Designing with Textured Surfaces Using Natural Stone
Reprinted with permission from Aria Stone Gallery. All photos courtesy of Aria Stone Gallery.
Texture is an important design element that can immediately add warmth and visual interest to any project. The surface texture of natural stone comes in many forms such as polished, honed, leathered, and brushed. While polished and honed are the most common surface finishes we see today, leathered and brushed surfaces are growing increasingly popular due to their ability to immediately add a unique flair to an otherwise sleek and polished surface.
Utilizing natural stone with a textured finish is an easy way to incorporate an earthy, multi-dimensional element into a design. Slabs that feature a leathered finish are versatile and can easily complement a rustic or transitional room or provide a pop of contrast to a sleek, modern aesthetic.
Can I Change the Surface Texture of My Stone?
Absolutely! Initially, the quarry decides what type of surface to apply to a bundle of stone, but the stone surface and texture can easily be changed to fit your design aesthetic by a fabricator prior to installation.
Can You See Scratches in a Leathered or Brushed Stone?
Leathered and brushed finishes are less likely to show scratches that come from normal wear-and-tear. A leathered finish is executed by honing stone and then texturing it by using diamond-tipped brushes that have varying levels of grit to create small ridges in the surface of the stone. By comparison, a brushed finish has fewer ridges than what you would see in a leathered finish. The varying levels of matte and sheen create an overall “leathered” look on the surface of the stone.
Are Textured Stones More Stain Resistant?
By design, stones with a leathered finish are more stain resistant than stones with a honed finish. However, leathered stones are less stain resistant than polished stones. Regardless of what finish you prefer, a good sealer can help maintain your stone’s resistance to staining.
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