Comparing the performance attributes of natural stone with manmade materials

Exterior Design

While design trends come and go, natural stone remains a timeless and flexible option for many exterior applications including cladding, paving, and hardscapes. This is due to the variety of natural stone types available that are beautiful, durable, and versatile. No wonder so many manmade materials try to emulate or replicate these characteristics and qualities.

It is important to know how the material chosen for an exterior project will perform under a variety of circumstances, conditions, and uses. It is also essential to understand how natural stone compares to manmade materials used for the same applications in order to select the material that will perform the best. At the same time, knowing how the material impacts the environment will ensure that you are choosing the most sustainable material for the application.

Photo courtesy of Connecticut Stone.

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:

• How will the material hold up under freeze/thaw conditions? Continued cycles of freezing and thawing can cause some materials to degrade more quickly.
• Does it have good UV resistance and solar reflectance? Many materials will break down over time or change appearances when exposed to UV light.
• Does the material have a low absorption rate? Materials with lower absorption rates tend to be more stain resistant. Sealing a material can lower its absorption rate and improve its performance.
• Is the material slip-resistant? Slip resistance is the level of traction needed for a walking surface to remain safe for those using it. Slip resistance is impacted by the material’s texture and porosity, as well as any surface treatments used and elements it is exposed to, including water and dust.

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

Photo courtesy of Gallegos.

Exterior Applications for Natural Stone versus Manmade Materials

Cladding and Veneer
The possibilities for natural stone cladding and veneer are endless. Limestone, granite, marble, travertine, basalt, slate, quartzite, and sandstone are among the many options. These stones are versatile, meaning they can be cut and finished into different shapes, textures, and patterns, creating a cohesive aesthetic. Many stones are durable in extreme weather conditions. When discussing vertical stone applications, the installation standards and techniques can make even vulnerable stones durable. Most stones have a long life span. Light colored stones have a high solar reflectance index, meaning they will reflect the sun well, reducing heat gain on the building or site. 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. Some stones are porous and may stain if subjected to contaminates over time. Depending on the stone’s mineral composition it may be susceptible to the effects of acid rain. Natural stone may sometimes have a higher initial cost than manmade materials, but it often proves to be the most cost-effective choice because it lasts so long. This is especially true because natural stone can also be refinished, repaired, restored, or recycled.

Manmade materials including porcelain, concrete, GFRC panels, metal, and terracotta are also options for exterior cladding.  Concrete and porcelain are durable and UV stable; good choices for the exterior and the exposure to sunlight and the elements they must withstand. However, these materials do not typically last as long as stone. Concrete, in the form of cast stone and cultured stone, is often tinted and can fade heavily from sunlight/UV exposure. Some manufacturers are improving the color fastness of cultured stone, but that adds chemicals and cost to the final product. Some manmade materials can also sometimes look flat since they are often made to be uniform in appearance and lack the natural veining and textures of natural stone. Most of them also have a high embodied energy because they require a wide range of other materials and energy intensive processes to be manufactured.

Paving
Natural stones including granite, sandstone, basalt, limestone, slate, travertine, marble, and porphyry are good options for paving. Again, one of the main performance aspects of using natural stone in this manner is its incredible durability. Surfaces can also be finished for slip-resistance and design options abound with more edging, pattern, surface texture, and color than manmade surfaces. Many natural stones perform very well in freeze/thaw environments and conditions. In some cases, natural stone will cost less than porcelain or concrete imitations. Once again, the low embodied energy of natural stone makes it a great option for meeting sustainability goals. The installation of natural stone may be more costly than some manmade materials and it may need to be sealed, depending on the type of stone, location, and environmental conditions. However, as mentioned previously, natural stone’s long life cycle makes it a very cost-effective choice.

