Some stones feel made for the landscape around them. In this outdoor kitchen, Thunderstorm Infinity Porcelain brings deep blue, gold, and rust into a setting of palms and open sky. Our work is the stone: the countertops, backsplashes, wall cap, and waterfall panels.

The trend: blue as the new neutral

Design writers have been pointing to blue and green stone as a defining look for 2026. They describe surfaces that bring the outdoors in, with warm gold veining as a favorite accent. Blue used to be the risky choice. Now it is treated like a neutral, a grounding color that sits comfortably beside white cabinetry, pale floors, and green foliage. Outdoors, it also echoes the sky.

Under the pergola

The stone looks its best where the kitchen meets the garden. Under the pergola, the L-shaped run wraps a built-in grill, and the polished blue tops mirror the palms and open sky. Against white cabinetry and a pale patio, the blue holds its own without competing.

The waterfall end

The counter end turns and runs straight to the floor, so the veining reads as one continuous gesture. The edge is a 1.5-inch mitered edge, built with miter lamination so the pattern wraps the corner cleanly. Against soft white cabinetry and a pale floor, the blue-gray face with its gold and rust threads becomes the focal point of the kitchen. In all, the job includes four waterfall panels, tall stone panels at the counter ends.

At the pergola post, a tall waterfall panel shows the slab's veining at full height.

The backsplash and ledge

Up close, the polished finish does what blue stone does best. It mirrors the sky and palms while the rust and gold veining shows through underneath. The backsplash and ledge carry the same material around the corner, with four electrical outlet cutouts fitted into the stone. The outlets stay practical and the stone stays the star.

The details that make it work

• Let one stone lead. Counters, backsplashes, wall cap, and waterfall panels all share the same blue, so the kitchen reads as one composition.
• Plan the outlets early. Four cutouts were planned into the layout so they sit tidily within the stone.
• Choose the edge on purpose. A 1.5-inch mitered edge gives the counter a substantial, finished look.
• Pair blue with warm neutrals. Pale floors and white cabinetry let the gold and rust veining glow.

See these stones in person

Thinking about a blue stone for your own outdoor kitchen? Visit our Sarasota slab yard at 2651 Whitfield Ave, or call 941-202-5400 to book a Complimentary Design Assessment.

Tile & Stone of Italy — Expertly Sourced. Masterfully Installed.