sourcing stone
This past week we took just a couple of days to head out of town for the first time since February. It was strange and wonderful all at once, and after visiting and staying in Florence with some friends, we headed to the Italian Riviera to hike the gorgeous Cinque Terre. I’ve been many times in the past but hadn’t stayed there in about 8 years because it had become so overrun with tourists (mostly American and Canadians). One of the silver linings to having the borders closed, is that there are amazing places to see now in a way that may have been impossible in recent years.
It was incredible to have it feel like a normal seaside town - with just enough people to not feel abandoned, but no where near the normal crowds. The weather was perfect, the sea was refreshing, and it definitely served as a sort of salve for the soul.
On the way home, we stopped in Carrara which is on the way, and is of course one of the most famous marble quarries in the world. The mountain in and of itself it a spectacular site, and the quarry opens up like a gleaming white cavity on the side of the slope. To think that so many pieces of marble (famously, Michelangelo’s David) came from this very spot, it’s amazing to know the history and spread that this stone has influenced around the world.
As I’m looking for a stone to use in part of the kitchen, we ended up visiting two factories, although there are so many to choose from here. The is one after the other lining the streets, and so much of this part of the town looks very industrial with large cranes dotting the skyline and yards filled with slabs. One of the places we visited was a bit smaller, but had a very specific collection of sourced stone - plenty of marble from Carrara, a beautiful black Portoro stone from nearby Liguria, a few others from other parts of Italy and just one type from outside the county.
We discussed veins, sizing, the ins-and-outs of cutting, shipping, etc. And I found one piece that made its way to the top of my list so far. I have to send in all of the specs and wait on the final quote. The other factory that we visited had a formal showroom as well which was incredible to wander through looking at all of the stone from both Italy and exotic locales around the globe. To see some of these large pieces, each unique, in person just makes me in awe of what nature produces.
One of the design concepts I have for the entire house is that I want the materials to celebrate and respect where the house is. So using stone from Italy is important to me, and I feel so lucky to be close enough for a quick drive to visit the source. We’ll see how things come together as there are still so many decisions to make, but I’m enjoying the process in the meantime.