Is Leathered Stone a Good Choice for Your Kitchen? – Motley Fool

The kitchen is often a primary focus of many buyers during the home search. According to the National Association of Realtors' 2019 Remodeling Impact Report, a complete kitchen renovation is first on the list of home improvement projects that most appeal to homebuyers. In second place is a kitchen upgrade, which likely reflects projects like stainless steel appliances and new stone countertops.

Natural stone countertops are always a welcome sight for homebuyers, whether they're granite, marble, or quartz. A growing trend is textured stone countertops, namely leathered stone. But even if you have room in the budget for your kitchen remodel, you might not want to spend it on this upgrade. Let's take a look at what leathered stone is as well as some of its pros and cons.

When natural stone is used for kitchen countertops, the slab is cut and finished. Usually, the stone is polished, lending it that beautiful, glossy look that so many homebuyers covet.

Not into gloss? You can have the stone honed instead. This process basically sands off most of the shine, leaving a smooth matte finish that many homeowners find very beautiful.

Then there's leathered stone, which has a surface that is textured and pebbly, like leather. This type of finish is achieved by further processing the stone through sanding and buffing, sometimes using brushes and water jets. This finish can be put on darker marbles, quartzes, or granites to bring out a rich texture.

Here are some reasons leathered stone could be a hit for you kitchen remodel:

And here's why you might want to go with glossy or honed finishes after all:

In luxury markets where the expensive details are everything in high-end homes, leathered stone might be a good fit. But most homebuyers are likely to be wooed by glossy and honed stone countertops instead. If you've got money to burn, the better kitchen countertop upgrade might be in the quality of the stone itself rather than the textured finish.

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Is Leathered Stone a Good Choice for Your Kitchen? - Motley Fool