Fireplace Decor Ideas for All Seasons

white onyx fireplace wall

Having a fireplace in your home was mostly functional once upon a time, but they remain a unique way to provide warmth and infuse character into a house. A fireplace and mantel almost always becomes the centrepiece of any room. It draws the eyes of guests and is sure to leave a lasting impression one way or the other. 

That’s exactly why when you’re choosing your fireplace decor it’s important to bear in mind that while you’re likely to put the fireplace to good use during the colder months, you’ll want to prioritise fireplace decor ideas that are suitable for all seasons.

To help you out, we’ve curated some of the best fireplace ideas that won’t date with the years or the season.

Symmetrical Decor

Keeping your fireplace decor symmetrical and balanced is an easy way to ensure it’s timeless..

Whether you add accessories, indoor plants, or art make sure you mirror the same style and design on the other side of the mantel and your positioning is centered. Even if you don’t use the same ornaments on both sides, make sure it’s evenly balanced nonetheless.

Keeping the design of your fireplace and the decor symmetrical will ensure that as the seasons change your fireplace won’t start to look out of place or overbearing in the living room. 

Rustic or Country Styling

While some like to differentiate between country decor and rustic styles, we’re going to lump them together under the category of earthy, rural aesthetics.

Incorporating country decorating ideas for fireplace mantels, like exposed brick, is an excellent way to ensure a timeless visual quality that won’t detract from any other woods or natural stones used in your interior design.

Old, unfinished-looking wooden mantels complement the country vibes of a rustic decor, especially when decorating old fireplaces.

Modern Fireplace Decor

Let’s flip the script and go in the opposite styling direction. An ultra-modern fireplace might not seem like an instinctive choice but the sleek, minimalism of modern interior design will help to keep your fireplace architecturally impressive even when not actually in use.

Your fireplace offers an additional opportunity to infuse your home’s overall style into another feature of the house.

Dark Colour Schemes

Of course, a dark interior colour scheme is not for everyone or suited for every home but it certainly makes for a bold statement. Dark stones or woods bring a moody and dramatic atmosphere to a home both when the fire is blazing and during sunny months. A dark mantel and fireplace is sure to be a conversation starter and eye opener.

Bold, Bright Fireplaces

If you want to do bold but don’t do the dark, a bright fireplace and mantel is a great decor idea. Bright colours, whether you want to go all white or not, will help bring light and a feeling of airy roominess to your home. Oranges, red and yellows go well with fireplaces for obvious reasons and will even evoke the visual iconography of the fireplace during non-fire seasons.

Go Scandinavian

Scandinavian styling focuses on simplicity and functionality. As far as fireplace decor ideas go, bringing a Sacndi feel to your fireplace is a great way to keep the area warm enough to feel homely but minimalistic enough not to make the room feel overstuffed or crowded.

Place Some Plants

Greenery and indoor plants are becoming more and more popular as indoor design choices. Your fireplace need not be any different. Placing some ferns and delicately arrayed inside plants can bring a natural quality and environmental feel to your home and fireplace. Winter or summer, plants never go out of style.

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Mirrors are always an excellent choice to adorn a mantel and fireplace. Mirrors in general are a fantastic way to make the room feel longer and roomier. Throw in there the mesmerising visuals of a blazing fireplace and you’ll make a real impression on family members and visitors.

The best part of placing a mirror by your fireplace is that even when it isn’t in use, your decor won’t make the feature look out of place or odd in any season. Plus, if you feel like adding extra luxury and wow-factor into your fireplace space you can opt for an ornate-style mirror as well.

Smart Art Choices

Displaying a thoughtful piece of art centred and above your fireplace is an excellent fireplace decor idea for all seasons. Artwork always plays an important role in interior design and can be used to balance your fireplace by adding a second layer on a surface that is often left bare and under-utilised.

Hang A TV

If you’re not sold on the mirror or artwork ideas but still want to use the space above your fireplace, incorporating a TV into the design is an excellent choice. You can leave a hanging TV exposed, build it into flanks or panels in the wall, or incorporate minimalist accessories around or under it on the mantelpiece as well. It’s a functional and fashionable way to decorate your fireplace.

Traditional Clock

A fourth option we recommend for non-seasonal specific fireplace decor to sit above the mantel is a classic, traditional clock. You can customise your choice of clock to suit your preferred style. Oversized, maximalist clocks look fantastic and draw the eye upwards. At the same time, a small, sleek clock will ensure that the space doesn’t feel too busy especially if you’re thinking of pairing this design choice with other accessories, photos, ornaments or houseplants.

Natural Stone

Nothing beats natural stone! Durable in use and magnificent in appearance, the look of exposed natural stone coupled with a fireplace will put a smile on your face all year long.

With so many different types of stone, colour/shading, veining and patterns, you can find the perfect type of stone to suit your fireplace architecture and match the rest of your house. Not to mention the fact that natural stone is long-lasting and super easy to maintain

Of course, the team here at Euro Marble are the experts at all things natural stone and we’ve worked on many fireplace projects throughout the Sydney area. If you’re thinking of using natural stone in your fireplace, or if you simply want to chat through some additional fireplace decor ideas, make sure to get in touch with us today.

Limestone Uses in Interior Design

Limestone Walls

The numerous limestone uses in interior design are many and varied. If you love the subtle earthy colours of this stunning natural stone there are plenty of ways in which you can incorporate limestone in your home.

What is limestone?

Limestone is a natural stone that is formed in water depositories. It’s made up of marine organism skeletal fragments and contains two main types of crystallized minerals:

  • Calcite; and
  • Argonite.

As a versatile material for construction, limestone is used for both landscaping, exterior construction and internal decor. 

Particularly popular for its high durability and unique aesthetic, limestone is a timeless natural stone that works as well as it looks.

So, what can you use limestone for in your home?

Interior Design Limestone Uses

Wall Cladding

Wall cladding is an excellent option for infusing a sense of style and flair in your home. Limestone comes in a range of shades, from fossil to mocca, and these rich colours are perfectly balanced with the sophisticated texture of the stone created by the compacted marine organism fossils. By adding a surface covering of limestone to a wall you can transform just about any space in your house, inside or out.

