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Favorite Stones from Leading Architects & Designers
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This article appeared in our Spring, 1996 Newsletter. Although we expect that stone preferences have changed since then, we feel that there is enough relevance in this survey to publish it on the web. We would love to hear about your favorite stones. Please send your opinions by e-mail to info@stonesource.com. Alex Bacon, A.R. Bacon Arch.My favorite is granite. The fact that I can use it polished on a transaction top and flamed on a floor. Jeffrey Beers, Jeffrey Beers International Onyx. It has a magical quality. In addition to its inherent beauty, onyx has versatility as a surface and also as a transmitter of light. Larry Bogdanow, L. Bogdanow & Associates I like Sienna travertine. It's as good as gold! Also, Crow's Foot Schist. I've been trying to get a client to eat off it. Charles Boutwell, Keiser Assoc. Breccia Nouvelle is my favorite stone. It is very warm, with colors that go with a lot of other finishes. Leonard Braunschweiger, Leonard Braunschweiger & Co., Inc. We are about to use, Crow's Foot schist. It is just beautiful! It adds a unique and ornamental look to a job. Wendy Brown, Brennan Beer Gorman I like all stones, but more importantly, ones that fit the look of the project, and are available when we need them. I hate substituting! Richard Carlson, Swanke, Hayden, Connell Architects My favorite stone is Verde Antique. Simply put, it is a beautiful stone. Raymond Chan, Raymond Chan Architect I really like slate. It's texture, and the large variety of colors. It is also easy to maintain. I like African Multicolor the best. Tony Chi, Tony Chi & Associates Burlington Stone. It has depth and character, yet is understated. Also, it ages well. For example, Rosso Verona is a beautiful stone, but like strawberry ice cream, after three bites it doesn't taste as good. Daniel DiSienna, Milo Kleinberg Design Associates, Inc. My favorite is Saint Hubert, honed limestone. It is very soft and elegant, classy look. Once installed, it is beautifully very consistent, with subtle variation. Tom Edwards, Thomas Edwards, Inc. I'm tired of polished granites. I love the antique look of limestone and acid washed marble. I'm thrilled with the use of limestone for countertops. The patina that develops with limestone is wonderful. It looks lived in. Teri Figliuzzi, Kohn Pedersen, Fox I love stone that is available in a variety of finishes; that can be used together to create patterns of varying texture. Tom Fox, Fox-Nahem Design I like classic Carrara -- for its timelessness in slab form. Greg Gresham, The Switzer Group My favorites are the limestones. They are a very understated material. Peter Guzy, Asfour Guzy Arch. Bayonne Gris limestone is sensuous and subtle. Its versatility lends itself to a wide array of applications. When flamed, it has an exterior rustic feel. When honed or polished, it becomes more refined. Using these two finishes together permits a rich play of light, texture and theme. Sanford Hanauer, Sanford Hanauer Designers, Inc. I like slates and bluestone. They are easy to maintain. Bluestone's natural finish is just like iron and goes with everything. I use 2'x2' inside and outside. It looks like a nice grayish/green neutral. Steve Kitezh, The Walker Group Granite, due to its great amount of interesting variations in colors and textures. It is generally quite durable, compared to other stones. Which granite selected depends upon the project. Joan Krevilin, BKS/K Architects Burlington Stone's Broughton Moor. It has a lot of color, while staying very neutral. It's very calming, like looking at the sea. Alex Kustow, Alex Kustow Atelier Breche Nouvelle. I fell in love with it and use it every chance I get! Tony Kyritsis, Gustavson/Dundes Architecture & Design Kashmere slate. In a tomb as rich as a Pharoah's, the earth put to rest dinosaurs in a burnished cage of sand. Ray Liu, Gensler & Associates My favorite stone is Burlington Stone. The communication and service is outstanding with the factory. Each job I've done was with great success. Louise Miller, Mancini-Duffy I like limestone, because of its consistency in color, its softness and chalky appeal. Lee Mindel, Shelton, Mindel & Associates My favorite stone? Fred and Wilma. Seriously, Pietra Serena. It is the simplest. Solid simultaneously generic and refined, It's worth the stain factor. Gary Mong, Cannon Architects & Engineers I really can't say that I have a favorite stone because I find the one that's right for the project. First I assess the general feeling of the client, and then I pick the appropriate stone. Nancy Mullan, NDM Kitchens Pietra Cardosa. I used it at the Kips Bay Showcase, and got a lot of business from it! I like the color. John Mulliken, Hillier/Eggers ...through very early morning mist, sunlight rakes across the natural cleft of Burlington Slate. It is then that I begin my day. Joe Nahem, Fox-Nahem Design I guess my favorite are the slates. I see them as neutral, regardless of color. The texture adds dimension. Lisa Olmstead, Haines Lundberg Waehler I enjoy all kinds of slates. I love the color variation and the rustic look! Florence Perchuk, Florence Perchuk, CKD White Carrara slabs, honed finish, 2" thick, with a patina of aging, giving a warm effect. It takes me back to my childhood, when my mother used to take me shopping at the butcher. He had a thick slab of honed White Carrara, that just looked wonderful! Kathleen Peragine, New York Design Collaborative I really like Magny limestone. It takes a modern installation — and brings it back in time! Diane Proctor and Stephen Wang, Proctor + Wang, Architects The finishes are important in our design. It is difficult to select a favorite stone, as we match the stone to the architectural style or period. Recently, however, we have enjoyed the use of Portoro (Black and Gold) marble on a number of Deco projects. This stone not only is true to the period, but also has a strong, dramatic presence with a rich look. Fred Rodriguez, Phillips Janson Limestones. Their background colors work great with surrounding colors. Shamir Shah, Costas Kondylis Architects Villebois Jaune, the French limestone. It has a beautiful combination of subtlety and sophistication, with the added advantage of textural variation, when different finishes are used on the same surface. John Sherman, Aero Studios Ltd. I like limestone, because of its neutrality and versatility. Limestone can be used either in a modern or classic setting. Lee Skolnick, Lee H. Skolnick, Architects & Design Partnership Blue Bahia, because I have not been able to use it yet. Greg Smith, H.O.K. China Lotus slate. I love it so much, that I am putting it in my house! Pat Tine, Hillier Group I am interested in specific stones for specific purposes — their appropriateness. My decisions are based on the constraints of sight and context. I like stones that have life to them, such as deeply colored granites. |