All photos appear courtesy of Alma Studio.

Many people are drawn to natural stone because of its artistic qualities and characteristics. ALMA Studio takes it to the next level.

Part art gallery and part studio, ALMA Studio uses pure light projections to uncover, accentuate, and highlight art scenes that are hidden within the natural veining of stone slabs, according to Jay Zelingold, director of ALMA Studio. Their work and vision follow the methodology developed by artist Arin Jéda.

Not having any formal art training has become an asset for Zelingold and Jéda. Zelingold believes not having that training allows them to break the mold and develop their untraditional art. “I like to say that art in its usual form is the expression of an artist’s inspiration,” Zelingold says. “ALMA is the inspiration from nature’s expression.”

Choosing the right stone is a rich and varied process for ALMA Studio. Zelingold shares that depending on the stone, they might be drawn to its veining, colors, or the strength of the material. Each slab has personality.

“It’s not just the veins and colors but also the blends of minerals that add textures and layers to the stones,” Zelingold explains. The process the team goes through to choose stones is one they’ve spent years developing and refining. Zelingold says they are still learning every time they look for and discover new materials.

Finding the Right Natural Stone

Zelingold and Jéda usually rely on a slab yard as the starting point in their search, especially ones that catalogue each slab that comes through their doors. They begin by looking for slabs that are beautiful on a surface level. The next step is to look within the veining for the hidden stories and scenes their work highlights. In order to discover these scenes, Zelingold says they must inspect hundreds of random slabs from each and every angle in the hope that at some point they will strike gold and find a hidden scene. “In order to streamline the process, instead of blindly inspecting every slab we can get our hands on, we first choose varieties with the strong potential of having hidden scenes,” he explains. “Specifically, the stones we look for are complex, with depth, dimension, and energetic movement.”

Once they choose a variety they want to work with, the next step is to request high-resolution photos of each individual slab in the company’s inventory so they can study them on either a large 4k monitor or even virtual reality (VR) goggles, which allow them to rotate and zoom in to inspect the minutia of detail within the stones.

Sometimes the natural stone features a design so vividly, there is not much more that needs to be done to elevate the vision. They once discovered a piece that has a remarkable likeness to Bob Marley in a portrait orientation with an intense expression on his face and with his hands in the perfect attitude as one would have while playing a guitar. “In this event, we don’t need any other expansions to the scene – that’s a diamond in itself!” Zelingold says.

Their hunt for beautiful slabs has led them to begin reaching out to quarries and showrooms, including Antolini and United Granite.

Bringing Natural Stone to Life

While the team works with a many different types of natural stone to create their art, there are some specific ones they’re drawn to.

“Fusion quartzite, Blue Louise granite, and Arabascato Orobico marble are great examples of styles that make us feel like kids in a candy store,” Zelingold adds. 

Like the stones they use and the artwork they create, the types of clients they serve range from individuals to institutions and commercial spaces. In the short time they’ve been selling their art, within the last 12 months they’ve sold to individuals in the United States and Middle East. Recently, they installed a large slab at a new and upscale steakhouse directly on the Jersey shore, and they’re working on several other private works as well as several high-profile public spaces. 

Zelingold and his team are always exploring new ideas and methods such as backlighting onyx and bringing animation into the installations to make them more immersive and multi-sensory.

Not all of their work is large scale. The team also creates smaller pieces with the same process. “Some of the scenes we discover encompass the entirety of the slab, while other scenes only encompass a small portion of the slab,” Zelingold notes. “In such an event, we will cut around the scene so that we are left with just the part of the slab that contains the discovered scene.”

For one piece, a scene of a bird was identified on the upper left corner of a large slab. Rather than use the entire slab, the team cut that scene out of the slab to create the artwork. 

“Our larger, full-scale slabs are a natural fit for a large public display that desires to bring a magnetic dynamic that will transform their space,” he explains. “Our smaller works are a truly profound addition to an elevated private space or collection. The integration of art, technology, and a three-dimensional piece of mother nature are virtually unsurpassed in both the art and design worlds.” Their goal is to continue to develop artwork that appeals to both homeowners as well as institutions that can incorporate larger pieces into their spaces. 

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Note: An earlier version of this article appeared in the Spring 2022 edition of Building Stone Magazine. All photos appear courtesy of Andreas Kunert and Ancient Art of Stone.

