Slab Sunday: Lagos Azul limestone

Lagos Azul is a limestone from Portugal.

 It is considered one of the most important dark colored limestones in Portugal, having achieved international recognition as a grey / blue limestone.
Lagos Azul is a grey/blue/beige limestone.  Fossils & shells are a unique characteristic in this limestone.

Contemporary Bathroom design by San Francisco Architect Michael Tauber Architecture

Contemporary Kitchen design by San Francisco Interior Designer Amoroso Design

Other names for Lagos Azul include:  Lagos Blue, Rocas Azul, Gris Ocean, Azul Cascais, Azul Valverde, Azul Valverde Mourisca,  Cascaix, Blue Valley, Cinzento Azulado, Blue Lagos, Azul Monica or Gris Valverde.

Contemporary Kitchen design by Orange County Interior Designer Michael Fullen Design Group

Eclectic Bedroom design by Los Angeles Interior Designer Abbott Moon

Lagos Azul is extracted from three different layers: Layer 1, Layer 2 and Layer 3. The color and grain of the limestone extracted in each layer differs according to the depth of the layer as you can see in the photo below from Azul Valverde's website.

One of the reasons I love this limestone so much is I think it pairs perfectly with Carrara, Calacatta and Statuary Vein marbles....which are definitely the most popular marbles right now.

Contemporary Kitchen design by San Francisco Architect Sutton Suzuki Architects

Lagos Azul also comes in a variety of tile sizes.

Photo: Connecticut Stone

Wine Cellar design by Atlanta Architect Castro Design Studio

Lagos Azul pairs really well with other natural stones, maybe it's because it isn't a really busy stone. It looks so beautiful with the Honey Onyx vessel sinks in the photo below from Maldona Tile & Marble.

Modern Bathroom design by San Francisco Architect Mark Brand Architecture

 Lagos Azul is available in 2 cm and 3 cm slabs as well as tile, exterior cladding, and sinks.

5 Baths with Fun & Unique Floors

Traditional Bathroom design by San Diego Interior Designer Andrea May Hunter/Gatherer

Designed by Kelly Wearstler.  Photo: LA Times

Photo: David Scott Interiors

Photo: Tish Key Interior Design

Photo: Liz Williams Interiors

5 Striped Bathrooms

I love a good stripe.  I think it's a unique and clean look that is beautiful in a bath.
Here are 5 baths that have used stripes in a creative way...

These first two photos are from the same home.  It's an apartment in Paris owned by Interior Designer Jean-Louis Denoit.  See the entire home on Elle Decor.  The Kitchen and the Living Room Fireplace are just stunning.
The picture below is the Guest Bath.  The striped wall and ceiling are actually strips of French Limestone and Lagos Azul Limestone.  Isn't it amazing?!  The tub deck is a slab of the Lagos Azul limestone.  

Photo: Elle Decor

Below is the Master Bath.   The cabinetry is painted to mimic the plaster-fluted walls.

Photo: Elle Decor

This next bath was designed by S.R. Gambrel. The Vein Cut Travertine provides stripes in the shower and on the vanity countertop.

Photo: S.R. Gambrel

One of my all-time favorite stones is the Equator Marmara marble.  I love how they used it as slab on the countertop and tile on the wall and floor in the bathroom below designed by James Michael Howard.  There are lots of stripes but I think they designed it in a way that they don't fight and it's not overwhelming.

Photo: James Michael Howard

  Last we have this gorgeous Powder Bath.  The vertical tile almost looks like a waterfall. 

Spaces design by San Francisco Interior Designer Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs

What do you think of all the stripes?  Would you use stripes in your bath?

Slab Sunday: Jura Grey Limestone

Jura Grey is quarried from a boulder quarry in Germany.  It is an extremly dense limestone which makes it a popular & smart choice for outdoor applications.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock mainly composed of calcium carbonate. Like most other sedimentary rocks, limestones are composed of grains, however, around 80-90% of limestone grains are skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral, sea snails and other sea creatures. These marine organisms lived in the sea billions of years ago. When they died they fell to the bottom of the sea and rotted, but their shells, which were made of calcium like your teeth, did not rot and just stayed there. Pressure from other shells, from the water, and from sand being washed over the shells, squashed them all together into rock. Billions of years later, now that there is no longer a sea in that area, we have found the limestone & quarry it.

