Honed Countertop Finds a Home in Needham, MA Kitchen

Humans rely on both sight and touch when they take in a designed space so it is an important to think about color, space and texture with the finishes we choose.  A kitchen counter is one place many of us spend a lot of time (for better or worse) so invoking both senses is important- we can leave smell and taste up to the prepared meal!

At the Kitchen & Bath Show last month GEOLUXE, the creator of patented GeoMimicry technology (short-hand: the melding of man-made and natural materials to replicate natural textures) debuted a honed finish for its line of surfaces. They combine the beauty of natural material with technical performance of heat and frost resistance as do other solid surface manufacturers… but that wood functionality aside the wood texture is striking. The honed finish is a complement to the company’s existing polished finish, and offers a soft and smooth touch.

This is a growing trend in countertops and with quartz products you get the look without some of the downsides of natural stone. If you’re still confused about the difference between granite and quartz, we’ve answered your questions here. The first honed granite we installed was in the late 90’s. Beautiful absolute black granite in a beautiful period home’s kitchen. A week after we finished it, the owner called because she couldn’t remove the olive oil ring that blemished the top with any cleaning agent… and most homeowners do not keep a fresh can of acetone handy.

Fast forward to 2017 in a Needham kitchen remodel the client fell in love with Silestone’s Pearl Jasmine (suede) which offered a honed like texture that was comforting to the touch and looks closer to natural marble. In many of the kitchens we remodel clients like the look of more traditional marble surfaces, but pair them with wood to add some warmth and texture. Perhaps we will see these new honed surfaces used in place of wood in the future-stay tuned. Read more about identifying the right countertop for you.

Below is an example of the high gloss version of Geoluxe’s new honed surface. This surface finish claims to have the beauty of a high gloss finish that is scratch resistant…and stunning!