A History Measured in Millennia
Natural stone has served as a fundamental building material for thousands of years. The Romans, for example, constructed buildings from the same travertine that is still imported today. This speaks to its incredible endurance and timeless appeal. There will always be a substantial response from architects and designers to using natural stone, as it’s difficult to imagine how it could be truly replaced.
More Than Just Aesthetics
Referred to as a natural product, stone comes directly from the ground. For many, stone is the be all and end all of natural products, perhaps the most beautiful not only for its aesthetics but also its intrinsic value. It possesses a unique feeling that man-made products cannot replicate. Sourced from diverse locations including South America, Africa, and Europe, much material is typically purchased from Italian businesses due to their superior production facilities and larger range availability.
Enduring Quality and Unique Identity
Natural stone helps create projects with enduring quality that last and look good for a long time. A key characteristic is that no one piece of stone is the same, almost like a fingerprint. This offers the distinct feeling that your benchtop, floor, or wall is truly one in a billion. Using the right natural stone allows for use in any application, inside or outside the house. It can be stressed, left raw, honed, polished, chiselled, bush hammered, or sandblasted, among countless finishes, which can also be combined.
The Beauty of Patina
A defining characteristic of natural stone is its ability to develop a patina over time with use. This describes how the material changes with age. When first installed, stone might look almost unreal, but after years of use and care, it changes, reflecting the life of its home and occupants. This evolution is a beautiful aspect not typically found in other hard surfaces.
Repairable and Resilient
Natural stone is a remarkably enduring material. Kitchen benchtops, for instance, can be re-honed to restore their surface and appearance with ease. While certain types of severe damage may not be reversible, many marks and changes can be addressed with the right care. Some stones are robust and ideal for high-traffic or hard-working spaces, while others are best used where their delicate qualities can be appreciated and preserved. Understanding the properties of each stone and how it will perform over time is key. When selected and applied thoughtfully, natural stone offers not just beauty, but longevity and a unique sense of character that evolves with the life of a space.