Trending Alert: Honed and Leathered Finishes for Stone Counter Tops

Honed and Leathered finishes for Granite and Marble counter tops are being chosen more often than the once popular polished finish.

What is Polished?
A polished surface finish is smooth, shiny, and reflective. The full color, depth, and crystal structure is visible.

What is Honed?

A honed surface finish is a smooth surface without reflection. It varies from a matte like appearance to a very low sheen.

What is Leathered?
A leathered surface finish starts with a honed finish, with a matte like appearance to low sheen, and adds texture to the surface. Additionally, it closes the pores (compared to honing) and retains the color better than honing.

Some benefits when choosing honed or leathered finishes with marble or granite include:

• little to no reflection
• "soft" and "natural" look
• marble and granite with honed or leathered finishes are good alternatives to slate or soapstone when compared to pricing and durability