If this is the year to be investing in classic products and timeless styles for the home, then a natural stone floor for the kitchen won’t let you – or your customer – down. While cabinetry, door handles and even worktops can be subject to the whimsies of fashion and almost endless change, a solid, practical floor – be it limestone, marble, slate or granite – can create a stunning backdrop to any kitchen for years to come, from a chic, urban loft to a rustic country cottage.

“Natural stone is proving as popular as ever, as people today are looking for products that will last and offer value for money,” says Liz May, design consultant at Stonell. “With house prices falling, we are finding that our customers, realising they may be in their home for many years, are improving rather than moving. Therefore, they are buying products they really want themselves, rather than a quick and cheap fix. Nothing beats the beauty and sheer wow factor of a natural stone floor.”

As Alvaro de Ferranti, chairman of De Ferranti and Paris Ceramics, says: “Stone floors offer durable and long-lasting style. Easy to care for and clean, stone is highly practical yet also handsome and impressive.”

It’s true – solid stone floors are real workhorses and will inject masses of aesthetic value into a room. Once properly sealed, they should last a lifetime, and for busy kitchens where practicality and maintenance are key, stone can be easily vacuumed, swept and mopped – massive selling points for the retailer wishing to bump up sales. Underfloor heating actually works best with natural stone, too, as the stone absorbs the heat and retains it long after the heating has been turned off. And for anyone with allergies, stone is a brilliant choice.

Of course, with such a huge number and variety of materials, colours and finishes to choose from, the customer will look to the retailer for expert advice on which stone to use, how to install it and, crucially, how to look after it once it’s in place.

“Price is not the only factor a customer needs to take into account when shopping around,” says Lorna Soar of Kirkstone. “Other considerations are the location, what colour and size of tile will work best, what direction to lay the tiles or slabs, what the finished floor height will be and how much time someone is prepared to spend on keeping the floor looking good.”

Caroline Gow, Fired Earth’s tile category manager, agrees: “When buying a floor, it’s important to think about the demands that are going to be made of it. For example, a large household, where children and pets are likely to be coming in and out of the kitchen constantly, means that a particularly hardwearing and low-maintenance solid floor is the most practical option.”

Stone floors demand some serious lifestyle questions and it’s up to the kitchen specialist to find out what the consumer really wants – and needs. 

For instance, a pale, porous marble might not be the best solution for a busy family house, whereas it might be just the thing for a slick, city-centre penthouse belonging to young professionals.

“Stone colour undoubtedly plays a major part,” adds Louisa Morgan, marketing director of Mandarin Stone. “A paler stone is going to require more maintenance than a stone that is slightly warmer and more varied in shade, which is less likely to show the dirt. Any spillages should be mopped up immediately to prevent staining.”

In these credit-crunched times, budget is obviously a serious issue – more so than ever before. With tightening purse strings and cash flow cut, customers are demanding access to products at all price points – they want variety under one roof. Riven or textured slates seem to be the most budget-conscious option, starting from a well-priced £20 per sq m – or even less in some cases – while specially-cut slabs and antique limestones can reach a budget-busting £450 per sq m. There’s everything in between too, particularly as the cost of natural stones varies wildly, even between one limestone and another. An alternative is stone-effect porcelain and ceramic tiles which look just like solid natural stone but need less maintenance. These durable and very beautiful look-a-likes are becoming more popular with the public and are now available in almost every conceivable stone imitation and size of tile, just like the real thing. Some ceramic manu­facturers have extended their ranges way beyond the traditional 45 x 45cm format and now offer tiles in 100 x 100cm sizes to capitalise on the flagstone look.

“We retail both stone and ceramic stone-effect products and the split is 80/20 in terms of popularity – the 80% being ceramic,” explains Becki Linley, creative director of Edinburgh-based interior design company, Trendenza. “Limestone-effect ceramics are increas­ingly the preferred option, due to their ability to transcend many fixtures and fittings and complement the space. As kitchens are a high traffic area, I would recommend a textured ceramic for its slip resistance.”

As the popularity of open-plan living continues to rise, there really is more scope than ever to sell on the inherent plus points of stone, and how this versatile and useful design material can be used effectively throughout the home, not just in the kitchen.

“We are seeing an increasing trend towards using the same stone and colour throughout the living areas, creating a harmonious and flowing look,”says Liz May. “This even extends to the garden, to unite the inside and outside spaces.”

While all stones are, by their very nature, classic and timeless, it seems that trends in colours and finishes do alter. So what’s hot at the moment?

