COUNTER INTELLIGENCE — Cont’d from page 37
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.
EVEN QUARTZ WILL BE SOON BE FACING SOME COMPETITION. THE CONTENDER? PORCELAIN.
Cont’d on page 40
38 Parade of Homes SPRING 2023
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