Masonry kitchens

Stone Kitchen: Natural, Lava, Marble or Refractory Stone

For Michelessi SRL, stonemasons in Aprilia since 1976, a stone kitchen is a kitchen in which stone is not only the worktop but the structure: blocks of refractory stone fitted together dry, with a worktop in marble, travertine or granite and doors in wood. It has the look of a masonry kitchen, but the structure is dry-fitted, with no mortar or cement.

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What a stone kitchen is

For Michelessi SRL, stonemasons in Aprilia since 1976, between Rome and Latina, a stone kitchen is a kitchen in which stone is not a cladding but the material the kitchen is made of: the worktop, the upstand, the sink and, in the kitchens we build, the structure that holds everything up. We build it from blocks of refractory stone fitted together dry, with a worktop in marble, travertine or granite and doors in wood.

Search for "stone kitchen" and you will find three different things:

A kitchen with a stone worktop: a fitted kitchen in wood or chipboard with only the work surface in marble, granite or quartzite.
A kitchen clad in stone: a frame of wooden panels, plasterboard or lightweight blocks covered with stone slabs or tiles. It is what the market often calls "faux masonry".
A kitchen built in stone: the structure itself is stone, block upon block, and the worktop is cut in the same workshop. This is the Michelessi kitchen.

If you arrived here looking for a masonry kitchen, you will find a kitchen of the same look, built with a different material: refractory stone.

Kitchen top and upstand in rose marble with grey shading and carved marble sink

Rose-Grey Top

The stone has the colour of a discreet sunset: rose marble, shaded with grey, dresses the counter and rises into the matching upstand, wrapping the working zone in a warm tonality that softens the light. The sink, also cut from marble, is hollowed from the material with gently sloping walls: a single gesture of stone, from counter to basin, interrupted only by the silver neck of the mixer. Beside it, the recessed gas burners; below, dark base units lending depth to the composition. Carving a sink from marble is among the highest proofs of bespoke stonework: one hollows without haste, joins the surfaces, treats the depths so the water runs and the stone stays sound through the years. It is the craft Michelessi preserves and renews, with a rare sensitivity for uncommon tonalities: a rose-grey top like this is never forgotten, because it resembles no other — exactly as it should be.

Sink area with black mixer tap, stone-effect splashback and pale framed doors

The Black Tap Against a Ground of Stone

Light enters from the side and kindles the stone-effect splashback, warm and textural as an ancient wall; against this backdrop the black mixer stands out with its decisive silhouette, bent over the wide dark basin of the sink. Below, framed doors in a pale finish with burnished handles; above, dark wood wall units close the composition like the frame of a painting. A pale jug and dried flowers add the domestic note, the one that turns a fine project into a home. The sink area is the industrious heart of every indoor kitchen: one returns to it dozens of times a day, and it is there that materials show their temper. In Michelessi modular kitchens every surface is chosen to resist and to last, from technical worktops to made-to-measure marble: Italian craftsmanship has a single rule — beauty, to be true, must know how to work.

Cream kitchen with grey veined marble-effect splashback, wooden boards and ceramic vases

Boards and Ceramics on a Ground of Grey Stone

The grey marble-effect splashback, crossed by dark veins like winter branches, forms the backdrop to a domestic still life: wooden boards leaning against the wall, worked ceramic vases, a plant entering the frame with its freshness. Above, wall units with glass fronts; below, cream framed doors with discreet handles and a stone-effect worktop. Everything in this image speaks of gentle layering: materials overlapping without collision, as in a house that has had time to become itself. Michelessi indoor kitchens are born to receive this life: surfaces that stand up to daily work, finishes that age well, and the freedom to choose every element to measure, from splashback to worktop, up to authentic marble worked with mastery. Because the perfect kitchen is not the glossy one: it is the one that resembles you. And every object you set upon it will find, as in this image, its natural place.

