BELGIAN STYLE, with its enveloping neutrals accented by rustic woods, was the inspiration for the new bathroom in Susan Bednar Long's 1800 Connecticut country house. She chose honed limestone for the counter, the shower stall, and the floor because it reminded her of creamy sand and had a velvety touch. "It's porous, and maintenance can be an issue, but it's sealed so that helps," she explains. "I have a silver tray on the vanity, and that's where I put my coffee cup so it doesn't leave a ring."
The limestone tiles in the shower measure 12 by 24 inches, rather than the more common 12 by 12, so they resemble slabs of stone. On the floor, they alternate with bands of Heartwood Natural porcelain tile by Walker Zanger, which looks…