Natural Stone Majority Favorite Among NKBA Design Competition Finalists

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Marble Institute of America
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cleveland, Ohio — April 11, 2011 — If there was ever any doubt that natural stone is still the preferred countertop material for award-winning kitchens and baths, the list of finalists in a nationwide competition for kitchen and bath designers and their choices for stone should put that to rest. Among the twenty four projects selected as finalists for the National Kitchen and Bath Association's annual design competition, almost 2/3 (62.5%) included natural stone for one or more of the countertop surfaces. For kitchens alone, the number was 100%. The finalists were selected from more than 500 entries from across the United States and Canada.

Eleven of the fifteen entries that used natural stone specified granite countertops, while three used marble alone or in combination with granite. Two designers specified natural quartzite in their kitchen entries. Materials used in the eight non-natural stone projects were: three solid surface, two each wood or engineered stone and one cast concrete. Countertop materials were not identified on the balance of the entries.

"These results again reinforce the inherent beauty, durability, functionality and safety of all types of natural stone in kitchen and bath environments. The fact that a majority of designers continue to make granite and other natural stones their first choice for kitchen and bath applications is extremely noteworthy," said Gary Distelhorst, executive vice president of the Marble Institute of America. "We congratulate all of the finalists, but obviously commend the finalists using natural stone for their selection of stone over other surface materials."

Finalists in the NKBA competition were selected in nine categories, including small, medium, large and open plan kitchens, small, medium and large bathrooms, powder rooms and showrooms.

The NKBA praised the designers for their "inherent talent and practiced skill and with an appreciation reserved for fine art." The winning designs will be announced at NKBA's national kitchen and bath show (KBIS) at the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 26, 2011.

Design finalists were reported in the April 2011 issue of "Kitchen & Bath Design News."

About the Marble Institute of America
For over 65 years the Marble Institute of America (MIA) has been the world's leading information resource and advocate for the natural dimension stone industry. MIA members include marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, and other natural stone producers and quarriers, fabricators, installers, distributors, and contractors around the world.