I spent a total of nearly five years as an editor at Martha Stewart magazines—Weddings and, later, Living—and what I remember most about my time there were my colleagues’ copious creative talents and near-religious commitment to good taste and design.
The team of designers, stylists, crafters, food editors, and other creatives I worked alongside believed in the DIY spirit, in the transformative potential of small details, in the worthwhile pursuit of domestic perfection—and, above all, it seemed to me, in soapstone.
Photograph by Eric Piasecki.
Pros
Former Martha Stewart Living creative director Matthew Axe is also a fellow soapstone adherent.
While I get the no-fuss appeal of Caesarstone and other engineered materials, I far prefer the look of natural quarried stone. I picked a dark gray, almost black, soapstone, but the stone comes in lighter grays as well.
Photograph by Amanda Kirkpatrick, courtesy of Rafe Churchill; styling by Anna Molvik.
The soapstone used in this Scandi farmhouse-style kitchen has a green undertone. See the rest of the house in A Renovated Farmhouse in Bedford, NY, with Scandinavian Influences.
This may not seem like a big deal, but it’s pretty darn great in my book.
Cons
Photograph by Justine Hand, from Kitchen of the Week: Hudson Valley Farmhouse Kitchen Reborn.
I find the patina beautiful in this kitchen, less so in my own.
Soapstone’s softness is sometimes seen as a plus. I don’t know if it’s just our counters, but sometimes even sliding a glass or vase along the surface will result in scratches.
Problem is, the parts that get used the most (for me, that’s the area around the sink and the perimeter of the island where people eat) fade faster, resulting in some areas that are dark and sleek, and others that are lighter and more textured.
Photograph courtesy of Juli Baker, from O Canada: Mjölk’s Renovated Scandi-Style Cabin on a Lake.
A soapstone sink weathering naturally.
It’s difficult to find soapstone slabs in longer lengths, which means that most soapstone countertops will have a seam. The task is more difficult than you think. Then let it soak in overnight before I can put everything back on the counters.
I’m not replacing my soapstone countertops anytime soon. All these years later, I’m still learning to be at peace with the patina in my soapstone.
The Verdict