for the love of the irish (limestone that is)...

irish grey limestone (left) & irish blue limestone (right)

heavily pushing for her to use the forget soapstone, it's so last season. my new favorite kitchen countertop material is irish (grey & blue) limestone. a client of mine (a bakery owner!) is redoing her kitchen at home and i'mirish grey limestone for her counters.

it looks great against natural woods and/or painted cabinetry. yes, it etches if cut deeply by a knife (so you a cutting board!). yes, it's sensitive to acidity (so don't leave spilt orange juice on it overnight!). but no, it doesn't absorb oils (you actually oil the stone as part of it's maintenance) because of its tight compression (like granite) so it's not porous like a quartzite or other light colored marbles. see those flecks sparkling in the stone? this limestone is over 350 million years old and those flecks are actually formed because of the intense compression over those millions of years which have actually crystallized items within the stone.

check out irish natural stone, inc for more info. they have all sorts of finishes for this stone which also make it a great application for floors, wall tiles, & outdoor spaces!

short plug for the stone company i'm working for on this project...gerrity stone out of woburn, great people to work with and a huge selection of materials, it's a great place to take a client to walk through their showroom and warehouse full of slabs.

i'll let you know if i've convinced her to use it (otherwise i might in my own kitchen someday!)...stay tuned...