Unique Stone Surfaces to Consider for Your Flooring and Countertops

There is an undeniable appeal to the look and feel of natural stone surfaces, particularly for flooring and countertops in rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms, and entry areas. Porcelain products may replicate the concept of stone, but they cannot capture the liveliness provided by the unique grain of natural stone. While artists may try to copy Mother Nature’s creations, human endeavors always fall short of the real thing.

If you love the look of genuine stone but are tired of popular granite patterns and standard options such as Carrera marble, you might want to consider some rare and underused options for your flooring and countertops. After over 20 years of executing luxury home renovation projects for demanding clients in South Florida, our team has seen the impact a unique stone surface can bring to a room.

Petrified Wood

For a durable countertop with a one-of-a-kind look, it’s hard to beat petrified wood. This material combines the warmth and natural appeal of wood with the durability of the hardest stone. That’s because petrified wood is fossilized wood formed over millions of years. These special pieces come from wood that has been buried under sediment and protected from oxygen and organisms that would typically cause the wood to decay. During the fossilization process, known more technically as permineralization, water filters through the wood, drawing minerals from the sediment to gradually replace the plant material. Over millions of years, minerals replaced the organic material in the same patterns that existed when it was wood.

Petrified wood logs are cut and sealed with resin to be made into a countertop, backsplash, or flooring. This unique stone is not only extremely durable and beautiful but it is also said to have grounding properties that many people find to be beneficial.

Because petrified wood only develops under very specific conditions and takes millions of years to form, it is quite rare and can only be ordered through a limited number of suppliers.  

Lava Stone

Another stone surface that is impervious to heat but has a much more uniform look than petrified wood is lava stone. This is a volcanic rock, which means it is not only tough but it also distributes and dissipates heat so that hot pots can be placed on the surface without causing any damage.

Lava stone is usually topped with an enamel glaze fired at high heat. This glaze can be tinted with a nearly endless array of colors, providing the natural variation of stone with the customization options of synthetic materials. It is nonporous, so it is not susceptible to staining and will not harbor bacteria. It’s considered sustainable and environmentally friendly and can be used outside as well as inside.

Onyx

While the first two stones mentioned score high points for durability, onyx is at the opposite end of that spectrum. People choose onyx as a material for countertops purely for the stunning natural beauty of the patterned stone. The contrasting, rich layers of color in this stone are formed over time like petrified wood. It has a translucent quality that allows light to shine through in ways that can seem almost magical.

Onyx is classified as a semi-precious gemstone, but unlike many other gemstones, it can be mined and processed in slabs big enough to process into countertops without the need to join pieces together. While it is easy to fabricate, it can be a difficult stone to install, and it requires careful maintenance. For those reasons, it is more often used as a counter for bars and other areas of the home than in bathrooms and kitchens, where it could easily be damaged.

Because onyx is not as heavy as most other stones, it can be used creatively in applications where other stones will not work, particularly in vertical applications.

Blue Limestone

Limestone is often seen in earthy tones that evoke sandy beaches or the desert. However, when this stone is installed in one of its rarer colors, it provides a stunning, unique look unlike any other material.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed from grains of sand and tiny fossil fragments of animal shells, giving it a unique and almost organic quality. In lighter blue and gray tones such as French Blue, it can evoke the ocean and provide a beautiful surface in luxury bathrooms.  Darker shades like Kota Blue from India and Nova Blue from Portugal add a rich feel with great depth. Limestone can even be ordered in darkest blue and black tones.  

Traonyx

If you like some of the properties of travertine but want something more unique with more light interaction, you might consider countertops or flooring made from traonyx. This stone combines different elements of limestone travertine, marble, and onyx. It can be both translucent and reflective at times, and it comes in breathtaking patterns that often include layering and veining.

Semi-Precious Gemstones

Incorporating semi-precious gemstone countertops into a luxury kitchen or bathroom is considered the epitome of elegance for many. These counters are generally crafted by laying individual agates, amethysts, carnelians, tiger eye, and other gemstones into patterns and fusing them together to create a durable surface that showcases the light reflective qualities of each gem in an artistic pattern. Unlike the gem fragments that are found naturally within some types of other stones, the gems that are deliberately fused together to make gemstone countertops are cut and polished to enhance their luster.  

Choose the Right Contractor When Working with Rare Stone Materials in Your Home

Any contractor can install common materials like vinyl plank and granite, but when you are working with materials that are out of the ordinary, you need to ensure that your contractor has the right experience and pays attention to details to get the installation just right. At Marcela Montoya Remodeling, we have over two decades of experience installing specialized elements in high-end homes in South Florida, so we know how to exercise proper caution to ensure these elegant materials receive the treatment they deserve. If you’d like to talk to us about the possibilities for reimagining existing rooms or expanding your home with an addition, contact us to schedule a free design consultation.