Hospitality Furniture

If you’ve been designing for business owners who want sturdy, attractive furniture, you know that it can sometimes be a challenge to get both of those qualities in the same item. With more businesses offering outdoor eating, the sturdiness is doubly important. Have you considered granite?

Granite is extremely hard and resistant to just about everything, being a blend of feldspar, quartz and mica. It looks a bit like marble, but is actually much stronger. Marble can be scored by glass and knives; granite can’t.

But enough about geology. As a designer, granite is a neat material to work with because of its natural appearance and versatility. Granite comes in a range of colors, from white to black, and even brown, pink, green and blue. Lighter granites have more quartz in them, and tend to be more porous. Dark granites are denser and tougher. All granite is resistant to common acidic liquids, like lemon juice and vinegar. This is good news for restaurant and bistro owners who want their contract bar tables to stay attractive over time.

Granite tabletops always remind me of antiques. My grandmother has a fine pair of granite-topped end tables that really add a touch of class to her living room. Anyone who wants a bit of old-world charm would do well with granite accents. Granite also blends well with natural, outdoor settings. Of course, you can also find contemporary designs in granite.

Caring for granite surfaces is very easy, since practically nothing can harm it. Since it is a heavy stone, though, you’ll want to take extra care with its transport. If someone drops this dense material, it will probably break. If someone drops it on their foot, they can anticipate a trip to the doctor!

Various colors of granite can be viewed here. To learn more about the stone itself, try Wikipedia. They have excellent information on this topic.