No single stone suits every location. Start from how the space will be used: foot traffic, exposure to water, heat, food acids and sunlight. Colour and veining come after that.
Kitchen countertops and islands
Granite is the safest choice for kitchen worktops thanks to its hardness, heat resistance and scratch resistance. Marble looks softer but can stain and etch from lemon, vinegar and sauces; if you choose marble, seal it and accept that the surface will age with use.
Floors and lobbies
- Busy lobbies and corridors: favour granite or a harder marble with a honed finish to reduce slipperiness.
- Living rooms and bedrooms: polished marble feels refined, but needs the right cleaning and periodic re-polishing.
- Outdoors: choose granite with a flamed or bush-hammered finish for grip.
Bathrooms and washbasins
Marble, travertine and onyx are all popular in bathrooms. Because the room is humid and sees cleaning products every day, seal the surface, use pH-neutral cleaners and choose a honed finish for wet-area floors.
Staircases
Treads take more wear than almost any other surface. Granite or a hard marble lasts well; add anti-slip grooves at the nosing and size the thickness to the span of each tread.
Facades and landscape
Granite and some dense limestones suit exteriors. Avoid light-sensitive stones that fade in direct sun, and ask IBS for the test data of the specific lot before you commit.
Next step
Photos on screen are only a starting point. Every slab has its own tone and veining, so shortlist a few stones in the catalogue, then visit the IBS stone market in Long An to see the real slabs and talk to the technical team.
