THE BEAUTY OF STONE - DESIGNERS CHOICE
If you’ve ever wondered why so many designers, architects, and builders seem so pleased to work with stone, it’s because stone has a very high status in these professions. It’s a traditional construction material, used in many of the world’s most famous buildings. It’s also one of the most beautiful, design-friendly materials, able to achieve magical effects. Whether it’s outdoor tiles or an elegant floor, stone remains the building material of the true artists.
Stone in design- A revered building material
Any building stone is a unique material. All the different types of stone have their own special features. In Australia sandstone is a common building material, particularly for facades, but the different types of sandstone are differentiated by a range of features from grain to colour. Every Australian architect given half a chance has used stone freely, because of this range of choices.
Most of the world’s most famous and most recognizable buildings are made of stone, like the White House and the Taj Mahal. The aesthetics are obvious. Character, class and style are hallmarks of stonework, timeless and aesthetically discreet. The design values are also obvious. That’s one of the reasons designers and architects are so fascinated with stone. A chance to work with stone is like getting a chance at immortality. Stone is a rare opportunity to show one’s skills at the epitome of fine art in building design.
The other reason for the popularity of stone is a bit less mystic- stone is perhaps the most reliable of all building materials, and it’s absolutely trustworthy with even the most complex designs, interior and exterior. One of the reasons that stone has become popular again is that a new generation of designers, with the benefits of CAD technology, have rediscovered these fabulous materials. The reliability of stone adds positive reinforcement to inspiration, and the results are truly amazing.
Stone interiors- New fashions and eternal elegance
The fact that stone interior features like tiles, mosaics, and floors are becoming so popular in even the most advanced new designs is no coincidence.
The incredible new range of types of stone on the market, including the fabulous slates like Chinese Sunrise, African Multicolour and the enigmatic Indian Rajah, which are design features par excellence in their own right, are designer’s dreams come true. These incredibly beautiful stones make dazzling, elegant floors, tough as you like and stunning in any setting.
Other forms of stone have also become part of modern culture in design:
Sandstone pavers have also come back in style, being used in every imaginable setting. The famous Coogee and Willow sandstones are now the epitome of good modern exterior design elements, with good reason. They fit seamlessly into any design, and also provide good aesthetic counterpoints to other stone design forms.
Stone cladding, originally a design “feature”, has become a design necessity. Cladding is now extremely popular, often combined with tough but beautiful stackstone features.
If you go to a stone supply showroom, don’t be surprised to find yourself literally surrounded by designers and architects. Good taste has returned to design, and stone is the epitome of good taste.