By Amelia Skin, Interior Designer, Semper Interiors
When renovating your home there are a lot of decisions to be made about materials, products, and layout. One question asked by a lot of clients is whether they should use natural or engineered stone. There are pros and cons for both materials, and often the choice is very personal, based on the client’s lifestyle, needs, and budget. Below are a couple of the main pros and cons to consider when deciding on stone for your home.
Natural stone (marble, limestone travertine, dolomite)
Pro: Natural stone has unique patterning and colour that is almost impossible to replicate in manufacturing.
Con: Most natural stone requires a lot of maintenance and can be stained and damaged more easily than its engineered counterpart.
Pro: Natural stone can be easily uprecycled/recycled into brand new products and materials.
Con: The marble mining process can be incredibly harsh on the environment, also, it is a finite resource so preservation needs to be considered.
Engineered stone
Pro: There is no maintenance required for engineered stone outside of everyday cleaning.
Con: The patterning in the stone will have repeats and often there is less variation in colours and patterns.
Pro: Engineered stone generally is much more affordable than natural stone.
Con: Some engineered stones have been known to extract silica dust when stonemasons cut and work the slabs, so without the proper equipment it can cause a range of lung issues.
