New Sources of Stone Transform Choices for Designers/Architects
Saturday, March 28th, 2009
Matt Kreitman asked:
By sourcing from newly emerging producers and importing directly, multiple stone varieties never before seen in the USA are now available as stone flooring, tile, counter top slab and pavers.
Until recently the stone choices available to designers and architects have been restricted by a high overhead big box retail-based system limiting choice to the same stone finishes that have been used for decades. Basic slates, Turkish travertine, Jerusalem limestone and granite counter tops continue to dominate showrooms with few retailers venturing beyond the standards. But with products such as gray and black basalt, porphyries, numerous different colors of Brazilian quartzite and Chinese sandstones recently available, stone is winning back the creative battle against ceramic and other manufactured materials.
“Designers were crying out for new stone materials. How much more Noche travertine or Calacatta marble can any of us look at?” asks Groundfloor’s Matt Kreitman. “The tired old choices ensured stone was viewed as an expensive material for more traditional design. But what we bring in confers a contemporary design edge. Try using a vein cut “Cobra” limestone planking mixed with a Brazilian porphyry tile and see how dramatic stone starts to look. Or put a Peruvian travertine next to a Mahogany sandstone and you are getting into an entirely new realm of design possibilities. ”
Groundfloor primarily sells trade direct and by custom order only, so the company carries almost no inventory. This approach ensures a huge selection of stone can be offered on their website, www.groundfloorstone.com and in their showroom. With no retail infrastructure, no middle men and no inventory , Groundfloor can set its prices far lower than traditional competitors.
By focusing on custom orders Groundfloor turns stone into a highly flexible product. Materials such as porphyry can be delivered in just a few weeks lead time, in multiple colors, cut to tile, counter top slab and porphyry pavers. With a wide variety of textured finishes from acid washed to sand blasted to chiseled, also available in most stone products, designers can use the same material for all interior and exterior spaces, while using different sizes formats and finishes to create difference while maintaining a visual continuity.
“We have successfully freed designers from the tyranny of squares. By taking a raw material, cutting it to any size with the latest equipment and then adding textured finishes, we can create whatever our customers want. Ceramic or other manufactured don’t have anywhere near the flexibility we bring to stone, while our business structure ensures our prices stay competitive even on big commercial and civic projects,“ says Matt Kreitman.
While Groundfloor imports stone from producers such as Brazil, India, Egypt or China, one of its biggest successes has come closer to home. Despite being blessed with abundant high quality stone, New Mexico has lacked any form of organized stone industry. By working closely with local quarries to ensure consistent supply, Groundfloor has started to produce gauged dimensional pavers from New Mexican stone, to provide architects and designers with a locally sourced product at an affordable price.
Jay
By sourcing from newly emerging producers and importing directly, multiple stone varieties never before seen in the USA are now available as stone flooring, tile, counter top slab and pavers.
Until recently the stone choices available to designers and architects have been restricted by a high overhead big box retail-based system limiting choice to the same stone finishes that have been used for decades. Basic slates, Turkish travertine, Jerusalem limestone and granite counter tops continue to dominate showrooms with few retailers venturing beyond the standards. But with products such as gray and black basalt, porphyries, numerous different colors of Brazilian quartzite and Chinese sandstones recently available, stone is winning back the creative battle against ceramic and other manufactured materials.
“Designers were crying out for new stone materials. How much more Noche travertine or Calacatta marble can any of us look at?” asks Groundfloor’s Matt Kreitman. “The tired old choices ensured stone was viewed as an expensive material for more traditional design. But what we bring in confers a contemporary design edge. Try using a vein cut “Cobra” limestone planking mixed with a Brazilian porphyry tile and see how dramatic stone starts to look. Or put a Peruvian travertine next to a Mahogany sandstone and you are getting into an entirely new realm of design possibilities. ”
Groundfloor primarily sells trade direct and by custom order only, so the company carries almost no inventory. This approach ensures a huge selection of stone can be offered on their website, www.groundfloorstone.com and in their showroom. With no retail infrastructure, no middle men and no inventory , Groundfloor can set its prices far lower than traditional competitors.
By focusing on custom orders Groundfloor turns stone into a highly flexible product. Materials such as porphyry can be delivered in just a few weeks lead time, in multiple colors, cut to tile, counter top slab and porphyry pavers. With a wide variety of textured finishes from acid washed to sand blasted to chiseled, also available in most stone products, designers can use the same material for all interior and exterior spaces, while using different sizes formats and finishes to create difference while maintaining a visual continuity.
“We have successfully freed designers from the tyranny of squares. By taking a raw material, cutting it to any size with the latest equipment and then adding textured finishes, we can create whatever our customers want. Ceramic or other manufactured don’t have anywhere near the flexibility we bring to stone, while our business structure ensures our prices stay competitive even on big commercial and civic projects,“ says Matt Kreitman.
While Groundfloor imports stone from producers such as Brazil, India, Egypt or China, one of its biggest successes has come closer to home. Despite being blessed with abundant high quality stone, New Mexico has lacked any form of organized stone industry. By working closely with local quarries to ensure consistent supply, Groundfloor has started to produce gauged dimensional pavers from New Mexican stone, to provide architects and designers with a locally sourced product at an affordable price.
Jay