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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All photos courtesy of Nicholas Fairplay.

It’s not every day a sculptor gets to carve one Romanesque statue as part of a project. Nicholas Fairplay had the opportunity to carve two using Indiana limestone that are now on permanent display as part of the College of Fine Arts building at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Fairplay is an artist and his medium is natural stone. He works with stones such as marble, limestone, and sandstone. While his studio is currently based just outside Cleveland, Ohio, his training began in Europe, where he specialized in hand-carved stone, marble sculpture, and ornaments.

Fascinated by the large cathedrals throughout Europe, Fairplay visited one after high school and asked for a job. While they couldn’t hire him at first, he offered to work for free for six months. They brought him on staff and he showed up and soaked up everything he could. It was during that time he fell in love with sculpting and working with natural stone. “When I started carving natural stone, I just loved it,” he says. “I love that it’s three-dimensional.” At the end of his free training, the cathedral hired him.  

Today, Fairplay’s body of work can be seen on well-known buildings in London, including Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Houses of Parliament, and Hampton Court. He’s also worked on Windsor Castle.

When he arrived stateside, he wasted no time contributing to American buildings, including St. John the Divine in New York City, the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City and the five intricately designed niches at Carnegie Mellon University. Of the six niches created when the building was built in the early 1900s, only one was completed. The other five, according to Fairplay, were left unfinished and each niche was to be carved in a different architectural genre.

“It was a very difficult job because all the stone was on the wall,” Fairplay says. He and his team had to slowly cut part of the stone off the wall and work on it on a bench. While removing it, they needed to careful not to damage the work next to it. Other details were done while the stone was still on the wall. “It was like you find yourself carving upside down a little bit. It’s a little bit awkward.”

He researched the niches and statue designs since every detail had to be plotted and sketched out in advance. To create the Romanesque statues, he cut the blocks and kept those on the ground so he could carve them before placing them in the niche.

While carving Romanesque statues isn’t a project that comes across his studio often, Fairplay says this specialized training and artistry is sought out among homeowners, designers, and architects, especially when it comes to restoration projects or those who want truly one-of-a-kind pieces in their homes.

In cases when the client only has a general ideal of what they’re seeking, Fairplay goes one step further and creates pieces of art, carving leaves, snails, or lion heads.

When Fairplay was asked to add some carvings of sycamore leaves as part of the entrance of a gothic style home in Cleveland, Ohio, he knew the client was expecting cookie cutter cut outs and the same style throughout. He decided to carve each of them differently to give them character.

For example, he added a little curling on some of the sycamore leaves and on a few of them he included an “odd little animal,” he says. “In the spandrel, or the triangular piece on an arch, there are three leaves and a little frog,” he shares.

One piece features a cicada on one of the sycamore leaves. Another has a lizard running. According to Fairplay, you’re not meant to sit and stare at the carvings but rather to appreciate those little details when you come upon them. He wasn’t paid extra to include those details but as an artist with some artistic liberty on a project, he loves adding them because that’s what people notice, he says.

“It’s a little detail and you don’t want it to be too dominant,” he adds. “You want it to be just here and there. And that way, it’s more. It’s not in your face.”

Fairplay appreciates being brought into a project, whether it’s through an architect or residential homeowner, and having an opportunity to bring his artistic skills to the table. Recently he’s been commissioned to create large scale stone fireplaces for homes. Some feature details like a lion face (designed so the fire would be in the mouth area) while others are more subtle.  The artistry cannot be underestimated.

The fireplace featuring the lion face was smaller than other fireplaces he’s been designing as of late but even that was six feet tall by five feet wide. He’s currently working on five fireplaces in his studio, some in a gothic style, one provincial French and an elaborate Italian one in marble featuring a Cupid angel holding a shield.

Whether it’s a classic design or part of modern architecture, Fairplay believes that sometimes less is more. You don’t need carvings to appear throughout a building to appreciate the artistry. “I’m not for seeing carvings on every inch of the building,” Fairplay says. A little foliage or detail or ornament can go a long way.

