When United Marble Fabricators was hired by builders Adams & Beasley Associates to furnish, fabricate, and install all of the stone and tile in this unique two-story penthouse within the Four Seasons in Boston’s Back Bay, the immediate focus of nearly all parties involved was more on the stunning views of Boston Common than of the stone and tile surfaces that would eventually adorn the kitchen and bathrooms. That entire focus, however, would quickly shift to the meticulously designed first floor wet bar nestled into the corner of the two-story living room. Lewis Interiors and Adams & Beasley Associates designed a wet bar that would attract attention, specifying ¾ inch Honey Onyx for the bar countertop and full-height backsplash. LED panels would be installed behind the backsplash to illuminate the entire surface without creating any “hot spots” traditionally associated with backlighting of natural stone. As the design process evolved, it was decided that the originally specified glass shelves with wood nosing would be replaced with PPG Starphire ultra-clear glass that was to be rabbeted into the ¾ inch onyx backsplash so that the floating shelves would appear to be glowing as they floated, uninterrupted by moldings of any other materials. The team first crafted and installed the backsplash, which was fabricated from shop drawings, delivered to the 15th floor by elevator, and installed prior to any base cabinetry. The countertops were fabricated with a 2 inch mitered edge with an eased edge profile, and a 4 inch backsplash was installed to meet the illuminated full-height backsplash. The spirit of collaboration was alive and well on this project as the skilled fabricators and installers of both stone and millwork worked interdependently with the singular goal of a striking wet bar that would captivate any and all guests of this stunning penthouse unit and rival the sweeping views of Boston Common

Powder room and vanity designed by Kim Colwell for Shambhalla Institute. Kim is a partner, interior designer, and feng shui master for Shambhalla Institute and her own firm, Kim Colwell Design. Our projects feel as good as they look. See Kim Colwell Design for full portfolio.

Bath of the Year winner for the 2016 Pinnacle Awards. This bath features Calacatta Caldia marble and Brazilian Perla quartzite. Imported, fabricated, installed, and designed by Ceramic Harmony in Huntsville, AL.

The architectures stands out by the use of non-orthogonal angles, broken lines and arch shape windows. The use of stone is innovative in several ways. The grey slate cladding the building is used in a rough grinded finish away from the standard natural cleft surface promoting the slate as an all application building stone. The project sets a new way to use natural stone for roofing. The large roofs which are set below the 2 parallel balconies are paved with 300 x 1200mm slabs installed on plastic stands using the same technique as elevated floors for the terraces or technical floors. The architecture innovates the use of stone as a link to blend modern architecture with the landscape; the building appears to be suspended in air above ponds, planters and trees. The bluish gray slat blends perfectly with the grass, plants and trees and creates a feeling of nature, and fosters a smooth connection between the inside and outside.

For over twenty years, Walker Zanger has been a participating vendor for the Pasadena Showcase House of Design. Each year, a house in the Pasadena area is selected and transformed into a showpiece by some of the leading interior designers in Los Angeles. The house selected for the 2014 Showcase is known as the Flint House and was originally built for Robert Flint and his wife Margaret Grey Flint in 1915, in the English Arts and Crafts style. Designs of the Interior was selected to design the Master Suite Wing and teamed up with Walker Zanger to remodel the master bath. Due to the historical aspect of this landmark, major construction was limited and the designers were barred from removing historical pieces, like windows and fireplaces. The designers selected a color palette of grays, taupe, cream and peacock. Sleek fixtures graced the freestanding oval bath tub, while nickel finishes adorn the shower and sink. Walker Zanger’s Tangent Collection, which consists of decorative marble and limestone mosaics, lined the floors and the shower and bath walls. The floor contains a starburst mosaic pattern made out of Calacatta marble and Flannel and Ash Grey limestones. The shower fixtures were highlighted by a strip of Café Bruno marble tiles and surrounded by a teardrop mosaic pattern in Calacatta. Inspired by a blend of abstract geometrical shapes and mid-century modern design, Designs of the Interior considered Walker Zanger’s Tangent Collection the perfect choice for transforming this master bath into a magnificent show piece that complements the home’s original architecture.