Flooring

Another way limestone is used in buildings and residential homes is as flooring. Like marble, limestone is a metamorphic rock which makes for an understated yet luxuriously looking material for use in flooring without the pricetag of marble. An elegant shading of limestone, such as minerva, can work wonders when used in large foyers, home kitchens, bathrooms and other interior flooring designs.

Staircases

Staircases offer a fantastic opportunity to incorporate a luxurious and opulent centrepiece to your building or house. Natural stone is not just a functional material for use in steps that are exposed to high traffic thanks to its hardiness, it’s also stunning visually. Limestone stairs can look professional in an office environment or warm and inviting in a modern, designer home. 

Unique Tiling

Limestone comes in large slabs for use in flooring or smaller pavers and tiles. Using limestone tiles in a unique floor design or intricately arrayed pattern can look amazing. Tiling patterns come in a range of looks, shapes and styles so you can find the perfect option to suit your preferences. 

Feature Walls

When trying to decide on what type of ‘feature wall’ you want, you’re probably picturing more bold and out there colour schemes like green, blue, pink or even gold. There’s no reason, however, why you can’t incorporate a feature wall of limestone. If you’re partial to a minimalist interior design style or want to keep your walls light and bright, a subtle yet elegant feature wall of limestone can go a long way and really bring your living room, lounge, bedroom or dining area to life.

Interior Columns

Another smart way to use limestone in interior design is in your columns or balustrades. Both of these features look beautiful in limestone and save you from having to commit to wall-to-wall or end-to-end flooring in the stone if you’re not ready or don’t have the budget for it. Interior columns and balustrades provide an excellent opportunity to express your love for this unique natural stone. 

Bathrooms

Nothing sparkles in a bathroom quite like natural stone. Limestone can be used throughout your bathroom or kept to just vanity tops and basins. Like marble, with just a little careful maintenance and professional resealing, this otherwise porous material offers a durable solution to your bathroom while also having the added benefit of looking utterly stunning.

Fireplaces

Fireplaces bring a sense of literal and figurative warmth to a home and limestone is a fantastic choice of stone for this application. Limestone looks fantastic in both a modern square-shaped and sleek design, or in a more traditional arched styled fireplace.

Kitchen Benchtops

Your kitchen benchtop is often the focal point of one of the most frequented rooms of the house. Using limestone in your kitchen benchtop will anchor your entire interior design with its iconic warm, earthy tones while still offering plenty of functionality as a hardy material. Whether your benchtop is designed as a freestanding island, waterfall, U-shape or as part of a galley kitchen configuration an impressive slab of limestone can be shaped and cut to your specification.

Splashbacks

Splashbacks are an understated hero of a kitchen. While extraordinarily practical in use to protect your wall from being damaged by excessive and repeated exposure and liquid, splashbacks also offer interior designers another opportunity to inject personality, luxury and beauty into a home. Limestone makes for an excellent and elegant splashback material and is one of just many building and home uses.

Limestone on Aluminium

A series of lightweight veneer limestone panels on aluminium can provide a home, office or building with the beauty of natural stone but with greater flexibility. Used in interior design, limestone on aluminium is the perfect solution for cases where the weight of stone walls is of concern, such as an elevator. Placing limestone panels on top of the underlying aluminium joinery allows you to reap the benefits of both worlds!

Limestone on Glass

What screams luxury and sophistication louder than a delicately designed limestone and glass combination? Thinly milled limestone panels placed on a glass backing creates a jaw-dropping translucent visual that will make an impression every time you or a visitor lays eyes on it. If you’re a fan of the seamless, sleek and clean design of glass-stone panelling, make sure to consider where and what you can use limestone on glass for in your home.

Like limestone? Call us today!

If you’re excited by the seemingly endless possibilities of limestone uses then that makes two of us! The entire Euro Marble team would love to chat to you about how we can incorporate this amazing natural stone into your home or building to bring your interior design dreams to life. What are you waiting for? Get in touch with us today.

Limestone vs Travertine Flooring: The pros and cons

limestone flooring

Limestone vs travertine

Limestone and travertine are both popular types of natural stone. Each stone makes for popular choices in material for the use in construction, home design and renovation.

While there are similarities between the two, and both are formed in similar natural circumstances (more on that in a minute), both travertine and limestone are unique and distinct stones in their own right.

If you’re looking to install stone flooring in your home and want to know what the pros and cons are of limestone vs travertine flooring, you’ve come to the right place. First, though, let’s define both of these types of stone.

Limestone

Limestone is a natural stone that forms at the bottom of water depositories and is formed mostly of the skeletal and shell-like fragments of marine organisms. Subjected to high amounts of pressure and a lot of heat, these minerals form into crystalline calcium carbonate rock. In both appearance and function, limestone can seem very similar to marble.

Travertine

Like limestone, travertine is made of compact calcium carbonate and also forms at the bottom of bodies of water and from the remains of aquatic creatures. The big difference between travertine and limestone in terms of development is that when extra heat and pressure is added to travertine it then forms subsequently into limestone. When the necessary heat and pressure is absent, travertine is left: made up of a compact composite of layers of different materials. Hence, travertine can be considered as a stone in a pre-limestone stage. 

Both limestone and travertine offer unique features and benefits when used as a building material, including flooring. 

So, how to choose between the two? Here are the pros and cons of limestone vs travertine flooring.

Stone colours and shades

This ‘pro’ and ‘con’ is entirely dependent on your preference of style and indesign. Limestone comes in brighter and lighter shades and colouring, while travertine tends to either be darker in shading or have deeper, darker streaks of colouring through it.

Of course, this being the case if you want to go down the road of marble-eque visuals, limestone offers you a more affordable option to do so. If you want to incorporate a bold colour scheme into your flooring travertine will be your better bet. Therefore the pros and cons of the colouring of limestone pavers vs travertine pavers will be entirely dependent on your personal preference and aesthetic choices.