“Some buildings need something like that to sort of enhance and be in balance with the building,” he notes. “To have a sort of small area with some ornament. If you think of art deco, the ornament is very limited and it can actually be very stylized too. But it can be fantastic.”

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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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All photos courtesy of Delgado Stone.

Natural stone is mother nature’s oldest building material and has been used throughout history to create countless commercial and residential features. The characteristics of natural stone provide a balance of beauty and functionality to any project. Thin stone veneer was introduced in the twentieth century, but only in the last 5-7 years has it become a premier choice in the natural stone industry.

What is natural thin stone veneer?

Thin stone veneer is a form of natural stone veneer that has been sawn to approximately 1” thickness with a ¼” tolerance allowed. To be classified as thin stone veneer, each piece must weigh less than 15lbs per sq/ft.

Thinstone Thickness

The introduction of these sawn, lighter-weight pieces created ease of installation and provided the appearance of full-depth stone without sacrificing any of the beauty of natural stone. Here are four of the most common applications for natural thin stone veneer.

1. Fireplaces

Natural stone has always been a popular choice for fireplaces, due to its heat-resistant properties and versatile appearance. Designers and stone masons are now often choosing natural thin stone veneer to save time during construction while still offering the beauty and impact of other natural stone options. Natural thin stone veneer can be used on both interior and exterior fireplace projects to create unique designs.

2. Exterior Stone Cladding

Stone cladding is an ever-growing use for natural thin stone veneer because of the material’s durability and look. When building a home, longevity is an important factor to consider and choosing natural stone cladding is a commitment to durability. Natural stone cladding can be used for entryways, to cover cement foundations, or for the entirety of a home’s exterior. Regardless of the amount of natural stone used, choosing natural stone for home design will continue to be a common trend as long as natural stone continues to complement other home design features. As an added perk, natural stone holds 93% of its original value at its peak, which is a higher percentile than most cladding options.

Connecticut Blend Mosaic Exterior Cladding

3. Natural Stone Walls

If you’re ever been to New England, you’ve seen stone walls that look like they have been there forever. Before mortar, wall caps, and decorative walls, property lines were marked by fieldstone walls that also helped keep animals out. Now retaining walls with decorative natural thin stone veneers are more common because of the ease of building cinderblock walls and adhering natural thin stone veneer to the surface. Walls like the one seen here still serve a function, marking the property line while also contributing to the appeal of the landscape design.

Nutmeg Ridge Mosaic Landscape Wall

4. Outdoor Living Features

Landscape and exterior home improvement projects continue to be a major trend, and natural thin stone veneer plays a major role in these types of projects. More outdoor kitchens, fire pits and fireplaces are created every day. Even using a small amount of natural thin stone veneer can transform a pool project or turn a fire pit project into a statement feature.

Natural thin stone veneer is only at the beginning of its potential and continues to have a positive impact on many different design concepts and features outside of these popular applications. With the sustainable, beautiful, and functional characteristics of natural stone, we will inevitably see more projects choosing natural thin stone veneer.

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An earlier version of this article appeared in Building Stone Magazine.

Located at the crossroads of Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevard, the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is one of the tallest buildings in the city. The hotel, which boasts a Streamline Moderne design, is the brand’s first new build on the West Coast and its second hotel in California.

“The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is an urban oasis that combines modern luxury with timeless design. This building welcomes visitors to Beverly Hills in a completely new way,” said Pierre-Yves Rochon, founder and global design director at Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR) in Paris and Chicago. “The exterior design honors the Golden Age of Hollywood and the architectural history of Los Angeles. Its form is harmonious with its surroundings, but it is also very visible and striking. It reminds us of the 1930s curved buildings in Los Angeles. The Streamline Moderne design is sleek, clad in limestone, and transitions well to the interiors. The volumes, curved edges, and Art Deco-inspired furniture pieces continue to create the hotel’s identity.”

The exterior architecture design of the 207,641-square-foot property was led by PYR in collaboration with architectural firms Perkins and Will and Gensler. A collaborative effort from start to finish, the $200 million undertaking spared no expense, as evidenced by its impressive Portuguese limestone-clad exterior and the interior spaces dressed in marble, granite, travertine, and onyx.