The challenge for this project was to find materials that fit into the owners' architectural style, selfentitled "Texas Hill Country Contemporary"; warm and inviting, but also clean and contemporary. The architect and the owners were determined not to copy the typical "Tuscan" style so popular for upscale homes in the Austin area. The main feature of the house is the use of both indoor and outdoor spaces and is designed so that everyday life flows through all of the spaces. The material selections had to be compatible to color schemes inside and out, blending with the local cut stone used on the exterior of the house, but also functional in their application. Interior flooring: AG&M furnished hone finish Selina Gold limestone tile from Egypt for the majority of ground floor paving. This material has a wide range of color, the selection was made from a particular quarry and a particular layer within that quarry. Exterior paving, pool coping, fireplace facing: Goldstone granite was chosen because it performs well in exterior applications and has the soft coloring of limestone. The paving and coping is chisel finish and the outdoor fireplace is clad with split face Goldstone to match. Kitchen countertops: Apollo Storm granite in a polish finish with matching full-height, endmatched backsplash.

This contemporary 18,000 sq. ft. home in Paradise Valley, Arizona is a perfect mix of Gray limestone used on all horizontal surfaces and Cream, vein cut limestone on all vertical surfaces. The Gray limestone flooring was mud packed to meet 1.5 in. wood flooring areas using uncoupling membrane throughout. Numerous hours went into the layout to insure architectural detail lines were met. Oversized tiles were planned to ensure all layouts met crucial lines per the design. Blue limestone was used setting the path to the front entry. All pieces at the edges were mitered to appear to be thick, block stone. The veneer walls were alternated in size to reach the exact width at the top band of the walls. The edge detailing created interesting shadow play, both day and night, at interior and exterior locations. This detail is also noted on the fireplaces. Blue limestone hearths, which floated at all locations, used the same quirk mitered edges. Five showers throughout the main house share the same veneer and flooring materials. Blue limestone slab benches were fabricated to rest on a stainless steel frame. The shower floors were mapped out to the exact dimensions so there were no cuts, but rather the same size pieces continually framing the space to the center drain.

When United Marble Fabricators was hired by builders Adams & Beasley Associates to furnish, fabricate, and install all of the stone and tile in this unique two-story penthouse within the Four Seasons in Boston’s Back Bay, the immediate focus of nearly all parties involved was more on the stunning views of Boston Common than of the stone and tile surfaces that would eventually adorn the kitchen and bathrooms. That entire focus, however, would quickly shift to the meticulously designed first floor wet bar nestled into the corner of the two-story living room. Lewis Interiors and Adams & Beasley Associates designed a wet bar that would attract attention, specifying ¾ inch Honey Onyx for the bar countertop and full-height backsplash. LED panels would be installed behind the backsplash to illuminate the entire surface without creating any “hot spots” traditionally associated with backlighting of natural stone. As the design process evolved, it was decided that the originally specified glass shelves with wood nosing would be replaced with PPG Starphire ultra-clear glass that was to be rabbeted into the ¾ inch onyx backsplash so that the floating shelves would appear to be glowing as they floated, uninterrupted by moldings of any other materials. The team first crafted and installed the backsplash, which was fabricated from shop drawings, delivered to the 15th floor by elevator, and installed prior to any base cabinetry. The countertops were fabricated with a 2 inch mitered edge with an eased edge profile, and a 4 inch backsplash was installed to meet the illuminated full-height backsplash. The spirit of collaboration was alive and well on this project as the skilled fabricators and installers of both stone and millwork worked interdependently with the singular goal of a striking wet bar that would captivate any and all guests of this stunning penthouse unit and rival the sweeping views of Boston Common

The Queen Anne style features asymmetrical shapes, punctuated by steep roof pitches at various elevations.
Example of a classic exterior home design in DC Metro

