Beltrami the wholesaler of stone tiles and slabs has launched a number of new natural grey stones this summer.

Hima Basalt is a durable stone suitable for all outdoor areas including patios, terraces and paths.
The consistent grey colour offers a lovely background to the vivacity of plants in the garden.

Available in paving stones for a country cottage look, or larger tiles for a more contemporary garden, this stone has a subtle non-slip surface making it a highly multipurpose option for outdoor projects.

Tandur Grey limestone is available in 2 finishes - the antico pictured here and a more textured, chipped edge heritage finish.

About Beltrami sources stone ethically from around the world. Their main stock of tiles is held in Belgium with the UK depot in Halesowen, holding an extensive stock of granite, marble and limestone slabs.

With it’s own extensive logistic capability, Beltrami is able to deliver slabs and tiles weekly to customers and sites covering most of the UK.
Beltrami is at the forefront of innovation and promotion of exciting new products in the stone world.

Please visit the website to view Beltrami’s extensive ranges of fine natural stones.

Tel: 01384 564315

The hallway is the foremost entrance into most homes and where you can make a grand first impression as guests step through the front door.

Devon Stone offers one of the finest ranges of stone for flooring, walling and exterior projects, on the market today.

Some options:

Choose rustic limestone flooring from Devon Stone to create a warm and welcoming entrance into a traditional home- with a conventional approach as featured here - Pierre de Bourgogne. Priced from £160 per sq/m.

Or perhaps a large format ‘Oriental Basalt’ floor to create impact and sleek lines in a contemporary space.

Or you could zone your home by contrasting two very different stone types, using ‘Black Slate’ for the hallway and ‘Simyra’ Limestone for living spaces, thus creating two clearly defined spaces.

Devon Stone has a showroom in Devon, but covers the whole of the UK, so that you can enjoy beautiful, luxurious flooring in your home, with full installation plus a caring after sales service.

For more information about Devon Stone’s flooring ranges, please visit the website.

Tel: (01395) 222 525.

Create lighter, brighter interiors next Spring with polished stone flooring from Devon Stone.

High-sheen surfaces will continue to be a key interior trend for Spring/Summer 2011.

It’s all about achieving a smooth, slick, shiny finish, whether it’s lacquered kitchen cabinetry or high-gloss furniture pieces.

When it comes to shiny stone finishes, one might first consider Marble or Granite; but in reality, most stones can be polished to create a shiny, sleek finish.

The picture shown is Limestone, more popularly available in a flat, ‘honed’ finish. Jura Grey.

Priced from £55.38/ square metre.

The process involves grinding the upper surface of the stone, followed by a buffing stage, which leaves a glossy, polished finish.

The resulting product appears shiny because the particles contained within, reflect the light more easily.

This reflection of light around a room is a great way of achieving a lighter, brighter interior.

And it’s a common mis-conception that shiny surfaces are necessarily more slippery; providing you minimise surface water, a polished floor will be no more slippery than a honed finished floor.

Devon Stone offers one of the finest ranges of stone for flooring, walling and exterior projects, on the market today.

With 2 showrooms in Devon that service the whole of the UK, you can enjoy beautiful, luxurious flooring in your home, with full installation and a supportive after sales service.

A new ‘look book’, full of inspirational lifestyle photography and ideas, for using stone in all areas of your home is available to order at:  rhutchins@blueyonder.co.uk

For more information about Devon Stone’s fine ranges of stone for flooring , please visit the website.

Tel:   (01395) 222 525.

Giving your kitchen a makeover but stuck for inspiration on the floor tiles?

Leading luxury stone specialist, Lapicida, has launched a revolutionary phone application to provide instant design inspiration for iPhone, iPad and Android users, with an HD-ready version for all iPhone 4 and iPad users, which offers stone graphics in high definition.

The first of its kind, Lapicida Design-in-Stone, enables access to more than 200 hi-res swatch samples of luxury natural stone, marble flooring, kitchen and bathroom tiles.

Available to download free of charge, it takes the hassle out of selecting a new home interior scheme and is ideal for comparing a paint colour at the local DIY store with the perfect Lapicida tile. A handy room-set gallery is also included, providing inspiring ideas on how stone and marble can be used to create stunning designs for the home.

Ranges available on Lapicida Design-in-Stone include: granite, limestone, marble, onyx, sandstone, slate, travertine, reclaimed and semi-precious.

Each swatch includes a full stone specification and there is also a tap-to-call number for pricing enquiries, in addition to a direct link to the Lapicida website.

