Gorgeous!

Try not to be too nervous about the softness. You can EASILY sand it and work with it, and make it look however you want it to look. Yes, dragging your ceramic dinner plate will make a line. If oil doesn't make it disappear, buff with 400 grit sandpaper. Keep some under your sink. Piece o cake!

Don't be afraid of your soapstone! (But try not to drop a heavy antique peeler on it, as poor Cleo did. That takes more than buffing to repair. But...it CAN be repaired!)

:-)

Francy

mrslimestone, beautiful soapstone. I just got done looking at your lovely bathroom on the bath forum. Looks like everything is coming together! Can't wait to see your stone oiled. Ours is still sitting at the stone yard, so you have so little time to wait in comparison to me! "sob" j.

that looks just beautiful!!

Oooh - mrslimestone - I think it is so gorgeous naked that it seems scary to oil it. Yummy. And Marthavila, it looks like the Six Degrees rule is at it again. Small world!

Oh I am dying to oil it. Francy and I can come over and we will all share a spa treatment, oiling with our bare hands. It is going to look fabulous - well it already does - but after the oil - oh my gosh. We need pix as soon as possible.

Mrslimestone, just curious, what was the charge per sq.ft. from M Tex. We are planning a trip to get a close up and feel some soapstone at their NJ store next week.
Did you have them install or your own installer?
Thanks

Oh, my goodness! That piece in your second picture looks like it may have one of those gorgeous black veins!

You will love your stone. It's like looking deep into the rivers of the earth and back a million years.

Anyone have opinions about bees wax vs. mineral oil? I need to order something for the first oiling but Im thinking maybe I should go with bees wax if it smells better. Any suggestions?

amy - I had my own installer/fabricator. The stone was approximately $40/sq foot. Installed it would have been $90/sq foot. I picked out the slab with Rogers help - he was very nice. I have no doubt their installers would have been great as well but we had already paid for the countertops as part of a larger contract with my contractor.

I'd go with straight mineral oil for the first oiling. The whole idea then is to get to see what it all looks like as quickly as possible! :)

Go back over it a couple of days later with the beeswax oil. Beeswax oil, in comparison to regular mineral oil, takes a loooooong time to apply. Bees Oil also keeps the stone darker longer, so it's a good idea to apply it when you can. But, for most quick oiling jobs, the straight mineral oil is much, much, much easier.

I haven't noticed much of a smell with either one.

Beautiful! I bet you'll be in heaven when you're oiling it .... Can't wait to see your pictures!

Thanks holligator...good tips.

Where does everyone buy their mineral oil/ bees wax. I could go back to MTex for the oil but there has to be a closer source right?

I just peeked at your blog -- what a lovely home. I am so excited for you how far you've come in your journey, and what an absolute joy it will be to live there. Wow. I really loved being a looky-loo!

Wow! I just looked at your blog, too. Amazing. Are you in the biz?

thanks. Not in the construction/designing biz. Sometimes I think it might be easier if I was b/c Im pretty sure this house is driving me outof my mind :)

First, your countertops look wonderful. I'm waiting for my faucet and then I put in the call for the Black Venata that I picked out.

And guess what? I saved this for when I get mine.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beeswax Oil At Reasonable Prices

And you can get mineral oil at any pharmacy; it's sold as a laxative.

Beautiful stone; I can't wait to see it oiled!

I'm seconding vjrnts. You can find it at any pharmacy or Walmart.. usually on a bottom row with the laxatives.

Also definitely check out the link that kristinfl posted.. I forgot about that link and that basically shows you all the different places to find Bee's Oil and mineral oil in bulk!..

You guys are making Joshua and I obsolete :) Enjoy your new countertop! I also can't wait to see it oiled!!!

