This is the stone floor I designed for our renovated apartment way back in 2000. I loved the idea of creating a modern mosaic in our pre-war apartment building that had been designed by the legendary architect Rosario Candela. The floor had a beautiful stylized flower inlaid in the center with a complimenting border around the perimeter of the room. Although we loved the floor, after 20 years, the floor had seen better days. It was time for a change. My husband and I liked the idea of choosing a light stone to contrast against the ebony wainscoting. I knew a stone slab floor would have a modern, streamlined look, and it would have less grout than a mosaic floor.
After a few visits to various stone yards, I selected a gorgeous marble called Wooden White. I was drawn to the soft grey color and gentle horizontal movement of the veining.
Once purchased, the stone was sent to the fabricator. When I visited their stone facility, they had set up all thirteen slabs outside for viewing in sequential order. We looked at all of our slabs and assessed each individually. The stone needed to be cut in order to fit into our elevator. I asked the fabricator to lay out the stone digitally. Using photos, he showed how the cut pieces of the slab would lie in our foyer. This process is especially important with a linear stone!
After an incredibly dusty demo, we were ready to install the marble. Although durable when installed, this stone can easily break in transit. Fortunately, the stone arrived intact and installed beautifully. We chose a grout color that virtually disappeared, adding to the clean appearance of our new floor.
I am so happy with the final result. If you are planning on putting in slab, I have two key pieces of advice for you: one, know the stone’s durability and vulnerabilities, so that you choose a stone that will work for your application. Two, ask your fabricator to lay it out digitally before the slabs are cut! Special thanks to Silverlining for their expert care and craftsmanship. The few weeks of construction were worth the wait. Living in a home you love is priceless.