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Limestone in the Kitchen

Kitchen Design : Episode KDE-1101 -- More Projects »
Limestone is a delicate, textured natural stone that occurs in a rich palette of creams and browns. This soft, velvety stone with historical overtones is a popular choice for flooring and counters in both traditional and contemporary kitchens. Host Joan Kohn joins expert Dorothy Janes of Del Mondo to learn about limestone’s properties and the best way to take care of it.
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German greenstone is a less common limestone that has pieces of fossil and hints of quartz in it, giving it an earthy, natural appearance.
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Limestone, a popular choice for flooring material, is a soft beige stone with pigment variations determined by the amount of sediment in the stone.
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This limestone sink looks as if it was carved, but it actually is a new fabrication process in which limestone dust is combined with resin and poured into a mold. The counter is a limestone mosaic.
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Limestones mix well with other materials to create rich textured, design. Here, the counter is a highly honed Jerusalem Gold limestone. The backsplash is Roman travertine, and the ledge is a tumbled Mexican limestone.
  • Limestone is a soft, carbonate sedimentary rock. It contains sediment, quartz and calcium. The amount of quartz in it affect its softness; the lighter a stone, the softer is probably is.
  • It is important to choose the right limestone for each application. Floors should use the hardest limestone, while a backsplash could use a lighter, softer stone.
  • Limestone ranges in color from light ivory to deeper tan. The color can occur in soft waves of pattern or in blocks of color. Layers of sediment are what add the brown tint to limestone.
  • For those who like a little more color, German greenstone is available. This soft dark green limestone variant is full of fossils and hints of quarts.
  • Limestone can be finished a number of ways. Left unfilled, it is full of pock marks and blemishes; filled limestone has a smooth, consistent surface. Limestone can be honed for a matte finish, or polished to a high sheen.
  • Limestone’s neutral properties make is an excellent choice for almost any color or design scheme. It also mixes beautifully with other materials like marble, glass and tile.
  • Limestone can be finished with the same edges as any other natural stone, In fact, limestone is actually cheaper to finish than harder stones, since it can be done with sandpaper instead of diamond cutters.
  • Because it is so porous, limestone must be sealed regularly to maintain its pristine look. Softer stones should be sealed every year; harder stones can be sealed once every two years.
Guests
Dorothy Janes
Del Mondo
116 Boston Rd.
Groton, MA 01450
Phone: 978-449-0091
Fax: 978-449-0092
Also in this Episode
Kitchen Design : Episode KDE-1101
•Cape-Style Kitchen
•Limestone in the Kitchen
•Fantasy Tour: Old World English Style Kitchen
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