Man made quartz is a very popular choice for countertops, and I often help clients select quartz for kitchens, bathrooms and bars. Lately, though, every time I go shopping with clients for countertop materials, I’m drawn to “Fantasy” types of natural quartzite. The flowing appearance and the beautiful variation of colors is so appealing and organic.
Quartzite is a natural material. This description from MSI (MS International, Inc.) is very comprehensive: “Quartzite is a very hard metamorphic rock that originated as sandstone. Through a process of high heating and pressurization sandstone is transformed into Quartzite, an extremely strong and durable natural stone. When heated, individual quartz pieces recrystallize giving it a beautiful and decorative sparkling pattern. Quartzite is ideal for any countertop surface due to its strength and long-lasting composition.”
I recently specified Fantasy Brown for a ground level kitchen and bar for a recreation room/media room. It came out beautifully and it really fit the masculine tone of the room. We used a light gray-brown luxury vinyl plank as the flooring material (it was a coastal project where there’s a remote chance of flooding, and the luxury vinyl plank definitely made sense instead of hardwood). With nutmeg brown stained cabinets, the Fantasy Brown quartzite was just right.
A beautiful example of Fantasy Brown. Photo courtesy of MSI
Fantasy Green is another favorite that I recently spec’d for a kitchen renovation project. In combination with white cabinets and brushed nickel hardware, it looked great. It complements gray, sage green or white tile very nicely.
Gorgeous slabs of Fantasy Green. Photo courtesy of Stone Contact
Fantasy Blue is in the line up for a beautiful project that I’m working on, for a powder room with a unique, custom tile mosaic floor in a wave pattern, and a custom wall mounted vanity. Fantasy Blue will be the perfect complement to the natural materials in the mosaic floor and the painted white vanity cabinet. It naturally looks like ocean waves!
One variation of Fantasy Blue. Photo courtesy of Marble & Granite