Beyond Carrara: 10 Of The Best Statement Stones
The word Carrara has been locked into the contemporary design lover’s vocabulary since the elegant white and grey veined marble fully entered our consciences in 1956, with the launch of Eero Saarinen’s iconic Tulip table. Almost 70 years on and it’s still lodged in place – from sweeping Carrara surfaces to solid pieces of carved Carrara lighting, furniture and accessories, we’ve seen it all.
Marble has been a luxurious, high-status material for millennia, embraced around the world to create awe inspiring buildings – think the Parthenon, Taj Mahal et al – and brought into the home when the Romans began cladding bathrooms in it (in what now has to be one of the most long running interiors trends).
While monochrome marble will always be a classic, timeless choice for those wanting the opulent solidity of stone in their homes, now we’re taking a step forward with our rocks of choice, deviating from gentle and subtle designs into a world of the bold and the daring, be it marble, travertine, granite, onyx or beyond.
From vivid, can-that-really-be-natural colours to expressive, decorative veining and enchanting shimmering finishes, the stone we’re living with today creates wow factor and a sense of glamour as well as being innately calming, bringing the outside in and reminding us that there's still much hidden treasure to be discovered here on Earth.
It all started with a Carrara table. From coffee to dining tables, let’s see where we are now.
Make A Statement With Stone
1. Epic dining table in Red Travertine, Gubi
The Epic dining table in red travertine by GamFratesi lives up to its name, the stone vivid and alive, as if somehow carved from fire or a piece of captured lava paused mid flow. Covered in heavy linear streaks, the rock’s simple linear pattern adds layers of oranges and reds, building the stone’s colour intensity and highlighting its unique patina, with the monolithic shape of the table emphasizing its bold personality.
2. Rumors tables in Tangerine Onyx, Arketipo
Undeniably unusual and ever-so entrancing, the Rumours occasional tables by Mauro Lipparini for Arketipo are crafted in Flamingo Quartz, a purple-tinted rose hued rock, or Tangerine Onyx, which is decorated with lava-like orange streaks. The table’s pared back metal legs let its top do the talking – pretty and powerful, the exuberant stones seem like the stuff of legend, adding a dreamlike and mythical feel to the living room.
3. Androgyne Lounge Table in Calacatta Viola marble, Menu
A colourful cousin to classic Carrara, Calacatta Viola marble is all the more striking and conversation-worthy. With a white base, what would be uneventful tonal veining is interrupted by pieces of alluring purple, decorating the stone in wandering lines and unexpected shapely chunks. The Androgyne Lounge Table by Danielle Siggerud plays into its aesthetic with its simple form intersected by surprising cut out details.
4. Callisto coffee table in Roma Imperial marble, Porada
An almost-white base streaked with lightening-like veins in dark brown and with paler earth tones washed over it like spilled coffee, Roma Imperial marble may be coloured with natural shades, but it makes a vivid statement. Showcased on the Callisto Coffee Table by Carlo Ballabio, the organically rounded tabletop becomes a prized pebble, proudly showcased atop oversized legs.
5. ToTo table in Green Alpi marble, Zanotta
Its top in rich green Alpi marble, the ToTo table by Bertrand Lejoly creates the feel that it’s been quietly growing in the forest for centuries, the top more like a solidified slice of plant life than a piece of rock. The simplicity of the surface’s shape is balanced by the intricacy of the marble’s delicate veining, which casts a nature-imbued sense of calm the piece over a room.
6. Othello table in Fior di Pesco marble, Poltrona Frau
While at initial glance it seems any unassuming grey stone, looks a little deeper and you’ll notice lilacs, reds and impressive white veins dancing through Fior di Pesco, a particularly prized variety of marble. The veining is a mixture of tiny and delicate and thick and branch-like, contrasting the Othello table by Roberto Lazzeroni’s angular shape, trunk and legs.
7. Eros table in Emperador dark marble, Agapecasa
Emperador dark marble is the walnut of the stone world, bringing a chocolatey richness that can’t help but speak of opulence and indulgence. With an intricate almost bubbly finish, its pale veins break down potentially imposing blocks of colour, turning each piece into a delicate artwork. The elegantly engineered shape of the Eros table Angelo Mangiarotti for Agapecasa, which relies on the weight of the rock to slot itself together, adds a design edge to the nature-imbued sense of calm the piece casts over a space.
8. Tobi-Ishi table in black Marquina marble, B&B Italia
The antithesis of gentle white Carrara marble, black Marquina marble is edgy, moody and deliciously dark. Absorbing both light and attention when placed in a room, it creates an instant silhouette, a freestanding shadow, which is softened only by the minimal pale veining that runs through it. The sculptural Tobi-Ishi table by Barber and Osgerby carries the material’s visual heaviness easily, its organic shape and smooth lines further reminding us that we’re looking at something hewn from the earth.
9. Lise dining table in Breccia Capraia marble, Molteni&C
A beautiful marriage of natural artistry and contemporary design, Molteni&C's Lise Dining Table by Christophe Delcourt celebrates the extraordinary character of Breccia Capraia marble. Its luminous ivory-white surface is traversed by sweeping veins of warm gold, soft grey and deep burgundy, creating a dramatic, almost painterly composition. Each slab reveals its own unique patterns and variations, making every table a one-of-a-kind statement of natural beauty.
10. Skorpio dining table in Polished Lepanto marble, Cattelan Italia
A striking new addition to Cattelan Italia’s celebrated Skorpio collection, the Skorpio Marble Dining Table showcases the extraordinary beauty of natural stone in its spectacular Polished Lepanto finish. Rich, deep burgundy tones are interrupted by a dramatic network of contrasting white veins, creating an almost painterly composition that is entirely unique to each slab. Its polished surface enhances the depth and intensity of the colours, allowing the stone's natural character to take centre stage.