Fireplace Surround · Green Soapstone · Gold Coast, Chicago

Green soapstone fireplace in the Gold Coast, Chicago.

Green soapstone on a pass-through fireplace surround. The stone's natural green carrying the sage millwork — soapstone returning to one of its oldest uses, where it absorbs and holds the heat.

Soapstone is dense and heat-tolerant, which is why it has been used around fireplaces and stoves for centuries: it absorbs heat and releases it slowly. A home in Chicago's Gold Coast.

Scope

Pass-through fireplace surround · lintel · side jambs

Design notes

Lintel and side jambs cut from related sections of the slab. Stone returned through the firebox opening to finish both sides of the pass-through.

Details

LocationGold Coast, Chicago

RoomFireplace

MaterialGreen Soapstone

Also serving

Lincoln Park · Streeterville · River North · Old Town · Chicago

Green soapstone: what to know

Soapstone is a soft, dense natural stone that never needs sealing. It is non-porous and heat-proof, so hot pans go straight on it, and lemon or wine will not etch it. What it does do is scratch and darken with use. Scratches sand out and oil away, and most people who choose soapstone want exactly that: a surface that keeps the record of the kitchen.

Around a fireplace, soapstone is a natural fit: it is heat-proof and has been used near fire for centuries.

Common questions

Does soapstone scratch?

Yes. It is a soft stone and it will pick up marks, but light scratches sand out and oil away easily.

Does soapstone need sealing?

No. Soapstone is non-porous, so it never needs sealing, and kitchen acids do not etch it.

Green soapstone fireplace in the Gold Coast, Chicago.

Green soapstone: what to know

Choose your slab before anything is cut.