We’re huge fans of marble, so it was great to be part of this spectacular project from Alexander Owen Architecture that showcased this natural stone so perfectly. We were also delighted when ‘Hansler Road’ was awarded Highly Commended for New Build Modern Style Stone Cladding at the Natural Stone Awards.
The project called for two new marble-clad single-storey spaces to be added to a Victorian mid-terrace home in East Dulwich to give the homeowners a practical solution for additional space. Initially the design team looked at creating the cladding from a bespoke terrazzo, but after considering the options, they switched to marble. 16.5sqm of external cladding was needed for the two structures, a kitchen-diner extension including utility and WC and a stand-alone garden room incorporating home office, bar and an area for socialising.
Moving to marble met a number of key client aspirations; the practical robustness of the natural stone, the simplicity of maintenance and an aesthetically driven desire to echo and reflect marble heirlooms precious to the family.
The clients browsed some of the many marbles in our range with two clear cut winners: elegant crosscut dark grey Bardiglio and a lighter Arabescato marble with softer veining. The designers were keen to create a holistic flow to the house and garden to visually link the garden room to the house. The veining and colour tones of these two stones worked well with the natural environment, with a solid aspect almost monolithic in design.
This project called for the merging of these two marbles to create an interesting and unique pattern, with similar cut lines and panel formations but reversed arrangement of the two stones. The marble was mitred around the doors and windows and cut to precise, 90-degree junctions between the individual slabs. Diespeker’s team was onsite for three weeks to meet the project deadline.
The finished kitchen extension now provides the owners with plenty of space to relax, cook and entertain whilst the garden room provides a fantastic getaway area for peace and quiet, as well as affording useful storage.
As well as the well-deserved Highly Commended award, this visually stunning build was also shortlisted in the Housing Exterior category at the 2021 Surface Design Awards.
See more photographs on the project portfolio page.