The application is available in two ways:

• On iPad and iPhone via the App Store at http://itunes.com/apps/Lapicidadesigninstone
• Or download from http://lapicida.com/mobile-iphone-ipad-andriod-app.aspx

About:
Lapicida is a world class stone specialist which ships hand selected natural stone, sourced from internationally acclaimed quarries, to anywhere in the world.
The company headquarters is located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, with a new London showroom opening in Marylebone later this year.

For more information on Lapicida Design-in-Stone, please visit the website.

Tel: (01423) 400100

Surface Texture is key this season.

Colours will come and go, pattern will ebb and flow but texture will triumph, when it comes to adding interest and dimension to an interior.

And unlike modish colours and pattern, this trend has staying power.

The new ‘Stoneskin’ product from Devon Stone is a clever way of introducing texture. It combines natural stone with a bonding resin to create a finish that looks and feels like the real thing:

• Easy to install and relatively affordable (with prices starting from £91.71 per square metre exc. VAT) ‘Stoneskin’ is set to become this season’s must-have stone product.
• Pictured here is Stoneskin in ‘Oyster Slate’ from £96.11 per square metre.
• Use ‘stoneskin’ to create a feature wall but also for adding 3D interest in bathrooms and kitchens.
• Available in 6 natural stone finishes including Oriental Basalt, Ardesia Nera, Everest Green, Pierre D’Orient, Oyster (shown in the images above) and Sunrise.

Another new addition to the Devon Stone range is ‘Marmara’ marble with its horizontally striated finish – another striking way of adding surface texture to an interior.

Devon Stone offers one of the best ranges of stone for flooring, walling and exterior projects, on the market today.
With a showroom in Devon but servicing the whole of the UK, you can enjoy beautiful, luxurious flooring in your home, with full installation and a supportive after sales service.
 
A new ‘look book’, full of inspirational lifestyle photography and ideas for using stone in all areas of your home is available to order by emailing rhutchins@blueyonder.co.uk

Devon Stone is a family owned and run business based in East Devon. The company values are based on excellence in product and service, with a single purpose…to provide premium quality elegant stone flooring and accessories that are within reach of the general public – “Elegance within Reach”.

For further  information about the Devon Stone ranges, please visit the website.
Tel:   (01395) 222 525.

Following in the footsteps of the best fashion designers, Fired Earth is adding a diffusion line to its collections.

First to arrive is the Tile Basics collection, which will include tiles starting at 36p each.

Bright and bold, tiles from the Collage range, take their inspiration from the Pop Art movement of the 1950s and 60s, when collage and painting were combined to construct new art forms that heralded the cultural transformation of Britain and America at the time.

• The colours that form the new Collage collection closely replicate those used by some of the key artists of the time.

• The new range is available in nine vibrant colours, including pink, yellow, orange and lime. This versatile collection has a beautiful gloss finish and includes pencils, as well as practical 15 x 15 cm tiles at £1.81 per tile (£79.62 per m2).

• The tiles are perfect to mix and match and are extremely versatile - great for anyone looking to make a colourful statement.

• Affordable chic: prices for tiles in Fired Earth’s new Collage collection start at just £1.81 per tile.

Fired Earth has 56 showrooms in the UK and Ireland.

Visit the Fired Earth website to view these exciting new tile ranges and to find your nearest showroom.

Tel: (0845) 366 0400

Fired Earth is broadening its reach and appeal by adding a diffusion line to its collections.

This begins with the launch of Tile Basics this month, which will carry tiles starting from just 36p each.

Tile Basics is designed to complement the existing Fired Earth range and add some new bolder colours, which can be mixed and matched.

Rob Whitaker, Creative Director of Fired Earth, said: “We wanted to add to the range so that customers could find something to suit every room and every purpose at the right price.
“For example, for a utility room people don’t necessarily want something hand-crafted, but they do still want something well designed, practical and fit for the purpose.

“We also wanted to attract new customers - perhaps those in their first home - wanting great design at an easily affordable price; essentially we’re offering quality you’d expect at prices you wouldn’t.”

Tile Basics will complement the existing Fired Earth collection, by introducing some exciting bold colours, such as the pink, orange and lime to be found in the Pop Art-inspired Collage range.

Colours and formats can be mixed and matched to create eye-catching schemes.

Offering everything from crisp slate flooring and beautifully designed wall tiles, to hard-wearing porcelain and rustic terracotta, Tile Basics includes tiles for every style of home at easily affordable prices. The diffusion line will continue with the Bathroom Basics collection.