Classic white kitchen with veined marble top, brass lanterns and velvet stools

Indoor Kitchen in Wood 174

This is the classic at its most luminous: white framed doors rise to the ceiling, veined marble counters spread their grey, moving light across island and perimeter, and two brass lanterns descend in strict geometry above grey velvet stools. The cooking zone deploys a professional steel range beneath a clad hood; twin refrigerators hold the far wall, pale cladding rises softly around them. Fully equipped, this is a kitchen conceived for entertaining: generous surfaces, scenographic light, materials that bear close inspection. Veined marble is the tactile protagonist: counters worked to measure, refined edges, exact cut-outs — the quality you recognise as you set the table. It is the Michelessi repertoire in stone: Italian craftsmanship in the service of a classic white style that, done like this, never goes out of fashion. The lanterns, meanwhile, do their own work: they enchant.

Elegant white kitchen with island with veined travertine waterfall top and sink

Indoor Kitchen in Wood 37

Lamps of black metal geometry descend like small suspended sculptures: beneath them, the island carries a veined travertine top that falls in a waterfall along its flank — pale stone, crossed by grey waves, signing the project with its natural elegance. Glossy white bases, a wooden niche with wall units, black-framed glazing that separates without closing: every element keeps to the register of elegant white design the project declares. A dark table carries the conviviality onward beside the kitchen, complete with sink and every appliance. This is the luminous contemporary of houses that love formal purity but will not give up true material: travertine, worked to measure with joints executed to the letter, gives the white its depth. This is the hand of Michelessi in stone: Italian craftsmanship that turns an island into a signed piece — to be used, every day, without ceremony.

Poolside outdoor kitchen island clad in white stone with built-in stainless steel appliances

White Stone Aglow on the Water

Evening settles on the hills and the pool lights up with reflections: at its edge, the island spreads its cladding of white stone in slender courses, luminous even in the half-dark, and a dark counter where the bottles await the toast. Built-in steel appliances punctuate the front — drawers, doors, satin surfaces gathering the last of the light — ready to serve the night now beginning.

Dining table on a terrace at sunset with stone-effect outdoor kitchen and green landscape beyond

Dinner Facing the Horizon

The dark table is laid with restraint — glasses, white flowers, pale seating — and beyond its line the eye travels to the stone-effect kitchen resting against the house, its lamp already lit and bottles ready on the counter. Further still, the lawn stretches towards the horizon in an evening that is changing colour. This photograph tells the simplest and most precious promise of an outdoor kitchen: to dine outside, at home, with everything needed a few steps away and the landscape as the only boundary.

Budget outdoor kitchen with sink, log shelves in wooden crates and round grill, in the green

The White Line of Firewood and Herbs

The thin smoke rising from the round grill tells that here one truly cooks. The long white refractory stone line spreads its open bays, where wooden crates order the firewood and turn the supply into decoration; on the counter, pots of aromatic herbs wait to perfume the cooking, beside the sink that serves the brigade. In front, wooden decking; behind, the lawn running to the trees.

Budget outdoor kitchen in dark stone with built-in barbecue and steel doors

Dark Stone Framing the Steel

Blocks of dark stone, laid with the knowledge of important walls, compose a structure that seems risen from the ground: into this solid mass are set the steel doors, the drawers and the barbecue with its hood, like precious instruments guarded within the rock. Contrast is the heart of the project: rough, ancient stone and smooth, contemporary steel, each more beautiful beside the other. Pale slab paving and the blurred green behind complete the scene with sobriety.

Outdoor kitchen with wood-fired barbecue, black hood, sink and wooden doors, beneath a pergola

The Black Hood Beneath the Slatted Pergola

The slatted pergola filters the light and lets it fall in stripes across the grey stone of the kitchen: at the centre reigns the great black hood, descending over the wood-fired barbecue ready for the embers, while the peninsula advances with its generous counter and wooden doors warm the bases with their golden rhythm. The sink waits at the side, plants dot the counters, and the pale paving keeps everything in order. It is a corner that mingles the rigour of refractory stone and the warmth of wood with Mediterranean ease.

The next step

Found your kitchen?

Tell us which one feels closest: we redraw it to your measurements, in the marble or stone you prefer, and send you the design and the quotation free of charge.