I bough a gallon of that ultra light mineral oil from STE (really nice stuff, thin as water!) and 2 lbs of triple filtered white acacia beeswax on ebay (total cost mixed them together on the stove on very very low heat, ~2/3 oil, 1/3 beeswax. when cool, it has the consistency of butter that's been left at room temperature. it's really easy to spread and give an awesome finish to the stone and my wood butcherblock and cutting boards

i store it in a plastic fliptop under the sink

Here is a link that might be useful: acacia beeswax

Ooooh
I can't wait to see it oiled also. I'm planning on installing a soapstone heater (maybe Tulikivi Bakeoven) in our kitchen. And I'm thinking a soapstone counter would complete the look! Thanks for sharing.
Judy

Here is a link that might be useful:

Your stone is beautiful. I can't wait till the oiling. I am going to check out your blog now after reading all the rave reviews. Since you like soapstone...I am sure the rest of the remodel is right up my alley.

Francy and vwhippiechick:
I must be doing SOMETHING wrong...I don't seem to derive as much pleasure as the rest of you oiling my stone. It is (dare I say it) just another household chore. Please share the exact manner in which this sensual experience occurs. I feel like I am missing out! lol I did try the bare hand approach but alas, this did not do the trick either. :)

Thanks all!

If I use the regular mineral oil from the drugstore, won't it make a mess of my clothes if I rub against the counter. Not that Im planning on making love to it but Im sort of clumsy. Does it absorb/dry quickly?

You wipe it on, you rub it off. There is no oily residue left; I don't understand it because it doesn't soak in. The stone is impermeable. But it works. I wipe it on, rub nice and hard with a microfiber cloth or paper towel, and bingo.

It looks great, nothing rubs off.

Cleo - Hmmmm, it's difficult to describe. But it is way more fun than any of my other household chores. Using bare hands allows you to become one with stone, part of the primordial revelation of the geological ossification . . . Okay really it's like finger painting as a kid but with a lot better stuff! You get to "get messy" without "making a mess". I am sure Francy can "splain" it better.

Well, I'll admit, it started for practical reasons. I was doing the first "lube job." I had a rag. The rag seemed to be absorbing half of the expensive Bee's Oil. Add to that the fact that my hands are always very, very dry. Then I suddenly remembered that someone here on GW mentioned using her hands to oil the stone b/c it made her skin softer. So I tried it.

And that's when the whole commune-with-300-million-years thing happened. That's also when I discovered that my disappointing fabricator didn't even finish off my stone to the right silkiness. And so I also started buffing with 400 grit sandpaper. I'm a really tactile person in general, and now I'm just a wee bit obsessed with rubbing and oiling that stone! Ironic thing is that my Santa Barbara variety holds the dark color for about a month and doesn't need constant oiling.

Cleo: you probably have more counter space than I do (and along with that, more stuff on the counters that had to be moved out of the way). In my work area, I have maybe 10 sq feet (maybe less--I'm not good at figuring square feet). And since it is so small, I have a "nothing on the counter" rule (b/c I need every inch to work). I'm sure that makes oiling a lot easier for me. And that 400 grit paper just makes it feel like nothing else. Ahhhh. Is yours silky enough? If not, get out the sandpaper!

vw: how's the amazon holding the oil?

:-)

Francy

It is still dark from the original "commune" - darn it! Oh my gosh - Francy - I love it more every day. I still haven't been able to bring myself to set a hot pot on it! Have you? BTW I never saw the resolution of your "crack" issue. What did you decide to do?

Your home is absolutely lovely. I took a look at your whole album and I am drooling. You did a fabulous job. Enjoy.

Good to know. I don't know if I'll be going bare handed with it but never say never.

thanks Alexamd!

Oh, I absolutely put hot pots on it (hot pots and splashes of boiling water sometimes leave a mark--I think b/c the heat affects the Bee's oil? So don't panic if it leaves a mark.) I even cut on it! But very gently, b/c it is terrible for the knives (and makes this awful nails-on-a-blackboard wound when the knife blade clinks the counter). But I cut my son's sandwich in half on it every morning. I don't dice onions... I try not to clunk it (b/c of "bruises" which is the nicer way of saying dings), but I don't hesitate to drag dishes across it. I love patina, and I love buffing with the 400 grit even more.

Crack update coming soon (news aint so good)...

