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marg42

Anasazi Soapstone - anyone know about it?

marg42
12 years ago

Hi everyone- Just saw this and thought it was beautiful for our future kitchen. It's supposedly harder (i.e., 5 rating vs. 2 rating for softer SS's) than some soapstones too. It has a lot of veining similar to black marble... Would love to know what you all think!

http://teresinasoapstone.com/slabs-2/anasazi-soapstone/

Comments (17)

  • MIssyV
    12 years ago

    Its what I have on hold for our own kitchen! Isn't it pretty? I like the look and hardness of it, both of best worlds I think. I have yet to find anyone else that has it though, so I will be watching this post closely.

  • mmhmmgood
    12 years ago

    It's beautiful! I don't have it but a Moh's 5 should be as close to bullet proof as you can get with soapstone. I'm no expert but I think most of the soft soapstones for countertop use are about 2.5, talc alone (the major component of soapstone) is a Moh's 1. Steel is somewhere between 4 and 4.5. So it should wear really well AND it's absolutely spectacular to look at. As MIssyV put it, the best of both worlds!

  • remodelfla
    12 years ago

    I don't have that one but I do have Monsoon Wave which is also wildly veiny and HARD. The stone is bullet proof and I am hard on a kitchen with constant cooking/baking going on. It's as beautiful waxed/oiled as it is natural. No issues that come with the lovely looking softer stones, so yes; it is the best of both worlds for me.

  • MIssyV
    12 years ago

    not sure where you are buying your anasazi, but dorado has a video clip of it on you tube! they have several video's of their slabs online ...go look!

  • marg42
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks so much everyone! I do think it's a great combination of durability and good looks.

    And, MIssyV, I watched those youtube videos - they were so helpful!! I also spoke to the owner of another soapstone distributor, Teresina, and he was fantastic. (see my link above). It's about $600 to ship - or possibly less if I have time to wait and piggyback on someone else's shipment. The only downside is not being able to see it in person - unless I fly to CA, which is not going to happen. At least I have a good starting point. Thx again for all your help and comments!

  • colorfast
    12 years ago

    That is beautiful stone. Looking forward to seeing your kitchens!

  • MIssyV
    12 years ago

    Your anasazi looks a bit different than the one we are considering. Or is it just me?!

  • marg42
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hi MIssV - they look really similar. Is that slab oiled already? Love it! Have you decided what you're going with? I have a few months until we start so I'm researching like crazy.

  • MIssyV
    12 years ago

    yes they oiled the slab before sending me the picture because i do intend to oil it to get the look i want. i want a black top, not the unoiled grayish color. i will say that they had two anasazi choices, one like ours above and another was called ansazai extra. you can check out their site, the are in indiana (we are in ohio). http://www.thestonestudio.biz/current_inventory

    i have not decided. every day i change my mind it seems, depends what mood strikes me! sometimes i even think i might just put laminate on our perimeters vs the soapstone (i know, gasp!) but all i want is a matte black perimeter and wonder if its worth the money to achieve this simple look.

  • kitschykitch
    12 years ago

    gorgeous

    id love to see it installed

  • marg42
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    MIssyV - I vacillate all the time on countertop - it's my hardest decision :). Besides soapstone, marble, black honed granite and pietra cordosa, my other main (and very different) contender is Raven Caesarstone. It doesn't show as beautifully in pix sometimes - but a good friend of mine has it in her kitchen and it is gorgeous. It reflects light beautifully - especially at night - and she paired it with crackled (but simple) warm beige subway tiles and creamy white cabs. It's very traditional but the "bling" from the reflective Caesarstone is very stunning. I like the idea of having shiny and matte surfaces in the kitchen (and warm and cool). If I end up with soapstone I think I'll go with a reflective tile for the backsplash. I saw some random shiny mini calacatta subway tiles that might fit the bill. The lady at the store said she would always opt for honed marble countertops, but she thought the shiny marble for the backsplash would be great - and if some of the little tiles became etched, it wouldn't be noticeable. Have you decided on your backsplash? I think soapstone lends itself to a lot of different options.

  • MIssyV
    12 years ago

    sounds like we are planning very similar kitchen marg! our cabs are BM linen white, and i think they are very creamy looking in most lights. probably a bit more so than i had preferred, but they still look nice and warm, inviting.

    backsplash? what's that?! i haven't even thought about a backsplash! i cannot make up my mind on the counter tops! in fact, its become a source of tension between me and hubby, he is so ready for me to make a decision! i have seen several talk about raven, i should look at it.

    i will try to follow your posts closely to see what you decide! good luck!!

  • marg42
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thx MIssy - Looking forward to hearing about your project too! P.S. BM linen white is a great creamy white - it's one of Suzanne Kasler's favorite colors for kitchen cabs (and other rooms). And according to a custom cab maker I know, a lot of designers are also using 50% Linen White on their cabs. I recently had a can made up but I haven't painted it on to see how it looks. Good luck!

  • mmhmmgood
    12 years ago

    MissyV and marg42...just to commiserate. I absolutely agonized over my countertop. For me it was by far the hardest decision. Balancing budget, form and function was hard enough, never mind satisfying the heart and mind too. It was the most emotional and mood swing-y of anything in this remodelling process. Though everyone else will be looking into my kitchen from the outside and seeing mostly cabinets and backsplash, I will be looking at and working on (and abusing and maintaining) the countertop. Most definitely the most important feature in the kitchen to me.

    I made the somewhat more sensible (and still lovely) decision to do granite over soapstone twice. That was my "final answer". Twice. Then I eventually put money on the soapstone instead after being sad about the granite for days. Maybe even weeks? I'm not suggesting you do soapstone just because that was my choice. It's definitely not for everyone. Just agreeing that the process can be really difficult. I had so many highs and lows in that time period, I changed my mind multiple times every day ... thanks to God for an understanding and supportive DH!

    On the upside, things went really fast after that one all important decision was made. For me, at least, all the decisions were much more easily finalized after that one piece of the puzzle was put into place.

    I hope you both can come to a decision that makes you happy! I haven't even seen my soapstone slabs in person yet, but my heart sings when I look at the photos and run my fingers over my sample. That was the reason for my final decision, though I liked my granite option well enough it definitely didn't make my heart sing! I'm lucky that my budget could be flexible enough to allow me that splurge, then I found a few deals on other essentials and cut back on a few non-essentials to make it all work.

    Sorry for hijacking your thread, and sorry for the long ramble post. Good luck to you both with your choices!

    mmhmm

  • MIssyV
    12 years ago

    mmhmm...thank you so much for sharing that you changed your mind several times, its good to know i am not alone. i really feel what you said is true, its hard to pick something you love, that will look nice, and is within the budget. you summed it up perfectly!

    why does it seem like counter tops are an easy decision for everyone else? maybe that is just a false perception on my part, who knows! but good to know i am in good company! i cannot wait to have my counter top finalized and move on. i really think everything else will quickly fall into place once i make up my mind.

  • marg42
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thx mmhmm - it is a tough decision! Post your pics when you get your slabs - excited to see!

  • marg42
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    P.S. I just spoke to a stone yard in CA and they're saying $39/sf for Anasazi soapstone (not including fabrication - or a contractor's discounted price). Does that seem reasonable? And what should I expect to pay for fabrication of SS (i.e., I have 108 sf in counter space and they said that'll probably be 3 slabs). So, about $4500. I'm trying to get a sense of what to put into my budget... Thx! :)

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