Limestone – The Homegrown Alternative To Marble and Quartz

Posted on January 30, 2013 in Bathrooms, Kitchen, Kitchen Worktops, Uncategorized by Lee

Italy produce many of the sleek and beautiful stones you have the option of embellishing your home with. From fine Italian marble, to many of the quartz blends such as Quarella are increasingly popular for use in kitchens in the UK. These stones have all the style, elegance and sophistication you would expect from the Italians whilst maintaining great functionality.

You need not look so far afield for a great stone to use for your home improvements. Here in England we have a wealth of fine limestone to draw from that can equal all the qualities of its European rivals. Limes are formed in many soft hues and are beautiful and entirely naturally occurring stones which if properly maintained will last just as well as any alternative man made blend. Limestone has many different colour variations including blacks, greys, browns, purples, reds and greens as well of white and shades on a scale to this. Because of the difference in formation of limestone to marble some limestone contains fossils and other traces of its origin, a quality unique to incarnations of this stone. The quality of limestone can vary, and in order to ensure the life, strength and durability of the stone it is important to trace the best quality, especially if it is for use on work surfaces, flooring or other high use areas.

For a truly natural feel to any area of your home limestone is a great choice. Being completely natural it is not totally uniform in appearance giving a beautiful rustic and country finish, perfect for the cottage or older home feel that is so desirable. Polished limestone has many of the aesthetic qualities of marble and can be used in many of the same applications. Polished limestone is perfect therefore for all floors, walls, shower cladding, vanity tops, bowls basins and baths, staircases and fireplaces amongst many other uses. With distress limestone takes on a whole different look and feel than by simply polishing. By chipping, tumbling and brushing a worn and aged look can be achieved which works well with wood and other rustic touches.

Limestone is available in slab form for larger areas or slate and tile form for installations such as slab flooring. It is always best to seek advice from an experienced industry professional on the best option for you and on how best to install to protect its longevity. The only limitation of this very British material are in the mind of the designer, as if it can be imagined it can be done with limestone.