Leather/Satin finish on Volcano granite (pic)

12 years ago

I'm having a hard time deciding on a granite for my pure white cabinets with an espresso island. Have been seriously considering Delicatus (white/cream/black and brown), but it doesn't seem to have much "pop". Today we saw volcano--see picture below. A couple of slabs were finished in "leather" or a satin finish, and they felt so sensuous! (I've been at this too long, I can tell.)

Anyway, I have 2 questions:

1. Does anyone have experience with or know any details about the advantanges/disadvantages of a leather finish? The saleslady said it's as tough as a polished finish. It's more textured, but I was thinking that the soft look might tone down the bright white of my cabinets.

2. Do you think that a granite with such a powerful pattern would be OK on all my counter tops (medium size kitchen.) Also, any thoughts on whether the colors in volcano are going to be OK in my kitchen.

Thanks for any feedback I can get. I trust the judgment of people on this forum.

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Comments (8)

hokie80
12 years ago
It's beautiful! I don't know anything about that particular granite or finish, but I have a medium kitchen with a granite with a lot of color and movement and I love it- wouldn't change it for anything!
remodelfla
12 years ago
I love movement in granite and that is one powerful looking piece of stone. I don't think it would be too much with your cab choices.
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I do appreciate your advice Rebecca and thank you for the tile suggestions, I will certainly check them out. My husband and I have been to several stores, as well as a slab yard and every single time the one granite we both gravitate to and like before we even look to see what it is, is Antico Bianco. We know the approximate cost and have agreed it is worth it to us to get what we both love. We are still waiting for our houseplans to be completed but we've spoken with a local store about the sizes needed and were advised they would be able to provide it. My question was more related to the leather finish. I would love to hear from someone who actually has the leather finish or has seen it, as the only AB I have seen is polished. Since I am considering putting the leathered on the counters and the polished on the island I think what will work as backsplash may differ depending on which finish I select.
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I have steel gray brushed granite (it's my understanding that brushed and leathered are the same thing because there isn't an industry standard name for the finishes...) and I ADORE it! That picture is a close up of one of the seams, but it shows the color and texture nicely. It has been SO easy to clean, I mostly wipe it down with a damp rag. I was slightly nervous that crumbs might get stuck in the little indents but it hasn't been an issue at all. We've had it installed for about seven months and we have a very busy household with 5 teenagers. Nothing has even hinted at staining it, you cannot seem to leave a single fingerprint smudge, and it just feels great when you run your hand across it. Now, we did have two tiny chips at the sink area (undermount sink) because one of my younger teen boys wasn't careful setting my cast iron French oven pot into the sink, but the place we got our granite from warrantied against chips and came out and repaired the two chips. Their guy did a fabulous job and it's extremely difficult to find the repairs. I can find one if I really search, the other... well, I just can't remember exactly where it was. I had originally wanted soap stone counters, but we couldn't find a slab we liked in our area. This gave me much of the look/feel I desired, the durability I needed, and was much lower in cost! It has been a win/win for us and I'd have it installed again in a heartbeat.
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Phil Furniss-We got the polished and have overhead lighting, undercabinet lighting, and a lot of natural light, and do not get a reflection from them on the countertop. Personally, I felt a small piece of the leather finish, and did not like the way it felt under my hands. But we also couldn’t get any slabs of leather finish in our area, and would have had to order something site unseen. So that probably influenced our choice the most. But I love our polished fantasy brown and the way it sparkles in the light and I have no regrets about my choice. I don’t think you could go wrong with either finish though and should go with what your gut tells you
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jeanteach
12 years ago
I think that granite is gorgeous! I have a honed finish on my Jet Mist and it is very soft. I love it. I say go for it!
riverspots
12 years ago
As I like Corian for its silky touch and uniformity, I think use of granite is at its best when it has dramatic color and movement, especially if you have an island to display it. For bold colors like this one, I do prefer crisper look the glossy finish gives-it shows off the nuances within the stone better-like polishing a precious gemstone.
azmelt
Original Author
12 years ago
Good point about a glossy finish. Have the leather/satin finishes been around for long? I don't believe I've ever seen it in anyon's home.
chicagoans
12 years ago
I have a friend with a leather-textured, dark granite island counter. It's very dramatic. The perimeter counters are all honed. I like that the leather finish is a focal point rather than all over. (She has a very large kitchen.)

I could never get a definitive answer from the fabricators regarding whether honed is as tough as polished (I asked a couple sources, plus a KD friend.) My sample had polished on one side, honed on the other. I scratched both sides with a key and let red wine sit overnight on each side. The polished side showed nothing, but I could see the marks on the honed side. Certainly that's NOT a universal or definitive test -- it was just one sample piece -- but it prompted me to get polished. See if you can get a leathered sample from your fabricator.

Regarding your granite above - it's gorgeous!
bostonpam
12 years ago
This is a "wow" - I love this granite. I was seriously considering something similar - magma - but it was too dark for my kitchen. I think it would look great with your choices. Remember, the granite won't be as strong in your kitchen because it will be horizontal surface compared to viewing the slab at the yard. I don't know anything about leather finishes.
scrappy25
12 years ago
Gorgeous granite, goes great with the cabinet doors you have chosen.

Can I ask the details on your espresso cabinet doors? It's just what I am looking for!!

Leather/Satin finish on Volcano granite (pic)

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Leather/Satin finish on Volcano granite (pic)

Comments (8)

hokie80

remodelfla

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