Project Home: Let’s Talk Natural Stone

When I first started researching marble and quartzite for our new kitchen, I had no idea that slab shopping would become my absolute favorite part of the entire build process. I guess it should come as no surprise: I simply traded scrolling Nordstrom.com for scrolling pages and pages of the most jaw-dropping, naturally occurring fine art.

Fair warning: it is addicting!

I scoured countless websites, visited 5 different warehouses and showrooms near and far and we ended up finding our dream slabs for our kitchen, pantry and primary bathroom at IRG Stone in Brisbane (they also have locations in Sacramento and Dublin).

I’m an online shopper first and foremost, but even as I familiarized myself with their inventory online (which, by the way, is among the best out there with photos of every slab/lot including measurements), nothing really prepared me for the first walk through at IRG Stone. They have the largest stone selection in the Bay Area so it is massive. Aisles and aisles of gorgeous stone slabs. And it became clear how important it is to see the slabs in person because each slab is entirely unique – natural stone is just amazing that way.

We were so glad we made an appointment for that first visit (although walk-ins are welcome too!): the team is wonderful and walked us through the warehouse, giving us really helpful information on the different types of marble and quartzite. There were endless oohs and aahs as we made our way up and down, methodically at first, and then back tracking to where we wanted a second look. Getting lost was never a problem – there was always something we thought we hadn’t seen and could appreciate once more.

There were a few things on my wishlist:

• marble, but I was open to quartzite as a more functional option (it’s generally harder and more resistant to stains and scratching)
• a honed finish rather than a polished finish (we are drawn to the more old world feel of honed marble, and we have polished marble dining tables in our current home and wanted to try something new)
• we envisioned a full-height backsplash above the stove, and wanted it to feel like a piece of art! (this meant we weren’t just looking at the slab as a whole, but also trying to figure out what part would become our future framed “artwork” above the stove)

Well, spoiler alert: we found our kitchen stone on our first visit. The veining of this stone stopped us in our tracks – no other stone made us do as dramatic of a double take. In my next home update post, I’ll be sharing our selection process, kitchen and bathroom renderings with the stone and the fun process of planning the fabrication and layout.

PS: here are my tips for a productive slab shopping experience:

• have dimensions of your of all your surfaces that you’re shopping for: countertops, island, full-height backsplash in our case (this was important to have because some slabs just weren’t large enough for a seam-free island of our size)
• bring along any surfaces/materials you’ve already decided on, for example flooring, cabinetry, paint or hardware (it’s nice to visualize how the materials would feel together)
• be prepared to spend more time than you think!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

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Jacket (here, here and here; I wear the Small)
Skirt (here; I sized up and wearing the US6)
Sweater (here; I wear the Small)
Flats (immediately comfy! very happy with these and true to size; here and here)
Bag (similar here)
Earrings (here)