Natural Stone in Modern Home Design and Decor

Natural stone has its own story to tell being created millions of years ago. Formed by tremendous pressures under the earth, the striking and luxurious variation in color and movement makes it a formidable material.  The rare beauty of natural stone may have once been reserved for the beautiful palaces and grand estates of antiquity but today we easily can integrate natural stone into modern home design and decor. 

 Credit: The Tuscany Collection

Uses of natural stone include kitchen and bath countertops, backsplashes, bathtubs, showers, sinks, fireplaces, furniture... infinite possibilities. In the image above, large expanses of stone from floor to ceiling surround a linear gas fireplace. The effect is quite dramatic. The sophisticated modern use of stone makes this home interior elegant and chic.

Credit: ROCKin'teriors

For kitchen and bathrooms, we naturally look to marbles, and granites. Calacatta Statuary and Gold are trending now. Designers are using calacatta slabs on both countertops and backsplashes to enhance a space as seen in the image above.

Credit: Artistic Tile

Seen in stone tile wall format brings out the unique veining and patterning of Calacatta gold. Combined with the same stone on the countertops enhances the architecture as well. 

Credit: whOre haus studio. Image by Michele Alfano

Ahh, the sophistication of stone is popping up in home decor.  Last years Architectural Digest show showcased the use of stone on this headboard by whOre haus Studios. The bookmatching was impeccable! They also echoed stone on accent pieces of furniture. Love!

Credit: whOre haus studio. Image by Michele Alfano

Clients get scared away from natural stone because they hear it stains, scratches and is hard to maintain. Well... the truth is, yes it can stain if you don't take care of your rare beauty. Stone should be sealed every year and properly maintained. Just like you would get a facial for your radiant skin. You need to take care of it. 

Credit: Stoneforest. Image by Michele Alfano

Have you taken a tub in cumulo granite lately? I jumped at the chance to snuggle right into its sensuous curves. I love the Stoneforest's Papillon bathtub! It is carved from one block of stone. You can get a pedestal sink too!  New homeowners need to prepare structurally for a massive piece of stone like this.

Pure stone mastery that will last the test of time.

Credit and Image: Michele Alfano of modMADE NY

One of my own masterbathroom designs used the beautiful silver travertine on the walls, floor and countertop on the above vanity design. Silver travertine is one of my favorite natural stones. Its stunning blend of silver, grays and creams adds inspiring style to any space. 

Credit: MSI

For that spa feeling, stone is the natural choice due to its texture and multitude of hues. Above its accented in the shower. Below I clad slate on the sink wall of my own bathroom. A clear poly was applied to bring out the rich, warm colors and protect it from water staining. Fixture by DXV by American Standard.

Credit and Image: Michele Alfano of modMADE NY

To learn more about natural stone, you can connect with MIA + BSI : The Natural Stone Institute through their website, the Marble Institute Facebook and Twitter.

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Thin Slab Porcelain, an Alternative to Stone Countertops

Inalco Foster Natural Finish

Thin is in.....the design potential for thin slab porcelain is endless. At Cevisama in Valencia with Tile Of Spain, I was wowed by the large format thin porcelain slabs over at Inalco and Neolith. Both manufacturers showcased how porcelain slabs meet the needs of today's homes with an array of colors, and clear cut design. It was obvious that porcelain will be trendsetting seamless countertops in the next decade. Sorry for stone, U.S. consumers will find porcelain as an attractive solution that will make life much easier. 

INALCO:

Inalco Foster blanco and bush hammered

(other colors Piedra, Plomo, Negro in natural finish too)

Both Inalco and Neolith manufacturers have advanced sintering technologies allowing them to create slabs that are thinner, longer and more durable.  Uses are unlimited for exterior and interior: countertops, flooring, furniture and exterior cladding. Unlike stone, its almost impossible to scratch it, stain it or burn porcelain. iTOPker by Inalco is a 1/2" thick coming in 5 x 10 feet slabs.  The product is so durable that it does not conduct heat or absorb much water. Oh get this, kitchen ranges can be applied right to Inalco's surface giving a real modern look. With real stone, you could never install a range right to the countertop! See image below:

Inalco Domo Negro
(other colors Crema, Piedra in Natural or bush hammered surface)

Don't get me wrong, I love stone and its natural characteristics!! However, I'm really falling for slab porcelain. Here are some more bonuses of porcelain versus stone. 

-Porcelain is highly scratch resistant- you can cut food right on the slabs. Unlike porcelain, you're marble would be ruined. 
-Porcelain is resistant to wear and tear. Stone however can scratch and chip if you hit it hard.
-Porcelain is easy to clean and care for. Totally stain resistant. You can cut a lemon on it or leave wine on it and it wont stain. In minutes, your wine ring would stain your stone slab.
-Porcelain is heat resistant; you can put a boiling pot right on the surface. With stone, forget about it!

NEOLITH:

Besides its amazing durability, Neolith has found that fine line between old world craftsmanship and technology. Their products are timeless and well crafted. 
TheSize Compact surface is lightweight and easy to install, making it suitable for every indoor and outdoor surface.  It comes in different thickness and sizes like 12' x 4'. With porcelain you can create tops with practically no seams. For designers, these large format slabs allow the imagination to run. 