Philosophers and artists have long been fascinated by geometric forms and what gives them meaning beyond their shape. In art and nature there are aesthetically pleasing proportions found, as Michelangelo purportedly did, in what’s referred to as sacred geometry, or the golden ratio (1:phi or 1:1.618…). By channeling an innate sense of this proportion, stone artists Andreas and Naomi Kunert can imbue their unique works with movement, depth, and feeling.

Owners and principal artists of Ancient Art of Stone, the Kunerts create what they call “one-of-a-kind stone portals for individuals, businesses, public museums, and art galleries.” At their 15-acre studio in Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, Canada, they first source stones, then design and build artistic and functional fireplaces, stone doors, spas, mosaics, megaliths, and murals and ship and install them across North America.

According to Andreas, “Everything we do is personal — it’s an intimate experience — and built intuitively. We delve in and go down the rabbit hole and become inspired; our work is the product of this experience.”

Meeting of the Minds

Andreas credits Vermont for his love of stone. He grew up in a sparsely populated rural area in that state and spent a lot of time on his own outdoors. An artist by nature — he would eventually dabble in painting and photography — he always loved what he could do with stone, “from the minute to the megalithic; it’s very appealing,” he says.

As a younger man, Andreas was an avid extreme skier and discovered a passion for “life’s mysterious flow.” His adventures took him to the mountains of Europe, and wherever he went he photographed the landscape. He was intrigued by the patterns he saw in nature. He moved to Canada and started K2 Stone Quarries on Vancouver Island. The business grew and was successful. In 2009, he met Naomi, who had been on her own journey.

“I had an early fascination with archaeology and the native Cree people,” Naomi says. She grew up on the Saskatchewan prairie in a home located near a stone grotto and a natural spring where people would visit on pilgrimages for healing. “We’d find arrowheads, stone hammers, teepee circles,” she says, which ignited an “interest in the ancient in terms of stone and how people used it.” In 2000, she got an undergraduate degree in fine arts at the University of Saskatchewan and focused on sculpture and extended media, stone being one of them. Faced with cancer in her late 20s, she found solace and healing with the First Nation medicine people. She credits them with helping her develop visionary abilities that still guide her today. By the time she met Andreas, she says, she had already dreamt of him. More than a decade and five children later, they complement each other in spirit and in business.

Passion Embedded

The Kunerts’ projects usually take a year or more and begin with individual stones—lots and lots of stones. While clients often offer them stones, the Kunerts also travel around to fill a trailer with stones from gravel pits and glacial moraines, or they’ll select pallets of natural stone from quarries. “The First Nations also gather stone for us. We’re always searching,” Andreas says, adding that the type of stones they prefer are flat and curved, formed by glaciers. “They’re not river stone. A river tumbles stones round: it doesn’t flatten them. But a glacier will cleave them. We often find them wherever a glacier has been and has left stones behind, even in [a place you wouldn’t expect] like Utah.”

The fireplace project known as “Memories Surround Me” was commissioned by a couple in Spokane, Washington, who were about to move to a home they were having built. While the project did begin with stones, it also began with a client wanting to have something that represented love writ large.

“They met as teenagers and have been married 50 years. They love fly fishing. Every time they go fishing, they bring home a pebble or a saucer-shaped stone. The wife joked that [they’d collected so many stones] they could hardly park in the garage anymore,” Andreas says. The husband asked the Kunerts to use the stones to create a fireplace that he could give his wife as a Christmas gift in tribute to their years together.

The Kunerts work hard to know their clients. “Naomi has the ability to tune into a client and who they are and what we should bring to them in stone or crystal,” says Andreas. She sees working with clients as a spiritual journey. “Not necessarily something religious,” she says, “but the nature of the stones and their honoring can bring connection and peace and stability to our clients’ lives. We build with that intention. We’re building a sacred space that’s also functional artwork.”

As the Kunerts spent time with the Spokane clients, they learned about their hobbies like fly fishing and traveling, that they loved their old home’s unique architecture, and that they wanted to include niches on their fireplace to feature pottery and other small artworks. “We channeled the inspiration into three different design options for them,” Naomi says. Although their hand-drawn sketches can sometimes be detailed, the drawing ultimately has to be open ended. “We tell clients that we let each stone speak. You can’t always find an exact stone for the design.”

The Spokane couple brought about 10 percent of the stones to this project, and the Kunerts supplied the rest of the approximately 15 tons of stone used. Once the sketch was approved the heavy work began.

Built For Legacy

The fireplace eventually would live in a great room that had yet to be built on a home in a residential neighborhood. When completed, it would stand 22 feet tall. The first step was to make a poured-concrete and rebar substructure of about 18 feet that would be strong enough to hold the stone design embedded on it.

