Furniture-makers turn to stone
Traditionally, furniture is made of wood or metal, because of their appealing aesthetic quality and durability. These days, there is a new material many designers and homeowners are considering: stone. It may be an unlikely material choice for furniture-building, but in the design community, stone is quickly building momentum and gaining popularity. Why stone? Stone has long been a desirable material. Available in a host of colors and variations as well as durability, stone provides long-lasting quality. Even so, stone is considerably more expensive than traditional materials. For those looking for oneof-a-kind designs and craftsmanship, stone is a creative alternative. From light marble to agate and dark blue tiger eye, the outcome of your furniture piece can be either light and bright or dark, smoky and rich.
One slight warning: Stone pieces are extremely heavy and even small pieces can require more than one person to lift or move. How stone pieces are made. While stone furniture appears to be entirely made of stone, in most cases, the piece begins with a wood foundation or mold, and then large pieces of stone are veneered onto parts of the foundation. The goal in creating such a piece is to have as few seams as possible. The fewer the seams, the smoother and more cohesive the piece will look. The beauty of stone is that it no longer has limitations. The advantage of working with a custom designer or craftsman opens up a world of possibilities. From console tables to table bases, table lamps and even chairs, stone can be used to create nearly any piece of furniture.
If you are on a budget, stone isn’t likely the option for you. Essentially when you buy a stone furniture piece, you are not only buying the stone itself, but you will also be paying for all of the design, prep work and execution. Also, when it comes to maintenance, be sure to speak to a reputable stone fabricator to properly learn about how to seal and protect your stone furniture. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency