Homeowners and builders have been opting
for quartz over granite for about a decade
now because quartz is available in more
subtle, trendy styles than its busier natural-
stone competitor.
White quartz countertops with grey veining,
for example, resemble a more unattainable
(aka expensive) Calcutta marble and account
for a large proportion of sales, says Sherritt,
who has been with the company for 27 years.
But of course, the future of countertops isn't
written in stone. Even quartz will be soon be
facing some competition. The contender?
Porcelain.
"Large-format porcelain has been out for five
to 10 years, but it's just starting to become
popular in North America. So that's going
to start stealing market shares from quartz,"
Sherritt says.
Brands such as Infinity are making a huge
statement with stunning porcelain surfaces
created by imprinting images on large-
format tile and running it through a fiery hot
kiln for added durability. The fact that the
tiles can be imprinted with pictures means
there are no design limits.
COUNTER INTELLIGENCE
— Cont'd from page 37
EVEN QUARTZ WILL BE SOON BE
FACING SOME COMPETITION. THE
CONTENDER? PORCELAIN.
Cont'd on page 40
38 Parade of Homes SPRING 2023