“The interior design challenge at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills was to create a world-class design unlike any other hotel in L.A.,” Rochon said. “It needed to appeal to both international travelers and locals. We created this environment by celebrating large volumes, elegance, and artisanship, which can be appreciated by all. It also has a uniquely Southern California feel—it is light, open, airy, and has an effortless and comfortable style. It has ‘Old Hollywood’ glamour.”

“The sense of cinematic glamour begins with the dramatic arrival to the porte-cochère with a sweeping bronze canopy,” the designer explained. “Guests are welcomed through bronze doors adorned with Lalique crystal pulls. A soaring entry lobby is framed by two tall bronze zodiac screens and anchored by a monumental bronze chandelier. Intimate adjacent alcoves allow for a private check-in and concierge experience, while a floor-to-ceiling glossy onyx fireplace warms the lounge just beyond. The sophistication of the public areas is enhanced by the refined quality of craftsmanship in the FF&E [furniture, fixtures and equipment] program, including a carefully curated collection of art works, Lalique gold leaf backed crystal panels, hand-selected Italian marbles and custom furnishings from around the world.”

Natural Stone Adds Glamour and Intrigue

Photo courtesy of PICCO Engineering.

One of the most striking features of the hotel can be seen in the two-story lobby, where a 17-foot   onyx fireplace sets the perfect backdrop for a massive, custom-designed bronze and crystal chandelier. Across the lobby in the main waiting area a trio of marbles was used to create a clean, contemporary floor design. A base of Calacatta Oro marble is accented by thin bronze inserts, creating a repetitive rectangular design throughout the space. The Calacatta Oro marble frames an inner design composed of Crema Marfil and Amarelo Negrais marble, which are bordered by thin strips of Absolute Black granite.

The hotel provides an intimate hospitality experience, with only 18 rooms on each floor—119 deluxe rooms and 51 suites. “The atmosphere is exciting, vibrant, and full of life. We created a quiet backdrop of creams and beiges accented by cool celadons and golden caramels, and sleek black lacquer finishes. This palette also continues into the standard guestrooms, which creates a cohesive guest experience,” Rochon said.

The guestrooms celebrate a classic California style, with floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto oversized private balconies. Each type of room promotes a different color scheme, from the standard rooms to the presidential suite. The king-sized rooms embrace a blue theme, with patterned rugs and complementary accents, while the queen-sized rooms take on a gold theme. Suites are distinguished by chocolate brown and cream outfitting. All bathrooms are clad in marble, waterjet-cut into geometric patterns for the floors and walls. 12×24 inch pieces of Bianco Dolomiti marble were installed on the walls of the bathrooms and showers, separated by 1 1/2 inch vertical bands of Amarelo Negrais marble. The floors in the king- and queen-sized rooms feature an intricate stone medallion, with intermixed squares of Bianco Dolomiti and Crema Marfil marble, framed by 1 1/2 inch strips of Amarelo Negrais marble. In the suites, Bianco Dolomiti, Crema Marfil, and Amarelo Negrais are used to create a unique flower-like pattern on the floor. Crema Marfil was used for the tub surrounds to provide a cohesive look.

In the villas, Calacatta Oro marble was used on the floors. These rooms were designed using hints of celadon, a pale shade of green, with white and cream accents. The bathrooms, which combine all color shades through the use of stone and tile, also feature geometric-inspired floor medallions. The walls share the same stone design as the queen- and king-sized rooms, with 12- x 24 inch pieces of Calacatta Oro in place of Bianco Dolomiti marble, while the floors showcase triangular and circular pieces of waterjet-cut Noir St. Laurent and Crema Marfil marble that is framed by the 1 1/2 inch bands of Amarelo Negrais marble. In the shower, Calcacatta Oro was used for the shower bench and Crema Marfil graces the floors, along with square pieces of Noir St. Laurent marble framed by strips of Amarelo Negrais marble.

