MTS Team

What Twin Cities Homeowners Are Actually Choosing

The 2025 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study found that engineered quartz led the field at 39% of renovating homeowners, followed by granite at 19%, quartzite at 11%, and marble at 4%. Porcelain slab is the newcomer climbing fast behind them.

Those numbers are a starting point, not an answer. We have been a family-owned tile and stone resource since 1930, and the right material comes down to how your kitchen gets used, how much light it takes, and what you are willing to maintain.

Quartz: The Default for a Reason

Engineered quartz is non-porous, never needs sealing, and comes in consistent patterns across multiple slabs. For a busy family kitchen with a big island, it is the lowest-friction choice on the list.

Its two weak points are heat and ultraviolet light. The resin binder can scorch under a pan straight off the burner and can shift color with years of direct sun.

Pro Tip: A south or west-facing wall of windows over the counter changes our recommendation. In a sun-flooded kitchen or a three-season porch, we steer clients toward porcelain or granite instead of quartz, because UV stability is a material property you cannot fix later with care.

Granite: Hard, Sealed, and Still Underrated

Granite is an igneous stone, genuinely hard, and highly scratch resistant. It handles hot cookware better than any engineered surface and takes a sealer well.

Every slab is one of a kind, which is the appeal and the catch. Two granite slabs from different bundles will not match, so large kitchens need slabs pulled together. Our natural stone collection is sourced from quarries worldwide, and viewing full slabs is the only honest way to judge movement and color.

A fireplace remodel can change the feel of a room faster than almost any other upgrade.

In many Minnesota homes, the fireplace is where people naturally look first. That makes the surrounding material a design decision that carries real weight. At Minnesota Tile & Stone, we work with homeowners, designers, builders, and remodelers across the greater Minneapolis area, with five Twin Cities locations including Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Lakeville, and Woodbury. We also source, fabricate, and customize products for fireplace projects, which gives clients more flexibility during selection. 

For many remodels, thin stone veneer is one of the most practical choices.

Minnesota Tile & Stone’s veneer page describes thin stone veneer as a lighter material that keeps the natural look of stone while making installation easier on interior walls. The site also notes that it is a strong fit for fireplaces because it is non-combustible and can be installed over existing surfaces, making it a safe and efficient way to create a fireplace surround or chimney feature. 

Start With the Style of the Room

Before you compare colors, start with the room itself.

A tall great room fireplace may need a different look than a low-profile fireplace in a ranch home or condo. Some spaces call for a stone veneer with tight, linear pieces and a cleaner layout. Others benefit from more rugged texture and variation.

If the room already has strong wood grain, exposed beams, or a busy floor pattern, the better choice is often a veneer that brings balance instead of more visual noise. If the rest of the room is quieter, a fireplace with more texture can become the focal point without fighting the rest of the design.

Pro Tip: Take photos of the fireplace wall, nearby flooring, and the main seating area before you shop. This helps narrow the field much faster than looking at stone samples in isolation.

Think About Scale, Not Just Color

One of the most common fireplace mistakes is choosing a veneer style that is out of proportion with the room.

Large-format pieces can look strong and grounded in bigger rooms, but they may feel heavy in smaller spaces. Smaller or more modular pieces often work better when the fireplace wall is narrow or when the room already has a lot going on.

This is where seeing products in person matters. Minnesota Tile & Stone describes itself as a design destination for tile and stone and notes that its showrooms help customers compare specialized products for fireplaces and other projects. 

Compare Natural Look and Installation Practicality

The best stone veneer for fireplace remodels is usually the one that balances appearance with install reality.

Thin veneer gives you the look of stone without the full weight of full-bed masonry. That can simplify the remodel and open up more design options, especially if you are updating an existing fireplace wall instead of building from scratch. Minnesota Tile & Stone also highlights that thin veneer works for both interior and exterior applications, which speaks to its flexibility across different home styles. 

Pro Tip: Ask whether the project will involve corners, returns, or a full-height wall. Those details affect how the veneer should be selected and laid out.

When people ask where to buy natural stone in Minnesota, they often start with the slab alone.

That makes sense, but it is only part of the decision.

A good natural stone project starts with a showroom that helps you compare material type, finish, pattern movement, edge options, and fabrication needs before you commit. Minnesota Tile & Stone positions itself as a long-standing tile and stone source in the Twin Cities, serving homeowners, designers, and contractors since 1930. The company also states that it has five showroom locations, which gives buyers more ways to review materials in person rather than relying on photos alone. 

That matters for buyers in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Woodbury, and Lakeville because natural stone is never a one-size-fits-all purchase. Granite, marble, quartzite, and other stone surfaces all behave differently once they are installed. The earlier you compare those differences, the easier it is to make a choice that fits the room and the way you live. Minnesota Tile & Stone’s natural stone page and broader countertops page are useful starting points for that process. 

Pro tip: Bring cabinet, flooring, and paint samples with you when you visit a showroom. Natural stone can look very different depending on the finishes and lighting around it.

Review Full Slabs, Not Just Samples, Before You Buy Natural Stone

One of the biggest mistakes buyers make is choosing natural stone from a small sample.

A small sample can show the color family, but it rarely tells you how the full slab will move across a large island, long kitchen run, fireplace surround, or bathroom vanity. Veining, tonal shifts, and pattern flow are what make natural stone appealing in the first place, so you need to see more than a corner piece before making a final call.

Minnesota Tile & Stone makes that easier by offering a digital slab inventory where buyers can review available slab options and filter by material, type, finish, and size. That is especially helpful for homeowners and designers who want to narrow down options before visiting a showroom or planning fabrication. 

The company also notes on its natural stone page that each slab of granite, marble, quartzite, and other natural stones is one of a kind. That is exactly why reviewing a full slab matters. Two pieces in the same material family may not deliver the same finished result once fabricated. 

Pro tip: If the stone has strong movement or veining, ask to review how the slab will be laid out before fabrication begins. This helps you avoid surprises on islands, backsplashes, and waterfall edges.

You can also use Minnesota Tile & Stone’s showroom experience page and locations and hours page to plan an in-person visit.