Walking through Sydney’s suburbs, it is evident outdoor living is a major part of our culture. While many of us still spend most of our time indoors, integrating the outdoors into our day to day, remains of high importance. Architects and designers are constantly seeking out design solutions that will sustain the malleability between indoor living and outdoor lifestyles. Using the same stone in a different finish creates a fluid indoor and outdoor space, connecting our surroundings in an easy and effortless way. The STS STONE range of natural stone is available in a variety of finishes: Honed and Polished are ideal for interior spaces; Sandblasted, Brushed or Bush Hammered work well outdoors, with their high slip resistance.
Harmonising your material palette is a thoughtful, understated way of dissolving traditional barriers between space, extending your living zones to establish a welcoming and comforting environment. The four projects below beautifully exemplify seamless indoor-outdoor contemporary living through their design vision and selection of STS STONE in our range of finishes. Through these examples, it is evident that a design choice so simple as the finish of stone, can have such a profound impact on the atmosphere of your home decor.
Bellevue Hill House
Architect: Architecture Saville Isaacs
Builder: PCM Projects
Photography: Kata Bayer
Honed Finishes | Antique Finishes (Sandblasted + Brushed)
This alluring tri-level house brings high style to its interior and exterior spaces. Its open plan living and large thresholds between indoor and outdoor is further enhanced with the use of the same flooring throughout. Our beloved Belmondo marble comes in interior and exterior finishes, allowing the architect to carry the same feeling throughout, while meeting exterior slip resistance ratings. A simple, yet powerful design decision blurs the line between inside and out.
Belmondo was carried throughout the rest of the house, revealing an attention to detail and edge conditions. Most expressive of these considerations are found in the mitred marble staircase, a true masterpiece. The language of the seemingly floating staircase is echoed throughout, reflected in clever separations of space using wooden partitions. Clean lines and distinct visual separations allow for ample light, airflow and a feeling of one continuous space.
Beresford Rd House
Architect: MASQ Architecture
Builder – North Residential Construction
Brushed Finishes | Antique Finishes (Sandblasted + Brushed)
Unique in its built form and strong architectural identity, this home draws inspiration from its context. The architect’s considerate approach to design as a reflection of its environment is augmented through a distinctive, unified material palette that is designed to age well with time. A balance between indoors and outdoors is achieved through their selection of our Grigio Scuro limestone. Our range of finishes allows the material and feel to flow uninterrupted across the space, creating a warm, inviting and harmonious aesthetic.
A blend of masonry, steel, timber, concrete and stone reveals an impressive attention to how each material is joined and their edge conditions. Well suited to Australia’s climate and lifestyle, a pattern of seamless transitions unifies living and entertainment areas, promoting a healthy and social family atmosphere.
Seaforth House
Architect: MASQ Architecture
Builder – North Residential Construction
Honed Finishes | Flamed Finishes
With a view this breathtaking, it is clear the architect’s priority was to extend the natural environment across all domains, indoors and out. The living areas open onto gardens that are laid with our Grigio Argente granite in differing finishes. In its interior honed finish, peach and grey tones complement the inviting, modernist home. Exteriorly, the flamed finish reveals a different look; however, the warm and elegant feeling of the stone runs consistently.
This design is a brilliant example of site-specific architecture as it appears to be completely part of the surrounding landscape through its material choices. The solidarity of the base’s materials reflects a strong, earthed connection to the site. Well orientated, carefully considered landscaping and a natural, coherent material palette encourages a holistic approach to architecture, in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Twin Houses, Lavender Bay
Architect: Architecture Saville Isaacs
Builder: PCM Projects
Photography: Kata Bayer
Stone: Travertine Grigio Chiaro
Honed Finishes | Antique Finishes (Sandblasted + Brushed)
With an irregular site boundary and the desire to engage with a remarkable view of Sydney’s most iconic architecture, the architect truly excelled in the unique form and luxurious aesthetic of these twin houses. A majority of the interior and exterior spaces, including a magnificent spiral staircase, were tiled with our highly sought-after Travertine Grigio Chiaro. Its soft uniform greys permeate elegance and tranquillity that only a few travertines can match.
The architect’s vision for a modern experience of open plan living across the interior and exterior is, again, achieved through their material selection and coherency. As with all good design, one can appreciate how the interior spaces can benefit from their connection to the exterior by borrowing light and vistas across thresholds. These indoor-outdoor buffer zones are often the most frequently inhabited, so it is imperative to establish a strong connection between the interior and exterior by providing seamless transitions. We understand that exterior materials need to be hard wearing, easy to clean and have ample slip resistance… But we also believe you should not have to sacrifice your aesthetic.
