Which stone is right for your kitchen or bathroom?

The Short Answer

If you want a benchtop you never have to think about, choose quartzite or granite. If you love the look of marble but cook every night, look at dolomite. If you want real marble, go in with your eyes open: it will mark, and the people who love it love it for that. Limestone is for walls, floors and bathrooms rather than a working kitchen bench.

Every slab at Slab House is a one-off, so the best way to decide is to stand in front of the stone. This page is for narrowing the field before you book a viewing.

Side-by-Side

Stone	Hardness	Acid & staining	Heat	Upkeep	Best for
Quartzite	Very hard (Mohs 7)	Resists acid; seal to resist stains	Excellent	Seal yearly, wipe down daily	Kitchen benchtops, islands, bathrooms, outdoor
Granite	Very hard (6–7)	Resists acid; most granites stain very little	Excellent	Seal every 1–2 years	Kitchens, outdoor kitchens, high-traffic floors — the most economical choice
Dolomite	Medium (3.5–4)	Etches with acid, but slower than marble	Good	Seal every 6–12 months, wipe spills quickly	Kitchens for people who want a marble look with more forgiveness; bathrooms
Marble	Soft (3–4)	Etches on contact with lemon, wine, vinegar	Good	Seal every 6 months, immediate spill response	Bathrooms, feature walls, fireplaces, lower-use kitchens
Limestone	Soft (3)	Etches and stains readily	Good	Seal regularly	Walls, floors, bathrooms, fireplaces

Quartzite — the kitchen workhorse that looks like marble

Quartzite is sandstone that's been fused under heat and pressure into something harder than steel. It's naturally acid-resistant, so lemon juice and wine don't etch it the way they etch marble, and it shrugs off hot pans. Many quartzites — Perla Venata, Bianco, White Santorini — give you the soft, veined look people usually go to marble for. Others, like Negresco or Azul Ocean, are dramatic on their own terms.

Watch for: some stones sold as "quartzite" are really soft marbles or dolomites. True quartzite won't react to a drop of vinegar. We label every slab accurately and will tell you which is which.

Granite — the hardest-wearing and the easiest on the budget

Granite is the most forgiving natural stone you can put in a kitchen. It's dense, heat-proof in practice, and most granites take years to show any wear. It also tends to be the more economical option, which matters when you're doing a big island. Modern granites are nothing like the speckled benchtops of the 1990s — look at Patagonia Granite or Magma and you'll see crystals, movement and real depth. See the full granite range.

Dolomite — marble's tougher cousin

Dolomite looks like marble — Super White is the classic example — but it's harder and reacts to acid more slowly, so a splash of lemon won't mark it the instant it lands. It still needs sealing and sensible care. If you want a white, veined kitchen and you actually cook, dolomite is usually the right compromise. See the dolomite range.

Marble — beautiful, and it will show its life

Marble is calcium carbonate, which means acids etch it. Over time a marble benchtop develops a patina: soft water rings, a slightly matte patch where the lemons live. Some people find that unacceptable; others wouldn't have it any other way. It's a wonderful stone for bathrooms, feature walls and fireplaces where it isn't being cooked on. If you're set on marble for a kitchen, choose a honed finish (etching shows less) and be realistic about how you live. Quartzite vs marble, in detail →

Limestone — for walls, floors and calm bathrooms

Limestone is soft, warm and matte, and it suits bathrooms, floors and feature walls beautifully. We don't recommend it for a working kitchen bench. See Tundra Grey.

Honed, polished or leathered?

Polished is glossy, shows the colour at its deepest and is the easiest to wipe clean, but shows etching and scratches most. Honed is matte and forgiving — the usual choice for marble and dolomite in kitchens. Leathered has a soft texture that hides fingerprints and crumbs and gives darker stones real character. Most of our slabs come in one finish per block; ask if you'd like something different.

How many slabs will I need?

A standard kitchen with an island usually needs two slabs; a benchtop run without an island is often one. Slab sizes are listed on every stone page. Your stonemason will confirm the count from your plans — bring them to the viewing and we'll give you a rough idea on the spot.

What does it cost?

Natural stone is priced per slab, not per square metre of finished bench, and it varies a lot with rarity, size and block. As a rule granite is the most economical, quartzite and dolomite sit in the middle, and rare marbles and exotic quartzites are at the top. Tell us the stone and your rough sizes and we'll give you a slab price the same day where we can.