The fireplace was built from the bottom up, in two parts that would be connected on site. On the bottom half of the fireplace, the design incorporates two vertical pieces of sandstone, each two feet thick and each weighing one and a half tons, placed on either side of the firebox. These are connected across the top of the firebox by a 40-inch horizontal piece of sandstone, which is topped by a 12-inch layer of intricately placed individual stones and then an organic-edged granite mantle. Once on site they would add a hand-polished basalt hearth at the base.

The sandstone arrived as square blocks. Using a hydraulic chainsaw, ring saw, hammer, and chisel, Andreas carved into the basic shape to create alcoves and nooks. He then bolted the blocks from behind to the concrete substructure.

The top half of the fireplace holds the central inspiration stone to which the thousands of individual smaller stones find their way.

When the stones arrived, the clients’ contribution and others (from quarries in Colorado and British Columbia), the Kunerts organized them by color and hue, shape (flat or curved) and size. “Some were covered in lichen. Some could be used as feature stones; some would create flow,” Naomi says.

The stones were not numbered or laid out. Knowing where to place the stones, which are essentially a cladding, is where the magic happens. “As much as possible, even though we’re sculptors, we try not to alter the stone, and we use its natural form,” Andreas says.

While there’s a sketch to go by, “We try to honor the shape and color of the stone and how it connects to a particular client. We listen to the stone to see how it wants to be honored or incorporated,” Naomi says. “A stone is as much of a living thing as a plant; it has a certain biology and a matrix.”

The Spokane clients had one large round stone that they wanted to use as the central focal point. “The idea was that the design showed their life together leading to this stone,” Andreas says. “The stones would mean nothing to the average person; they would see just a pile of stones. But to us, they have meaning.” Adds Naomi, “We talk about noticing if a stone is missing from a pile of thousands. They become part of you; it’s like an artist knowing if they have all their tools.”

As with every project, while Andreas mortars the stones to the substructure, he says he takes his time and “feels the stones, listens to the stones. Every day you don’t know which stone is next. You go with a feeling and follow that feeling. It’s hard to describe.”

Which brings us back to the golden ratio and sacred geometry. Andreas says that his perception of the world has always been mysterious and remarkable, and that he has an innate ability to see the sacred geometry and recognize this pattern in nature, people, and materials. “As a child, I discovered I could play with stones on the ground and make these patterns. I wasn’t told about sacred geometry and the math behind it until well into my career.”

Working from the bottom up on this fireplace, Andreas placed the stones in curve and swirl patterns with mortar, bolts, or fastening pins depending on the stone’s size. He also incorporated arrowheads, hammerheads, scrapers and other “hidden treasures.” It was a complex dance to match the design to the concept and make the piece still feel natural and unassuming.

Conscious that the final product would flex and stress on a truck bed, Naomi says, “It’s overbuilt. Probably stronger than anything someone might have built in their home.” Within the concrete is a metal substructure of rebar and plates that runs all the way to the top to connect with lifting eyes, or eye bolts, so a crane could hook into and lift it.

Once the structure was completed, the Kunerts had it loaded onto a truck in two parts and driven 450 miles to Spokane, where the next challenge faced them: craning the 30,000-pound artwork into an exclusive residential neighborhood with homes surrounding the client’s newly built but unfinished home in freezing temperatures. “Usually, our clients have major acreage. This was a tight site,” Andreas says.

The house itself sits on a concrete slab. The great room would be built around the fireplace, whose own foundation goes six feet into the ground. Once the fireplace was craned into place, the two parts, bottom and top, were welded together on the back with steel plates.

“The fireplace will be the strongest part of the house,” Andreas says. “The builders ran the beams into the top, so the fireplace is actually holding up the roof.”

The fireplace’s concrete structure is embedded into the wall, along with the firebox. The builders placed drywall against the sides of the fireplace “nice and snug,” Andreas says, with few gaps for the Kunerts to fill in.

Letting Go

The clients are thrilled with their fireplace, their amazingly beautiful and unique piece of functional art that captures their love for one another and their lives together. “On the day it was delivered and lifted into place the client’s wife cried, exclaiming her joy,” Andreas says. Now that the home is complete, they describe the commission as the heart of their home and their favorite room to sit in.