Stone porousness

Travertine is a much more porous stone than limestone due to the differences in its formation. For that reason if you’re tossing up between a limestone vs travertine pool deck or you’re looking for a stone paver for an area that is likely to be exposed to excess liquid or high amounts of traffic in the house, limestone may be the smarter option. It’s a durable stone that is likely to stand up to high foot traffic exposure and resist staining and discolouring over time. Travertine, being softer, is more susceptible to this sort of ‘wear’. However, with proper treatment, polishing and maintenance, travertine is also more than capable of offering long-term, high quality flooring.

Stone value

When trying to assess the value of different stones such as travertine and limestone by objective metrics, it’s important to consider three different factors:

  • Limestone vs travertine price
  • Limestone vs travertine longevity 
  • Limestone vs travertine maintenance costs

Of course the lower the price and ongoing costs, and the higher the longevity, the more valuable a long-term investment a stone is. 

On the one hand, a con of limestone is that it is more expensive than travertine. On the other hand, a con of travertine is that it requires more maintenance and does not last as well for as long.

Cleaning and maintenance 

Like with most considerations on this list, choosing between limestone and travertine is not so much a determination of which is better, but which pros and cons you personally value over the other. When it comes to long-term maintenance, travertine requires both more intense and more regular maintenance to keep it sealed and resistant. Unfilled travertine, if such stone is your style, can be difficult to keep clean due to the crevices and pock marks that are inherent in the stone. On the flip side however, being the darker of the two stones, travertine does not show up dirt as easily or quickly as limestone. Limestone, while less porous when sealed and easily cleanable, does require more consistent cleaning to keep looking sparkly, shiny and squeaky clean.

Versatility in application

There’s plenty to love about travertine, especially when it comes to splashbacks and wall cladding, but in terms of flooring versatility limestone’s higher durability and lower porousness takes the cake. If the application in mind for your new stone flooring is a pool deck or bathroom pavers/flooring, limestone is the smarter and better long-term solution. Even something like underfloor heating is much more suitable for limestone than travertine.

Another important point to bear in mind with pool paving and stone surrounds is that because travertine absorbs more water, if you live in an area cold enough for the stone to freeze during winter you could damage the stone as the water expands. In the hotter months, additional water retained by travertine can produce more glaring sun refractions than limestone would.

A last word on limestone vs travertine flooring

As you can see there are clearly pros and cons to using both limestone and travertine. Travertine offers home-owners a unique, darker patterned aesthetic, while limestone is less porous and more suitable for bathroom, kitchen or pool-surrounding flooring.

At the end of the day the best stone for you will depend on your preferences, budget, priorities and application. As always, the team at Euro Marble is here to help you with your stone-related questions, queries and conundrums. Want to drill down more on the pros and cons of limestone vs travertine? Or do you want to walk through your specific home renovation? Give us a call on (02) 8585 2999 to chat about all the above and more.

Top 7 Natural Stone Tiles for Minimalist Kitchens

statuario marble kitchen benchtop and cooktop

Minimalist kitchens are extraordinarily popular in modern-style homes. From the inherent simplicity in the design to the ease with which you can create a luxurious feel, there’s a lot to love about minimalist homes.

While there are rooms in your home where it may be necessary to compromise a bit of function for fashion, your kitchen simply isn’t one of them. A minimalist kitchen design offers the perfect combination of stylishness and clutter-free, organised cleanliness that we all strive for in the hive of activity that is our kitchen.

So what construction material is best for a minimalist kitchen? There’s simply no question in our mind that natural stone tiles are the way to go.

Why natural stone?

Natural stone tiles offer both a beautiful and a durable solution for your home and especially for your kitchen. No other material is able to offer both attributes with such balance and finesse. 

Natural stone, being quarried from the ground directly, offers a uniquely earthly feel whilst retaining a sophisticated elegance. Yet, if you’re a brass tax kind of person, rest assured that natural stone offers a pretty smart long-term investment.

The hardiness and durability makes natural stone perfect for kitchens in particular where it will be exposed to a lot of activity, not to mention liquid. 

How to incorporate natural stone in your minimalist kitchen

Stone is versatile in both application and function which makes it uniquely suited to a variety of contexts. Some of the most common applications of natural stone tiles in a kitchen include:

Top natural stone tiles for minimalist kitchens

There are a LOT of varieties of natural stone to choose from. Even if you’re aiming for a minimalist kitchen sink to match your minimalist benchtop there are still tons of options to choose from. To help make your life easier, we’ve listed 7 of the top natural stone tiles to consider for your minimalist kitchen. 

  1.  Bianco Perlino Marble

Let’s start with a classic, minimalist stone. Bianco Perlino Marble is immensely popular thanks to its intricate, distinct veining and graceful, bright shading. If you’re aiming for a luminous kitchen full of bouncing light and a feeling of airy spaciousness, Bianco Perlino will perfectly compliment a minimalist design. This stunning marble stone is particularly good for use in flooring as its simplicity won’t overwhelm your minimalist aspirations. Yet if you want to use it in your kitchen benchtop or as a splashback, it works stylistically just as well. 

  1.  Calacatta Belgia Marble

From one marble stone to another… Calacatta Belgia is your classic marble-looking stone. Threaded with smokey veining amidst subtle yet powerful colours, this royal look will bring to life a minimalist kitchen without becoming overbearing. These natural stone tiles are particularly good if you’re worried that choosing white or silver stones will appear too plain but that going for a stone with a busy design or dark veining will lose the minimalist flavour. Calacatta Belgia is famous for its captivating beauty and its versatility in application. We particularly like it for flooring and kitchen countertops because it looks best in large slabs or big tiles.

  1.  Mystic Black Granite

Let’s swing to the other side and leave behind the whites and greys for a moment. Just because you’ve gone down the minimalist route doesn’t mean that you have to stay with the lighter colours. Mystic Black granite brings a dark, bold visual element to a kitchen which, applied tastefully, can enhance the elegant simplicity of a kitchen. A granite kitchen countertop or benchtop–especially in the form of an island–will anchor your minimalist kitchen design with a spectacular statement that will drop jaws to the floor… a floor which would also look stunning in Mystic Black.

