GEOLOGY ROCKS

This season, interior designers are taking inspiration from the earth’s age-old treasures, says Barbara Chandler

This summer, expect marble, gemstones, minerals and strata to anchor your home, as designers take inspiration from the natural beauty of age-old geology. Do marble the easy way and whack it up as wallpaper or splash out on the real thing. Dutch designer Piet Hien Eek offers black or white marble-effect wallpaper in 10-metre rolls for £175 from Rockett St George, while Nick and Victoria Atkin of contemporary furniture company Atkin & Thyme source their striking, £249 marble tables from highgrade mines in Rajasthan, India.

Guernsey designer Nadia Newton has been looking to the coloured granites of her island home to inspired her silk 'Marbleous' cushions, Jemma Lewis has been hand-marbling paper lampshades from her Wiltshire studio and door furniture specialist Marie-Véronique Swannell of Haute Deco in Chelsea turned to jewels like rose quartz and amethyst when crafting her beautiful hand-cast quatrefoil knobs.

Celebrate the earth's treasures with some designer geology

The real marble deal: Now for a touch of the real thing. Nick and Victoria Atkin source their marble tables from high-grade mines in Rajasthan, India, which have 'near inexhaustible' marble deposits. The artisans craft in limited, low volume batches. The price for this Deco marble-topped table is £249

Mosaic floors and walls: 'The patterns of stone are wild, uneven and random - but I've translated them into little squares of glass mosaic,' says Australian designer Greg Natale, of his new collection for Bisazza

Brass and agate side table: Pieces of agate are fused together into a plastic laminate for this pretty side table with a base in polished brass. Each one is different. It costs £249 from West Elm

Designer Piet Hein Eek’s wallpaper lets you do marble the easy way

Hand-marbled paper lampshades: Exclusive to David Linley, the Serena lampshade (£175) is from a new range using paper handmarbled by Jemma Lewis in her studio in Wiltshire. The base (£650) is made in matt white ceramic by Henry Thornhill at Tingewick...