Polished, Honed, or Leathered: Choosing the Best Granite Countertop Finish

For thousands of years now we have seen granite featured in sculptural to structural designs and we continue to rely on its beauty, durability, and strength when designing our homes. Granite, whether used in the kitchen or the bathroom, can elevate the look and feel of a room given you choose the right color and finish. 

But it would be ignorant to assume that picking the right finish for your design is limited to being an aesthetic choice given that the decision can affect the care, maintenance, and lifespan as well. To make a well-informed and calculated decision let’s compare the three most popular granite countertop finishes— polished, honed, and leathered.  

And although known for being one of the strongest natural materials, the finish you choose can affect the care and lifespan of your granite countertop. Considering granite is a natural stone, it requires consistent maintenance like sealing to keep it rejuvenated and help it be the best version of itself for years to come.  

The Process of Achieving Granite Finishes 

An automated conveyor system takes the granite slab through various finishing stages to achieve the desired finish. The process uses everything from polishing wheels to diamond head brushes and water jets to create the look you desire. The type of finish depends on the step you stop the finishing process at.  

Polished Granite Finish 

The most popular granite kitchen counter finish, polished finish, best accentuates the color, depth, and unique characteristics of the granite. It features a shiny and smooth surface and a glossy, mirror-like look which is brought about by buffing the stone with fine polishing pads. This also makes the stone appear slightly darker and richer.  

How to care: 

To achieve the glossy polished finish, most pores of granite are sealed, making it easier to clean than any other finish.  The shiny finish also helps resist stains and keep bacteria away, all the while repelling water and moisture as well. This finishing does not require resealing as often since the surface is far less porous than any other finish, and its shine will stay the put for years. 

Honed Granite Finish 

Honed finishes are slowly gaining momentum, especially for contemporary spaces. They feature a smooth premium surface that has no bumps but lacks the polished, glossy reflection. The satin or matte look is achieved by stopping the finishing process just before the granite slab becomes buffed. Here, the darker granite colors will appear lighter and turn out more gray.  

How to care: 

Honed granite requires a bit more care and maintenance despite its smooth finish. It is more porous as compared to the polished version and hence is potentially more susceptible to stains, dark spots, and discoloration from food and drink spills. Plus, anything acidic can lead to etching. To keep spills or water from getting absorbed into the stone, a honed finish will require resealing more often— annually at the very least if not every few months.  

A honed surface displays fingerprints, grease, and dust much more evidently and so to get rid of water spots and other visible messes, a daily wipe down using a damp cloth and then thorough drying of the countertop is required. 

Leathered Granite Finish  

Leathered finishes are gaining traction in design. The newer style features a soft sheen that is not as polished but showcases a textured appearance. Diamond-tipped brushes are run on top of honed granite to achieve the stone’s subtle, dimple-liked texture.

How to care: 

If you do not like cleanup as much, a leathered finish is your answer. The textured nature of leather does a good job of hiding fingerprints, smudges, water spots, and even crumbs for that matter. The stain resistance factor is stronger here as compared to the honed finish. But the con here is that if you do end up damaging it, it may be more difficult to replicate the finish, so you will have to refinish a larger area or the whole countertop.

Which Finish is The Best for You?

When choosing the granite countertop for your kitchen, give attention to the maintenance it needs (while keeping your lifestyle in mind), other than the look and the color richness you are going for. Also, know that there are limitations to color choices when it comes to honed or leather finish considering the integrity of the slab might get sacrificed due to the number of minerals present in the granite.  

The classic polished granite counters are beautiful, practical, and elegant. Practical because they are more durable and if you love to cook, you would be delighted to know that the stone surface resists stains, scratches, and heat. When we say polished finish, think of a large island that can be easily turned into a chic dining space or transformed into a grub hub for parties. 

Talking of honed and leathered finishes, both are becoming increasingly popular for darker tones. Although both are durable, which is better between the two is still a question of great debate. 

While honed granite offers a more subtle appearance, it might be more susceptible to staining. Others claim that leathered finish is easier to take care of and provides a textured look and feel. The two textured are wildly different and hence it is a good idea to see and feel the samples in person.

Every popular granite finish comes with its own pros and cons, so when you are renovating your forever home, you might not want to bank on something more than just a much-needed modern update or a quick flip. 

And lastly, granite is a high-performance natural stone regardless of the finish you end up selecting. Pick the one that best suits the style and design of the kitchen or bathroom.