  1.  Mocca Limestone

Designers and homeowners who are not such fans of minimalist design styles often use words like ‘cold’ and ‘impersonal’. We couldn’t disagree more! In fact, nothing proves such naysayers wrong as a Mocca limestone incorporating minimalist kitchen. With shades of swirling cream and ivory, Mocca has a warming look to it that manages to thread the needle of being both visually homely and luxurious. Cladding your kitchen with these natural stone tiles will create a genuine feeling of cosiness and comfort. 

  1.  Silver Travertine

Silver travertine stone tiles offer your minimalist kitchen a sense of depth and subtle complexity without ruining the overall effect of contemporary minimalism. This steel grey material echoes the cleanliness and ruthlessly smooth look of concrete whilst adding in nuanced silver, green and occasionally brown shading to give your kitchen a personal, homely touch. Our team particularly likes incorporating silver travertine in kitchen countertops where it can act as a central focal point with its eye-popping beauty without distracting from the overall kitchen design. 

  1.  Blue dreams marble

Now we turn to a coloured marble: Blue dreams marble. Blue dreams is a truly breathtaking stone: The vivid blue and creamy brown shadings evoke feelings of golden and sapphire ocean sunsets. If you want to inject a little bit of extra personality into your kitchen, we highly recommend considering blue dreams for a marble splashback or marble benchtop. The graceful design and calming colouring will hero the rest of the kitchen in a subtle, dignified manner.  

  1.  Royal White marble

For our last natural stone tile suggestion for your minimalist kitchen, we’ve gone all out; and by all out, we mean all white. Royal white marble is amongst the most majestic of natural stones and building materials found anywhere. Period. Effortlessly luxurious with its beautiful shimmering streaks of silver, royal white marble is the perfect choice for a kitchen that is meant to be as white as white can be. Incorporate this elegant marble in your floors, walls, benchtops or splashbacks. It makes for a fresh and stunning kitchen full of understated and impressive character. 

Let’s design your minimalist kitchen together

Euro Marble are experts in all things stone. Our highly skilled team are extremely experienced in helping homeowners and builders find the right natural stone tiles to suit their desires, their homes and their budgets. 
Nothing says pure minimalist kitchen design elegance more than natural stone and no one knows natural stone better than the team at Euro Marble. Contact us today and let’s see what we can do for you and your kitchen.

Light Marble Flooring Ideas for Your Home

Crema Marfil Flooring

Marble is amongst the most popular choices of natural stone for flooring in homes. The elegant sophistication of this stunning material has been and will continue to remain in style for generations to come.

If you’re considering marble flooring for your home, there are many, many options and opportunities for customisation. While many people choose darker coloured marbles to really help make the floors in their house pop, the classically lighter marble has always been the more frequently chosen. In this article we’ll outline some of the most popular and best marble flooring design styles for light marble.

White, light and bright

White marble offers a lot by way of design and functionality. If you’re a fan of minimalist and scandanavian design but don’t want to go down the dark, bold colour scheme path an open concept white marble floor is the way to go. The white stone will reflect the natural light that enters a room and will help make your entire house brighter. Keeping an all-white tone of marble across the space allows you to choose whether you want larger tiles or smaller but more intricately patterned marble stones, which takes us to our next design idea.

Add some mosaic to your marble

If you love the look and feel of white marble but want to add some depth, you can opt for a mosaic marble floor. Marble is extremely versatile, especially stunning Italian marble, and can make for a stunning display in all manner of patterns: herringbone, hexagonal, fish scales or oriental. While more intricate mosaic designs can make your floor seem busier, the light marble shading will keep it from being distracting or overwhelming for you and your guests.

Wide and veiny

Carrara marble is extraordinarily popular for use as stone floor tiles. The grey-silver cloud-like veins that run through this stunning stone break up the whiteness and lightness, and infuse an element of depth into the floor. An excellent idea for incorporating this marble into your home is by using large, flat and square tiles throughout the entirety of the room, be it a living area or a bedroom. The grey veins will not only look like a million bucks but they will often even play with your optical perceptions and make the room feel like it’s growing out from under you and lengthening. 

Checked black and white tiles

Many people don’t realise this but marble comes in a whole variety of colours, not just white and grey. One of these colours is black. Now, we promised from the top that we’ll be sticking to light marble colors for flooring but one way of introducing a bit of a funky yet elegant design into your lighter flooring is by strewing some (small or large) black tiles in a checkered pattern amongst the white. The benefit of this style is that it adds a contrast of marble colouring while keeping the iconic royal look that everyone loves.

Stripes and sheathes

Striped marble tiles or sheaths can liven up a plain marble stone floor effortlessly. Much like the natural milky veins of marble, particular types of this stone offer even more variety and boldness in the overlaying design. Take for example our exclusive licorice marble. The longitudinal lines create a rather striking pattern without sacrificing the lightness of shade or the modernistic look. Striations in marble offer a lot of opportunity for you to add a bit of colour and character in your marble flooring, all while keeping it tasteful and seamless.

Light blue and white

Another colour option, if you want to add something other than white, grey or black, is blue marble. While some home owners love the dreamy light blues inherent in this particular natural stone, others prefer to incorporate light blue marble flooring within a white tiled border. Elegantly arrayed this bright style will add eye-popping colour without sacrificing the airiness you’re wanting to achieve by opting for light stone. Blue marble is particularly well suited for integration in bathrooms and laundries.

Earthy brown marble

Brown marble might not seem intuitively like a lighter flooring option but, like all marble, the brown stones come in a variety of shades. Light brown marble arrayed in large tiles across a room can achieve a unique balance of warmth with its earthy undertones and brightness with its shiny, smooth appearance. If you’re a big fan of the wooden look, there’s even a type of marble stone called teak wood that is sure to have you head over heels. 

Go for gold marble

If you want your marble flooring to look and feel fit for a king, few ideas can go toe to toe with a gold and white marble flooring pattern. Pure luxury in execution, gold and white are perfectly complementary colours of marble that can be set out in exquisitely complex patterns or can be tastefully designed with minimalism in mind. Either way, a golden marble look will gleam in the sun and keep your flooring light and fresh looking.

