Stone: Designing Kitchens, Baths and Interiors with Natural Stone [Hardcover]

Heather E. Adams (Author), Earl G. Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

As a building material, natural stone is unrivaled in warmth, unyielding strength, and lasting resilience. From the earliest marble and limestone slabs, to the most detailed mosaic tiling, stone has played a vital part in construction, architecture, and interior design throughout history. Today, many people believe that only the extremely wealthy can include stone in their decorating schemes, but using modern technology, one can easily cut the costs of stone purchase and installation without compromising quality or design. Whether used to create a new bathroom shower, a kitchen countertop, a tiled floor, or fireplace surround, stone adds impact and can last a lifetime. The authors break down the pros and cons of each type of stone to help you make the right decisions, discussing everything from slippery when wet conditions to avoiding scratches and stains. Whether it is a slab of slate or a single tile of travertine they guide you through browsing, purchasing, and contracting the installation of natural stone in your home. Special instructions for ambitious do-it-yourselfers are included as well.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

As the founders and co-owners of Natural Stone Design, Heather and Earl G. Adams, Jr. have accrued many years of experience working exclusively with natural stone. Members of the American Society of Interior Designers, the National Association of Homebuilder, and the National Kitchen and Bath Association, Heather and Earl routinely attend as well as exhibit in trade shows and offer in-depth presentations on designing spaces with natural stone.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584792906
• ISBN-13: 978-1584792901
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #299,569 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Heather E. Adams was born Heather Steinbach in Dayton, Ohio spring of 1970. At the age of 8, her family relocated to Gulf Breeze, Florida where she gained an intense love of creative writing. In 1996, Heather and her husband Earl opened a boutique style tile and stone showroom, Natural Stone Design, on the shores of Pensacola Bay that continues to grow and thrive today. Heather and Earl have gone on to write three books, "STONE", "TILE STYLE", and "Designing a home with WOOD". In addition to designing homes with the most beautiful natural materials from across the globe, Heather also writes articles for a variety of magazines, publications and newspapers while putting together concepts for book four. This couple has four children, and has recently traded their busy city life for the serenity of the country. Their quaint farm house surrounded by giant live oaks has grown to include chickens, sheep, horses and a variety of unique creatures. Nature lovers to the core, Heather and Earl also reuse remnants of wood and stone to create unique works of art and massive pieces of furniture. In their opinion, there is no better material to surround yourself with. Elements of nature emit an energy, pure and clean. This can become the foundation of mental and physical well being within the walls of your personal dwelling.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and Beautiful, November 23, 2003

By 

Lundy Wilder (Gulf Shores, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stone: Designing Kitchens, Baths and Interiors with Natural Stone (Hardcover)

I was quite surprised at all the material this books covers. Anyone planning a custom designed home or remodel could certainly find great inspiration and clever ideas not usually seen in homes in the USA. Additionally, the in-depth info on various natural stone products is a real education. The last part of STONE has a helpful photo index of illustrations of the various types of stone. Since many ceramic tile products attempt to emulate natural stone, this book and especially it's fine examples of mosaics would be quite inspirational for those who work with manmade tiles as well as natural stone. I find the elegant pared down interiors in this book quite refreshing, a breath of fresh air. As a fan of classic, enduring architecture, I am pleased that this book promotes the idea of a home as a structure expected to last centuries--an unusual concept in the States.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wealth of information!, November 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Stone: Designing Kitchens, Baths and Interiors with Natural Stone (Hardcover)

I bought this book because I am in the middle of building a new home and am using quite a bit of stone. Let me tell you, it is quite nice to walk into the tile showroom and know more about the material than the people selling it to me. "STONE" covers it all...everything you need to know and more. I am actually reproducing one of the bathrooms featured in the book in my own home. There are hundreds of beautiful photographs that not only give you ideas for using natural stone, but also for the home's architecture and interior design. It is truly several books rolled into one. Anyone planning to build or remodel a home with stone countertops, floors, showers, walls, venthoods, backsplashes, fireplaces, etc...etc...etc... should get this book. Avid do-it-yourselfer's will find the step by step stone installation section invaluble.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!!, October 13, 2005

By 

CCYP "CCYP" (Malaysia) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stone: Designing Kitchens, Baths and Interiors with Natural Stone (Hardcover)

This book describes the nature of various types of stones and the recommended usage inside and outside the home. I've used this book as a guide to show my local stone dealer what type of stones I'm looking for. And also used it to illustrate the concept of my dream home to my Interior Designer, she understood immediately without us having to go through many rounds of interview to get it right. As a result, my dream home is now almost complete with stones from all over the world, marbles from Spain, Italy, Iran.... granite from Norway and Indonesia... coral stones, tumblestones, slates, and many more.... Wonderful pictures and illustrations, I'd recommend this book to anyone! Suitable for modern Asian homes too!