To see is to believe!  Have a look through the following 5 bathrooms from around the world to give you the inspiration you need for your bathroom renovation project.

1. Grey Stone is underutilised in homes.  When used correctly, it is absolutely gorgeous. 

 

2. This bathroom cleverly uses a platform which gives the perception of floating and more space.  Contrast between the dark walls and white marble screams style.  

 

3. White, light, airy is what this Is all about.  But rather than using plain white tiles, the natural grain of stone adds character and personality to this room. 

 

4. Wood and stone never gets old.  This would have looked great 10 years ago and still looks fantastic. 

 

5. Dark and natural.  Perfect for a home out of the city (Hey, It’s perfect for a home in the city too!).  Feels like something that was crafted by hand for the perfect individual. 

The post 5 Drool-Worthy Bathrooms appeared first on Beyondstone.

Clean, elegant and modern is what we’re all about here at Beyond Stone.

If you’re looking for some serious inspiration for your new kitchen, we’ve compiled 10 stunning kitchens from around the world below that are utterly drool-worthy!  Ranging from ultra modern, to Japanese warmly designs, there is sure to be something that catches your eye below.

1. Beautiful use of a white marble benchtop and waterfall against a dark wood island unit. 
2. Typically we see the benchtop being the centrepiece whereas this clever design utilises backlights to highlight the island unit and bring out the natural grains 
3. It’s amazing what wood can bring to a kitchen. Perpendicular wooden multi-use bench brings a different dimension to this home.  Perfect for those with a little bit more space to utilise.

   

4. Dark grey marble is cleverly used to contrast the lighter colours of the home.

   

5. Our very own work here – Marble top with hardwood floors make this a very approachable kitchen.

   

6. Ultra modern and minimal design. This London home removes all clutter to highlight the beauty of the materials

   

7. You can never go wrong with black and white. Great use of the space under the benchtop to allow for some seating.

   

8. All white feels airy and light – sometimes less is more.

   

9. We love this Japanese inspired design. So warm yet super modern.

   

10. On trend is the use of charcoal against a warm coloured wood. Although minimal and modern, it oozes sophistication.

    

The post 10 Stunning Kitchen Designs appeared first on Beyondstone.

Visual

The beauty is in the imperfections.  Whether it is sandstone, travertine, marble, limestone or granite, no two pieces of stone will ever be the same.  When you have beautiful veins running through a marble benchtop contrasting with the clean, smooth lines of plaster, steel or porcelain, you have a winning combination.  Marble and granite, remain to this day, the most in demand natural stone as they bring an air of sophistication, timelessness and chic to your bathroom, kitchen or any room you choose!

Durability

Benchtops and tiles cut from natural stone have extremely long and durable life spans.  It is common for a building to fall apart before the stone and we often see homeowners reuse their stone because it still looks great!
Ease of us

Natural stone tiles are extremely easy to keep clean unlike carpet or timber floors.  With carpet there is always dust and dirt that you need to constantly vacuum and unless timber floors are polished, they look dull and tired.  Stone tiles need a quick mop before they look brilliant again.
Eco-Friendly

Have you ever wondered how non-natural tiles are made?  Well it’s in a processing factory using harsh chemicals and significant manufacturing.  The beauty with natural stone is that… its natural!  Every stone benchtop or tile is cut from naturally occurring stones all over the world which requires significantly less manufacturing processes to produce the end product.

The post The 4 Main Benefits of Natural Stone appeared first on Beyondstone.

That’s why we’re writing this article – to ensure that your natural stone flooring or benchtop, stays as beautiful and shiny as the day it was installed.

Below you’ll find a list of helpful tips to maintain your stone.

• For almost all natural stones, you can save your pennies because most of the time, some good old fashioned warm water and sponge will clean up the mess. Often with spills, its best to immediately remove the staining agent and after you can use a specific marble or natural stone cleaning spray
• As soon as something is spilt, especially if it is red wine, juice or coffee, clean up the stone as soon as possible. That will prevent any major soakage which is far more difficult to clean.
• For your stone floors, lose the temptation to pull out the vacuum cleaner. Often, sand and grit gets lodged in the wheels which scratches your floor. We recommend a good ol’ fashioned dust mop to get the job done.
• Sometimes the easiest way clean mess is to avoid it! Door mats at entry points to your home can catch a lot of dirt and sand that would potentially damage your beautiful stone floors. Proactive is better than reactive

Now here are some things we don’t recommend

• While it makes sense to put your hand lotion next to the sink on the benchtop – this is a bad idea. All these cremes and lotions can leak on to your benchtop and cause stains and damage.  Simply buy a nice holder for all your toiletries and save your benchtop!
• Avoid using anything acidic like vinegar, ammonia or lemon for cleaning natural stone. It might be great for normal tiles but for stone, as above, warm water generally will do the trick.
• If you do want to use a stronger cleaning agent, always ensure the product is specifically designed for your particular stone whether it be marble, granite or an engineered stone. Too often, people head to the shops and purchase an all-purpose bathroom/kitchen cleaner that does more harm than good.

