Crafting Calm
A spa-like bathroom should exude a calm and relaxing ambience, with an opulent aesthetic, and natural stone is an integral element for elevating a spa space. Our comprehensive range of stone is perfect for high-end, spa-like bathrooms.
‘As a natural material, stone helps cultivate a serene, nature-inspired atmosphere, making it ideal for a spa-like environment,’ says Gemma Holsgrove, Studio Director at Sims Hilditch. Stone has been an essential ingredient in luxurious bathrooms since the time of the Ancient Greeks, with ‘marble revered for its durability and natural beauty’, according to Laura Layzell, Director of Layzell Architects. ‘These associations, history and prestige make marbles and other natural stones the perfect choice for creating a spa-like environment. Natural stone has movement that cannot be replicated in imitation stone products. The most wonderful quality of natural stone is that each piece is completely unique, and this translates into a space that feels special.’
Liberty Marble | Designer: Rachel Cropper Studio
Long Island Marble & East Java Hummingbird Plume Mosaic | Layzell Architects
Stone’s texture, too, sets it apart from other materials. ‘I would always choose natural stone or marble for how it feels underfoot or when you’re sitting on a floating seat in the shower,’ says Jo Brown, founder and Managing Director of Tilehouse Studio. ‘Marble is my favourite product for bathrooms because it’s everything that you want it to be in terms of luxury and how you can fabricate it and finish it.’
It goes without saying that colour plays an important part in enhancing a spa-like ambience as most schemes involve muted hues. ‘For spa-like bathrooms, I prefer to design to the lighter range of soft buttercup creams and the pale shades of Provence,’ says Rachel Cropper, founder of Rachel Cropper Studio. ‘Buscot limestone from Ca' Pietra is one of my favourite stones - the choice of finishes, sizes and overall textures allows it to be seamlessly integrated. I love Ca' Pietra’s Liberty marble for the strong veining and detail, it’s impressive in a large format, which shows off its striations. Also, a very simple, honed limestone works well to layer upon, using other natural materials for basins and vanities. It creates a beautifully calm and serene space.’ Neutral tones are the go-to for Jo Brown too. ‘We recently used a vanilla coloured Opus marble as the client wanted something that was very calming,’ she says. Many people are naturally drawn to lighter, brighter stones because they reflect more light and create a sense of openness, which tends to make spaces feel more comfortable, according to Gemma Holsgrove. Long Island Marble is a firm favourite in bathrooms that Sims Hilditch design. Laura Layzell reveals, ‘One of my favourite recent bathrooms used Ca' Pietra’s Long Island Marble in bespoke extra-large tiles, Verde Guatamala bespoke tiles low level complemented with a feature geometric floor tile, Milan Amazon. This was paired with brass fittings for a beautiful, heritage feel that was quite masculine, yet still spa-like.’
Calacatta Viola Marble | Tilehouse Studio
Liberty Marble | Rachel Cropper Studio
Milan Amazon, Verde Guatemala & Long Island | Layzell Architects
The versatility of the various formats of stone ensures that bespoke pieces, crafted by skilled stonemasons at Ca' Pietra, can enhance the sumptuous feel in high-end projects. ‘Stone is available in slab and pre-cut tile forms, allowing for the creation of custom elements, such as a marble architrave around a shower entrance or a sculpted basin,’ explains Gemma Holsgrove. ‘These personalised features enhance the design and make each project truly one-of-a-kind.’ Jo Brown, who uses stone in around 90 per cent of her projects, loves the fact it can be mitred, ensuring you don’t have to use trims. ‘It’s all very seamless and that’s an important luxury detail,’ she says.
Stone’s different formats can also be used to add interest, as well as customise. ‘We often incorporate a herringbone mosaic for the floor paired with rectangular tiles in the same stone on the walls,’ says Gemma Holsgrove. ‘And you can choose matching stone skirting or dado rails, which add an extra layer of sophistication and detail.’ Jo Brown loves to incorporate stone throughout a room to create a spa-like aesthetic. ‘We use stone on windowsills, ledges, floating shelves, floating seats in showers, vanity tops, with beautifully bevelled edges and on every surface that you can think of. Whatever we do, we try and make it as luxurious as possible,’ she says. Bespoke vanities can create a standout feature. ‘A bespoke vanity will elevate a bathroom, as it will look purposeful and fit the space perfectly,’ says Laura Layzell. Marble is commonly used for vanities, but Rachel Cropper gives the example of a recent project where a bespoke vanity on legs was made from Buscot limestone. ‘Ca' Pietra crafted the bowl of the basin from one single slab of stone, which then sat on two solid blocks, evoking a spa-like feel.’
Buscot Limestone Parquet | Sims Hilditch
Carrara Miscela Marble Honed | Rachel Cropper
East Java Hummingbird Temple Mosaic | Layzell Architects
Calacatta Viola Marble | Tilehouse Studio