Although 500 years have passed since the construction of the Palladian villas of Italy’s Veneto region, this architectural style is still a source of inspiration in the design world. The ‘V House’ features a contemporary Palladian style and is a stunning tribute to the use of natural stone.

“We knew Lori would appreciate the challenge of creating her signature textural effect in natural stone, and that she would help us deliver a fresh design carved in classic favorites like Bianco Carrara and Bardiglio marble,” says Nancy Epstein, founder and CEO of Artistic Tile. The resulting collections are organic, nature-inspired, super tactile, and very dimensional, either in actuality or visually.

It can be difficult to find reliable information about the practical properties of different types of countertop surfaces. In a quest to bring more data-driven information to the countertop industry, this article offers side-by-side performance testing of four categories of materials.