Concrete, clay, and porcelain are among the manmade materials used for paving. A few of the pros of using these materials include the possibility of lower replacement and maintenance costs for concrete, and that porcelain is UV stable. There are limited texture options for concrete, which can contribute to a lower cost for the material. Quite often though, concrete fades and the material takes on a very aggregate-like appearance and will lose its color. New technologies are improving surface wear, color fastness, texture, and stain resistance. However, these add quite a bit to the cost and in some cases will make it more expensive than natural stone. For clay, the use of sand mold and wire cut production methods will yield a paver that has a high absorption rate and may have significant issues with salts and efflorescence. These pavers require a more costly installation process due to their larger sizing tolerance issues created by the moisture and firing process. There are pavers created with a compressed production process which perform better but still have performance issues and are not as durable as most natural stones.  High fired or vitrified clay pavers can be very hard and durable, but also very brittle. Porcelain behaves like glass and can also be very brittle, especially in a dry set application in a freeze thaw environment, so it will need to be set with spacers to protect itself in the winter. Porcelain has no absorption, so water will just sit on the surface. The water needs to evaporate or surface drain, so in the winter this can create a very slick surface and be dangerous. These products also have high embodied energy, which creates a negative impact on the environment.

Eden limestone dimensional flagstone. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Supply.

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 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 also a great choice for meeting green building goals. The initial material and installation costs are offset by the long life expectancy and 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. 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.

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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.

In Ancient Greece, the goddess Nike personified victory. She was a messenger whose wings enabled her to fly over the Earth rewarding victors of battle or athletic competition with fame and glory. The most famous depiction of Nike is the Winged Victory of Samothrace, also known as Nike of Samothrace. This marble Hellenistic sculpture dates to the second century BC and is one of the world’s most celebrated sculptures. In 2017, it caught the eye of a private Fortune 100 company in Portland, Oregon, who tasked a talented team of professionals to reinvent the iconic artwork on the wall of the executive boardroom at its corporate headquarters.

Reimagining a Classic

Peter Andrusko, master sculptor and owner of The Andrusko Group in Portland has been crafting stone sculptures for over thirty years. “The Winged Goddess of Victory,” a 15-foot-tall, 18-foot-wide bas-relief comprised of basalt and granite, is one of the most complicated and technically challenging projects he has ever worked on. “I’ve never done anything even remotely as complex,” he said.

“In May of 2017, I was approached by the project manager for special arts projects’ at Hoffman Construction Company and began a dialogue about the viability of creating a massive stone bas-relief sculpture. When I was approached by one of the West Coast’s leading general contractors, I was thrilled. They had found me, which in a sense partly validated decades of effort on my part in trying to become known as a source of quality and innovation in a very obscure artisan niche.”

Andrusko learned some “old school” stone techniques from his father, a successful brick and stone mason, but is mostly self-taught, specifically in robotic Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology, which has been beneficial to his business. “Robotics is not only the future, more importantly, it’s an absolute gift of life to the carver,” he said. “About 15 years ago, the robotics industry changed and started becoming accessible to workshops. Let’s just say it’s a very natural fit and what I know of hand-craft and my natural abilities in technology found a very, very interesting nexus.”

To create The Winged Goddess of Victory sculpture and wall design, which relied on robotic CNC machinery, Andrusko utilized a basalt quarried in Moses Lake, WA, which was supplied by Stone NW in Vancouver, WA, and Indian Black granite from Savema in Pietrasanta, Italy. “This work is constructed from a very hard, dense and brittle local black basalt, which was then inlayed into a field of waterjet textured Italian black granite tile,” Andrusko said. “There is also some lettering carved into the granite, which is also the product of my studio and hand.”

The basalt used for the sculptural elements is a ubiquitous Pacific Northwestern material that is available in various colors, textures, and forms. “In this particular case, it’s an amazingly tight-grained satiny black that takes a polish,” said Andrusko, who worked with a local stone company that cut the rough blocks to-size and supplied the slabs, which were then cut to fit the super tight specs needed for the project. “The core block dimension is 3 x 6 x 24 inches. Of that overall depth, the carving is contained within just 2 1/2 inches of depth and is then inlayed into the Graffiti granite paneling covering the wall.

