On choosing stone

Stone is the slowest decision we make on a project. It is also the one clients remember longest.

Start at the quarry

Samples are misleading. A small square cannot show how a limestone changes from one bed to the next, or how it greys in the rain. So we visit the quarry, often twice, and walk the faces with the people who cut them.

Choose the finish with your hands

Honed, sawn, bush-hammered or flamed: each finish changes the colour, the grip underfoot and the way light rakes across a wall. We test finishes in the room where they will live, at the time of day the room is used most.

Let it age

Good stone changes. It takes stains, softens at the edges and darkens where hands rest. We design details that let this happen gracefully, instead of hiding it.