Who Knew Soapstone Countertops are so Freaking Cool!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to help my clients, Rick and Jan, pick out Soapstone for their kitchen remodel. Back in the planning stage of their project, when Rick told me he wanted Soapstone, I was a little skeptical. I questioned Rick, “Are you sure, there is a lot of maintenance?”  He was adamant – no discussion.
So I contacted all my counter top resources – “hey do you carry Soapstone?” “Nope”, was the common answer, but they all referred me to M. Teixeira Soapstone who happens to have a showroom in San Francisco (725 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107). I ordered some designer samples and did my designer research. Ok, Rick, you converted me – I have to admit that Soapstone is some pretty awesome stuff.  It is a very dense and non-porous stone, more so than marble, slate, limestone and granite. In fact, it outperforms every other natural stone as a countertop.  It is easiest of all these natural stones to fabricate and is often the choice for the DIY remodeler. All the amenities aside, it is also beautiful! It comes in three basic colors – gray, green and black. The patina can be changed by periodically applying mineral oil, but Rick and I feel in love with the natural polished gray.

And guess what, if you have any remnants left over, you can shape them into the size of an ice cube, freeze them and put the “cubes” in your cocktails. It won’t dilute your drink (called “whiskey stones”). How cool is that?