Our beautiful MicroStone real stone veneer has been put to an unexpected and incredibly striking use by a very talented designer by the name of Michelle Lowe-Holder.

Michelle has BFA Honours Degree in Fashion Design from Pratt Institute in New York and an MA in Knitwear at Central St. Martins, London. (See more at www.lowe-holder.com/).

The intrinsic beauty and texture of our real stone has been incorporated into Michelle’s designs for jewellery and handbags to create a collection which is at once dramatic, arresting and unique.

We are delighted with this work which so skilfully demonstrates the fundamental features of MicroStone – its feel and look coupled with unbelievable flexibility.

Real stone veneer from Natural Stone Veneer Limited has been used to dramatic effect at a new restaurant in the vibrant village of Hoole, Cheshire. The Hollows is the newest edition this trendy suburb of Chester.

The inherent qualities of real stone veneer can unlock infinite design possibilities and this was certainly true at The Hollows. Cheshire based Brereton Pinnington who designed the interior was looking to create an eclectic and vibrant space with an abundance of witty detail to entertain the eye. Real Stone Veneer fitted the brief perfectly and provided the wow factor the client was looking for!

The Hollows is split over two levels and includes the first oyster bar and charcuterie bar in Chester. The bar counter area downstairs features a Chef’s Table where customers can sit and watch the spectacle of the food theatre that is played out behind it. A focal point of the bar is a glut of oysters displayed in a carved stone bowl, created from a huge boulder cut in half and hollowed out which effortlessly compliments the Real Stone Veneer on the bar front beneath it. The ridges of the oyster shells are also echoed in the stone veneer.

Autumn White Real Stone Veneer was chosen for the bar front. Clair Brereton of Brereton Pinnington commented, “The Hollows is quite a narrow, long space so we didn’t want anything too strong on the bar front. The stone has an organic feel to it, and is quite mellow with interesting 3 dimensional accentuations. The soft natural grey tones of the Autumn White fit beautifully with the décor and the use of non-dominant tones as a base enabled us to bring in pockets of interest around it.”

The veneer was installed vertically on the front of the bar to give the illusion of height.

Despite their size, the sheets remain lightweight and are therefore easy to carry around site.

In The Hollows, the 2mm thick veneer was fixed on to a plywood surface. “It was really easy to work with for a competent joiner with a handsaw and some specialist solvent-free adhesive. We liked the fact that it came in large sheets so not many cuts or grout lines to spoil the design,” said Clair.

During the manufacturing process, the high degree of adhesion accomplished between the stone and the glass fibre reinforced polyester (GRP) produces a strong bond and results in a stable, yet highly flexible material. This made the bending of the stone around the front corner of the bar easy, but much more complex shaping around a tight radius can be achieved on columns and curved walls for instance.

The raw split surface of the stone and the interchanging colours of each layer are absolutely unique, giving completely natural colour hues and surface variations from panel to panel. At The Hollows, the effect completely transforms the environment of a room to provide maximum impact and provided a dramatic contrast to the Mediterranean tiled flooring.

Avid fans of Real Stone Veneer, Brereton Pinnington also used the material at The Suburbs bar in Hoole, which is next door and under the same ownership.

Real Stone Veneer it is very appealing to clients who want to say something different. Clair admits, “No one has ever seen anything like Real Stone Veneer before so when we show it to clients there is always bit of a wow factor about it.”

The inherent qualities of real stone veneer can unlock infinite design possibilities for interior specialists, architects and other specifiers, providing a hassle free installation solution and a stunning finished product for the client.

In the case of The Suburbs, design specialists Brereton Pinnington were looking for materials to use on this cocktail bar refurbishment project that would provide a dramatic effective. Real Stone Veneer fitted the brief perfectly.

The Suburbs makes an eclectic edition to the vibrant village of Hoole, Cheshire in an area now hailed as “Notting-Hoole” due to its raft of trendy boutique shops and stylish watering holes.

Both the colour and focus for The Suburbs was established through bold paint and upholstery as well as bespoke objects. Immense personality was created with quirky detailing such as Rolls Royce Helicopter engine parts as well as wall lights and wash stands from a Victorian Chateaux.

Real Stone Veneer in copper was chosen to cover the long bar front with the intention of creating an impact as you walk through the front door. ‘We chose copper as it is very current. It is also very warm as the stone produces a lovely atmospheric glow,” said Clair Brereton of Brereton Pinnington Design. “The stone also complements the copper pendants lights situated over the bar counter and sits well with the blue colour scheme and prevents it from feeling cold,” she added.

Installation

It took 20 copper Real Stone Veneer sheets to cover the L shaped bar front, and as the bar is long in length, the sheets were installed vertically so as to give a tall feeling and to emphasise the height.

The sheets were applied to plywood using Natural Stone Veneer’s recommended solvent-free adhesive. Although the sheets are large, they are very easy to work with – they instantly grab the surface but still allow for adjustment once in place. The panels were really easy for a competent joiner with a handsaw to work with a handsaw. We liked the fact that it came in large sheets so not many cuts or grout lines to spoil the design,” said Clair.

Unique colouring

The raw split surface of the stone and the interchanging colours of each stone layer are absolutely unique, giving completely natural colour hues and surface variations from panel to panel. This has been put to beautiful effect on the bar front as it catches the light from the front window close by.

Entrance Porch

As a contrast, Autumn Rustic Real Stone Veneer was installed in the entrance porch of The Suburbs, this time horizontally. Clair explains, “Here the horizontal flow gives a feeling of substance and solidity. The entrance area is only small, so we wanted a material that would make the space something in its own right in order to create a feeling of arrival.”

Size

Despite their size, the sheets remain lightweight and are therefore easy to carry around site. Clair said, “The sheets are very easy to transport in the back of a car with no dust or mess, and they are so flexible that you can bend them over the back seat and they won’t break.”

Avid fans of Real Stone Veneer, Brereton Pinnington has used the material on three other restaurant projects because it is very appealing to clients who want to say something different. Clair admits, “No one has ever seen anything like Real Stone Veneer before so when we show it to clients there is always bit of a wow factor about it.”

The incredible translucence of iLumiStone brings yet another stunning design option to the use of our real stone veneers.

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