in houses of character, beauty and charm. The greatest use, statistically, is as flooring within an entrance hall – most notably as a statement piece of design. The purity and uniqueness of the available colour palette from different source points across the UK can help define a building. As the homeowner or their guests enter the abode nothing expresses the quality, attention to detail and absolute commitment to creating a personalised and loving home as honed or polished stone laid to a pattern of choice. While modern ceramic tiles can lend a
uniformity of pattern, one that can be easily replicated anywhere, a stone or marble floor is more abstract, certainly more individual, and can be a far better expression of a home- builder’s taste and persona.
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Interior usage ranges from cantilevered stairways, luxurious bathrooms (both floor and walls), kitchen surfaces and fireplaces
THE DARK GREY TO BLACK MARBLE KNOWN AS FROSTERLEY MARBLE IS A BRITISH STONE THAT COMES TO LIFE WHEN POLISHED. THE LIGHT BROWN IS CRINOIDAL LIMESTONE.
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As way of a brief history and geology lesson carboniferous limestone from British quarries was laid down 350 million years ago, as far back as the Dinantian epoch, when dinosaurs roamed the wetlands of these islands and Britain sat over the equator. It is a composite of millions of crinoidal fossils preserved and compacted within marine sediments that has delivered its unique look and colour spectrum, one that so perfectly suits the British light and interiors. Neither garish nor dull, its palette is perfectly in tune with these islands’ landscape. Its cousin, 200 million years younger, oolitic
limestone with its popular scions Portland and Bath stone have been prevalent within British buildings over the years because their relative softness made them easier to work with. In con- trast carboniferous limestones like Swaledale Fossil from North Yorkshire and Hopton Wood from Derbyshire have, until now, been more complex stones to economically carve. However, modern technologies have made the process immeasurably more efficient, but where carboniferous stones really steal a march is on their ability to have different finishes from hon- ing, to polished, to highly polished states. These options of finish are a distinct advantage, espe- cially among self-builders who can match the look of the stone to its uses. Aside from the finishes the stone is very hard wearing, British (important to many), and has a huge depth of colour and pattern variant from the dark black and grey swirls of Ashburton Pink which adorned the original London Hilton, to the blood red of Eskett Red to the Green
Serpentines’ red and greens, made famous by George Bullock whose furniture is now in the V&A. For those with slightly deeper pockets Ball Eye
Blue from Derbyshire offers the perfect antidote to mass produced stone. It comes from a very rare vein of limestone/fluorite conglomerate known famously as ‘Blue John’ which varies in colour from amethyst on the outer edge of the deposit to royal blue towards the middle. It is simply an exquisite stone. Rarity of some of the British stones is an
obvious attraction to many and has resulted in an increase in demand amongst prestigious developments such as private residences but also within luxury retail developments, and even global headquarters. If a building requires a statement entrance then British stone is just the ticket; hard wearing with a beautiful and sophis- ticated appearance plus, and of particular
importance, unique. But it is not simply floors that use British stone.
Interior usage ranges from cantilevered stair- ways, luxurious bathrooms (both floor and walls), kitchen surfaces and fireplaces; all declare the owners intent to create something lasting and of true beauty. Certainly not inex- pensive British Shining Stones, as these stones are often revered to because of their ability to take a polish resulting in a myriad of different finished surfaces and shines, are increasingly becoming, a benchmark of quality. Self-build homes are very much about personal expression, the desire to create some- thing unique and different, and to eschew the crowd. Likewise British carboniferous limestones are the earth’s expression of its diversity, its geo- logical history and its pure wonderment. Quality homes of distinction deserve to be adorned with the earth’s natural gifts of beauty.
Enq. 217 selfbuilder & homemaker
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