For the Kunerts, after a year of living with and working on a project, it’s always difficult to say goodbye. “It’s personal to us. That’s a piece of our life. Everything that happened in our lives during that year is written into that artwork. Each piece becomes a part of us. When the truck leaves, it’s like ‘There go the children.’ We’re happy and proud but we’re hurting.”

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Reprinted with permission from Delgado Stone.

When in the research stage of your home improvement project, it does not take long to discover a growing list of building material options, accompanied by an abundance of information and advice for each. There are many factors and considerations when it comes to selecting the right product. While we’re invested in the benefits of natural stone, we’re also committed to providing natural stone resources to further education in the industry. More education helps ease the process of finding the best fit for their style, taste, and budgets, and to suit their individual project needs. Here are five things to know when you decide on using natural stone for your home improvement project, to help ensure product satisfaction and an overall smooth experience.

Photo courtesy of Lurvey Supply.

1. Start with a trusted natural stone resource. Understanding natural stone and its attributes is a crucial starting point for a successful project and long-term satisfaction with your selections. You can start by researching natural stone from reputable sources, such as the Natural Stone Institute. With more than 2,000 members in over 50 countries worldwide, the Natural Stone Institute is a valuable resource in the building materials industry for natural stone education.
2. Know your overall goals. Envision the purpose you want your finished space to serve, and your overall goals for your project (for example: more efficient use of space, more appealing design, entertainment). Note the colors and patterns you’re drawn to, as well as the atmosphere you’re trying to create. Sometimes planning means ruling out things you do not want as you narrow down what fits your vision. This will help guide you toward the best products, collections, and options for your project, which takes the guesswork out and leads to a less overwhelming experience.
3. Choose your pattern. Natural stone has color and texture variations, which can also vary based on the pattern you choose. While this is part of the appeal of the natural look, you want to make sure you’re aware of the full-color range and possibilities ahead of receiving any materials. Looking at photos is helpful to inspire your imagination but take the opportunity to see the natural stone collections you’re considering in person so you can get an idea of how they might vary, what to expect, and how they might fit with your project (as well as blend with existing features). Two great ways to do this are visiting a showroom or receiving sample.
4. Give yourself enough time. Plan ahead and give yourself enough time to lay out the scope of your project, coordinate with your mason or fabricator’s schedule, and allow for product lead times. Lead times can vary seasonally and as demand changes; they also vary between different natural stone material options. For best results, and a more reliable timeline, be sure to manage expectations and coordinate accordingly.
5. Ask questions! Your designer, mason, or fabricator can be another excellent resource on natural stone and other building materials, and you’ll want to take full advantage of their expertise, experience, and advice! When discussing and seeing photos of past projects, you can learn from them what makes a project successful, what works and what doesn’t. You’ll also want to get their insight when it comes to how much material you need, which can vary depending on the chosen product.

When using natural stone, or any other building material for that matter, researching, planning, and making the most of available resources will ensure that your project runs as smoothly and successfully as possible, which is great for everyone involved.

Photo courtesy of Delgado Stone.

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Comparing the performance attributes of natural stone with manmade materials

Interior Design

Styles may change from season to season, but Mother Nature creates unique designs in natural stone that are historically innovative and always on trend. This is why natural stone remains a timeless and flexible option for many interior applications including countertops and flooring. The variety of natural stone available is also beautiful, durable, and versatile, offering endless possibilities for interiors.

Manmade materials often attempt to emulate or replicate these characteristics and qualities. It is essential to understand how natural stone compares to some of the manmade materials used for the same applications in order to select the most appropriate material. It is also important to know how the material chosen for an interior project will perform under a variety of circumstances, conditions, and uses. At the same time, knowing how the material impacts the environment will ensure that you are choosing the most sustainable material for the application.

Coastal Sand limestone. Photo courtesy of MSI.

Performance Matters

A material’s optimal performance is based on a combination of the attributes of the material itself, how the material is installed, and the conditions to which it is exposed. There are many different issues to consider for interior applications:

• How will the material react when it is exposed to heat and elevated temperatures? Some materials will scorch, while others may crack if they are heated too rapidly or unevenly.
• Can the material withstand exposure to chemicals without a visual change or performance degradation? Exposure to acids or alkali, quite common in kitchens, can potentially cause etching.
• How stain-resistant is the material? It is important that the material does not stain easily and that stains can be removed easily. Materials with lower absorption rates tend to be more stain-resistant. Using a sealer on more porous materials can lower their absorption rate, helping them to perform better and be more stain-resistant.
• Is the material slip-resistant? Slip-resistance is the level of traction needed for a walking surface to remain safe for those using it. The texture, porosity, surface treatments, and elements including water, dust, and a build-up of cleaning product residue can alter the slip resistance of the material. Slip resistance is impacted by the material’s texture and porosity, as well as any surface treatments used and elements it is exposed to

Performance attributes should be addressed no matter what material you are considering or what type of project you are working on. These factors play an even more important role in sustainability and in the long-term performance of the material. Let’s look at how natural stone compares to some manmade materials from the perspective of these performance objectives.