Conclusion

Thanks to the wondrous nature of marble stone flooring and the many differences in design, tone, shading and colour, there are plenty of light marble flooring ideas for your home. Whether you’re looking for something unique or want a style that’s tried and tested, there’s a ton of variety that is bound to look amazing however you integrate it.

Would you like to discuss any of the ideas outlined above in more detail? Or do you want to explore some entirely new and different ideas? The Euro Marble team can’t wait to dig into the details of all things marble stone flooring. So give us a call on (02) 8585 2999 today!

How to use jet black granite in your commercial project for a WOW factor

pietra grey vanity and splashback

Using jet black granite in your commercial project may just be the wow factor you’re looking for. Granite and other natural stones come in a variety of different colours but black offers a unique aesthetic, a powerful impact and a special feel when used in construction, architecture and interior design.

Black granite is among the most popular stones in home and office designs and, due to its durability and luxury look. Suitable for traditional and modern decors, jet black granite oozes sophistication and power with a combined elegant etherealness few other materials offer. 

Knowing just how to use jet black granite in your commercial project for a wow factor however is certainly very important as you can both overdo it or under-sell it.

What is jet black granite?

Black granite is a natural stone that’s been used in construction for thousands and thousands of years. It offers numerous valuable properties, including being particularly reflective of the sun. Available both in tiles and slabs, this dense material is used in a variety of applications in both residential homes and apartments and commercial offices and workspaces. 

Jet black granite is the darkest black colour granite comes in. This pure black variation is also becoming increasingly common. Often referred to as absolute black, pitch black, or Nero Assoluto jet black granite looks refined, high end and exquisite. 

Why choose jet black granite?

You don’t choose a stone material like jet black granite unless you want to make a bold statement. Whether used internally or as part of the exterior, jet black granite stands out and can be a positively arresting image that will draw the eye and certainly impress. 

Modern, sleek and utterly luxurious, jet black granite provides a striking look to elevate just about any space or area with a unique, bespoke aesthetic. That’s not it though: black as a colour and black granite as a material are not bound by fluctuations in fashion. This is one style that won’t fade or look dated ever. 

A big selling point of black granite is that it’s versatile in its complementary design in both colour and texture. Much like clothing styles, black matches, blends and suits just about any other design. Subtle uses of jet black granite can enhance the other colours already incorporated in the surrounding area and it can stand out as its own feature. Inside, outside, floors, countertops, wall cladding… There are  numerous applications for both commercial and residential spaces.

Moreover, black granite requires very little by way of maintenance. Resistant to heat and water, it’s a durable and easy to clean material that will not only last but look great for a long time.

How do you use jet black granite in a commercial project? 

Black as a colour works best when incorporated in minimalist colour combinations and in conjunction with hard yet smooth design lines. When you’re putting together the design for your commercial project you’ll probably be thinking about whether you want to go traditional and opulent, modern and innovative, industrial and striking, or contemporary yet understated. No matter what impression you’re aiming to achieve in your commercial space, there are plenty of opportunities to incorporate jet black granite.

Kitchen countertops

Kitchen countertops are understandably most commonly associated with residential homes. As commercial spaces and offices become more and more accustomed to incorporating home-like elements, like end-of-journey features or lounge/breakout areas, the commercial kitchen is becoming equally more important. A badly designed kitchen can stick out like a sore thumb in an office or commercial kitchen space. 

A polished countertop will add both a sense of depth and versatile colour without requiring you to redesign or rearrange the rest of the space. Jet black granite matches stainless steel perfectly as well, which is why it makes for a great commercial option.

Office bathrooms

Commercial bathrooms can be a sticky issue design-wise. Black granite allows for professionalism in design and yet sophistication in aesthetic in a part of the office that is often neglected and yet used by everyone every day. 

On a practical note, granite is impressively resistant to heat, water, and humidity, so incorporating jet black granite is a win-win option. One important thing to note is that many commercial bathrooms don’t have windows or if they do they’re opaque and block natural sunlight. Bear in mind how much natural sunlight gets in and how strong the electrical lighting is when designing the bathroom.

Flooring

When it comes to creating a “wow” factor this is as bold as it gets. Black-coloured floors can add a sense of intensity to a commercial space while still ensuring a sense of richness and vitality. Commercial spaces are often designed to impress newcomers, visitors, clients or customers and nothing will make an impression like gleaming jet black flooring. Much like the bathroom option, it’s recommended that you keep the black granite flooring to spaces beside large windows with plenty of sunlight. 

Feature walls

A common design component of modern offices and commercial spaces is a feature wall to both break up monotone aesthetics and add a sense of character. There are lots of options for feature walls but nothing quite screams high-class, impressive professionalism like a subtle yet striking jet black granite feature wall. These walls can feature in both open plan offices, in a private office or even as a backdrop for bathrooms, kitchens or lunch rooms.

Outdoor cladding

So far this list has been focused largely on internal design options for your commercial space. There’s no reason to confine jet black granite inside. Your outdoor wall cladding offers a tremendous canvas upon which to add a wow factor. Jet black granite looks absolutely stunning in direct, natural sunlight and it won’t look worn or tacky when exposed to the inevitable dust or water.

If your commercial space is near a thoroughfare or exposed to traffic, jet black granite will be a head-turning feature to help put your business in front of more and more passing people. It’s a surefire way to stand out in public. 

Let’s talk all things jet black granite

If it’s not clear by this point it’s worth mentioning that jet black granite is astoundingly versatile in application and magnificent as an aesthetic design. We know that some people are hesitant when it comes to the boldness of black natural stone but are still curious as to how black granite can be used to bring a real wow factor to their commercial project. If you’d like to find out more about this amazing material, get in touch with our marble-loving team today.

Home renovations: How to choose the right materials for the Australian Climate

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There’s a lot to take into account when choosing materials for your house renovations. Of course you want the aesthetic to suit your style, taste and the design of the rest of the home. Additionally, you want long lasting and durable materials (hello, natural stone!). An important consideration to take into account is the climate. Home materials can make a huge impact on the comfort and practicality of your home. 