The post How to clean your stone – The dos and don’ts appeared first on Beyondstone.

Flooring needs to match the walls and the walls need to compliment the benchtop but the benchtop needs to match the furniture – it’s very tricky!

Our number one tip today is choose the major items first and the rest will fit into place.

But what does that mean?

It means that you can always repaint a wall – that’s comparatively cheap but replacing tiles and furniture can be a bit more expensive.  Beautiful marble tiles and a natural stone benchtop can completely revamp and stylise a room so let’s start getting into your colour choices.

Colour is an amazingly powerful ‘tool’.  You can harness it to bring a sense of warmth and comfort to your home or openness and space depending on what colours you choose.

As a general rule of thumb – cool colours such as blues and greens will make a room feel bigger and formal whereas warm colours such as reds, browns, yellows bring about a sense of warmth.  For most rooms, and we’ll focus on the kitchen in our example, start by choosing the colour of stone that you are in love with.  Like we said above, it’s best to focus on the main features first and then fit the rest around it.  By choosing a stone first that you love, it will frame the rest of the kitchen and you will be completely satisfied with the outcome rather than just sticking on a benchtop that fits after the kitchen is built.

Marble colours are wide and varied – have a look at our image below of just a sample of all the marble colours that are available.

Our grid above moves from light to dark and in typically most of our customers will use what is knows as a monochromatic approach to colour schemes – that is, if they have dark cabinetry then they use a light/white marble benchtop to provide contrast and vice versa – if they have light cabinetry, then they might use something darker.  There is also real beauty in being more creative with colour schemes such as combining dark wooden cabinets with a a dark grey marble.  Have a look at some examples below of colour combinations.

Dark Benchtops – Dark Flooring – Warmth

Light Marble – Light Cabinetry – Darker Flooring – Light and Spacious

The post Marble Colours – How do you decide? appeared first on Beyondstone.

Crucial to any modern home is a stunning stone benchtop – but which stone is best?

Today we want to explore 3 of the most common bencthop materials and help you decide whether to use engineered stone, marble or granite.

Engineered Stone

Engineered stone are a ‘relatively’ new product on the market but essentially they are ~92% crushed quartz aggregate mixed in with a polyester resin.  This compound creates a much stronger product that natural stone and is also budget-friendly compared to some natural stones.  The reason for the surge in popularity of engineered stone doesn’t just come down to it’s price – it is actually a terrific choice for those looking for a white, speckled white or off-white finish which natural stones just can’t provide.  With the trend in modern homes focussing on space and open living, a white engineered stone will complement any kitchen/living area.

Ofcourse, it can’t all be positives.  Engineered stone is typically not suitable for outdoor use and if you need a length longer than 3m, you will almost inevitably see the joins.

Granite

Granite is a hugely popular material for benchtops due to its non porous and chemical resistant properties.  Granite is most similar to engineered stone in the sense that it has a very uniform appearance and is a great choice for those looking to fit in with a kitchen rather than be the statement piece.  In saying that, granite has a large range of colours which can add contrast and beauty to your kitchen.

As granite is a natural stone, it is important to maintain it – regular (yearly) sealing is highly recommended to keep it looking pristine.  It is not suggested to clean with harsh, abrasive chemicals but rather gentle, natural cleaners will do the job just fine.

Marble

Marble is the opulent and luxurious choice for any stone benchtop.  Marble’s beauty is actually in its imperfection as there is no uniformity – each marble piece will never be exactly alike and people love that.  The veins and patterns in each marble block bring character to your kitchen (or bathroom) in a dramatic fashion that can’t be achieved with an engineered stone or granite.  Here at Beyond Stone, we love installing and providing our customers with stunning marble benchtops as they have the ability to completely change a room.  Marble is available in brilliant whites, blues, dark grey and everything in between so you are guaranteed to find something you love.

One of the most common issues and questions we hear are, “I’ve heard marble stains easily and always looks dirty”.

Thankfully, advances in sealers allow us to penetrate all the small voids to stop the dreaded red wine seeping and staining your precious marble benchtop.  However, no solution is perfect and prevention is key so if someone does accidentally spill some wine, be sure to wipe it up as soon as possible to prevent any staining.  In regards to maintenance, a wet cloth generally will do the trick and we always recommend against using harsh chemicals.

The Verdict

It really comes down to two factors:

Design and Price.

If you want a plain white benchtop that serves its purpose in your kitchen and blends in with the scenery, then engineered stone may be a great choice.

If you are after a striking benchtop that demands attention, then go for marble – it’s stunning!

If you want something somewhere in between, granite is a tried and tested favourite.

Here at Beyond Stone, we work with customers all over WA to find you the perfect stone solution for your next project.  Get in touch today.

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