14 March, 2024
Craftsmanship: The Secret to Enduring Style
What makes the difference between a piece of fast furniture and a heritage piece that outlasts time and trends? Along with durable materials and timeless designs, unique craftsmanship elevates furnishings to heirlooms that can be appreciated for years to come. At Stone Yard Inc., every detail of our luxury furnishings is crafted by in-house artisans, making every piece unique.
Look for the Little Details in Investment Pieces
When it comes to what makes a space feel elegant, cultivated, and comfortable, it’s all about the little things. Small, intricate details, like a curved cocktail table or a surprising texture on a table base, draw the eye and let you know that these aren’t machine-made, off-the-factory floor items, but handcrafted statement pieces. We want unique, even bespoke items handmade by artists with a hand for their craft and an attention to one-of-a-kind detail. It’s the same reason we marvel at antiques like the high-back wing chair and turn-of-the-century highboys; pieces that have meaning and character in every curve, every etching.
At Stone Yard, each piece is hand molded, expertly crafted, and delicately painted with one of our 13 unique finishes. We also specialize in unique and custom designs. If you’re looking for one of our designs in a slightly different style, size, or finish, or you have a design of your own you want us to help bring to life, contact us or request a quote.
Why Craftsmanship Also Means Longevity in Luxury Furnishings
There’s more to luxury furniture than just artful details. The quality of craftsmanship denotes a process that’s all about the details of each individual piece; it’s a process of precision that translates, not only into how a piece looks, but how it functions.
For example, a mass-produced piece is at the mercy of machines, carving, cutting, shaping, and joining a piece together. But without the human touch of checking these details, reshaping and tweaking them when necessary, the integrity of the piece is compromised. Add the fact that these mass-produced pieces typically use low-quality materials, and you have a chair, table, planter, or other piece of furniture that’s not built to last.
Stone Yard uses the finest, indoor/outdoor-durable materials like GFRC and Fiberstone to make our pieces durable even in harsh weather and frost conditions. Our collections include many complementary pieces that function individually or as a group to create lived-in luxury spaces that transcend design eras and genres.
How Each Personalized Detail Tells a Story
Ask our Director of Product Development and Lead designer, Mitch Brean, and he’ll tell you: when it comes to inspirations for his designs, he pulls from a variety of places. From the sand dunes of Namibia to the white sandy beaches of Cape Town, his travels influence many of the organic-inspired textures of Stone Yard designs. And an avid interest in art and history helps Mitch harken back to traditional designs, like those found in many Stone Yard mantels like the Louis XVI Fluted Mantel and the D’Artagnon Mantel. These are the design moments that make a piece of furniture come to life, to tell a story. It’s the same story we sense when we run our hands over a hand-hewn piece of 18th century furniture, or look at the brushstrokes of an old master painting. It says someone was here, someone made this with their hands, and it becomes part of our story when we live with it and pass it onto future generations.
Some Stone Yard Design Stories
The Bollé Collection
A smooth surface is carefully carved and sculpted into a bubbled, honeycomb-pattern, using negative space to create an interplay of light and shadow. The textured Bollé design is named after the Italian word for “bubbles,” and is a celebration of sculpting and carving techniques that make each piece its own.
The Boulder Fire Table
With a rugged, rock-hewn aesthetic offset by a smooth silhouette, the Boulder Fire Table speaks to the desire to have natural elements translated to a luxury atmosphere.
The Iluze Sofa
The geometric pattern of the Iluze Sofa catches the eye with its ever-changing beauty. Light and shadow create an illusion of changing shapes, for a modern furnishing that adds visual interest and dimension. It can be styled on its own or complemented in a space with the Iluze Lounge Chair, Iluze Cocktail Table, Iluze Side Table, Iluze Table Base, or Iluze Fire Table.
The Turo Planter
Organic shapes are enhanced by the smooth lines and rough textures of the Turo Planters. Inspired by nature, the textural Turo Planters are artfully organic, counterbalancing the rawness of nature with the sophistication of quiet luxury design.
The Fretwork Planter
Inspired by ancient Asian fretwork designs, this planter boasts a delicate geometric pattern layered with interest. Originally hand-cut into wood, the Fretwork Planter pattern gets a modern update by being hand carved into stone-like GFRC or Fiberstone, bringing it into modern and eclectic design themes.
The Martini Dining Table
Though reminiscent of mid-century modern silhouettes, the Martini Dining Table has a simplicity that allows it to live seamlessly in any design timeline. Classic, smooth, sleek, and sophisticated, the Martini cuts through the noise of a space with its all-at-once sharp yet airy silhouette.
Talk to Our Expert Craftsmen
We offer fully customizable pieces tailored to the spaces and sensibilities of our clients. If you have an idea for a Stone Yard piece—tweaking its design or changing its size or color to meet your design needs—we’re ready to help! And if you have a unique design all your own, our expert artisans can help you bring it to life. For design help, custom orders, or to request a quote, contact us today.