... Where do I start?
They say when you buy a car the colour is almost as important as the car itself.
Well, that applies to stone too! So have a look first at the colours we offer below,
then we will get a bit more specific...
AMPILLY
A very handsome and refined limestone, light beige to honey in tone
with a very natural character and some veining.
An authentic looking product ideal for interior or exterior residential flooring.
Applications: residential & commercial paving / exterior paving / cladding / carving
BARUTEL (Blue or Beige)
Dense and homogenous, this light grey, blue-tinged limestone was used to build the Amphitheatre of Nimes (France)
in the Gallo-Roman period. Available in large quantity and large format units
the natural surface aspect and colour of Barutel have made it eminently suitable for contemporary work.
Applications: All residential applications
BEAUVAL (Also known as BEAUMANIERE)
A classic, aristocratic stone.
Light to mid-honey beige, with a unique speckled grain.
The majestic ochre-brown veins are produced by iron oxide, and create true mineral landscapes.
This a perfect stone for residential flooring, fireplaces and façade cladding.
Applications: residential paving / cladding / carving
BRETIGNY (Also known as CHAUVIGNY)
Thanks to its very smooth and homogenous grain, this limestone from the Charentes region, West of France, lends itself perfectly
to a broad array of architectural stone works. If used for wall cladding in particular, its light creamy colour
will shine under the Australian sun and make your project stand out in grandeur.
Applications: Alrounder stone, from floors, to walls and to kitchen sinks !
CHACENAY (Also known as COULMIER)
Among its palette of shades, this variety of Burgundy limestone has a real "yellow".
The stone is remarkable and consistent in quality, and plentiful in quantity.
Zones or clusters of fossil inclusions add a delicate charm.
The antique finish, magnificient for any project, brings out its natural power.
Applications: residential paving / cladding / carving
CHAMPAGNY, also known as SEMOND
Another beautiful pale beige Burgundy limestone, with a medium grain and even texture.
Available in large sized units for special applications. This is an ideal material for façade cladding,
and residential flooring and carving.
Applications: an allrounder Burgundy limestone, frost resistant
CHANCEAUX
A beautiful, fine grained and even textured pale beige Burgundy limestone,
perfect for cladding, carving and residential flooring. Available for large scale projects.
The delicate tones give it this much appreciated "chic" genre.
Applications: residential flooring and wall tiling/ exterior paving / carving/ fire surrounds
MAGNY LE LOUVRE
As the name tells you, this is the stone used by the architect Leoh Ming Pei for the new Louvre.
A favourite for major projects, this a golden beige limestone, sawn perpendicular to the bed, characterized by light horizontal veining.
Slight colour variations accentuate the sophisticated, natural look, while retaining a degree of homogeneity in design.
This variety was widely used for the mythical "Four Seasons" in New-York.
VALDENOD, also known as SULLY
A beautiful, fine grained limestone, from light beige to straw gold in colour.
The colour depth may depend on the beds, and include grey hues.
Darker crystallisation is distributed unevenly through the matrix and lends a natural character.
An ideal product for residential paving/flooring, both on account of the warm appearance and the good technical performance.
VILLEBOIS, Grey or Yellow
This a grey, brown or yellow, slightly cloudy limestone with a compact, fine texture and high durability.
Ideally suited to paving and flooring inside and outside, it is considered as indestructible...!
Undoubtedly the most popular of the hard limestone quarried in the Rhone region, East and South East of France.
Let's talk about it ...
Most of the inquiries that we get come down to the same general questions,
which in fact have nothing to do with the type of stone itself:
- Is it expensive ?
- Is it easy to maintain ?
- Can I get a non slippery surface ?
- Can I get that particular color I very much like?
- Can I get very large sizes ?
Invariably the answers are respectively YES, YES, YES,
then maybe Ok, let's see !
- Yes European limestone is expensive to buy, however installation is usually less expensive than laying timber floor,
thus a bit of home calculation might be worth it. Stone also is money well spent because it'll last for ever
(though we agree for ever may not be on top of your list right now...!) and pretty much maintenance free,
which, by the way ... /...
- .../... answers the second question.
- For your pool surround or outdoor paving a weathered or sand blasted finish will provide a reasonably non slippery surface.
Some European stones however are extremely hard, thus better used for indoor honed or polished surfaces.
- OK, we can get lots of different colours and variations to support your forays into decorative sciences,
but remember that countries from the Mediterranean bassin have a rich supply of limestone and marble
that range from nearly pure white to dark grey and brown.
- As we don't take 'no' for an answer, YES you can get very large stone works or French oak boards from us,
but like many things in life, you are well aware that whatever is large usually comes with a large price tag too..
