Lizard exfoliated granite in custom equilateral triangles for the Hamilton Island Yacht Club.

Our business is  centred around natural stone because we believe that it’s the subtle textures and colour variations of natural stone which give a space character and depth. Even when we talk about texture we’re not limiting ourselves to a tactile consideration, texture is a powerful visual cue too. It affects not only how a space looks but how it feels.

A more tactile stone like a travertine or a limestone can make a space feel warmer and more earthy. It’s also incredibly forgiving because it’s natural patina and colour variation mean that it can be more sympathetic to marks when used in a high traffic area etc.

A popular range with commercial developers is our RAW concrete tiles which are incredibly strong engineered concrete in its most raw form. They are manufactured with a high degree of dimensional accuracy and can be laid extremely thin but in terms of aesthetics, they have a subtle colour variation which presents some real character and movement in a floor.

The key to really getting the most out of your product selection is to shape the space in terms of how you want it to look and more importantly feel. We would always encourage our residential clients to think about their homes in terms of how it should ‘feel’ rather than thinking in terms of surfaces and textures. Whilst commercial designers have perhaps a less emotional angle when they’re designing, the principle is the same.

I think sometimes we have a tendancy to assume that residential and commercial design is so different and there are undoubtedly different considerations that play to each kind of project. However from a design product point of view, you’re really looking to create spaces people want to inhabit. Whether it’s a lounge room at home where people congregate, or a retail fit out that provides a high degree of stickiness because people just like being there. Likewise a commercial space that feels welcoming despite its scale. Some of the most exciting projects we’ve worked on have been where we’ve worked in partnership with specifiers to provide them with a range of product design options that bring their design objectives to life.

When we train new staff we would say – When it comes to product selection, do your homework. Understand how materials work together. Understand the way they impact each other and the surrounding design. Like any design component, different stone types work best in different aesthetic scenarios and more often than not, stone works best when it is celebrated for natural characteristics. Where it’s given the scale and impact to present variation in tone, to show a spectrum of colour and to provide texture and depth to a space.

One of the architects we work with talks about understanding the tension or harmony product combinations create and I think that’s right. Understand the design and technical implications of using one product over another and of using one product in conjunction with another. That’s the best way we can work in partnership with designers and specifiers.