"We are finding that more are going for more natural stones," Sorrell said.
"Soapstone never needs to be sealed. It is very, very dense," Sorrell said of the gray-toned velvety stone. "It scratches easily but can be sanded."
And some people take to slate, which is quarried domestically and also needs no sealing, she said.
"Everyone wants marble when they see this," Cox's Palmer said, pointing to milky-white Carrara marble.
The first thing she tells customers is that if they'd be devastated by every stain, chip and etching of the surface, forget marble. Soft and porous, it is marred by spills that are not immediately cleaned up and must be sealed twice a year. Some people get it for an island only, and others like the look of worn marble. Its cousin, limestone, is even less durable, Palmer said.
In redoing the kitchen of their Baltimore home with Cox, Tom and Pat LeCompte decided they wanted a carefree surface and didn't want to think about the occasional sealing that granite requires or the possibility of marring natural stone. They chose Silestone, which is in the same price range as many granites.
The quartz product has captured the bulk of the U.S. market in engineered stone and needs no sealing. The LeComptes' pattern has small swirls of beiges, greens and flecks of ivory and charcoal - a warm palette without the variation of granite.
"It's called Tea Leaf - tan with a lot of colors in it. It just appealed to us right off," Tom LeCompte said.
"We put it in a month ago. I love it," he said.
A new line features bright solids. Among other engineered surfaces, CaesarStone added the Concetto line, made with semiprecious stones; Zodiaq created a Terra Collection, which features recycled glass; and Cambria fashioned the Desert Collection, which has a sandlike look.
Gaining popularity locally for its price and customization is concrete.
Steve Eyler, owner of the concrete fabricator Eycon in Myersville, uses recycled glass fibers and aggregates to give his product strength and provide customization.
He's inlaid everything from bits of copper that develop a patina with age to chunks of glass. He's molded in duck footprints creating a path across the counter and blended countertop colors to match the kitchen.
"You can get original work," he said. But concrete is porous, so he applies a penetrating sealer.