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Stone kitchen or masonry kitchen: the difference

A masonry kitchen is built from bricks or aerated concrete blocks bound with mortar or cement, then plastered and tiled. A Michelessi stone kitchen is built from blocks of refractory stone fitted together dry, with no mortar and no cement in the structure. The shape is the same: side walls, bays for the appliances, niches, a continuous worktop, wooden doors. What changes is inside.

We do not build in masonry for a simple reason: heat, water and frost do their work precisely in the mortar and the joints.

Heat: cement mortar crumbles above 300-400 °C; a refractory is made to sit next to the fire.
Water: renders and screeds shrink as they dry and, held back by the wall, crack; a dry joint has no building water to dry out.
Frost: water that enters the grout freezes and expands by about 9%.

That is why we say: what you call a masonry kitchen, we build in refractory stone. The full comparison, with the table and the technical sources, is on the page masonry or refractory stone.

The stones of the kitchen: marble, travertine, granite, lava, refractory

There is no single right stone for a kitchen: there is the right stone for each part of the kitchen. The worktop asks for resistance to stains and hot pans; the structure asks for stability under heat and water; outdoors everything has to stand up to rain, sun and frost.

Stone	Where it goes	Indoors	Outdoors	Worth knowing
Marble (Calacatta, Carrara, Statuario, Nero Marquina, Botticino)	Worktop, upstand, integrated sink, cladding	Yes	With care	Dislikes acids and hot pans; outdoors it dislikes frost and sudden changes of temperature
Travertine	Worktop, cladding, flooring	Yes	Yes	The stone of Rome; needs filling and sealing
Granite and quartzite	Worktop	Yes	Yes	Hard, compact stones; suited to outdoor kitchens too
Lava stone	Worktop, exposed side panels	Yes	Yes	Volcanic rock from Mount Etna, left rough-cut or glazed; for the structure we use refractory blocks
Sintered stone (Dekton, Laminam)	Worktop	Yes	Yes	Not a natural stone: a slab compacted at high temperature
Refractory stone	Structure; cooking chamber of ovens and barbecues	Yes	Yes	Withstands temperatures above 538 °C for long periods (ASTM C71); manufacturers declare resistance beyond 1,000 °C; laid dry, with no mortar to hold water

Marble: the worktop of the stone kitchen

Marble is the stone of the worktop. Michelessi chooses the slabs one by one and cuts them in the Aprilia workshop on numerically controlled machines, finishing by hand. Calacatta, with grey and gold veins on a white ground, is the choice for light, modern kitchens; Nero Marquina, black with white veins, gives character to dark kitchens or to contrasts with wood; Carrara, Statuario and Botticino complete the range, described in the marbles section.

Marble calls for honesty. It is a calcareous stone: it dislikes acids (lemon, vinegar, wine), it stains if spills are not wiped at once, and it suffers from boiling pans set straight on the surface. The care, step by step, is further down, in the section on how a stone kitchen is cleaned.

Travertine: the stone of Rome

Travertine is the stone of Rome's monuments and of the farmhouses of Lazio. It has a warm colour, from ivory white to walnut, and a porous surface that is filled and sealed. In the kitchen it suits the worktop of rustic and country kitchens, the cladding and the floor, indoors and out.

Granite and quartzite: the hard stones

Granite and quartzite are hard, compact natural stones. They stand up to hot pans, knives and acids better than marble, and outdoors they take rain, sun and frost with little care. They are the worktop we recommend for outdoor kitchens and for those who cook a great deal. You will find them among the natural stones of the workshop.

Lava stone, Lecce stone, soapstone

"Lava stone kitchen" is a frequent search. Lava stone is the volcanic rock of Mount Etna: in Sicily it is used for worktops that are often glazed and painted by hand. Michelessi works it rough-cut for the exposed side panels of outdoor kitchens, or glazed for a coloured worktop. Soapstone, dark grey with green tones, is the stone of stoves: Michelessi offers it as slabs and blocks made to measure for interiors. We work Lecce stone, a pale limestone from Salento, mainly for floors. For the structure that stands up to the fire of a barbecue or an oven, however, the choice remains blocks of refractory stone.

Sintered stone: when natural stone is not enough

Sintered stone (Dekton, Laminam) is not a quarried stone: it is a slab of minerals compacted at high temperature. It absorbs very little, copes well with acids and with the heat of pans, and is used outdoors too.