The 3,215-square-foot presidential suite, which includes a 1,459-square-foot terrace, combines shades of gold and cream with Noir St. Laurent marble floors to create something regal and one-of-a-kind. The Noir St. Laurent is featured throughout the entire suite’s floors and was carried into the bathroom, where it was used alongside thin bands of Amarelo Negrais marble to create a rectangular-inspired design. Large-format pieces of the same white onyx used for the lobby fireplace were also applied on these walls and the tub surround for an upscale look and feel. The presidential suite’s bathroom features floor to ceiling windows that offer dramatic views of the Hollywood Hills.

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An Intricate Installation

A talented team of professionals was enlisted to fabricate and install the hotel’s intricate stone bathroom features. The polished 1 1/2 inch bands of Amarelo Negrais marble required a keen eye to ensure design perfection.

“This detail created a 180-degree continuum that wrapped the bathroom in a warm yellow hue,” said Solomon Aryeh, owner of SMG Stone Company, Inc. “This intricate detail that was achieved in the fabrication process was an important design element that lent the bathroom an elevated experience. Every one of the wall bands was installed to line up with one another horizontally and vertically, with some walls containing up to seven bands that faded into the door surround. This included bands lining up directly with the soap niche and a horizontal line detail on the light fixtures.”

Because of the client’s high standards, Aryeh and his team had to maintain tight tolerances to ensure design accuracy. “To achieve the lining up of the joints in the bathroom, the framing of the room had to be exact with tolerances no more than 1/8 inch,” he explained. “Our task was to work hand-in-hand with the framer to maintain the design integrity requiring walls to be plumb and installed in perfect square. Stone tiles were installed in a thinset system that required the mortar bed to be no more than 3/16 inch thick, as there was no room to build up the tiles or room for adjustments. A thicker mortar bed would off-set the joints from one end of the bathroom to the other, completely compromising the design.”

With several mock-ups completed during the design process and hundreds of dry lays assembled onsite prior to the install, the designers and installers successfully worked together for about four years to construct the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills.

Since its completion, the hotel has received numerous national and international accolades, including a Natural Stone Institute Pinnacle Award in the Commericial Interior category.

“The reaction has been very positive from the owner, Hilton, and the City of Beverly Hills,” Rochon said. “The building has greatly elevated the character of the site. It complements its adjacent sister hotel, the Beverly Hilton.  It is true to the city’s heritage of Hollywood glamour.”

TAGS:  commercial design bathroom inspire fireplace heather fiore

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Reprinted with permission from Aria Stone Gallery. 

Natural stone fireplace facades remain one of the most trendy styles of design no matter where you roam. Whether these clad fireplaces stem from the utilization of leftover stone material or the grand idea of a massive quadmatched feature wall, we can promise a cozy fireplace will never fail to pull together your home. So grab a coffee, cozy up to your fireplace and read on to experience 5 of the most extravagant and unique natural stone fireplaces we’ve ever seen.

1. Quadmatched Silver Wave Fireplace

The only way we can describe this fireplace is graphic, dramatic and all-around breathtaking. Four gigantic slabs of Silver Wave marble crafted into a quadmatch creates a head-turning and mind-blowing art form inside an already gorgeous living room. Truly a mantle fit for a king.

Silver Wave marble. Photo courtesy of Aria Stone Gallery.

2. Symmetrical Grigio Italia Marble Fireplace

Rich shades of grey and undertones of violet combined with perfect 45-­degree movement give this Grigio Italia marble bookmatched fireplace a classy appeal. The intricate patterns and veining throughout this sleek marble add depth and dimension, and you really can’t go wrong with black and white.

Grigio Italia marble. Photo courtesy of Aria Stone Gallery.

3. Viridescent Verde Aurora Diamond Match Fireplace

This stunning Verde Aurora marble feature fireplace sports a rich, green diamond match, flawlessly cladding the entire wall. An epitome of sophisticated elegance, this earthy treasure is the centerpiece of the home and a beautiful example of using pop color in interior design. We are positively green with envy!

Verde Aurora marble. Photo courtesy of Aria Stone Gallery.