Francy

I must move past the "hot pot" block. It is from years of having laminate counters (which I liked very much) that required caution with heat. I will have to face the phobia.

Mrslimestone - sorry about the OT dish. We are still waiting for the OILED pix! Please!!! I looked at your album too and it is awesome. Your home is so full of beautiful character.

Oh no Francy - What happened?

I don't mean to keep postponing the oiling but Im waiting for contractors to be done with that area and they seem to be dragging on these final jobs forever. Plus I really do like how it looks unoiled so Im not in a rush right now while the house is such a mess elsewhere to get this looking shiny.

Francy-- Do you use the sandpaper on only a small spot or do you have to do the whole counter? Is it obvious where you have used it?

Ok, the wait is over. I walked into the kitchen and found that the contractors had oiled the soapstone despite the fact I told them NOT to. A tiny bit annoyed - I wanted to do it myself but they were just trying to help. They must have put it on really thick b/c I saw it hours after they had left and it was still really slick.

Anyway, I love it how it looks.

Excuse the photos - they don't really show how great it all looks. I love it.

Thanks everyone for all the help!!

How GORGEOUS! Not just the soapstone - everything!! It is so perfect for your house. What a wonderful job you have done. Love love love it!

The soapstone looks wonderful! What are the wall and trim colors, I recall that you had used BM Bone White in some of your other rooms. I also just love the 3 lights above the idea, are they old or new (if new, which company?).

I've looked at your blog and if I could I would either move in with you or have you come to Minn. to help me redecorate my place! You've done a wonderful job with your color choices, calm and bright and happy at the same time. Plus, you've kept the character of the house, what a treasure she'll be when it's all done.

It seems you like the same colors I do, I've decided maybe I should just pick my colors from the RH color palette and have them color matched to BM. I've looked at the fan decks and bought many samples and still not the right tan/gray tones to go with all my "stuff" I've packed away, maybe I need new stuff! Your entry/parlor area is so elegant looking, can't wait to see pics when you've added furniture. I love silver sage and breeze collection of towel colors. I was thinking of painting my laundry a bright color somewhat like your office. My other rooms would be gentler colors.

I've been looking forward to seeing this! Holy macaroni! The soapstone is GORGEOUS!! And so is your kitchen! Congratulations!! Tell me, did you put lighting in each of the glass cabs on top?

That is a fabulous job! Soapstone, faucet, cabs, appliances -- the whole shebang. Of course, I would expect nothing less from you. :) Make sure you start a whole new thread just to show off this kitchen. Congratulations!

I didn't expect to see this...well I guess you didn't either. I sorry that you didn't get to do it, but I have to tell you, after you got over the fact that they did it, wasn't it like Christmas? Surprise!!!

Your countertops look wonderful. I couln't wait until I saw yours all finished because I am going to put in Black Venata too! I'm so impressed with everything about your kitchen. It is so glamorous, but still calls to you to come cook and hang out in it. What wonderful choices you have made. You should be so proud.

I LOVE your kitchen.

Two elements really caught my attention: your cabinet hardware and your faucet.

Could you please provide a few more details?

What brand and finish is on your faucet - is it polished nickel? Have you used it yet? Is it easy to keep clean and maintain?

Your pulls look like ones that I have been eyeing from Restoration Hardware - felicity. Nonetheless, what finish are your pulls? What size are they? And how wide are your cabinets?

On your blog I read that your knob has black trim - is this correct? I noticed that RH also has the same or at least similar knob, but the darkest they have is ORB. What size are your knobs (1" or 1 1/4"?) and is the finish black?

Thanks for your time and congratulations on such a beautiful kitchen and home (I love the detailed finishes, i.e., ceiling medallion, doorknobs,etc).

Anna

Mrslimestone,
I, like anna 2006, am drooling over your kitchen. Pls also give details of your kitchen cabs. I hopped over to your brownstone blog and read that your cabs are by plain and fancy (they are fantastic), but I could not find any mention of the door style & color. I read off white, but I was not sure if that was P&F's exact color. Lastly, I also love the glass knobs. Would you also give me all the details on them as well?
Thanks so much for your time - I am truly inspired. H

Mrslimestone,
What can I say? It is a lovely kitchen and your soapstone looks simply delicious. What a happy room! Enjoy.