Refractory stone: the structure

Refractory stone is a non-metallic material that withstands temperatures above 538 °C for long periods (ASTM C71 standard): manufacturers declare resistance beyond 1,000 °C; aluminosilicate oven refractories reach 1,100-1,200 °C. It is the stone of bread and pizza ovens: it heats slowly, stores the heat and gives it back evenly. Michelessi brings it from the oven to the whole kitchen: the blocks, fitted together dry, form the side walls, bases, niches and the body of barbecues and ovens. The cooking chamber of the barbecue, and the dome and arch of the oven, are in refractory bricks, laid according to the refractory manufacturer's instructions; the whole structure around them is dry-fitted.

Two clarifications. Even refractory stone is heated gradually at the first firings, as oven and barbecue manufacturers prescribe. And we do not claim that the stone is immune to everything: the advantage of the dry structure is that there are no mortars, screeds or renders, which are the materials that hold water and that frost splits. If a block chips after years of use, it slides out and is replaced without touching the others.

One last distinction, for those who search for "refractory stone kitchen": the refractory stone sold for pizza is the same kind of material, but a different thing. It is a plate, often of cordierite or fireclay, that is set in a home oven to store heat and cook the base. Ours are building blocks: they are not set inside an oven, they are fitted dry into a structure.

Where each stone goes: structure, worktop, doors and sink

A Michelessi stone kitchen is made of four parts, each with its own material.

Structure: Blocks of refractory stone fitted together dry. No mortar, no cement, no render in the structure: it goes up without wet trades.
Worktop and upstand: Marble, travertine, granite, quartzite or sintered stone, cut in the workshop to the dimensions of the 3D design. The same material continues into the upstand, so there is less of a joint to clean between worktop and wall.
Sink: Integrated into the worktop, carved from the same slab or from a matching one. It is a possibility of slab worktops: with a tiled worktop the grout lines around the bowl remain. In outdoor kitchens the sink can be in steel, like the grills and the technical parts.
Doors: Solid or veneered wood, framed or flat; hinges, runners and finishes are described on the page doors, hinges and finishes.

The worktop is set between 85 and 95 cm from the floor, according to the height of the person who cooks; the bays are sized on the appliances chosen before building, with the ventilation grilles the manufacturer requires.

Indoor stone kitchen

Indoors, a stone kitchen has the look of the masonry kitchen, but not its structure: dry-fitted blocks of refractory stone, a marble worktop, wooden doors. It is the formula of the indoor kitchen Francesca, with a refractory stone structure, a marble worktop and wooden doors. Inside the home, real heat is only around the oven and the hob; the everyday enemy is water: steam from the pan, splashes from the sink, condensation behind the fridge. In a masonry kitchen these end up in the grout and the porous low walls; in a dry stone kitchen there are no mortars that absorb and no renders that swell.

The style is decided by the worktop and the wood. A Calacatta worktop with flat, pale doors gives a modern kitchen; a travertine worktop with framed chestnut doors gives a rustic or country kitchen; all white, pale stone and lacquered doors, is the white kitchen. The possible layouts, from the single run to the kitchen with an island, are on the layouts page.

Rustic, antique or modern stone kitchen

Those who search for "masonry kitchen in stone" or "rustic masonry kitchen in stone" are in fact looking for what we achieve with stone: an exposed stone structure, not a plastered and tiled wall. An antique stone kitchen, in the farmhouse style, is born of travertine, framed doors and curtains; a modern stone kitchen is born of a Calacatta or quartzite worktop, flat doors and a structure left visible.

Outdoor stone kitchen

Outdoors, stone is at home, provided the right one is chosen. For the worktop we recommend granite, quartzite or sintered stone, and travertine for those who want a warm colour; marble can be used, knowing that outdoors it dislikes sudden changes of temperature and frost and asks for more care. The structure is in blocks of refractory stone; steel is used for grills, sink and technical parts. In barbecues the cooking chamber, and in ovens the dome and arch, are in refractory bricks, laid according to the refractory manufacturer's instructions; the whole structure around them is dry-fitted.

