Natural stone is the perfect way to add a touch of elegance to any space. In a kitchen, a marble worktop can become the centrepiece of the room. It is a simple hint of luxury that truly transforms the space.
When Sinead Kelly-Herbert was working with her client to redesign her home, marble was the only choice for the island and worktops:
“The new build project was contemporary and modern but I really wanted to inject tactile, natural materials to add a touch of earthiness and elegance to this fabulous family kitchen area. Natural stone really softens large new spaces.”
As with many natural stones, marble is acid sensitive. This means that extra care must be taken to protect the stone from spillages such as lemon juice, wine and vinegar. When these liquids come into contact with the stone, they will cause an etch mark. This is essentially an acidic burn to the stone that leaves a duller or white mark.
The good news is, that when this does occur, the damage is only surface level and the stone can be restored. The process uses a series of diamond abrasives to firstly remove the marks and then refinish the stone to its original condition.
During the refinishing process, the stone will be slowly polished using finer grit diamond abrasives. The final finish can be decided on the day from a velvet hone all the way to a highly polished finish. In this case the client opted for a honed finish. Although not necessarily more hard wearing, a honed finish can be easier to maintain. Any spillages that occur will still leave an etch mark, but the contrast is less stark. This usually means a professional restoration is required less often.
Both Sinead and her client were overjoyed with the results commenting:
“The concern with using natural marble in a family environment is the risk of damage to the stone from everyday life. But knowing that it can be fully restored by a company like Athena Stonecare means I can continue to use it with confidence.”
To find out more about how to care for your marble worktops click here to request an Athena Aftercare guide or contact becca@athenastonecare.co.uk to discuss your project.
Excellent, efficient and courteous service . My marble floor looks new and my bathroom walls look amazing. I’m really pleased with the work and the outcome. It only took one day to complete with minimum disruption. Would definitely recommend and will use again and again.
Dave and his partner fully deserve the five star rating. They did a perfect job, on time and on budget. The pool surround which, after 30 years of lime build-up, looked like mud, now, after Dave has worked his magic, looks beautiful again ,showing all the lovely colouring and striations. It’s a joy to see each morning.
We used Athena to refurbish a 20 year old limestone floor and granite worktops. The floor was very scratched and damaged in a few places, and the granite needed some TLC. David and Terry spent a full day working on both and we're delighted with the results. Its saved us a very expensive and messy job in having the floor replaced. They worked professionally and tidily and gave us some really helpful advice about other stonework we are considering. We would definitely recommend!
"Outstanding results, it’s like having a brand new floor. Dave & his team managed to clean & lighten the 40+ years old sandstones from dark grey to beige. They were so effective, discreet & organised on their 2 days work and very patient with my numerous questions."
We truly appreciate you accommodating this for us on such short notice. You’re just the best team for the job, and your knowledge on the subject is incredible.
I had a double sink marble surround which was in really bad shape, Athena Stonecare got it back to practically new. I’d had a few different companies give me quotes and these guys were the most professional and competitive on their price. Really pleased.
