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then shipped and assembled on site. Per the family’s request, all stone for
the project – both inside and out – was ordered in 5cm (2”) thick blocks;
not the standard 2cm (3/4”) slabs found in virtually all California stone
yards. Thicker stone allows for true revealed edges (not the cut and glued
edges required with thinner pieces), but the additional weight greatly in-
creases the difficulty of installation. The creation of shop drawings, used
to cut all the stone and develop mechanical fastening systems to install it,
was a one-year process and involved the architect in coordinating stone
installers, stone engineers, building engineers, and stone fabricators.
When shipments arrived, some had to be rejected, either because the
veining was incorrect or there was damage to the stone from transit.
Due to various rejections, some shipments had to be air freighted from
Greece and other parts of Europe to avoid delaying the job.
From floors to walls, countertops to fireplaces, the house is a tribute
and testament to the technology of Old World stonemasons infused with
modern refinements.
Though it took six years to complete, this home will stand the test of
time, and stone.
The stone selection was detailed and personal, as the family wanted
each room in the house to have its own feel and movement. They also
insisted that all the floors and bathrooms be stone. We connected the
various stone choices throughout the house via the use of butt-jointed
floors, giving the effective look of continuous slabs. The bathrooms fea-
ture as many as five different types of stone, and the exterior of the house
is clad in two different types of French limestone.
Once stone selections were approved, the shop drawing process be-
gan. All stone in the house was quarried and cut by artisans in Europe,
s t ructures
the year. The rest of the time the town is very quiet, with the majority of
businesses closed during the off-season as they primarily serve tour-
ism. From our stone supplier’s office overlooking the ocean, we spent
many summer days reviewing selections, quantities and lead times
from the various stone yards visited. Our final selections covered the
length and breadth of Greece, from the marble quarries of Pentelikon
near Athens to the islands of Tinos, Thassos, Paros, and elsewhere.
Interior designer Jessica Bridges met with the clients weekly for two years in order
to develop just the right look and feel for the inside of the residence