Kitchen aprons made of stone: varieties and selection criteria

In many design areas, an apron made of stone is suitable for the kitchen. It seems unshakable, reliable and eternal. But he also has its negative sides, which we will discuss in the article. The advantages of such a material lies in a wide variety of patterns, colors and textures.

Aprons for the kitchen can be made of artificial, natural and decorative stone. Marble, granite, malachite, basalt, onyx are often used as natural materials for these purposes. Artificial stone is represented by agglomerate and acrylic. Besides, stone aprons can be made of decorative finishing material, such as plaster, concrete, brick, pebble mosaic.

Consider all the materials used to create aprons.

Natural material has a wide palette of colors and a wide variety of patterns; it looks incredibly beautiful and expensive, but is very moody in leaving. Any stains will have to be removed immediately, without waiting for absorption into the surface. The following types of stone are suitable for an apron.

• Marble. Noble material of delicate shades, can decorate any kitchen or support many historical styles. The translucent version gives the room a special lightness, airiness. The disadvantages include the high porosity of the material, due to which splashes of grease and dirt are absorbed into the surface.

• Onyx. Amazingly beautiful stone of yellowish, greenish, brown color with a unique pronounced pattern. With good lighting, it seems to be illuminated from the inside.

• Granite. Unlike other natural stones, granite is endowed with high density and strength.He is not afraid of spilled coffee and drops of fat, he is not afraid of high temperatures and is easy to care for even with the help of household chemicals. Granite has different shades: white, pink, gray, black, terracotta.

• Travertine. In appearance, this material is a cross between limestone and marble. It contains beautiful patterns and pleasant shades from white to red. But mainly it can be found in sand versions.

It can convey with a high degree of certainty the appearance of natural stone, but, unlike it, has a high density and does not absorb pollution, it is easy to care for it. The apron in the kitchen is made of the following artificial materials.

• Acrylic. It is made using minerals, acrylic resins and dyes. Thanks to the plastic structure, the apron can be made seamless, moreover, it is possible to perform it together with an acrylic countertop, a single monolithic product. The material is able to repeat the color and pattern of any stone or have a uniform bright surface.

• Agglomerate. This artificial material is very similar to natural, but has a denser, water repellent structure. It can be considered environmentally friendly, as it consists of 90% natural elements: stone chips, glass, pigments and polyester resin. Material is much lighter than porcelain tile and is better processed.

Of the many types of decorative materials for creating an apron in the kitchen, the following products are suitable.

• Gypsum. Imitating gypsum stone is easy to do with your own hands. They can beautifully decorate the wall, but such material is not endowed with water-repellent properties and is poorly suitable for use in the working area of ​​the kitchen.

• Pebble mosaic. To create a picture, black and white smooth pebble stones are selected, a panel is created from them separately, which is then installed in the apron area. The product will turn out unusual and textured, but it will be difficult to care for it.

• Brickwork. Well suited to the loft style and other urban areas. Sometimes it is used in a country-style kitchen. Caring for such a surface is more difficult than for a smooth monolithic stone.

• Porcelain tile. Durable artificial material, outwardly similar to granite, but structurally has nothing to do with it. The apron above the worktop is difficult to distinguish from expensive natural stone, it looks beautiful and presentable, does not absorb water and dirt, and is easy to clean.

An apron made of stone in the kitchen is a general concept. As already noted, these can be monolithic glossy options, textured porous products, mosaic panels, artificial and natural types. Each product has its pros and cons.

Consider several common positive criteria.

• Products look spectacular, beat natural notes in the interior.
• Some stylistic areas of the kitchen need the support of natural stone or imitating options.
• An apron made of stone can be selected for every taste, as this material has numerous types of patterns, colors and textures.
• The stone is strong and durable.
• Artificial surfaces have almost no porosity, moisture and fat are well wrested from them.
• Stone products can be repaired, the damaged part is cleaned, polished and give it its original appearance.
• Of artificial stone, you can order an apron connected to the countertop, without a single seam. It is beautiful, hygienic (dirt is not collected at the seams) and unusual.
• If the load on the walls is too high from natural stone, you can always prefer the artificial one, which is lighter in weight, and according to external data it is almost indistinguishable from natural.

The apron also has disadvantages.

• The high cost of natural stone. Some types of artificial, for example, granite, are also not cheap.
• The impossibility of self-installation.
• The porous structure of natural stone is difficult to maintain.

Stone, especially artificial, is quite in demand for aprons in the kitchen, because it is easy to care for, and the abundance of species helps to choose material for different stylistic settings.

Let's look at a few tips that take into account the overall design of the room:

• the interior in the loft style is ideally masonry;
• to a white kitchen it is easy to choose material for an apron of the same color;
• artificial stone apron can be a continuation of the countertop;
• material with a translucent structure looks good with the right backlight;
• if you need an original kitchen apron, choose a pebble panel;
• Coarse masonry is suitable for country or gothic styles.

Each kitchen interior requires its own special type of stone. Rich design or historical and rustic styles gravitate towards natural material, but many housewives prefer saving and practicality when choosing an artificial stone. Anyway, such an apron will become a real decoration of the kitchen.

You can find out how to put a kitchen apron made of stone by watching the video below.