Written in Stone

News and Tips from International Stoneworks

Posted on May 20, 2015 at 9:23 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on May 20, 2015 at 9:26 pm.

Choosing the Right Stone for Your New Construction or Renovation
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If you are building a home or designing an office, you have many choices to make. My blog this week is to try to help navigate you on which stone is right for you. I would like to start with this statement: there is no wrong or right choice. It is your design preference and … ∞

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Posted on May 12, 2015 at 2:40 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Filling the Void…Literally: Filling in the Holes, Chips & Pits in Natural Stone
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Often times our customers complain about “pitting” in their travertine floor. Let me reassure you that this issue is completely normal, especially with stones like travertine.   Travertine is a calcareous stone that naturally has voids (holes). Before fabrication, I like to compare travertine to Swiss cheese, a great product, which happens to have holes … ∞

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Posted on May 5, 2015 at 7:48 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Simple Tips for Women In the Stone Industry
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As featured as a guest blog post for Coverings 2015 1. Be confident Even if you know your business, if you don’t exude confidence, you may be overlooked. Another scenario is you don’t know the answer to a client’s question. That’s ok; keep your composure, but don’t bluff.  Be honest and let the client know … ∞

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Posted on April 23, 2015 at 11:43 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Road Trip to Texas Limestone Grotto
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On my latest Texas road trip to Austin, we stumbled across the Westcave Natural Preserve in the Texas Hill Country. Of course we had to make a detour and learn about this fantastic stone formation. The Westcave Preserve is about 30 acres and encompasses two different ecosystems. The grasslands located above the visible limestone formations … ∞

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Posted on April 20, 2015 at 8:28 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Coverings 2015 Recap
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I have never been to a convention in Orlando before, but I was impressed by the gorgeous set up that Coverings put together on the show floor. I love walking the show; it’s a chance for me to look at the up-and-coming trends in stone and tile.  Of course I also pay attention to new … ∞

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Posted on March 24, 2015 at 1:58 am by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on March 24, 2015 at 3:23 am.

Carrara Marble Quarries Face Big Changes
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It is no secret that Carrara white marble is an extremely popular stone in our homes and buildings. We love our clean, white and elegant kitchens and we admire dazzling polished white marble lobby floors. However, the city of Carrara, Italy (where this gorgeous marble comes from) is facing big changes imposed by the Tuscany … ∞

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Posted on March 11, 2015 at 7:11 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah

Why Restoration Instead of Replacement?
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I went to a customer’s home last week who had a Thossos White marble foyer. I have to admit it wasn’t in the best of shape, but nothing that I hadn’t seen before. She said I was her last call before she started shopping around for a completely new material to put at her entrance, … ∞

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Posted on March 4, 2015 at 4:15 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on March 4, 2015 at 4:20 pm.

Flamed Granite: Feeling the Heat
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 Ok, we all have seen granite before. Many of you automatically start thinking of sleek kitchen countertops. Today, however, we are discussing granite with a flamed (also called flame cut) finish.   So what exactly is flamed granite? The stone surface is textured to a rough finish using fire. You can usually see flamed floors … ∞

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Posted on February 24, 2015 at 10:10 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on February 25, 2015 at 3:38 pm.

Removing Stains from Natural Stone
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What are stains? A stain is a discoloration of the stone; however, the surface finish of the stone remains smooth.   (Not to be confused with an etch mark. An etch mark is a chemical burn that forms when acid, ammonia, or alcohol comes into contact with the calcium carbonate element that exists in certain … ∞

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Posted on February 17, 2015 at 5:03 pm by Jacqueline Tabbah and modified on February 17, 2015 at 8:29 pm.

Mixing & Matching Natural Stone
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We’ve noticed recently that architects, designers and homeowners don’t just want one type of stone. They want to mix and match. Have you ever been to the Aria hotel in Las Vegas? The lobby floor has all types of granites with honed, polished and even flamed (textured) finishes. I also went to a home last … ∞

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