoapstone before/after rehoning
Comments (48)Farmgirlinky - I realize this is an old thread, so I hope you see this post or maybe someone else will be able to answer my question about refinishing soapstone. Does the rehoning also help to eliminate or minimize chips or gouges along the edges? I know there would be the desire to keep a clean, even edge, but it might be worth a little unevenness in the edges if it smoothed out the chips. I am trying to decide if soapstone will hold up well enough to look terrific when we will need to resell our house in 8-10 years after we retire. I wouldn't mind having to spend $500 every 4-5 years for rehoning if it really brought the soapstone back to its original, pristine state. I am quite sure that rehoning will minimize or eliminate scratches, but it is the chips on the edges that worry me the most. I know the aging can be an appealing trait for some, but for resale, we'd need to make it look virtually new. If anyone has refinished or refined their soapstone, I would appreciate knowing how well it worked to minimize or eliminate both scratches and edge chips....See MoreSilestone Charcoal Soapstone Finish
Comments (13)Hi Teresa, I’d say over the few years we’ve had it we have allowed dishes to air dry pretty frequently and yes, there are so areas that if you have the right light and angle, you can see some water marks. I’m not sure if my comments you’ve seen included the ones about chipping, but that has been a factor too. Mostly along the interior front rim of the sink area, but recently another one along the front which is pretty noticeable. I’m really not happy about that. I thought quartz was considered tough. This product hasn’t proven to be the case for us. We are not throwing heavy pots or anything else around, so it’s a bit of a mystery to us how these occurred. I’ll show you a pic if I can of water marks and chips....See More
J. J.
last yearI looked at a sample of the Viatera Brushed Carbo and loved the look... except for the fingerprints. I had the sample in my possession for 10 minutes before I knew I could never live with it in my kitchen. Here's the picture I saved with my warm white cabinet sample and Dorian Gray paint chip.
Alyssa Fernandez
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PROJAN MOYER
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
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PROLS Design Studio
last yearHello -
We have recently been slecting a matte, honed quartz by Caesarstone called Black Tempal, number 5810. It is a good quartz alternative to a soapstone look with true charcoal tones and sublte, diffuse movement but may lack the distinct veining you are looking for. Good luck!
Alyssa Fernandez thanked LS Design Studiosusanrhill34
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Kimberly Skinner
last yearAlyssa Fernandez
last yearHU-589825790
last yearAlyssa Fernandez
9 months agoJust spotted this, HU-589825790. It's probably too late to be of help to you, but here's how our countertop looks:
Most people who've seen it thought it was soapstone, and were suprised to learn it's quartz.m_erin44
3 months agoAlyssa Fernandez
3 months agoCamille
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