Introducing the
CN STONE FURNITURE GUIDE
The primal allure of natural stone furniture like marble and travertine will contribute to a home that feels both contemporary and timeless…
WHAT CAN STONE FURNITURE BRING TO THE HOME?
There is something primal and fundamental about the presence of natural stone furniture in the home and how it makes us feel. Close proximity to materials such as marble and limestones like travertine helps us forge a deeper connection with the natural world from our homes, giving each room an immaterial but genuine sense of balance. Beyond the soothing, grounding presence of stone furniture in the home, our collection of sculpted, hand-crafted coffee tables, dining tables, side tables, consoles and plinths lend any room a host of aesthetic benefits.
The uniqueness of any given slab of natural stone results in furniture characterised by veining and natural patterns that make each marble coffee table or travertine dining table a veritable one-off. The rich, mottled veining of arabescato marble sprawls across its pure white surfaces like tumbling storm clouds in charcoal and emerald, while the subtle patterns of sedimentary travertine echo wood grains or the drift of sand along a tropical beach. So pronounced is the individuality of each piece of natural stone furniture that they possess the quality of works of art, crafted with the utmost care by artisans and Mother Nature in a collaboration undertaken at the dawn of time.
The durability and sheer timelessness of natural stone furniture make each piece a true investment purchase. With the proper care, natural stone furniture will easily outlast most other materials found in the home. It will also age very well in the context of the home as it evolves, complementing and elevating other materials or styles you bring in over time. Natural stone’s aesthetic longevity is astounding; vintage marble tables from the 1970s are hugely popular, and contemporary designers are taking visual queues from the chunky, angular styles that have endured over the decades. But beyond the revival of the sleek, seventies aesthetic, natural stone has never really gone out of style. For example, a marble and inlaid stone table from the early 1600s was sold at Sotheby’s in 2015 for more than £3m and Victorian and Art Deco marble furniture is still hugely valuable.
The beauty of contemporary natural stone furniture is that it contributes to the stylish ambiguity of era found in some of the most sought-after homes today. Natural stone coffee tables, dining tables and accessories offer a highly contemporary aesthetic with the warm, timeless, enduring pull of the material and its palette. With stones as soft and flexible as marble and travertine, designers are able to achieve unusual silhouettes that jut or curve in alluring ways, giving them the opportunity to experiment with new shapes and structures and retain the primal beauty of the veining and marking.
OUR SIGNATURE STONES
WHAT MATERIALS PAIR WELL WITH NATURAL STONE?
Natural stone furniture can serve as an anchor for any room, acting as a foundation upon which you can build a meaningful, balanced space. While it can bring a refined, contemporary feel to both minimal and maximalist schemes, there are some materials and textures that serve particularly well to set off the granular, organic beauty of its veining and its luxurious sheen.
When pairing natural stone furniture with other materials, think about contrast. The matte, sometimes rough texture of linen offers an intuitive, impactful yet subtle contrast to the cool hone or gloss of marble and travertine. Linen upholstery, cushions, lampshades or window dressings work beautifully to offset their heft and solidity.
Much the same can be said for aged wood, wicker and rattan furniture. The glow of amber, ochre and coffee-toned antique wooden furniture and woven grasses adds both a chromatic and textural contrast, simultaneously heightening the impact of the stone and softening its presence.
When it comes to accessorising your natural stone furniture, greenery and brass make perfect companions. The muted greens of sage, eucalyptus and olive leaves are knocked back by silver undertones that add a refined, considered edge to any displays of foliage. Brass vessels or candlesticks also chime with this pared-back feel, offering the decadence of gold with the icy cool of silver. When sourcing brassware, look for unusual patinas in the metal for perfectly imperfect pieces that are as unique as your stone furniture.
HOW TO INCORPORATE NATURAL STONE INTO THE HOME
Traditionally, natural stone is used in the home for larger surfaces like flooring and worktops in the kitchen or bathroom. These larger swathes of stone do offer great platforms to highlight the material’s beauty and uniqueness, be it with veining or fossils, but so do pieces of furniture like marble dining tables or travertine coffee tables. Breaking up the instances of natural stone in the home is a great way to create a flow between spaces. For example, our Alaia or Serena side tables in a serene, restful bedroom would echo our Orla or Esme console tables in an impactful hallway, giving nods to the same visual storytelling throughout the home.
The sense of balance that natural stone furniture and accessories can bring to the home is particularly powerful in the hallway. Arriving at home after a long day, the hallway should be a visual cue for decompression, signalling the start of your evening ritual in the sanctuary of your home. Using the clean, polished, sleek qualities of veined natural stone, you can create this effect in your hallway effortlessly. Keep the console top as clear as possible, limiting your styling to some simple greenery, a relaxing, fragrant candle and a bowl or a small tray for keys and sunglasses.
In the living room or the dining room, richly patterned natural stone with deeper, more colourful veining draws the eye, offsetting soft furnishings and any warmer elements like wooden furniture or carpets and rugs. Our Faro (coming soon) and Roma dining tables will bring true seventies flair to any dinner party, while our Otis and Thea coffee tables elevate the everyday ritual of coffee or evening drinks with unexpected, statement silhouettes. These coffee tables are also low-lying, giving a more informal, contemporary feel to a space than a more traditional style that aligns with the seat of the sofa, for example. You could also introduce a stone plinth or a marble side table to coax the eye around the room, using our Otis side table as a martini table, or the Nora side table for a lamp and a stack of books next to your favourite armchair.
HOW TO CARE FOR MY MARBLE OR STONE PIECE
Collection Noir stone tables come with optional finish of honed or polished. As marble and travertine are porus materials care must be taken not get the peices excessively wet, stained or scratched as they will beome marked. However, we believe the beauty of natural stones radiate over a period of time, so a stone that has been lovingly used and cared for will have an enhanced beauty and charm as time goes on. Just be be midful to always use a coaser and wipe spillages immediantly!
Wipe your stone piece with a damp cloth regularly. Never use aggressive or acidic cleaning products (especially bleach and detergents) and don't try to remove marks with abrasive paper or steel wool. After wiping, pat dry with a lint-free cloth.