LOCATION: SHOPPING CENTRES AND RETAIL OUTLETS THE PERFECT FIT


We take a look inside a prestigious London department store to see how Stone Age helped with the refit of its shoe department.


When designers were assigned a project at the well- known Fenwicks department store in London, they turned to Stone Age for expert advice and high-quality stone materials to meet the luxurious design brief.


Launched in 1988, Stone Age supplies all manner of natural stone products for use in domestic and commercial buildings and landscapes.


Stone Age offers authoritative and honest advice on the selection, suitability, application and finishing of natural stone. The company is always searching for new materials and never ceases to be surprised by the varied and unpredictable markings that contribute to the inherent beauty of natural stone.


Designers Brady Williams Studio had worked with Fenwicks for a lot of its redesign and, when they were planning the refit of its shoe department, came to visit the Stone Age showroom at Parson’s Green.


Aware of Stone Age’s reputation for its high-quality, wide range of luxury stones and porcelains, the designers picked the Burma Grey marble out of the display as this was in-keeping with the classic and elegant style that the department store is famed for.


They were already working closely with the architects for the building, RFK Architects, and Debby Kypers from the firm ensured that the structure of the building allowed for the proposed changes to be made. Stone can be fixed to a suspended floor (with marine plywood or a combination of marine ply and tile backer board) or to a solid concrete sub-floor. Flexible additives to the adhesive and grout are


necessary to take up any movement if the stone is being fixed to a suspended wooden floor or over underfloor heating.


The next stage was sending a sample of the material to the designers so that they could check that it worked with the rest of the design scheme and consult with the building’s architects accordingly to get their ‘sign-off’. These steps are particularly important when dealing with an old or listed building.


At this point, there are design drawings, all to scale, which determine how many pieces are needed and the sizing. The architects, as well designers, then travelled to Italy with Stone Age in order to see a dry lay of the material as it would be laid in the shop itself. This saves time later, as, if there is a glitch of any sort, it can be picked up on immediately to ensure that all goes smoothly once the flooring is actually laid.


Whilst the architects had already done their own designs of the layout of the shop floor, Stone Age also carried out surveys and created drawings of how the pieces were to be laid for the project, which is part of the turnkey service that Stone Age provides for its clients. This ensures that there is no room for error and that each stone gets laid in the correct way: extra important if it is being book- matched or vein-matched, which is what a lot of high-end projects such as this require.


Stone Age was responsible for all the subfloor material specifications, from primers and adhesives to the decoupling system, grouts and movement joints. All the stone is also pre-dried and sealed in the UK prior to installation, making this a more efficient way of laying for the department store. This is particularly important for retail outlets that want to minimise any time in which part of the store is undergoing works or not open to customers.


www.stone-age.co.uk — 22 — www.tomorrowstileandstone.co.uk


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