Before embarking on a home renovations project, it’s important to understand how different materials and house modifications will affect your ability to keep a home insulated and heated in cold climates and cool in warmer climates. The right materials should complement the climate you’re living in and add to your level of comfort. How do you choose the right materials for the Australian climate? 

Let start off with a brief summary of what the Australian climate is.

Australian climate

We’re a pretty big country as it turns out and so there are actually a number of different climates. Northern parts of the country are more tropical in climate with hot and humid summers followed by warm yet dry winters. Southern areas tend to see hot and dry summers with rainier winters.

The general climate zones can be summarised in the following categorisations:

– Hot humid summer with a warm winter

– Warm humid summer with a mild winter

– Hot dry summer with a warm winter

– Hot dry summer with a cool winter

Material choice

External walls in particular, as well as the roofing, make the largest impacts on a home when it comes to climate suitability.

Commonly used materials for increased insulation include roofing tiles, Colorbond sheets, bricks, weatherboards, and polystyrene foam and more. These materials are widely used across Australia to offer both insulation in colder winters without creating a hot box during the summer.

Of course, depending on the specific climate your home is in, the ideal material or combination of materials will fluctuate. 

Colour choice

As a general rule darker colours absorb heat and lighter colours reflect it. This is why dark rooftops are not ideal for particularly warm climates, like much of Australia. Light coloured materials, such as bricks or natural stone, are strong choices for warmer climates that don’t experience anything beyond a mild winter.

Glass

Glass, of course, is a key component in all homes, but the clear float glass that is commonly used in windows does not offer much insulation for colder climates. While extensive glass panelling might look lovely, make sure to take into consideration how cold it can get in the winter. There are ways of improving the insulation of glass windows including thick curtains, replacing generic glass with higher insulating types, and double glazing. When renovating on a budget, you may want to make your glass-related decision based on the costs required in ensuring further insulation. 

Of course, on the flip side large windows can also heat up a house quickly in the summer by allowing the sunlight to filter in unobstructed. Again, if you’re dying to use large amounts of glass, glazing and blinds are always good starting points to mitigate excess heat from sunlight. 

Moisture and heat damage

Understandably, a lot of focus is given to how hot or cold you’ll be inside your home based on the materials used. There are some other climate-related factors to consider as well: how much damage will the heat and humidity (moisture) cause to your home? The best materials for building or renovating a home will protect against moisture damage and heat damage and mitigate the long term costs to you.

Some material-related ideas to help combat this include:

  • Stainless steel/aluminium fasteners to reduce rust
  • Permeable indoor wall coverings to let moisture escape
  • Vapor barriers under the house
  • Elevated foundations 

Insulation

Much of Australia is beset by rather hot summers which makes having the right insulation materials absolutely vital. Ideal insulation materials include:

  • Cellular glass
  • Plastic foam
  • Mineral wool
  • Fibreglass 

Using natural stone

Natural stone is a commonly used material in home design and construction throughout Australia. Of course, much of this has to do with its luxury aesthetic, long term durability and application versatility. Yet thanks to the high energy density of natural stones they also offer great thermal conductivity. Natural stone can come in a variety of colours so choosing the right shade for your specific climate is easy.

Limestone

Limestone remains nice and cool no matter how hot the temperature is and its light colour allows less heat absorption and more heat refraction. It’s a wonderful material for pool areas or outdoor renovations.

Travertine

Like limestone, travertine retains its coolness and while it does come in darker and more complex shadings/patterns than limestone it offers the same environmental benefits.

Granite

Granite, surprisingly, can be very cool and is used commonly throughout Australia. Of course, the darker the granite the more heat it will absorb.

Marble

Marble is a unique natural stone but its light shading and subtle veining allows it to both refract sunlight to keep your home bright without absorbing and retaining too much heat during the summer months.

Quartzite

Quartzite comes in a wide variety of colours so finding the perfect shade for your climate isn’t hard at all. If you’re in a particularly hot climate, it will definitely be worth investing in a lighter colour of quartzite than one of the darker shades. 

Talk to an expert

Australia is the lucky country for many reasons and our sunny, lovely climate is just one of them. Yet, it can still get rather hot, rainy, or cold, so making sure you know how to choose the right materials for the Australian climate before designing, building or renovating your home is very, very important.

Always talk to an architect, designer or construction expert so that you can find the best material for you without sacrificing your visual preferences or aesthetic style.

When it comes to marble, granite and any other natural stone, make sure to consult the Euro Marble team. We don’t just know which stones look prettiest, we’ll be able to advise on which will function best for you too. 

Expert Design Tips: How to Pair Marble With Wood and Metal

Granite Kitchen

Builders, interior designers, home owners and architects have loved using marble for generations.

This natural stone is famous for its luxurious aesthetic and its practical durability. From its cool, cold tone, to the rich cloudy veining that gives it its iconic and signature look, the versatility of marble use in a home is nearly endless. Kitchens, bathrooms, walls, flooring, staircases, fireplaces…

However, not everyone wants to deck out their home in top-to-toe marble. This is of course why lots of people choose to feature marble as a stone benchtop for their kitchen or as a vanity in their bathroom.

Most people don’t realise that a marble aesthetic doesn’t limit your ability to incorporate numerous other materials inside your home. Pairing wood and marble can provide a jaw-dropping look to your home, and using a variety of warmer metals to balance the coolness of marble can help bring a room to life in extraordinary ways.

We’ve curated a number of expert design tips for pairing marble with wood and metal to help inspire you on your marble journey.

How to pair marble with wood

  1. Slatted Wooden Walls

Slatted wooden walls have become very popular in recent years. This unique style of wall adds a glorious dimension to your home by offering a practical partition without preventing or interrupting air flow, obscuring natural light from windows or enclosing the space too much.

Pairing a slatted wooden wall against or by marble wall cladding, flooring or panels not only looks elegant but offers a number of benefits. It won’t block the view of your gorgeous marble stone. It doesn’t block the light bouncing off your light marble tones and it allows the light to filter through in a very interesting way. 

  1. Marble kitchens with wooden cabinets

How and where you decide to use marble in your kitchen is up to you. This stunning natural stone perfectly suits kitchen benchtops, flooring, tabletops or splashbacks. So, how do you match marble kitchens with wood?

