Sandstone brings the beauty in your interior
We see the stone appear as wall and floor covering in interiors, taking over from the ubiquitous marble. Emerging Indian designers use it in large slabs for statuesque, small-edition furniture pieces, while the Indian brands start to bring it into their collections. The rise of Sandstone coincides with more interior designers switching to schemes that embrace beige in all its shades, with bright woods, and natural fibers like sisal and straw, creating depth and variety of textures to avoid monotony in what could otherwise be a very plain season.
Moving away from gritty stone surfaces, creators are discovering the softness of sandy travertine’s to introduce a calm sensuality to spaces and products. The next chapter in the stone saga belongs to limestones in bright beige tones, with Sandstone taking center stage. Whereas last year we saw rocks being carved into bombastic pieces with deep grooves, Sandstone softness lends itself more to curvy, fluid shapes. Designers are now avoiding sharp edges and highlighting the natural qualities of the material, instead of brushing or carving them away.
Sandstone brings textural variety to a very beige season. Designers embrace limestones to create warm interiors Designers embrace limestones to create warm interiors
Brazilian architect Otto Felix used leftovers of Roman Sandstone pieces to cover floors and walls in the Sibipuranas House, a show home he conceived for Sao Paulo interior design fair Casacor. The unevenly shaped tiles cover most of the space, growing into mid-rise walls around the kitchen counter and bathroom walls. Their matte texture fits into the house’s theme of bringing nature indoors, soaking up the sunlight instead of reflecting it back as glossy surfaces would do.
Designer Frederic Saulou shows how to turn the tranquil quality of Sandstone into a visually impactful, yet delicate piece. He’s chosen an off-white Pierre de Bourgogne limestone for the slim pillar, which carries the fine-brushed brass structure that glides into the stone. The combination of the pale stone with the golden metal creates a calm presence that doesn’t go unnoticed.
Orsett coffee table by Martine Masses made from Martin Masses chose the Pietra di Medici limestone Close-up of the Orsetto coffee table by Martine Masses made from Martin Masses chose the Pietra di Medici limestone
French designer and architect Martin Masses chose the Pietra di Medici limestone as the key material in his Orsetto collection, a series of limited furniture pieces. Rounded edges and circular shapes define the edition, which includes this low coffee table, putting the structure and grain of the stone into focus. Its massive top rests on upside-down domed feet, allowing the gaps to break up the solid appearance of the design for a voluminous yet refined look.
Formation side tables made from travertine and designed by Dan Yeffet for Collection Particular
Dan Yeffet is another designer who enjoys transforming a rigid block of stone into a study of elegant proportions. For his Formation side tables, a slim tabletop was carved out from a Roman Travertine while the opening in the foot allows a little grey leather stool to glide in. The piece, which is produced by Collection Particular, is another example where designers avoid harsh edges with this stone: all its corners have been rounded.
Distinct coffee table by farm living in a living room with a beige curvy sofa Detail of the travertine stone of farm Living’s distinct coffee table
By contrast, Scandinavian brand farm Living integrated limestone in the autumn 2019 collection by issuing the existing angular distinct coffee table in an all-travertine version. It’s one of the few examples where sharp angular contrasts prevail, playing up the tough quality of the stone. However, the polished finish brings out the wavy lines of the travertine’s grain, allowing for a sense of fluidity in this otherwise very rigid design.
JWDA floor lamps by Menu with travertine and white marble base Close-up of the travertine base with brushed brass details of the JWDA floor lamp by Menu
With the JWDA floor light by Danish label Menu, travertine is taking on the role of the supporting act. The stone serves as a solid pillar from which the slim metal stem, in a brass finish, extends. With its matte finish, it complements the opaque quality of the frosted glass. It’s a balancing act of thin vs. thick shapes that succeeds. And again, we see the stone carved into a round shape.
