Today ’s designers are proving the versatility of marble and other stones – using them in unexpected ways with stunning results
SURFACE ATTRACTION
Using marble as a single floor-to-ceiling surface in a bathroom is timelessly elegant – and spectacularly luxurious. The practice dates to the Romans, who decorated bathrooms and public rooms in marble. This bathroom by LA-based designer Jane Hallworth features in Barbara Sallick’s book The Ultimate Bath (Rizzoli, £45). The dramatically veined marble walls and floor create a theatrical element to the bathroom, which is then elevated further by the addition of a matching marble bath. There is a point at which it is possible to overdo the use of one material, however. To avoid the space looking sterile and cold, add a warm finish in a material such as wood or metal as a subtle touch. →
VISUAL DRAMA
Stone has been used as a decorative material for centuries yet with a fresh approach, it can feel surprisingly contemporary and relevant in a modern setting. When decorating with coloured travertine floors, the leading Australian interior designer Tamsin Johnson employed a playful pattern for the redecoration of a hotel in Sydney’s Byron Bay. When floors are strong in design, pull back on the other details to allow the floors to do most of the talking. Here, Tamsin conjures an eclectic look that leans on natural fabrics and a muted monochrome palette with custom coffee tables and unexpected artwork.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Monochromatic marble floors, while an investment, add a sense of glamour and timeless luxury to a room and are particularly attractive in an entrance hall where they set a tone for the rest of the house. The entrance hall floor for this Victorian mansion block apartment in London was conceived by architectural design and interior design company De Rosee Sa. It’s laid in a black and white geometric pattern, cut from three different marbles – this floor then leads to an oak herringbone one that runs throughout the living spaces. ‘Most of the property’s original features had been lost so we inserted new details that felt sympathetic to the existing architecture,’ explain the team. ‘The beading and panelling on the walls were selected to accentuate the proportions of the space.’
SMOKE AND MIRRORS
Instead of taking an all-over surface approach in a kitchen, consider using marble more sparingly to create an area of distinction or subtly zone a space for a separate use. ‘We talk a lot about creating wow moments in a kitchen,’ says Magnus Nilsson, lead designer at Blakes London, who carved out a space for a breakfast station within the wider kitchen of a house in west London. ‘A wow moment should be a place or detail tha