4. Classic Calacatta Extra Marble Fireplace

This bookmatched Calacatta Extra fireplace might seem small, but it definitely packs a punch. Located directly across from a mirrored bookmatch feature wall and bar, this elongated mantle ties together all major focal points in the home and is a creative use of leftover material. A classic and simple, yet detail-oriented design to say the least.

Calacatta Extra marble. Photo courtesy of Aria Stone Gallery.

5. Fabulous Fior Di BoscoMarbleFireplace

A luxurious marble tower of grays and browns, this Fior Di Bosco fireplace is nothing short of dazzling. Residing in a living room brimming with sparkling chandeliers and traditional furniture, we absolutely love how this fireplace adds a touch of warmth and ties the space together.

Fior di Bosco marble. Photo courtesy of Aria Stone Gallery.

TAGS:  fireplace design aria-gallery inspire

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Photo courtesy of Delta Stone Products.

Chenille marble. Photo courtesy of ROCKin’teriors.

Fall is the perfect time of year to focus on the fireplace. A fire takes the chill out of the autumn air, and a mantel provides a centerpiece for fall and winter holiday décor. Get ready for the season by giving your fireplace a new look with natural stone.

“Placing natural stone on a fireplace surround without question makes it spectacular,” says Laura Grandlienard, owner of ROCKin’teriors, a stone fabrication and installation facility located in Raleigh, North Carolina. “You have an array of options and unbelievable choices.”

Here are three steps to create the perfect natural stone fireplace for your home.

Step One: Choose the Right Stone

Calacatta Vagli marble. Photo courtesy of Ontra Stone.

Natural stone is an ideal choice for a fireplace. With many options available, it works well with any home design. Grandlienard recommends marble, limestone, granite, quartzite, onyx, or slate, all of which offer advantages over other materials.

“Natural stone is beautiful and it can withstand heat and scratching. It’s also stain resistant,” she says. “It offers an array of choices, all in different styles. We’re doing a lot of marble surrounds right now, which has a classic elegance that can look modern or traditional.”

A natural stone fireplace can complement other stone finishes in your home, says Buddy Ontra, owner of Ontra Stone, a natural stone fabricator in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Customers can choose the same stone as their kitchen countertop material, for example, to provide a cohesive feeling especially if the rooms are connected.

A fireplace made from full bed veneer or natural thin stone veneer will have a textured finish and earthy feel, while a fireplace made from a single slab will have a more streamlined, contemporary look.

Step Two: Choose Your Design

Photo by David A. Kaech & Associates, Inc.

Your fireplace design will depend on the structure of your room, as well as on building codes in your town and whether you are using a wood burning or gas fireplace.

“The first question to ask is whether or not the floor is rated for full bed depth stone or thin veneer,” says Bryce Harding, sales manager for Delta Stone Products, a stone fabricator located in Heber City, Utah. “If it’s a slab on grade home and you’ve got concrete underneath, either one is fine. If the fireplace is on the second floor or if you have a basement, you have to make sure the joists are rated for full depth stone.”

“Different towns have different codes,” says Ontra. “In Connecticut the standard code for a wood-burning fireplace is usually that there needs to be a fireproof material that extends eight inches on each side, twelve inches on the top, and twenty inches on the hearth. Around a gas fireplace, those codes don’t always apply. With gas inserts you can sometimes raise fireplace off of the floor with no hearth for a unique contemporary look.”

Be sure to do research into the building requirements in your area. Your builder and fabricator can help you with any questions you may have.

Corteccia quartzite. Photo courtesy of ROCKin’teriors.

Step Three: Choose the Right Fabricator and Installer

Zebrano marble and Ash limestone. Photo courtesy of Artistic Tile.

Finding the right person to complete your project will depend on its complexity.

“For a classic three- or four-piece fireplace, a tile installer can often do it,” says Ontra. “But if you’re talking about going floor to ceiling with a mantel incorporated in the slab, you need someone who can consider the mechanics for the design to make sure it’s properly anchored.”