According to Andrusko, there are over 300 parts in the finished piece, many of which were first roughed into shape with CNC robotics technology, then hand-finished and fitted into the cut-to-fit granite. “It is a process essentially similar to the one used by many stone carving studios throughout time—in this case, using robotic machines instead of human workers, such as those famously employed by Rodin in his studio to perform the roughing from the original models, which in this case are digital files.”

Technology and Design

When designing the 7,500-pound sculpture, Andrusko worked with a professional digital art team, which created the digital renderings from which he worked. “The first and most important aspect of the project was the artwork,” the sculptor explained. “Initially, I was asked to provide the artwork, but the delivery date required for the completed work was rapidly approaching, so they hired a professional digital art team. We worked closely together during the first few months to refine the design. I produced an initial scale model of the carving in high-density urethane along with a full-size section that was approximately 4 x 5 feet.” After receiving feedback on the first scale model, a second was commissioned to confirm the changes would meet the demanding attention to detail.”  Based on feedback of the first scale model, a second was commissioned to confirm the changes would meet the demanding attention to detail.

According to Andrusko, the anticipated weight of the stone on its own was intimidating.  “The immediate need was to minimize the overall mass—getting as much detail as possible for something of this scale necessitated a balance between weight reduction (thickness of the module) and down-lighting. Also, keep in mind that all of this mass is hanging off the wall structure along a thin ribbon of floor inside of a modern-constructed building on an upper floor. Due diligence required some engineering attention.”

A compromise was found by creating a 3-inch thickness overall, with a 2 1/2-inch maximum range to work within. “This got us our range and the digital arts team was able to model the lighting and the relief topography to maximize the effect visually,” Andrusko said. “The reality is that there is a massive amount of ambient light in the space, which interferes to some degree with the LED down-light effect during the day, but some of the imagery was taken at night and one can see an amazing depth and clarity of surface that is truly a wonder; it appears far deeper and more defined than the 2 1/2 inches would suggest. A success by the design team and lighting specialists.”

The design team used displacement mapping to create the digital renderings, an alternative computer graphics technique that uses a texture map or heightmap to cause an effect where the actual geometric position of points over the textured surface are displaced, which gives surfaces a great sense of depth and detail, permitting self-occlusion, self-shadowing and silhouettes.

“The value of this is that the computer software I used to develop the cut files can accurately manage the range of black (lowest point) to white (highest point), which are, in essence, user-definable, which allows the Z-axis to be established properly so that everything fits in 3D,” Andrusko detailed. “The hand-carving is to blend and fit everything and to put the finishing touch into the carving.

“There was a great deal of struggling with the size of the file initially and trying to solve some problems like positioning into the fixed grid of the field materials that needed to be discussed and established before breaking the image into precise parts,” Andrusko explained. “Also, the client insisted on 1/16-inch tolerances between parts. Once all the grid issues were worked out, then the parts were segmented into the modules. I broke out the grid elements in granite from the basalt and cut stencils to mark and fit the granite part by part — hand-cut with a ring saw. I initially proposed that this be done with a waterjet, but in the midst of the time crunch, I elected to keep this in-house to cut by hand while the CNC machines were running. It turned out to be a very good decision for reasons I wasn’t expecting having to do with the final fitting. The G-code files were generated to run the machines and smaller parts were nested into the stones in groups. Everything was coded and numbered so that the parts could be fitted and mapped for the installation team.”

Constructing the 300 parts for the project required an intricate process. “The parts cutting involved an initial ‘roughing’ stage of milling,” Andrusko explained. “About 1/16 inch passes to get to the core shape of the part. The secondary stage of milling involved a smaller bit and a change of trajectory that netted the finished part fairly close to the final dimensions needed. That final step involved stacking the stones into a grid, hand-finishing and cleaning, and tightening the cuts and sharp edges in order to have a smooth transition between adjacent parts. The largest single area I was able to get flat at one time in the studio was approximately 4 x 4 feet.”