A marble counter or splashback is a wonderful complementary design choice with wooden cabinets. If you’re a fan of minimalist or Scandinavian design we recommend light wood against a light marble. If you’re happy to go darker, then this design idea works well too. Pairing elevated wooden cabinetry with low-key marble applications will add texture and depth to your kitchen in an elegant manner.

  1. Wooden paneling

An excellent opportunity to add a combination of elegant marble and rich wood aesthetics without overdoing either is by combining wall panelling with your flooring. Wooden flooring with marble wall panels, especially if it includes ridges to increase depth, can look absolutely stunning. Alternatively, you can switch this around and use marble flooring with wooden panels on the wall.

A variation of this design includes alternating wall panels with both marble and wood. Done elegantly, this design can be absolutely jaw dropping. Bathroom walls offer a great opportunity for this design idea as well.

  1. Flooring

If you want to incorporate both wooden flooring and marble flooring in your home we highly recommend opting for a herringbone style floor for your wooden flooring. You can use this in hallways, lounges, dining rooms or even a bedroom. Opting for a running transition to a marble floor in your kitchen, laundry or bathroom will provide a smooth change in material without either looking jarring or out of place.

  1. Accent furniture or features

Marble can make for an absolutely stunning flooring or wall material. For some people, however, they want to infuse a bit of wooden warmth which is why adding a piece of accent wooden furniture to sit on top or beside your marble can work wonders. Alternatively, opt for a single wooden countertop in your kitchen against a marble splashback or a wooden counter in your bathroom to add a striking feature and break up the marble. 

How to pair marble with metal

  1. Metal backsplash

Metal backsplashes can add a striking visual element to a home and kitchen. In addition to being endlessly practical in a space highly exposed to liquid and water, metal can make a perfectly complementary aesthetic to marble countertops by balancing the natural stone vibes with a semi-industrious but elegant look.

  1. Brass and marble

Warm metals, like brass, work best with marble as they offer a contrast to the largely light coloured stones. (Though darker marbles are available as well.) 

It’s a common design choice to match brass with white or grey marbles to help balance the brightness and darkness of each. Brass faucets or cabinet handles offer a royal sophistication against the marble around it.

  1. Brass tile trims

An understated but truly eye-catching design idea for brass and metal is to incorporate thin brass tims around marble tiling. Whether you’re using black or white marble, brass metal trimmings will add an inviting sense of warmth and depth to the sleek marble visuals. 

  1. Marble topping

Another Scandinavian-inspired idea that retains a minimalist visual preference while incorporating both metal and marble is to use marble table- or countertops over shiny gold, brass or other warm metals.

This design choice allows you to balance the aesthetics of metal, which can be overwhelming if used too much, with the coolness of a marble benchtop, countertop or table top. A slight variation of this idea is the incorporation of a metal counter in the bathroom above brass or gold cabinetry. 

Conclusion

We’ve only just broken the surface on the different and unique options available when incorporating marble stone in your home. Whether you’re looking to combine luxury marble with rich wood or sleek metal, the various options available will help you achieve the ultimate material balance and textual contrast.

If you’d like to find out more about how you can use marble in your home or how to pair it with wood, metal or any other material, get in touch with the Euro Marble team today. We’re always bursting at the seams with marble-related ideas!

Why Super White Quartzite is a Designer’s Dream

White Granite Kitchen

Fantastical Super White Quartzite

Whether you’re an interior designer by trade or hobby, there’s no doubt that the more you discover about super white quartzite the more you’re bound to fall in love with it. And you won’t fall out of love with it either! Quartzite, which is a natural stone found in the Earth, comes in a variety of colours. The most popular among designers, builders and homeowners, however, is of course the utterly dazzling super white.  It’s no wonder why many people call this stone Fantasy White Quartzite. 

In this article, we’re going to dive into what makes super white quartzite a designer’s dream but first let’s make sure we know exactly what we’re talking about.

What’s the difference between quartzite and quartz?

You may have seen both terms used and thought, understandably, that the two are interchangeable. While there is a connection between the two, each term refers to a different stone material.

Quartzite is a natural, metamorphic stone and one of the strongest and hardest to boot. Being natural, the only way to get quartzite is to dig it out of the ground in quarries. Quartzite can be found in a number of states in the United States of America, throughout the United Kingdom (including England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), Canada, Europe and many other places, like Mozambique. Being completely natural, each quartzite quarry will provide unique looking and exclusive types of the beautiful stone.

Quartz, on the other hand, is neither natural nor found in the crust of the Earth. It is an artificial and man-produced stone material. While quartzite is used as a major component in the manufacturing of quartz, due to its strength, it is not the sole ingredient. A similar term for quartz is engineered stone, and that’s what it is: stone that is engineered by man. Super white quartz is therefore an entirely different material to super white quartzite. 

When Super White is Super Right

One of the most common areas of a home in which to incorporate super white quartzite is the kitchen. Thanks to the crisp whiteness of the stone, the luxurious aesthetic isn’t too overwhelming and offers a wonderful balance to the many other design features going on in a kitchen.

Having said that, the cloudy shades of grey and subtle veining ensure that a rich depth isn’t lost. Even a minimalist or all-white kitchen will enjoy a fashion elevation with just the simplest applications of super white quartzite, like in a splashback or benchtop. This fantastic rock lets home designers have their cake and eat it too… figuratively of course.

The Perfect Look

In most areas of life looks aren’t everything. When it comes to super white quartzite, they may also not be everything, but they’re pretty close! This marble look alike has a striking and beautiful appearance.

As mentioned above, the rich splashes of smokey grey and silver give a sculptural depth to the stone without compromising its lightness on the eye. As a designer, you probably can’t imagine anyone saying no to incorporating a stone that oozes sophistication and refinement, which is why few can say no to super white quartzite.

