Granite is a beautiful, natural stone that makes a truly stunning addition to any kitchen or bathroom. And, in addition to the many granite colours available, granite can also be polished, honed or leathered to give it a stand-out appearance. But what are these different finishes, and are they suitable for your kitchen or bathroom?
Here’s everything you need to know:
Polished granite
· Glossy
· Smooth
· The most popular finish
Polished granite has a glossy, flat surface that’s extremely smooth to the touch. Polishing brings out the full colour and character of stone, so if you are looking to bring out the natural beauty of your granite worktops, polishing is best.
Polishing a granite slab is an intricate process that requires many hours of work. But the results are certainly worth it. Polished granite reflects light as well as any mirror and adds a premium, upmarket finish to any kitchen or bathroom. Both light and dark colours respond well to polishing, and a polished finish will last a lifetime if cared for.
Honed granite
· Satin
· Smooth
· Growing in popularity
Honed granite has a semi-matte, satin surface that’s smooth to the touch. It reflects less light than polished granite and offers a different look altogether. It is a particularly popular finish with dark granite slabs in bathrooms and wetrooms.
Honing a granite slab gives it a satin smooth finish. It doesn’t reflect anywhere near as much light as polished granite and is therefore a more understated choice. On dark slabs, the honing process can wash out the colours slightly. This might sound counter-productive, but it in fact helps to blend the stone’s intricacies together.
Leathered granite
· Textured
· Slightly rough to the touch
· Growing in popularity
Leathered granite has a matte, textured surface with little pits and fissures that make it slightly rough to the touch, a lot like cow hide leather. The texture of leathered granite does vary from slab to slab – some slabs having a rougher feel to them than others.
Leathering a granite slab gives it a unique appearance. While honed granite is smooth to the touch, leathered granite has a pebbly surface. Due to this, it has outstanding depth and catches the light beautifully. Arguably, leathered granite is the most desirable of all granites due to its upmarket appearance and warm, inviting texture.
