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The Beacon of the Stone Industry www.slipperyrockgazette.net Radiant Elegance: Transforming Spaces
November 2024 Vol. 30-11
Twith Backlit Natural Stone hanks to celebrity culture, more by Megy Karydes
natural stone options, better tech- Reprint Courtesy usenaturalstone.org nology, and social media influenc-
As more accessible and affordable natural stone options entered the market, and light- ing technology improved, Jones says demand for backlit stone in homes began to increase. At the same time, homeowners were looking for more color and movement in their stone options, outside of the white and gray tones that have dominated the market for the last decade.
There are several places where back- lit stone can be added to make an impact. While Jones admits most people add them in a kitchen area, others like Judith Meaney, interior designer with River House Interiors, have installed Byzantine onyx in a home to brighten up an otherwise dark hallway. Some have included backlit stone behind a wine cellar. It’s a great option for those who are seeking a wow factor.
Better Technology Allows Stone to Shine
Technology plays a crucial role with back- lit stone and cannot be an afterthought when it comes to the installation process. It’s always a good idea to make sure your fabri- cator and installer are top notch but it’s even more important for this kind of work, accord- ing to Jones. “You want to work with experi- enced stone and lighting installers to ensure lighting is balanced,” she says.
ers giving us a peek of backlit kitchens and islands in high-end homes, natural stone is getting lit.
Once reserved for the hospitality industry when restaurant and club owners asked for backlit countertops or backsplashes to make a statement in their restaurants and bars, backlit natural stones like quartzite and onyx have grown in popularity in recent years as celebrities and affluent homeowners began requesting it for their homes.
More Natural Stone Options
Backlit stone is becoming popular partly because the quartzite market has quite lit- erally lit up, especially access to materials like Cristallo quartzite. As its name sug- gests, Cristallo has crystal-like colors and patterns which lends itself to being back- lit. “Everyone loves Cristallo quartzite. It’s very much a celebrity chosen material,” says Rachel Jones, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Triton Stone Group. Jones has seen homes in Miami featuring Cristallo quartzite lit up on double islands and backsplashes.
When Jones and her co-founder, 2024 Natural Stone Institute board president Katie
Photo Courtesy United Marble Fabricators
This stunning backlit Honey Onyx bar back was awarded a 2015 Pinnacle Award of Excellence in the Residential Interior category. Above, right: Byzantine Onyx wall.
Photo courtesy of River House Interiors and Corry’s Creations
Jensen, launched Triton Stone Group almost two decades ago, a client might ask for onyx for a front of the bar or a backsplash in a bar atmosphere to be backlit. It was something requested to amp up the aes- thetic in a hospitality setting or very high-end homes because at the time, natural stone options that could be back- lit were limited and onyx was considered top tier and luxe.
St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and Shrine
New York, NY
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Tucker Design Awards Announced
Royce Douglas
The Natural Stone Institute, the largest and longest serving natural stone trade asso- ciation, proudly presented the 2024 Tucker Design Awards in a ceremony on August 26 at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Tucker Design Awards tradition was launched in 1977 by the Building Stone Institute and honors those who achieve a criterion of excellence in the use of natural stone through concept, design, and construction. All aspects
of natural stone application – including exte- rior building, landscape, interior design, orna- mentation, or restoration of commercial, institutional, or residential projects – were considered in this Tucker Design Awards selec- tion process. This year’s recipients represent some of the finest building and landscape proj- ects completed throughout the world utilizing natural stone from around the globe.
Tucker Design Awards celebrate the inno- vation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of
natural stone. For Natural Stone Institute members, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Award winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design.
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