Super White Colour Matching 

If you are looking to incorporate a feature colour somewhere in your house–whether it’s pink, orange, green, blue or yellow–the numerous shades of super white quartzite offers enough variety to balance any colour. Like all natural stone, no two slabs of quartzite ever look exactly the same. Some include darker shades of veining, others provide more blurry cloudiness. The one consistency amongst all super white quartzite stones is that there’s a timeless elegance and effortless gracefulness that designers simply can’t get enough of!

Source

Marble’s Rival – Quartzite vs Marble

We don’t have to sell marble to you. The reputation of this luxury stone precedes it. What if there was a stone that was cheaper but just as visually jaw-dropping? Well there is and it’s super white quartzite, aka the designers dream! By choosing to incorporate this unique rock, as a designer you’ll be free to use the excess budget for the rest of your interior design without having to compromise on style. In a nutshell, the difference between super white quartzite and marble, is not in looks but in functionality.

Super White Quartzite – More Than Meets The Eye

Quartzite is one of the hardest minerals in the world and is both harder and less porous than marble. This makes it incredibly durable, strong and highly stain resistant. On a practical level, if you’re looking for a natural stone that requires minimal maintenance but offers maximum longevity and return on investment, the buck stops at super white quartzite. This is especially valuable for areas of the house with high levels of exposure to liquid and moisture, like the kitchen and bathroom, or areas of heavy use, like flooring or stairs.

A Team Player

Super white quartzite might seem like a bit of a hotshot style of stone, but the truth is that it actually blends in beautifully with many other design styles. Want a bright, white home? What could be better than super white stone! Want a breath of fresh air to offset a darker theme? Use fantasy white quartzite. Plus, this amazing team player matches wonderfully with cabinetry, be it wood, white or black, and works very well with glass as well.

Super White Quartzite’s a Real Winner

See? We seriously weren’t kidding when we said that this white quartzite stone is a designer’s dream: fashion, function, financially… It’s a smart investment on all accounts.

Super white quartzite infuses an incredible, wow factor to homes of all styles and designs and provides both elegant simplicity and versatile application opportunities.

Ready to find out more? Check out our super white quartzite offerings and get in touch with the Euro Marble team today.

Grey stone is the perfect choice for an on point interior fashion statement.

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Grey Natural Stone Is On Trend This Winter

For many years grey stone has been a popular choice for use in homes around the world and in Australia. This winter, grey stone is once again on trend.

With even just a cursory glance at the many shades and styles of grey stone it’s not hard to see why this material is so popular. The minimalist design of grey stone offers an effortless elegance and combination of both cool, lightness of colour and warm natural tone. 

Grey stone strikes the perfect balance between sophistication and simplicity which is why many designers and home builders prefer this uncomplicated design that also happens to be in fashion at the moment.

Shades of Grey

You may be surprised to read this, but there are a lot of variations of grey stone. There’s something to suit everyone, with everything from off-white grey shades to warmer, mysterious smokey greys. The versatility of grey stone means that it can suit just about every home and style.

Of course, there are factors that may affect which grey will suit you best. Think about your lighting (natural and otherwise) and what other colours you want to incorporate – more on this point later, but suffice it to say that a grey stone design is the perfect set dressing for adding a bit of colour down the track.

Here at Euro Marble, our showroom is packed with slabs of various grey stone shades and styles. To check out our offerings, visit our grey natural stone webpage.

Textures & Depth

Part of the intense appeal of grey stone and a hugely contributing factor to its enduring quality as an on trend choice is the variation in finishes and textures of natural stone. The raw and rough grey stone, especially when incorporated into a wall or splashback, exudes a rich depth that will enhance the entire room. For the smooth sailors amongst you, a matt finish is also available in grey stone and boasts equally aesthetically pleasing qualities.

Grey Stone Patterns

Yet another reason why grey stone is so on trend this winter is the flexibility it offers in tiling patterns. Many people have specific preferences when it comes to the pattern of their slabs, tiles or flooring, and the fashion trend will shift season to season.

Grey stone, however, works just as well in herringbone style as it does in a hexagonal, modular, or basket weave pattern. Due to the fact that the neutral tones of grey ensure even a ‘busy pattern’ doesn’t become overwhelming, this on trend natural stone gives you all the choice you could want.

Complement Colourful Features

While grey stone is on trend due to its inherent beauty in and of itself, much of its potential as a fashion style lies in the fact that it perfectly complements many other on trend styles. If you’re looking to add a little colour in the form of a bright splashback, window frame, shelving or doorway, using a gray scheme will keep the overall effect balanced and help highlight the feature spaces of your choosing.

Of course, there are neutral coloured stones that offer similar advantages, such as white and beige, but none of these are enjoying quite the renewed attention as a trend as grey this winter.

Grey Stone Colour Pairings

If you want to add a bit of colour but are nervous about overdoing it, grey stone won’t let you down. It pairs wonderfully with a number of organic and soft shades of stone, from tan to sand, and even off-white.

A number of more bright and bold colours also work well with grey stone, like pink, sea green or blue. In fact, we’ve put together some options of colours that go perfectly with on trend grey stone.

  1.  Grey and navy blue

Navy blue is a gorgeous colour but can be overbearing in its darkness. Highlighting it through the use of grey stone is a perfect way to hereo both colours.

  1.  Grey and green

It’s your choice whether to go for a muted sea green or a more vibrant green–either way when complemented with soothing grey it will make for a strong fashion statement.

  1.  Grey and yellow

This colourful combo is great if you’re looking to create a bright and upbeat vibe. While yellow is a bold choice, offsetting it with on trend grey stone will keep the overall effect soothing.

  1.  Grey and white

While off-whites can work as well, there’s something magnificent about the low-key pairing of pure white and grey. These seemingly unaggressive colours match surprisingly well and offer a truly refined and effortlessly fashionable look.

Go Grey – Get On Trend

Palladiana Grey, Beach Grey, Grigio San Marco, Hampshire Grey… and that barely scratches the surface on what’s on offer when it comes to grey stone. There is simply so much versatility that this on trend fashion choice is bound to stay relevant and popular for many years to come.

If you’d like to arrange a time to come in to our showroom and see the stunning slabs we have on display in person or simply want to chat about all things natural stone and grey stone, make sure to give our expert team a call on (02) 8585 2999.