It's gorgeous!! I just love the Black Venata--that's what we got, too. I'm sorry you didn't get to do the first oiling yourself, but you'll have many more opportunities. Enjoy your wonderful soapstone and your beautiful kitchen!

Ahhhhhhhh!

I've got to get over to your blog...

Sjerin: regarding sanding. The original surface that the fabricators did was too rough. So, at first, my 400 grit spots looked a bit different. But I'm working on sanding the whole thing (I just spent another hour and a half doing it). So now, when I sand one spot, it doesn't show.

Mrs. L: that island looks big enough to nap on. Grab your pillow, and try not to roll over.

:-)

Francy

Thanks everyone. Ill do another post once its totally finished and Ill include all the details.

For now - here are the answers to the questions above.

Cabinets - they are plain and fancy. I believe the door style is called Kent. The paint is called "buttercream"

Knobs - They are from Restoration Hardware and have ORB trim. They were the larger size which I think is 1.25 inches. I was originally going to mix the larger with the smaller but I thought it might be too confusing for my contractors so I just did the same size for everything.

Lighting - Yes, I have a light for each glass cabinet above. The cabs came with wood shelves so I have to go have glass shelves made so the light shines through. Another thing on the to do list. The pendants over the island are by Hinkley from their Knickerboxer line. If I recall they were about $100 each.

Paint - I used Benjamin Moore bone white for the trim and a color called "Woodland Snow" for the wall. Essentially its cream on cream. It was a very "safe" choice - I don't tend to pick quite so boring colors but there is a lot going on in ths space so I didn't want the paint to be too busy.

Spuderbud: While I love RH colors, I didn't use any in this house. The one time I tried to use a RH color that was matched with BM paint, it looked pretty different. I dont know why but the RH paints are quite hard to match exactly. So I'd say try not to mimic the RH colors unless there is a really good reason to do so. BM has so many choices, there really is a color for everything.

What color undertone does Woodland Snow have against Bone White in person? It's so hard to tell online and the fan deck chip. I my house it appears to have a blush undertone. Which paint BM finish did you use on the walls/ceiling. I think I read you used semi-gloss on the trim. The paint dealers around here think I should use Impervo. Semi-gloss makes the color a bit lighter than a satin finish doesn't it?

I don't think I would use RH paint, 2 hrs. away to purchase, but I do like their colors and a few less colors to look at. I've looked at the 2 BM decks I have and just get more and more confused. I wish they had more sample jars in the colors I'm looking at, guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and start buying quarts! Having poster boards painted sure does help.

Thanks, Francy; that makes sense!

Woodland Snow doesn't seem to have much of an undertone in this setting. Im sure it has one but it looks like a soft white next to the more creamy bone color. When I did both on the posterboards, they looked more different. Now they are on the wall, the difference is very slight. I would have liked a tiny bit more contrast but cream on cream is a hard nut to crack.

I used flat on the walls, flat (china white) on the ceilings and semi gloss on the trim. I don't know if thats what is supposed to be done or not. I just like how the trim looks shiny. I don't know what Impervo is.

I will tell you that from my experience, semi gloss makes something look darker, not lighter. At least in comparison to flat. I didn't use satin at all so I don't know how that changes the shade.

Hope that helps!

Mrslimestone, I love the way your faucet looks - simple and elegant. Will you share the finish and brand of it? I think you have a few other fans that are hoping to gather this same information. Thanks again for leading the way, H

Thanks very much hcf1. The bridge faucet is by Rohl (I believe its their "Country" line) and its polished nickel.

Your kitchen is lovely. I also have soapstone counters, but can never make them look really clean. I have had them about a year, and have oiled them probably 4 times. I love the look, but do you have any suggestions about how to make the water spots, etc. less noticeable?