Saratoga soapstone. Photo courtesy of Stone Store.

Interior Applications for Natural Stone versus Manmade Materials

Countertops

The possibilities for countertops using natural stone are quite extensive. Granite, quartzite, marble, and soapstone are among the many options to consider for these hardworking elements in a kitchen or bath. Every natural stone slab connects directly to nature as a piece of Earth’s history. These stones are versatile, meaning they can be cut and finished into different shapes and patterns, and with various finishes, creating a cohesive aesthetic. There are typically more options for edging and surface textures available for natural stone than manmade surfaces. Because most stone is formed in nature through extreme heat and pressure, natural stone is inherently heat resistant. Granite and quartzite are also very durable and scratch resistant. Marble is particularly prized for its beautiful veining, although it may be susceptible to etching. Although soapstone can scratch easily, it can also be easily repaired. Some stones are porous which may cause the material to stain over time. Sealers are recommended for most applications.

In some cases, natural stone may cost more than manmade materials initially—but often, natural stone proves to be the most cost-effective choice due to its durability.  This is especially true because natural stone can also be refinished, repaired, restored, or recycled.  Stone also has a low embodied energy, an important consideration for sustainability requirements. This is because natural stone was created by the Earth and very little energy or additional resources are needed to quarry, fabricate, and finish it.

Manmade materials including engineered quartz, porcelain, sintered surface, acrylic/solid surface and cultured marble are also options for interior countertops.  These materials typically do not need to be sealed. The patterns and colors of manmade materials are usually consistent within the same dye lot. Acrylic/solid surfaces are repairable, but it is often expensive to do so. Most of these materials do not last as long as stone. Porcelain can be more expensive to purchase and is more expensive to fabricate than natural stone. It is also difficult to repair since the patterns are not full bodied. These materials are typically made in thinner formats which also reduces the edge selection options. This results in the edges not having the same texture and pattern as the surface. The synthetic components of engineered quartz can break down when exposed to UV light. Acrylic, engineered quartz, and cultured marble are not heat or UV resistant. Variation between batches of manufactured materials may cause installation or customer service issues.  Most of these materials also have a high embodied energy because they require a wide range of other materials and energy intensive processes to be manufactured.

Photo courtesy of Coldspring.

Flooring

Natural stones including granite, travertine, limestone, marble, and slate are good options for flooring.  Again, one of the main performance aspects of using natural stone in this manner is its incredible durability. Design options abound with more edge treatments, surface texture, and color than most manmade materials. Most textures are slip-resistant and most natural stones are also UV resistant. Natural stone also comes in a variety of thicknesses and is easy to care for once properly protected.  They will also maintain their color and patina nicely over time if maintained properly.  In some cases, natural stone will cost less than porcelain or concrete imitations.

There are a few other issues to consider. Polished finishes may require a topical treatment to increase the slip resistance. Marble, limestone, and travertine can etch when exposed to acidic substances. Stones that have higher absorption rates will need to be sealed. Once again, the low embodied energy of natural stone makes it a great option for meeting sustainability goals. As previously mentioned, natural stone’s long life cycle makes it a very cost-effective choice.

Porcelain, ceramic, concrete, and terrazzo and plastic-based materials such as laminate and vinyl are among the most popular manmade flooring materials. A few of the pros of using these materials include the durability of ceramic and porcelain. Additionally, ceramic, porcelain, and vinyl are easy to care for. There are usage ratings available for specific applications, which helps make it easier to select the right option for the use you are considering. Terrazzo is a creative material because of the custom options available in production. Laminates are generally inexpensive while porcelain is more expensive than ceramic and other popular flooring materials.