Do your research, and ask plenty of questions. Has your fabricator been accredited by the Natural Stone Institute? Has your stone mason been licensed by the Mason Contractors Association of America? Have they completed projects like what you are hoping to have done, and have their customers been satisfied? These are all things to consider before choosing a fabricator and installer.

Harding recommends asking for project photos, while Grandlienard suggests looking at online reviews to determine the quality of the fabricator. She notes that it is important to find a fabricator who can work with the design you have in mind: “Your design outlook will impact finding the right fabricator. You want to give a fabricator a job they can do.”

A beautiful fireplace can become the hub of your home, where you gather with family and friends. Make sure to take time to make the right choices so you can enjoy your investment for decades to come.

TAGS:  fireplace design inspire stephanie vozza

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If you are in the construction business, I’m sure you are always asking yourself how you can take what you do and make it better—whether it’s installation, developing new products and techniques, or finding more efficient ways to get the job done. We have to keep up with the times, and time seems to be moving quickly. Natural thin stone veneer is not new to the market, but it has been growing at a very rapid pace. If you are in the stone industry, you know about all the uses and applications of natural thin stone veneer. If you’re not in the industry or the construction field, then there is probably a lot you don’t know. For those of you who are not familiar with natural thin stone veneer, here is a quick introduction.

Old Reding natural thin stone veneer.

Natural thin stone veneer is real stone cut to approximately one inch thickness, weighing no more than fifteen pounds per square foot. This is important because it enables your contractor the ability to install stone without building a block or concrete base that has to support the weight of a full bed stone. Full bed veneers are stones that range from four to six inches and are used in any vertical application. They can weigh up to fifty-five pounds per square foot, which is a lot of weight to support. This is one of the reasons why natural thin stone veneer has become so popular. Another great thing about natural thin stone veneer is most products have corner pieces, which means if the job is done right it should look just like a full bed veneer.

The options of color and cut have increased dramatically with the growth of the business and with more players coming into the marketplace. The cut is very important in your design, so let’s break it down.

Liberty Hill natural thin stone veneer.

Round: These are natural shaped round and ovals that have a balance of size. They’re great for that old farm look or for oceanside communities. Farm walls or country fireplaces are a very desirable look, especially in the northeast and mountain areas.

Square and Rectangular: This cut enables you to get an excellent ratio of size which is a plus for larger applications. It’s a great choice for a classic “old world” look.

Rectangular: This is rustic or a finely cut shape; a very universal cut that can be used in most applications large and small. It has a balance of size but not as dramatic as the square and rectangular.

Ledge Cut: Ledge cuts are smaller in width two to four inches and have varying lengths. If used alone they can create a “stacked” look and are an excellent choice for contemporary designs.

Mosaic Cut: This is a cut with points and angular shapes that have a mix of large, medium, and small sizes. Mosaic is another great option for larger areas where you can show the contrast of the shapes and size.

One last point on cut: you don’t have to be married to just one. Some of the best stone work has a mix of all cuts, so if you are bold in your design, mix it up!

Multi-colored round natural thin stone veneer.

Let’s talk about application. To make it simple, I use this rule: “Masonry on Masonry.” Natural thin stone veneer cannot be applied to wood, drywall, or any other surface that is not masonry. It must have some kind of moisture barrier, unless being applied to a solid concrete surface. The mortar mix you use to set the stone is also very important. There are a lot of great products on the market that are made for thin stone installation. Some are premixed mortars with everything you need in the mix. There are also different types of fortifiers on the market that are used to mix in the mortar to give them a stronger bond and more flex for changes in temperature and moisture. Most natural thin stone veneer suppliers will have all this information in their brochures and on their websites. The more you educate yourself on the stone, cuts, and installation the better off you will be. When you hire your contractor you will have enough information to ask the right questions, get the look you want, and save you and your contractor a lot of leg work.

When you incorporate stone in any type of construction, whether it’s commercial, residential, inside, or outside, nothing can compare to real natural stone. Rustic, high end, contemporary, or something in between, natural stone is a must for any design and natural thin stone veneer can make any job happen.