Opustone, a luxury natural stone, porcelain and tile distributor serving South Florida's design community, is promoting durable surfaces as kitchen and bath firms forecast a 2% revenue decline in 2026. The outlook compares with a 4% growth projection one quarter earlier, while most remaining spending is attributed to price increases rather than genuine project growth, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association's 2Q26 Kitchen & Bath Market Index, released July 21. More than a third of design firms said clients shifted toward lower price points in the second quarter, the highest share since tracking began in 2023 and a 13-point increase from the first quarter. Rising material costs, cited by 42% of surveyed professionals, and consumer uncertainty, cited by 49%, are encouraging buyers to assess surfaces by lifetime ownership costs rather than installation price alone. Opustone offers natural marble, quartzite, onyx, porcelain and specialty tile, displaying full slabs at showrooms in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Victoria Rehkamp, sales manager of Opustone, said durable materials can remain attractive and functional for decades. Remodeling magazine's 2025 Cost vs. Value Report found that an upscale major kitchen remodel recoups an average of 35.7% of its national cost at resale, based on a $164,104 cost and $58,561 in added value.