This is where the difference from masonry shows first: outdoors the mortar joints sit under the fire of the wood, the rain and the frost of winter all at once, whereas a dry structure expands freely and, if need be, is repaired block by block. What the first winter does to a masonry barbecue is explained at length on the page barbecue. The subject is also covered on the pages outdoor kitchen and wood-fired oven; the models with a barbecue and oven in refractory stone are on the barbecues and ovens page and among the outdoor kitchens, to be covered with a pergola.

Stone and wood kitchen

Stone and wood are the classic pairing of the stone kitchen: a mineral structure and worktop, doors and drawers in solid wood. Wood suffers from water. On a masonry site the doors are fitted next to mortars and renders that release moisture as they dry; on a dry structure there is no building water and the wood sits on a dry base. Walnut, oak, chestnut and ash, natural or lacquered, are described on the page about stone and wood kitchens.

How a stone kitchen is cleaned and how long it lasts

A stone kitchen lasts a lifetime, if each stone does the right job, and each part asks for its own care.

The marble worktop: care step by step

Wipe up at once. Wine, oil, coffee and juices are blotted with a soft cloth as soon as they fall, without rubbing: marble is calcareous and absorbs whatever stays on the surface for long.
Wash with little. Warm water, neutral soap and a soft cloth, then dry. For every day this is enough.
Keep acids away. Lemon, vinegar and limescale remover dull the polish. Never bleach or scouring pads.
Protect from heat and knives. A trivet under boiling pans, a chopping board under the knife.
Treat it if need be. A protective sealer slows absorption but does not make the stone immune to stains and acids: that is why the first step remains the one that matters.

With this care a Calacatta or Nero Marquina worktop ages well, and an acid mark on the polished surface can generally be restored by re-polishing.

Granite, quartzite and sintered stone

They are washed like any other worktop, with water and a mild detergent. Granite and quartzite mind acids less than marble, and sintered stone absorbs very little.

The refractory stone structure

The dry structure has no mortar joints to regrout and no renders to redo, and if a block chips it is replaced individually.

By comparison, a masonry kitchen requires periodic checks of the grout, the seals and the porous surfaces, and reaching a built-in pipe may call for controlled demolition. That is why the price of a kitchen is not judged at the moment of purchase alone: the page how much a masonry kitchen costs explains the factors that determine it.

How much a stone kitchen costs

We do not publish a price list, because the price of a stone kitchen depends on six factors: the linear metres, the stone of the worktop, the number and type of doors and drawers, the appliances to be built in, the services to be prepared and whether the kitchen is indoors or outdoors. The site visit and the quotation are free in Rome, Latina and throughout Lazio; we install with our own team throughout Italy and also follow projects abroad.

Michelessi: stonemasons in Aprilia since 1976

Michelessi SRL has worked stone since 1976 in Aprilia, on the Via Pontina at km 45.350, between Rome and Latina. In the same workshop the technical office draws the 3D design of the kitchen before the first slab is cut, and the installation team is our own: this short chain is what makes a kitchen truly in stone possible, from structure to sink. The process, from the free site visit to the 3D design and the installation, is told step by step on the page masonry kitchens. Those in Lazio will find the details on the page masonry kitchens in Rome, Latina and Lazio; those who want to prepare for the design stage can read the guide how to design a masonry kitchen; the most frequent questions, with short answers, are gathered in questions and answers.

The quotation is free: request it here.

More from the masonry kitchens department

Frequently asked questions

What is a stone kitchen?

A stone kitchen is a kitchen in which stone is the material, not the cladding: the worktop, the upstand, the sink and, in Michelessi kitchens, the structure too, made of blocks of refractory stone fitted together dry. It differs from a kitchen with only a stone worktop and from a kitchen clad in slabs over a frame of wood or plasterboard.

What is the difference between a stone kitchen and a masonry kitchen?

A masonry kitchen is made of bricks or blocks bound with mortar or cement, plastered and tiled. A Michelessi stone kitchen has the same shape, but the structure is in dry-fitted blocks of refractory stone, with no mortar: there are no mortar joints for heat to crumble and no renders for damp to swell. The worktop is marble or stone, the doors are wood.