Fair stand at Decorex 2010 with products from Duistt including the large oak Copacabana shelf Travertine and brass detail of the oak Copacabana shelf by Dutt
At this year’s Decorex, Portuguese furniture manufacturer Duistt launched Copacabana, a large bookshelf, which shows how travertine can become a thoughtful detail. The design’s massive, asymmetric wooden frame is made from natural oak while the back is stabilized by two brass rods holding the stone slabs. It’s a combination of materials that could easily inform an interior scheme.
Interior of the Totême flagship store in Stockholm with a travertine table, designed by Christian Halle rod Detail of the travertine console table designed by Interior of the Totême flagship store in Stockholm with a travertine table, designed by Christian Halle rod
The combination of light wood and travertine doesn’t only work with furniture pieces but also makes for serene spaces. Swedish interior designer Christian Halle rod commissioned this yellow travertine table in a Portuguese workshop and put it into the Stockholm store of fashion label Totême. The tabletop expands from an angular end into a round shape, mirroring the contrasting shapes of the room.
An abstract object of stacked oak, travertine and MDF rings on a brass rod by Vault Studio Beige travertine disks
An intriguing study exemplifying the materiality of the travertine trend comes in the form of this object by Vault Studio. It’s part of the Toys series of objects d’art, capturing the collective’s understanding of Berlin, where they are located. The stacked discs are made from Navona travertine, dark oak, grey acrylic glass, and MDF covered with leather and ivory lacquer, all slid onto a shiny brass base.
Stone objects made from red Iranian travertine by Interior of the Toteme flagship store in Stockholm with a travertine table, designed by Najila El ZeinStone objects made from red Iranian travertine by Interior of the Totem flagship store in Stockholm with a travertine table, designed by Najla El Zein
Some designers are already giving us a glimpse of what’s next for travertine. Lebanese designer Najla El Zein started her Seduction series with pieces made from beige limestone’s inspired by intertwined bodies. This year, she added the Pair 06 for which she worked with Iranian red travertine for the first time, carving and layering the stone so it appears to be a soft, bendable material. We think the next wave of matte stone designs will be more colorful – just as we saw marble trend starting with black and white types before designers introduced red, green, and pinks varieties.
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
Moving on from an overload of glossy marble and terrazzo, in the New Stone Age designers are turning to more natural textures with raw and tactile qualities. Carved surfaces and deep grooves create brutal effects with an appearance almost like concrete. The impact can be heightened when juxtaposed with precise glass or shiny metal detailing.
Limestone like Travertine or muted marble variations show designers are moving on from shiny stone surfaces
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
For their rectangular dining table C080, the Lebanese design duo David/Nicolas chose a grey Travertino Bronze stone and framed it with silvered brass details.
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
German designer Konstantin Grcic developed a series of abstract objects – part furniture and part sculptures – made from the grey-blue Bleu de Savoie stone. Named Volumes, the limited edition pieces were first shown at Galleries Kreo in Paris.
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
Deeply engraved lines define the Maria bathtub and sink, both designed by Elena Salmistraro. Italian stone expert Vicentina Marmi carved the pieces from an Orobico Arabesque Marble which is defined by its beautiful red-bronze grain.
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
French designer Stephaney Parmentier chose a light Osso travertine for his throne-like Gallipoli chair, which comes with a seat cushion made from shaved lambskin.
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
The stepped base of the round Staircase table by Georgian design label Rooms is carved out of French limestone.
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
Designers Valerian Lazard and Paul Brissonnet collaborated for the Atlas chair as part of a limited edition of furniture pieces made from a French limestone sourced in Burgundy.
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
Clement Brazil achieved a slim, delicate silhouette for his Ocean Travertine side tables, which are obviously made from the eponymous material. The pieces with slim cylindrical legs and a round tabletop are produced by Ateliers Romeo.
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
Italian label Elide launched the Roma wall lamp with a shade cut from travertine. The stone is illuminated from the back with LED lights.
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
Danish brand free-living has been exploring darker stone variations and has launched the Alza bowl, made from black matte Indian Banswara Marble.
New Stone Age: leaving polished marble surfaces behind
Three chunky travertine modules make up the Planar Side Table by Brooklyn design studio Fort Standard. The round top sits on the two square pieces forming the base, creating a contrast.
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