The short answer
Choose polished where you want shine and the strongest colour, in dry rooms and on walls. Choose honed where you want a calm matt look and more grip: bathrooms, kitchens and homes with elders. Choose leather to hide fingerprints and water marks on dark granite. Outdoors, choose flamed, rough or natural finishes for grip when wet.
Key takeaways
- Polished for shine in dry rooms; honed for calm and grip; leather to hide marks on dark granite.
- Outdoors, choose flamed, rough or natural finishes for grip when wet.
- A stone page lists the finishes a stone can take. Check availability before you decide.
Advice for you
Tell us who you are and we will show you what matters most in this guide.
I am building or renovating my home
If elders or small children live with you, choose honed or textured finishes in bathrooms, kitchens and on outdoor steps. Keep polished for living rooms and walls.
Book a visit to see full slabsI am an architect or interior designer
Finish changes how a stone reads in a room as much as colour does. Ask for samples in the finishes you are considering so the client sees them under their own light.
Request samples for a clientI am a contractor or builder
Agree the finish for each area in writing, including steps and nosings. Polished floors can be honed on site later; textured finishes cannot be made smooth.
Work out quantitiesI live outside Bengaluru
Finishes are hard to judge on screen. Ask us to show the slab at an angle to the light on the video call, or ask us about a sample.
Choose slabs on a video call| Finish | Look | Grip when wet | Where it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polished | Glossy; strongest colour | Low | Living rooms, walls, granite counters |
| Honed | Matt or satin | Medium | Bathrooms, kitchens, busy floors |
| Leather | Soft sheen, textured | Medium to good | Dark granite counters, steps |
| Flamed or rough | Coarse, lighter colour | High | Driveways, porches, outdoor steps |
| Natural or sandblasted | Matt, textured | High | Paving, paths, pool surrounds |
Which finish suits which stone?
- Polished Calacatta for a living-room floor or feature wall.
- Honed Botticino or Classic Beige Travertine for a bathroom.
- Leather Black Galaxy or Absolute Black for a kitchen counter.
- Natural Rainbow Sandstone for a garden path.
A stone page lists the finishes that stone can take. That is not a promise of stock: check availability for the stone and finish you want. Each finish has its own page, starting with polished and honed.
