Designers Say This Unexpected Countertop Material Is A Smart Long‑term Investment

Renovating your kitchen or fixing up a new home? Your counters are one of the key places to start when remodeling your kitchen. They cover a lot of surface area and pull a lot of focus, so they'll set the tone for the entire room and you'll want other elements of the space to coordinate with them. But they're also crucial workspaces — you need to be able to trust their durability, and you also want them to be relatively easy to clean and maintain. With all of these boxes to check, it can be tough to know how to pick the right kitchen countertop material for you. Luckily, there's a new star counter choice emerging that's stylish and can stand the long haul: bluestone.

Bluestone is a layered sandstone found in northeastern Pennsylvania. It's actually been popular in the past for outdoor use because of its unrivaled staying power. It's virtually immune to stains and water damage because it's less porous, and it also doesn't retain heat. It's harder than marble and so it's also impervious to scratches, cracks, chips, and marks. Bluestone can withstand the beating of daily cooking, baking, cleaning, eating, and so on, and continue to look sleek and new. It's also understated yet luxe-looking, meaning it will keep your kitchen timeless. It's a bit of a surprise it hasn't made its way into many kitchens before.

Bluestone comes in variegated tones of blue, gray, green, and shades of brown. While it's somewhat limiting for your kitchen design plans, it offers a good range of options for kitchen designs with neutral, earthy palettes – which only further bolsters its longevity, aesthetically speaking. When comparing bluestone to the many other kitchen countertop materials there are to consider, it does fall on the pricier end of the scale. It's rarer than other materials and is irregularly shaped, so it requires an added level of cutting and shaping to install. It should be sealed to prevent one of its only potential downfalls, which is flaking. 

Still, bluestone more affordable than granite — the difference can range between $4 to $8 per square foot versus $10 to $15. Plus, it's a reliable, one time, long-term investment – experts recommend this material because it truly lasts. The appeal of a countertop you won't have to replace, that's low-maintenance and keeps its good looks? That's something worth designing your space around. With that considered, bluestone is well on its way to becoming an ultra-durable countertop material that redefines modern kitchens. You can expect to see more kitchens featuring this sleek, naturally textural countertop with earthy color schemes to match.