While the digital technology was needed to create a sculpture of this stature in such a short amount of time, Andrusko believes that hand-carving was still a key factor in the project’s success. “The robotics utilized in the studio amplifies the productive output of the carver manifold, but it still requires the breath of life of the master carver to perform the final steps by hand to finish and detail the sculpture,” he said. “However, what the technology allows is for a single individual to perform the work of dozens of people working practically non-stop for months on end.”

Even with the aid of technology, completing the project was still an arduous task. “I was able to keep running six CNC machines alone for most of four and a half months,” Andrusko said. “My day started at around 5 a.m. and ended at or near 10 p.m. Cutting hard stone requires a very attentive focus. Water supply is critical or there could be a fire, bit break, damage to the work piece, or at minimum a whole bunch of wasted time, so there was no practical way to run the machines all day every day as much as I wanted to or would have liked to. The machines needed to be monitored constantly and any instances of failure caught and corrected as soon as possible. I was often literally running and constantly on my feet moving between machines, changing parts out, swapping bits, clearing obstructed water lines and quickly became attuned to the sounds (healthy and otherwise) of each machine in the studio. I stopped keeping track of time, but it was a relentless grind of 14 to 18 hours a day, seven days a week, and other than a few hours for Thanksgiving and Christmas with family, it didn’t stop until I was done.”

The Installation

Andrusko gives the majority of the credit for the success of the installation to the project manager at Hoffman Construction Company and the installation team at Western Tile & Marble. “This was very much a team effort and the success of the whole was really a shared collaborative effort,” he said.

The installation, which was completed in about a month, required one stone mason and three tile setters. The team bonded the wall tiles to USG Corporation’s Durock Brand Cement Backer Board using Laticrete’s 257 Titanium thinset mortar, which is designed for the installation of large-format tiles and gauged porcelain tile panels and slabs. “Thicker carved stones were installed with Latapoxy 310 Stone Adhesive,” said Floyd Goodwin, project manager at Western Tile & Marble. “We used copper wire anchors into studs.”

Goodwin explained how the heavy, irregularly shaped tiles needed to be carefully installed to ensure flatness and desired joint thickness. “Maintaining joint dimensions and plumb was crucial because the carved stone had irregular edges and the substrate was wavy,” Goodwin said.

In addition to Laticrete’s 257 Titanium and Latapoxy 310 Stone Adhesive, the installation team also utilized Laticrete’s Permacolor Select cement grout and Latasil silicone sealant.

“They are truly professional craftsmen and I know they were also working under extreme stress and with a really tight schedule,” Andrusko said of the team. “They took my work and completed the site installation without a break or a scratch. I wasn’t needed onsite. There wasn’t a single punch list item related to the sculpture.”

Since the project’s completion, visitors have been amazed by the artwork and its resemblance to the original Winged Victory of Samothrace. “The client loves it,” said Goodwin.

The project received a 2018 Pinnacle Award from the Natural Stone Institute in the Architectural Carving/Lettering/Sculpture category. “One would assume the hope of any artist is to somehow imbue the breath of life into the inanimate; to effect in some profound way the beholder of the work,” Andrusko said. “That this now exists in the physical world where others can experience it makes me very happy.”

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Note: An earlier version of this article originally appeared in Masonry Design Magazine.

The author at a quarry in Northern Italy.

As a stone designer, I am intrigued with and will collect anything unusual extracted from the earth. Since childhood, I’ve been fascinated with the journey of a stone and inspired as an artist to find spectacular, awe-inspiring gems that will become a masterpiece in a designer’s portfolio.

Designers are always waiting for the rumor that something astonishing has been found, so passion can engineer gigantic ideas that will surpass our previous project. We seek to create a design that will pay great respect to the geological wonders.