Contemporary Bathroom design by Denver Architect ROWLAND BROUGHTON ARCHITECTURE & URBAN DESIGN

Photo: Positive Interiors

 Jura Grey is a very interesting color of limestone. It ranges quite a bit from a creamy grey to grey to blue tones to brown tones depending on the slab. It tends to have a few fossils, which are always fun to find in a limestone! It also has some white quartz veining in it.
Due to how much this stone can change from bundle to bundle be sure to select your exact slabs.  When selecting tile ask to see at least a few pieces of the current stock so that you can see the color range you will get.

Photo: SSL Group

Photo: Arizona Tile

Keep in mind that since limestone is a calcium based stone that anything acidic WILL etch the surface....just like marble.  Limestone may not be the best choice of material for your kitchen.

Photo: Ivett and Reed

Other names for Jura Grey include: Jura Graublau, Jura Blue, Jura Gray and Jura Grau.

Photo: White Hall

Jura Grey is available in 2 cm & 3 cm slabs as well as a variety of sizes in tile depending on the distributer. You will generally see Jura Grey with a honed (matte) finish.

FAQ Friday: Is limestone soft and chalky?

Today's question comes from Kathy in New Mexico...
"I love the look of limestone kitchens & baths.  I honestly have only seen limestone in photos, never in real life.  My question is sometimes it looks soft and chalky?  Is it?"

No, it's not soft and chalky at all!  I have Seagrass limestone in my Powder Bath and my Laundry and I actually like how it feels better than my granite. 
There are some limestones that are very hard and dense, nearly as hard and resistant as granite, and extremely non-porous. Keep in mind, though, that these very hard limestone countertops are still calcium-based and anything acidic that gets on them will etch the surface.

Seagrass Limestone with a honed finish in Traditional Kitchen design by San Francisco Interior Designer Amoroso Design

Think of using limestone in a kitchen just like using marble.  If you can embrace the etching and let the limestone develop a patina you will love your limestone countertops.  If you want your countertops to look perfect forever consider quartz.  There are quartz colors that have been made to look just like limestone.

Lagos Azul Limestone in a Contemporary Bathroom design by San Francisco Architect Michael Tauber Architecture

Thanks for the question Kathy!  If you have a stone or design question you'd like to see answered here send me an email. 
Have a great weekend!

Bathroom Vanities: It's All in the Details

One of the things I love about working for a custom stone fabricator are the fun details that we are able to provide our customers.  Nothing that we do in our shop would be defined as "cookie cutter".  Every job is unique.
The saying "Love is in the details" is true in the design of stone as well.
Here are five examples of some of the details we are able to provide our customers with...

This marble backsplash on a bathroom vanity has an Ogee edge detail to match the edge detail of the countertop.  The little curved design detail on the ends of the splash are really what makes this so great though.

Photo: Grant K. Gibson Interior Design

A little shelf was built above the backsplash on this vanity using the same white marble.  I love this decorative and functional design detail.

Photo: Urban Grace Interiors

This next vanity has a beautiful, unique backsplash on the vein-cut limestone.
The radius is a beautiful look and it fits nicely with the faucet coming out of the wall.  It's also a taller backsplash than normal, which looks great!

Photo: Design in the Woods

The unique design of this vanity countertop and backsplash is in a whole category by itself.  It's amazing in that 'you-don't-see-this-everyday' sort of way.
The tile is quite wonderful as well!

Photo: Lance Jordan Creations

The bump out and curved design of this marble countertop is a great way to accentuate the beautiful cabinet.  Also notice the sink cut out has an Ogee edge instead of the typical square edge you'll see in sink cut outs.

Photo: Habersham Home

What's your favorite added design detail in a bathroom?

Slab Sunday: Indus Gold Limestone

Indus Gold is a limestone quarried from a bedrock quarry in the Indus Valley region of Pakistan.

It's a really pretty limestone that has some quartz veins and small shells in it.