The Architecture range in our picture, fuses classic elegance with clean, structural style; simple lines can create versatile designs, by using several sizes together in patterned combinations, or by mixing the gloss and matt finishes.

Fired Earth has 57 showrooms in the UK and Ireland.

Visit the Fired Earth website to view the new Tile Basics range.

Tel: (0845) 366 0400

Aaran Brown, (30 years old) who works at a gym in a prison, and Stephanie Hampstead, a 22-year-old nursery nurse, are a prime example:

“We were renting an apartment in Blyth Bridge and didn’t see buying as financially friendly enough to be an option for us,” Aaron said.

“It was only after Steph discovered she was expecting in December last year that– we could no longer ignore that we needed a larger home to accommodate our growing brood.

Like an increasing number of homebuyers across the UK, Steph and Aaran were able to purchase a property fit for their growing family, through the latest government shared equity scheme,
HomeBuy Direct – a three-bedroom townhouse at Miller Homes The Willows in Stone.

We came to view The Willows and fell in love with both the development and the townhouse.

With HomeBuy Direct being available we were able to move in sooner than we originally thought,” Steph added.

HomeBuy Direct is continuing to help many first time buyers, by offering the opportunity to purchase100 percent of a brand new home by paying from just 70 percent of its value.

The remaining 30 percent equity loan is co-funded by the Government and Miller Homes, meaning that a smaller deposit is required.

The loan then only becomes repayable after 25 years, with no interest for the first 5 years.

Aaran and Steph’s home is in the Tolkien style layout, an attractive three bedroom townhouse that offers the extra space, including the garden, that they were looking for. Picture by Steve Duttine Photography.

Linda Androlia, regional sales director for Miller Homes West Midlands, said: “HomeBuy Direct is continuing to assist those like Aaran and Stephanie onto the property ladder showing that new homes can be affordable and a much better option to renting.”

To find out more about the Stone based development or the properties available nearest to you, visit www.millerhomes.co.uk.

Sales Office Tel: (0800) 840 8695.

Here is some expert advice from award winning tile manufacturer CP Group’s marketing executive, Katy Black:

Making a statement in the home is this season’s interior trend, bringing excitement and creativity back into decorating.

With more people improving not moving, now is the time to inject personality into the home - adding colours, textures and patterns can seem daunting after a decade of ‘magnolia’ and ‘white wash’, but feature walls are back ,adding the ‘wow’ factor without the hassle of re-decorating the whole room.

Wall tiles are a great way to create an eye-catching feature, not only in the kitchen and bathroom, but also for making a statement anywhere in the home.
Just choose your focal wall and let your imagination take over:

Whether it’s understated elegance or a bold and bright finish you’re after, there is a myriad of options to choose from; or if you don’t want to be too outrageous, then simply combining textures with soft natural colours and bold accessories, will subtly enhance the effect.

You don’t need to go bright and patterned to make an impression. Using the same colour tile on one wall, can completely change the look of the room.

The CP Group’s Tundra African tile from the Quattro range, really stands out against a plain white, cream or neutral background, creating maximum impact using a simple design.
For those who like bold and beautiful the choices are endless.

Glass offers a stunning finish by creating a unique and glamorous look (as in the picture).

Glass tiles are available in a wide range of colours from shocking pinks, purples and oranges, to tranquil turquoises, greens and blues.
The versatility of glass means it can be combined with various patterns and textures, to create an eye-catching effect.
Look at the CP Group’s selection of glass tiles within its Unity range, for more ideas and inspiration.

Ceramic and stone finishes are still hugely popular and manufacturers continue to develop more stunning and unusual designs.

The CP Group has a wide range to choose from, with contemporary and traditional designs from striking metallic effects to classic damask patterns.

Visit the CP Group website for more ideas:
Tel: (01484) 727147

Gold taps are a token gesture by comparison. If you really want to wallow in luxury, go for a big tin tub. A pure Gold one! Well, pure Gold Leaf.

This magnificent piece takes bath-time to another level - when you sink into this to wash all your cares away, it’s more than probable, you can bask in the fact that you haven’t got any.

Worked from solid tin and available with a Gold Leaf exterior or, if you prefer something a little less ostentatious, Silver Leaf. Glorious!

The Midas bath is shown here with the Avebury Bath and Shower Mixer, Iridescent Glass Mosaic Moroccan Desert wall tiles and Architectural Stone Crema floor tiles.

Priced at: £5750.

Web: http://www.firedearth.com

See also Fired Earth’s Renaissance wall tiles.