Classic creams and beige travertines, marble and limestones are timeless and popular choices, according to Frankie Wilde from Original Style. “However, due to the porous nature of some natural stones, polished granite and marble or darker-shaded slates which are less likely to stain are popular as they are easier to maintain,” she says.

Other experts say modern homes are more likely to go for honed or polished limestone or marble in neutral shades, while traditional or more rustic properties warrant an antique finish or naturally-riven slate in warmer or darker tones.

“Our customers are often looking for something that little bit different, so modern colours such as mocha browns and truffle greys in a soft honed finish are very popular,” explains Liz May. “Also, pale limestone is as desirable as ever, as it goes with everything and will last and last.” 

One thing that everyone agrees on is that unlike most products for the home, a solid stone floor will actually improve with age. “If anything, stone becomes even better looking as it develops a unique patina over time,” concludes Fired Earth’s Caroline Gow. “Something that unfortunately can’t be said of carpets.”

Know your stone

Limestone floors are an enduring favourite with architects and designers, offering a classic, neutral backdrop for contemporary and traditional kitchens. Characterised by delicate mottling and soft, natural tones – from the palest cream and butter tones to mellow shades of tan, honey, caramel and gold – limestone is a sedimentary rock geologically formed by the consolidation of seashells. Variations in colour and marking are endless, although darker varieties are less prolific

Need to know Can often be streaked with red from iron or black from magnesium impurities, creating an interesting interior design tool

Slate is often one of the most economical options – and one of the most hardwearing stones too. It is a fine-grained metamorphic rock that characteristically splits into broad sheets. Don’t write off slate as solely for the rustic, rugged look, as dramatic dark grey and natural green honed varieties create a slick, modern vibe. A textured or riven surface is more traditional. It is sound and solid underfoot, and will not fade or flake with wear

Need to know Chipped-edge slate is softer than diamond-sawn, so needs to be waxed and polished in addition to normal sealing

Granite is the hardest and most durable of stones, making it the perfect choice for kitchen floors. Once molten, like lava, granite is a hard igneous rock, solidified millions of years ago and mainly made up of mica, quartz and feldspar. With bold, natural markings, it comes in a fantastic palette of colours from silver-flecked white to inky black and speckled brown, green and gold. The look is glossy, glam and high-luxe

Need to know Low-maintenance and heat-resistant, quartz minerals contained in the rock give granite its characteristic sparkle

Marble starts life as a limestone, but great pressure transforms it into a hard, crystalline rock that can be worked and polished. With a cool, smooth surface, marble offers a vast spectrum of colours – from classic black and white stones to beige, gold, chocolate and rich ochre-red – usually with contrasting mineral veining. Mostly polished, it can be honed for a velvet-smooth finish and antiqued to give an older look to a floor

Need to know Porous and much more delicate than granite, marble can scratch, stain and etch easily, so must be sealed regularly with a professional stone sealer

Travertine is formed from the deposits left behind by natural mineral springs, resulting in a honeycombed structure with visible surface pits and holes. These can be left unfilled for a naturally pitted finish or filled with a stone resin for a sleeker look. Colours range from vibrant coral and red to more neutral cream, fawn and walnut, while the surface can be polished, honed, brushed or tumbled

Need to know Vein-cut travertine has a striking banded appearance, giving a dramatic look to floors

Sandstone is a coarse-grained sedimentary rock commonly characterised by a granular surface. Colours are generally earthy, ranging from neutral sandy hues to deep burgundy-browns and grey. Sandstone flag­stones are a popular choice for outdoors

Need to know A hard, porous stone that requires thorough impregnation and surface sealing before using internally

Fabulous fakes

Porcelain and ceramic tiles that look like natural stone are becoming ever more popular. Made from a blend of clays, fired and glazed to produce hardwearing, durable and practical tiles, they are preferred in many situations to the real thing, simply because of the minimal maintenance required. A full-bodied coloured porcelain is a super-tough, non-porous tile with the colour running throughout, while a coated ceramic tile, though still durable and low-maintenance, tends to chip, and the veneer will wear from exposure to natural sunlight and harsh cleaning chemicals.

Terracotta is a great alternative to natural stone too. Made from a clay which is moulded and then fired to produce tiles, it is a warm, practical flooring, brilliant for kitchens. The clay is either moulded by hand, for a more rustic feel, or machine-moulded for a more consistent finish. Colours include rich russet through to mellow gold and even a black version. Terracotta is very porous and requires thorough sealing and the highest level of maintenance compared to other floor tiles. This includes total impregnation with a mix of oil and white spirit, surface waxing and a finishing coat of sealant. A presealed terracotta has been developed, making installation and maintenance easier than ever