One never knows how deep, far, or long one must dig, sifting through the dirt before finding a worthwhile stone. But once an unusual find is exhumed, it soon becomes the talk of the industry and the centerpiece to a new luxurious space.

Quarry Tales

Photo courtesy of Neil Landino for Gregory Lombardi Design.

The quarry has a mystical charisma that shimmers and whispers behind the shadows, releasing intense captivating stories and energy from the past. Natural stone like granite, marble, and quartzite takes you back in time and contains millions of years of geological history. It extracts secrets, history, and beauty. It creates a deeper understanding of the turbulent creation of our earth. As stone specialists, we try to understand and predict prehistoric materials and how they might be relevant today.

Passion for natural stone leaves many breathless and is the collateral for many sparkling unique friendships. I have met exciting, high-voltage collectors from all over the world who need tranquilizers when talking about their love of natural stone.

Stone projects of all kinds rely on imaginative design. When I see a new rock, I can’t wait to create its new use and locate its new home. The design world is small and the adventure to be the first to use something just discovered is a world of adventure for any stone professional. My design clients are always hoping to be the first to see new stone. They are waiting for my call alerting them that something new is on the market, perfect for the project they are brewing.

Turning Dreams to Reality

Photo courtesy of Gregory Lombardi Design Inc., Zen Associates..

Our quest to be surrounded by the marvels of Mother Nature is influencing design more than ever.  Once the unique stone has been found, we return to our blueprints feeling inspired. Design masters worldwide will use their talent and imagination to create a dreamy space that can shake our soul and make us feel brand new. Once we have procured the objects, we then seek the advice of stone masons and fabricators who will cut, grind, carve, and polish the dream into reality.

New England is a region that craves outdoor living spaces. With short balmy seasons, designs must be flexible, top performing, stable, and engineered with extreme weather consideration. Extreme freeze-thaw cycles can create an expansion that can crack, chip, and irritate elegant installations.

Ruggedly built spaces that remain delicate and worthy of royalty have designers like me on the hunt for materials that can stand the test of time. Natural stone serves as both exquisite and invaluable for the outdoor room.

There is a thin, almost invisible wall that divides the world of interior and exterior stone use. Walls of glass with continuous rock gardens allow one to enjoy these spaces year-round. Clever placement of natural stone can connect your home to the beauty of the outdoors.

Design that Awakens the Spirits of Another Time

Stone chambers and modern-day fire pits have us designing spaces that reach back to a time when fire was first used for warmth, protection, cooking, and bonding. We create these spaces as unique and intimate gathering spots that reconnect us, perhaps, to our ancestors.

Photo courtesy of Gregory Lombardi Design Inc., Zen Associates.

Outdoor kitchens embellish our landscape and have become works of art that draw us to the outdoors. They yank us from the screens of our electronic devices and return us to simpler times surrounded by the stars, wind, trees, birds, and wildlife. Outdoor spaces give you a spot to hear yourself think, dream, appreciate, and improve.

There is nothing like the original New England recipe for using natural stone. There is something magical about driving down an old country road and seeing earthy, moss-covered, textured patina covered rocks that some of our greatest writers have written about.

I am only one writer among many who enjoys telling this tale. Writer John-Manuel Andriote writes in his incredible article about geologist Robert M Thorson’s study on the walls of New England: “It was American Poet Laureate Robert Frost, perhaps more than anyone else, who imbued New England’s stone walls with mythological significance. Frost’s poetry helped solidify the heroic, all-American image of the Yankee farmer — independent, self-reliant and resilient — standing up, defiantly, to the relentless stone.” Thorson says that for Frost, “stone walls were more than symbols. They were oracles.”

The Enduring Legacy of Natural Stone

The fusion of wood, glass, stone, and metal truly awaken my design spirit as an artist. I have been weaving these materials together since I was a teen. These unique combinations support each other and cast their own spell. Unique stone structures tell dazzling stories that speak to stability and the significance of preserving our great outdoors. Natural stone remains popular because it sings the rhythm of the earth.

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