These next two pictures are of the same kitchen.  I LOVE this kitchen!
The perimeter and island countertops are Indus Gold limestone.  The lower countertop on the island is wood.

contemporary kitchen design by new york interior designer valerie pasquiou interiors + design, inc

The Waterfall edge detail looks great with this limestone.

contemporary kitchen design by new york interior designer valerie pasquiou interiors + design, inc

Indus Gold is also commonly called Inca Gold.  Other names for Indus Gold include: Ouro Real TP, Indus Golden, Indus Gold Dark and Indus Gold Light. 

Photo source.

Indus Gold is one of the harder limestones.  It has a really tight grain structure and holds a very high polish.
Being so hard makes it a great option for exterior use.  This is actually my favorite way to see this stone, I think it's beautiful as exterior cladding.

Photo: Arizona Tile

Indus Gold is available in 2 cm and 3 cm slabs as well as tile.

FAQ Friday: Is a Vessel Sink Practical in a Master Bath?

This question comes from Sharon in New Hampshire...
"I'm remodeling my Master Bath.  I've totally been inspired by a lot of the pictures you've posted on your blog, especially the Whiteout Wednesdays.  I'm doing dark espresso colored cabinets with Calacatta Gold marble for the countertops, flooring and shower tile.  
My question is, I love the look of vessel sinks.  I think they add just one more beautiful element to a bath.  I'm worried they are not going to be practical though.  Have you had clients hate their vessel sinks in Master Baths?!?"

Thanks for the question Sharon.
I love the look of vessel sinks as well.  I think you can find some really beautiful sinks and when you've kept everything else in the room relatively simple, they are a great way to punch up the design of the room.
This being said I will tell you they aren't the most practical sink in the world.  I don't think I've ever recommended or spec'd one for a Master Bath.  I'll suggest them for Powder Baths all day long, but the daily use of a Master Bath is a different story.
For the Master I'd recommend using an undermount sink.  They are easy to keep clean and to clean around.  Plus, they give you more counter space! 
If you still want to use a vessel sink I have one big suggestion....don't do a glass sink in a Master Bath!
Keep the glass vessel sink for the Powder Bath.
I've had so many clients tell me they hate how the glass vessel sinks always looks dirty.  From water spots to toothpaste and makeup they are hard to keep clean.  I actually have a glass vessel sink in my own Powder Bath.  I love how it looks and I always get compliments from guests.  BUT it's a pain to keep looking clean.  We rarely even use that bath and it seems like it always has water spots.  I would do it again in my Powder Bath but I would never use a glass vessel sink in my own Master Bath.  Of course this is just my personal opinion.  :)

Here are some pictures of non-glass vessel sinks that would look beautiful in any Master Bath...

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Photo: HGTV

modern bathroom design by san francisco architect Sutton Suzuki Architects

modern bathroom design by san francisco architect J. Weiss Design

contemporary bathroom design by san francisco architect Sutton Suzuki Architects

One last thing to think about when using a vessel sink in a Master Bath is the height.
Make sure the top of the sink is not too high once the sink is sitting on top of the countertop. It will be a pain and a mess to wash your face and brush your teeth in a sink that sits too high.

Good luck Sharon, hopefully this helps!

If you have a design or stone question you'd like to see answered here on FAQ Friday send me an email.
Have a great weekend!

Negro Marquina limestone Bath with Carrara marble Master Bath

Today is the final installment of the owner of Pyne Renovations' home.
If you've missed it, you can see the  beautiful Calacatta Gold kitchen here, and the Super White quartzite Wet Bar here.

In the Master Bath they have "His" and "Hers" vanities, wouldn't that be nice!

These first pictures are "His" vanity.  The countertops are Negro Marquina limestone with a honed finish.

on the vanit=

Isn't that sink awesome?
All the trim in the shower was done out of Carrara marble slab.

 Beautiful bathtub with penny tile on the deck.  The floor tile is Carrara marble.

This is "Her" vanity.
I love the vintage charm of this bath, so many beautiful details.

 
Thanks Pyne Renovations for letting us show off your home!
If you are looking for an amazing contractor in Utah be sure to check out their website.


*All images property of MGS by Design & Pyne Renovations.