There are a number of cons to using these materials. Porcelain is a heavy and unforgiving material, so specialized equipment is needed to cut it. The density of porcelain often requires that sub-floors and supports are strong enough to withstand the extra weight. These issues can also add to the cost of installation.  Most manmade materials are only manufactured in thinner formats and the edges do not have the same texture or pattern as the surface. Their patterns and sizing are limited and they typically cannot be refinished. Porcelain and ceramic are susceptible to chipping and laminates and vinyl can be easily scratched or indented. Laminate and vinyl also require adhesives that off gas, and laminates are not moisture resistant.  There will be variances across color between batches or lots of the materials. Many of the petroleum-based materials contain chemicals that are toxic, including those marked as Red List chemicals. These products also have high embodied energy, which creates a negative impact on the environment.

Galaxy Grey granite. Photo courtesy of Artistic Tile.

Natural Stone and Sustainability

Natural stone has demonstrated considerable durability in local and regional environments and applications. In many cases, these have lasted for hundreds of years, even millennia. Most of the manmade materials have not been around long enough to demonstrate that level of performance. The qualities of longevity and durability have proven that natural stone is a great choice for also meeting green building goals. The initial material and installation costs are off-set by the long life expectancy and the low maintenance requirements. Little to no cleaning or chemicals are required to maintain the material and as mentioned, natural stone can also be refinished, repaired, restored, or recycled. Natural stone is 100% natural stone. Engineered quartz, concrete, and porcelain require many different materials including chemicals to be manufactured and many of them are not recyclable.

So, as Oscar Wilde once said: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” Choose natural stone and you will be contributing to the long legacy of great, high-performing, sustainable projects in the world.

Danby marble. Photo courtesy of Stoneshop.

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Reprinted with permission from Delgado Stone. All photos courtesy of Delgado Stone.

If you have researched natural thin stone veneer or spent any time on the internet seeking inspiration, you already know one thing: there are more options to personalize your space than you imagined! Natural stone is quarried across the world in a variety of types, color schemes, patterns, and shapes.

With the right planning and approach, the range of choices is beneficial because each pattern has different characteristics. The traits you like the most about a particular stone can be enhanced by the pattern you choose. This article covers five popular patterns: The Mosaic, Strip, and Roughly Square and Rectangle patterns feature the stone face, while the Ledgestone and Ashlar patterns showcase the end grain. Here is a closer look at each.

Ashlar

The Ashlar pattern is a combination of approximately 50% rectangular Strip pieces, 25% Ledge pieces, and 25% small squares. The combination of these three patterns provides the mason with the flexibility to create a unique design for each project. In the photo below, Northeast Walls and Patios installed Colonial Tan thin stone veneer in the Ashlar pattern for the new home’s entryway, pillars, and arch siding.

Ledgestone Pattern

Ledgestone (otherwise referred to as Ledge) is made up of thin cut pieces of natural stone often used for siding. These end-grain pieces run in size approximately 1”-4” in height and 6”-14” in length. This pattern creates a unique, layered look when used for stone walls or fireplaces, as you can see in the photo below, featuring design and install by Rockport Post and Beam and Larry Luce Masonry, LLC. The smallest pattern of the five in this article, Ledgestone can be used for a wide range of projects, from home siding to step risers.

Mosaic Pattern

The Mosaic pattern includes irregular shapes that fit together like a puzzle, allowing you to create your own unique design. The face surface ranges from approximately .25 to 1.25 square feet. Mosaic patterns are a popular choice to give projects a more natural, rustic look. The accent wall below, featuring Connecticut Blend thin stone veneer and the talents of JJ Stone Design and Masonry, is a great example of how a little stone makes a big impact.

Roughly Square and Rectangle

Otherwise called Square & Rec, these pieces are roughly 6”x6” and larger, while the rectangle pieces are longer. In contrast to the Mosaic pattern, Square & Rec is used to create a clean and more modern look. Often used for exterior siding, Square & Rec offers a smooth, consistent shape that puts the focus on the color choice and range. The photo below shows a Connecticut project by J. Salvatore & Sons using Square and Rec on the entrance to coordinate with the front of the home.

Strip Pattern

Strip is the pattern that most resembles the layout of brick. The face ranges from approximately 5-8” in height and 12-18” in length. Stones are all cut to almost the same size so they fit together to create a smooth, flat surface. The rectangular shape makes the Strip pattern a good fit for projects needing consistent and longer stones. The fireplace below features the talents of Lakeside Masonry using Spruce Mountain strip patterned thin stone veneer.

Even with a wide range of options, there are no bounds for imagination and creativity. Patterns can be mixed and matched. Homeowners often coordinate with their masons and stone dealers to select a truly customized design that fits their individual project. We love seeing the way these projects maximize the impact of natural stone and showcase the talents of the designers and installers!

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