Black soapstone kitchen in Oak Park, Illinois.

Black soapstone on a kitchen counter, cut to wrap the apron sink. The stone soft, warm, and built to deepen with use.

Soapstone is dense and non-porous, so it never needs sealing and takes a hot pan without damage. It is soft, so it scratches and darkens with use; mineral oil evens the color and light scratches sand out. An Oak Park kitchen, in Cook County.

Kitchen countertop · apron sink

Counter cut to fit the apron sink, with the back edge meeting the patterned tile cleanly. Faucet hole drilled to the supply line.

River Forest · Forest Park · Elmwood Park · Berwyn · Chicago