As Sheila Gibson Stoodley writes in an article about this project in Robb Report, “Brian Hemingway is sensitive to light in the best way possible.” “The Vancouver, British Columbia-based architect wanted this 22,000-square-foot home near Boston to glow like a lantern at night, and he attained that goal on behalf of the homeowners.” The wood and stone that Hemingway favored for the home informed the space’s color palette. So critical were these materials that settling on a shade of stain for the Douglas fir and the finishes to be used on the Virginia Mist granite took months of consultation. Walker Zanger, the stone supplier, worked with the owner and with Colin Flavin, a Boston-based architect who partnered with Hemingway, to choose, detail, and fabricate the granite. The stone is used indoors and out, heightening the boundary-blurring effect that the design team desired. Though the owners are ardent art collectors, they did not build their home to showcase specific works; the real artists here are the architects, Hemingway and Flavin. So deft were they at inviting nature into their creation that, from certain angles, it can be hard to tell where the outdoors stops and starts. “There are deliberately no window treatments so that Mother Nature weaves the most beautiful textural backgrounds,” said interior designer Andrew Sheinman, of New York’s Pembrooke & Ives. He oversaw the interiors, working alongside his colleague Michael Lewis. “The seasons change the look and aspect of the house,” said Sheinman, “and we wanted to play on this.” Bleu de Savoie marble, from France, is used in the baths, to contrast with the Virginia Mist granite and soften the palette and give the baths a spa-like serenity. Hand-chiseled Oxford Black granite is used on exterior landscape walls, to tie the Virginia Mist seamlessly to the natural stone outcroppings.

Photo: Sarah Terranova © 2017 Houzz
Inspiration for an eclectic living room remodel in Kansas City

Niche Revitalization by Kim Colwell at the Shambhalla Institute
Kitchen - small farmhouse kitchen idea in Los Angeles

This home was designed with a clean, modern aesthetic that imposes a commanding view of its expansive riverside lot. The wide-span, open wing design provides a feeling of open movement and flow throughout the home. Interior design elements are tightly edited to their most elemental form. Simple yet daring lines simultaneously convey a sense of energy and tranquility. Super-matte, zero sheen finishes are punctuated by brightly polished stainless steel and are further contrasted by thoughtful use of natural textures and materials. The judges said “this home would be like living in a sculpture. It’s sleek and luxurious at the same time.” The award for Best In Show goes to RG Designs Inc. and K2 Design Group Designers: Richard Guzman with Jenny Provost From: Bonita Springs, Florida

The appeal of this Spanish Colonial home starts at the front elevation with clean lines and elegant simplicity and continues to the interior with white-washed walls adorned in old world decor. In true hacienda form, the central focus of this home is the 2-story volume of the Kitchen-Dining-Living rooms. From the moment of arrival, we are treated with an expansive view past the catwalk to the large entertaining space with expansive full height windows at the rear. The wood ceiling beams, hardwood floors, and swooped fireplace walls are reminiscent of old world Spanish or Andalusian architecture. An ARDA for Model Home Design goes to Southwest Design Studio, Inc. Designers: Stephen Shively with partners in building From: Bee Cave, Texas

Example of a trendy home office design in Baltimore

This home was designed with a clean, modern aesthetic that imposes a commanding view of its expansive riverside lot. The wide-span, open wing design provides a feeling of open movement and flow throughout the home. Interior design elements are tightly edited to their most elemental form. Simple yet daring lines simultaneously convey a sense of energy and tranquility. Super-matte, zero sheen finishes are punctuated by brightly polished stainless steel and are further contrasted by thoughtful use of natural textures and materials. The judges said “this home would be like living in a sculpture. It’s sleek and luxurious at the same time.” The award for Best In Show goes to RG Designs Inc. and K2 Design Group Designers: Richard Guzman with Jenny Provost From: Bonita Springs, Florida

This custom home is derived from Chinese symbolism. The color red symbolizes luck, happiness and joy in the Chinese culture. The number 8 is the most prosperous number in Chinese culture. A custom 8 branch tree is showcased on an island in the pool and a red wall serves as the background for this piece of art. The home was designed in a L-shape to take advantage of the lake view from all areas of the home. The open floor plan features indoor/outdoor living with a generous lanai, three balconies and sliding glass walls that transform the home into a single indoor/outdoor space. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Phil Kean Design Group Designer: Phil Kean Design Group From: Winter Park, Florida

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

When this non-descript three-story brick row house was purchased by the client, it was stripped completely bare. The owner sought to add additional space, which was achieved by extending the rear of the home by a full 16 feet on the parlor, second and third levels. This not only provided roomier living spaces indoors, it created the opportunity to outfit each reconfigured floor with identical balconies. These outcroppings, finished with matte black railings and full NanaWall folding glass doors, provide the ideal outdoor space for relaxing and entertaining, while creating a harmonious uniformity to the rear façade. A Grand ARDA for Renovation Design goes to Dixon Projects Design: Dixon Projects From: New York, New York