Which stone is best for a kitchen worktop?

It depends on use. Marble is the most striking and asks for care: it dislikes acids and boiling pans. Granite and quartzite are hard, compact natural stones and suit outdoor use too. Sintered stone absorbs very little and copes well with heat. Travertine gives the warm colour of rustic kitchens. Michelessi cuts all of them in the Aprilia workshop.

Does marble stain in the kitchen?

Yes, if spills are not wiped: marble is a calcareous stone and absorbs wine, oil and coffee left for long, while lemon and vinegar dull its polish. It is cleaned with warm water and neutral soap, never with limescale remover, bleach or scouring pads. With this care a Calacatta or Nero Marquina worktop lasts a lifetime and ages well.

Can a stone kitchen be built outdoors?

Yes. For the worktop we recommend granite, quartzite, sintered stone or travertine; marble is used with care, because outdoors it dislikes frost and sudden changes of temperature. The structure is in blocks of refractory stone; steel is used for grills, sink and technical parts. In barbecues the cooking chamber, and in ovens the dome and arch, are in refractory bricks, laid according to the refractory manufacturer's instructions; the whole structure around them is dry-fitted, with no mortar and no cement.

What is refractory stone and why do you use it for the structure?

Refractory stone is a non-metallic material that withstands temperatures above 538 °C for long periods (ASTM C71 standard): it is the stone of pizza ovens. Manufacturers declare resistance beyond 1,000 °C; aluminosilicate oven refractories reach 1,100-1,200 °C. We use it for the structure because it is made to work near the fire and, fitted dry, has no mortars or screeds that hold water. Each block can be replaced individually.

Is the refractory stone sold for pizza the same as the one in your kitchen?

It is the same kind of material, but a different thing. The "refractory stone" sold for pizza is a plate, often of cordierite or fireclay, that is set in a home oven to store heat and cook the base. The refractory stone blocks of a Michelessi kitchen are building elements: they are fitted together dry to form side walls, bases and niches, and in barbecues and ovens they make the structure around the cooking chamber in refractory bricks.

Is lava stone suitable for a kitchen?

Yes, as a worktop or as an exposed side panel. Etna lava stone is the volcanic rock that in Sicily is used for worktops that are often glazed and painted by hand; Michelessi works it rough-cut or glazed, mainly for outdoor kitchens. For the structure that withstands the heat of a barbecue or an oven we use refractory stone instead. For a dark, hard-wearing worktop you can also choose a black granite or a sintered stone; for veined black, Nero Marquina.

Can the sink be integrated into the stone worktop?

Yes, and it is one of the advantages of a stone kitchen: the sink is carved from the same slab as the worktop or from a matching one, with no rims or grout between bowl and surface. It is a possibility of slab worktops; a tiled worktop, typical of the masonry kitchen, leaves grout lines around the bowl instead.

Is a stone kitchen heavy? Does the floor need checking?

Stone is heavy, and the load on the floor has to be assessed, as it is for a masonry kitchen too: we do it during the free site visit, together with our technical office. Compared with a masonry site, dry laying brings no mortar, render or water to dry out, and the 3D design lets us place the volumes where the floor allows.

Can a Michelessi stone kitchen be taken apart or altered?

Yes, because the blocks are fitted dry, not mortared: to reach a pipe or replace a chipped block the elements in the way are lifted out and put back, with no demolition. Doors, drawers and appliances are changed as in a fitted kitchen. It is the main difference from traditional masonry, which generally calls for controlled demolition to be altered.

How long does a stone kitchen last?

It lasts a lifetime, if each stone does the right job: a dry refractory stone structure, with no mortars for heat to crumble and frost to split; a worktop in marble, granite or quartzite, which asks only for the care its material needs; wooden doors that can be replaced. We do not promise miracles: we promise blocks that are replaced one by one.

Do you build stone kitchens in Rome, Latina and Lazio?

Yes. Michelessi SRL has its workshop and showroom in Aprilia, on the Via Pontina at km 45.350, between Rome and Latina. The site visit and the quotation are free throughout Lazio; the design is in 3D; we install with our own team throughout Italy and also follow projects abroad.