 Neolith classtone

Neolith Colorfeel (bottom left) and IRON (bottom right)

Neolith's printed options are beautiful from wood like (Timber), classic marble 
(classtone) to metal inspiration ( Iron). Both Inalco and Neolith are available in the U.S. through a network of distribution.. Visit their websites: Neolith and Inalco.

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Equator 'scape'

Hey MDG,
I saw your readymade 'Zebra bathroom scape' last Sunday and  I was hoping to get some advice for my powder room bath.  I would really like to incorporate black, gray and white into my room. Do you know of any stones to suggest with these colors and any design advice on how to use them?
Becca from NYC

Hi Becca,
I have a stone for you! It is called Equator White. It is a sleek and sophisticated marble featuring a white background with dramatic dark grey and black banding. It is available in both tile and slab and would compliment any modern home. You can find it at the Artistic Tile showroom in New York City.

Now how to use this gorgeous stone:

Put your money into the Equator stone flooring using 12"X24" tiles and create a chic focal wall by framing the Equator stone around a large mirror. On the frame, play with the vein direction of the marble. That's what will make it look so interesting! I am showing dark gray walls to accentuate the dark banding in the stone which is Benjamin Moore's  trout gray # 2124-20.

To make a statement, either sit the sculptural Vitraform Coppa glass pedestal (1) infront of the mirror or the Cogliati sink (3), oh my! These sinks are very special in that Cogliati encases stone or enamel sinks in transparent glass. Pair the sink with Dornbracht's Symetrics (2) single hole faucet. Water will project from the mirror, how cool! To echo the rectangular shape of the Cogliati glass sink, use the Duravit Vero toilet (4). Love those contemporary lines! To finish off the room, you need a spectacular chandilier. Switch collection has a beauty called mercury (5). The reflective mirrored pebbles can float from the squared off cove.

If you need further showroom information, contact me. Love to see some pics, Becca!
M

Alternatives to Granite

Hey MDG,
I am going to renovate my kitchen and I would like to find a countertop alternative to granite. Any suggestions?
Jen

Hi Jen,
Oh goodie, I too am over Granite! If you are going with a clean contemporary look, then I recommend  White glassos or Soapstone.
Glassos Crystal white is a pure crystallized glass which looks like Thassos white marble, which by the way is a horrible stone since it stains if not sealed properly. Glassos is made from a sophisticated technique of sintering crystals and minerals under high temperature. I digg it because it has a beautiful modern looking luster, is non-porous, doesnt stain or scratch, and doesnt require sealing. It is my top choice for a kitchen countertop or vanity tops.

Soapstone is also a very interesting material. It is a natural stone that is both durable and requires minimal maintenance. Get this, it is virtually heat proof. You can put a hot pot right on the stone. Did you know that soapstone is used to create pizza stones and is used insides of pots? How ideal is that for a kitchen countertop? Additionally, the only maintenance required for soapstone is mineral oil. The oil enhances the darkening process the stone goes thru. Overtime, the stone changes from a charcoal gray to black and sometimes a hint of green remains. How humorous, your friends will ask you if you keep changing the counter? Unlike Glassos, soapstone can scratch but you can sand it out or hide the scratches with an application of mineral oil.

Send me pictures of your installation! Cheers, M

Help, my Porcelain tile is cracking

Hey MDG,
I purchased discontinued porcelain tilees and used them on my kitchen floor. To my surprise some of the tiles have been cracking. Why would new tiles crack? Now I need to replace the cracked tiles and I am unable to purchase new ones since they were discontinued. What do I do? Sincerely, Sharon

Sharon,
It is unfortunate to hear that your newly renovated kitchen floor is cracking. Discontinued tiles doesn't mean that anything is wrong with the tiles. So, I wouldn't worry about that. The tile store was most likely bringing in new inventory. Porcelain is a very durable tile for floor applications since it is madeup of water, clay and quartz ferrous sand materials. It is common for a ceramic/porcelain tile to crack if the foundation of your house is settling or if it was improperly installed.

My thought is that your contractor did not properly prepare the subfloor. You want a level subfloor for ceramic /porcelain flooring. Otherwise it proves unreliable, thus the cracks you have been experiencing.

Professional tile contractors that warrant their work over long periods of time mud set their floors. "Mud setting" is the ideal substrate because the mud set provides a flat and level floor, a water resistant base and adds structural stability to new and especially existing old floors. When I renovated my downstairs space (see Zen Modern blog), the subfloor had a huge bow across the room and it required a mud set floor, especially since I purchased 12" X 24" porcelain tiles. (see pic below)

Unfortunatley your kitchen space is done and I really doubt you want to start over and rip up the entire new floor and fix the sub floor. Perhaps, your contractor can come back and rip up the problematic area and level it off so that future tiles do not crack.

The other problem you face is that you cannot purchase new tiles since you purchased discontinued tiles.Take a sneek peek under the refrigerator, cabinetry or island to see if any of the tiles were installed under there. Your tile contractor can use those tiles for the subfloor repair and solve your cracking issues!
Best of luck,
M