Projects & Inspiration – Allstone

Consistent & Versatile, Dynasty White Marble Is This Designer’s Secret Choice for Luxe Touches

Cherise — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 18:51:33 +0000

We are always so honored when a design professional chooses our stone for their own personal projects. After all, there’s no end to the resources at their fingertips and creative ideas bubbling up in their minds.

So, we were naturally thrilled to learn that Birmingham, Alabama-based interior designer Mary Lauren McBride, owner and lead designer of Mary McBride Interiors, not only chose our Dynasty White marble for her personal bathroom remodel and extension, but that her bathroom was just the first of many projects where she has featured the marble.

“I do a lot in my own house first,” said McBride. “A lot of designers do—it’s like a test kitchen. And once I have a component in my own house, I feel very confident selling it to a client.”

In 2016, with architect (and neighbor) Anna Evans, McBride renovated her family home. Together they completely re-concepted the home McBride shares with her husband and three daughters. The full-scale renovation kept the original structure’s footprint—other than in one important spot.

“This bathroom was the one area where we ended up picking up the square footage,” said McBride. “I love a big bathroom and now our bathroom is probably the same size as our bedroom.”

The expanded space was designed not only to incorporate extra space—for important additions like a soaker tub—but to maximize the view of the McBrides beloved yard.

“It’s on the back of the house and we love our backyard,” said McBride. “With the vaulted ceiling and everything, Anna really captured that view.”

With the view outside as the focal point of the expanded bathroom, the choice of materials for the space was complex. McBride wanted something that would feel light and airy, but still luxurious. Something that would capture McBride’s signature style, the happy spot where effortless meets inviting. She knew early on that she wanted tried, true, and trusted white marble.

“I feel like everyone says, ‘I want a white marble bathroom,’” said McBride with a laugh. “But I really wanted a beautiful, pure white marble in my bathroom, and when I saw the Dynasty White marble, I knew it was the one. It’s so pretty, it’s got beautiful veins, and it’s got that soft whiteness that everybody loves.”

“It is so subtle and beautiful. All the layers of different textures combine to make it visually very interesting, but not overwhelming.”

Dynasty White is a pure white marble, extremely strong and resilient, and is a trade secret alternative to expensive white Italian marbles like Carrara. Allstone’s selection is premium because the team handpicks only slabs that meet our signature high-quality standards. While marble captures a moment of time in the earth’s history—and no two slabs, even from the same quarry, are identical—what McBride values most about Dynasty White is the stone’s consistency.

“It’s very consistent,” said McBride. “And you know, there are other marbles out there where you never know what you’re going to get. It may be super gray or pure white. And I’m a big believer that whatever you need to do to get that consistency, it’s worth it. And Dynasty White makes it easy. All the times we have installed it, it looks pretty darn similar to what’s in my bathroom—which is awesome.”

The marble was originally suggested by a rep at Fixtures & Finishes, a Birmingham-based plumbing, tile and stone, and lighting boutique showroom that McBride utilized for all the bathroom fixtures.

The inherent versatility of Dynasty White, available as mosaics and field tile, meant McBride had many options for using it in her bathroom.

She ended up installing it throughout the space, as 12×24 floor tile, 2” hexagon tile on the shower floor, and 3x12s for the shower walls. The result: a luxurious but calm retreat.

“It is its own little mini spa, a really nice oasis,” said McBride. “I think that’s why I, and so many others, love a white marble bathroom: it is so classic and elegant and relaxing. I think that’s important.”

2” Dynasty White Hexagons create dimension in the tone-on-tone shower.

Photography by Jean Allsopp.

Trends come and go, white marble bathrooms have stood the test of time. And while it works perfectly in McBride’s traditional and elevated bathroom, she says the marble is equally at home in modern and sleek spas, rustic farmhouse retreats, and zen havens.

“We definitely strive to give all of our clients a unique design, but it’s also really nice when we find a product or material that we love that works,” said McBride. “We know we can always rely on the Dynasty White as a material and change the way we lay it out, or border it, or maybe we do 6×12 tiles. Then we can still give each client a special design while getting the consistency of that material.”

And McBride discovered yet another way that Dynasty White is versatile when the marble she originally had installed as countertops needed to be replaced.

Mixing mosaics in a small space like a shower can feel busy – keeping the color consistent, like these Dynasty White subway tiles and hexagons, softens the design. Photography by Jean Allsopp.

“The countertops that were originally installed looked super gray,” said McBride. “And I was like ‘I’d rather have nothing than this.’ I went back to the showroom and found a different countertop, and it was just a perfect match with the floor tile sample I had brought with me.”

The new countertop pieces have more movement in them, but thanks to Dynasty White’s clean background and thick veins, the two stones perfectly complement each other. (And those original “too gray” countertops found a happy home in McBride’s renovated laundry room.)

“When I tell clients that I have not only used Dynasty White before but that I have used it in my personal home, I think they instantly feel comforted,” said McBride. “Like, ‘Okay, if it’s good enough for my designer, and it’s good enough for me.’”

“Now that I think about it, we’re actually about to install it in another house,” she added.

You can find Mary’s latest project featuring Dynasty White on her Instagram or see more of her design work on her website.

Be sure to follow Allstone for more project features and design ideas on Instagram, Website & YouTube

Multi-Million Dollar NJ Home Featuring Allstone Material

Cherise — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 15:53:26 +0000

Spec homes have a reputation for being blank slates and a bit impersonal, but Etai Har-El, owner of Moore Development & Construction, with the help of a networked team, has made building concept homes a unique process filled with custom elements. Together with architect Daniel Dubinett, designer Lara Allen-Brett, and Allstone’s in-house residential designer Adrienne Gallmann, a piece of land in picturesque Short Hills, New Jersey transformed into a 4 million dollar home – Hartshorn Drive.

Traditionally spec homes are blank canvases for a new homeowner to put their touch on, but for Etai, Adrienne, and the team, Hartshorn Drive was sold move-in ready. The team’s styles encompass the best of every design aesthetic, creating a particular market for city dwellers looking to move to the suburbs. “Etai’s style is timeless with a modern flair,” said Adrienne. With an interior design degree and over 16 years in the tile industry, the last 10 of which she’s been with Allstone, Adrienne is a veteran who knows her way through a project. Together, the trio embarked on what would become Hartshorn Drive from one of Etai’s concept sketches.

Allstone’s stock perfectly fit Etai’s vision for the concept home. Etai and Adrienne hand-selected the perfect stone and tile linking together traditional and modern for an extraordinary outcome, adding a diverse mix of homes to suburban areas like Short Hills. For the home’s Principal bath, Adrienne turned to Allstone’s in-stock Glass Thassos for the main floor, shower floor, shower wall, and vanity backsplash. Glass Thassos has the look of classic white Thassos marble but is a cross between marble and glass. This allows it to still coordinate with many designs while being more durable and less maintenance than classic marble– perfect for a bathroom.

“For the main bath, I wanted to keep it a very clean, white palette and add warmth through the other finishes in the space. Our Glass Thassos is super modern and clean, and maintenance-free which is amazing because that space is large!” – Adrienne Gallmann, SHMT Showroom Manager/Designer

The main floor is made up of alternating 12″ x 24″ and 24″ x 24″ Glass Thassos to create an offset pattern across the Principal bathroom’s large floor.

While many designers and architects stick to the status quo, Etai’s team is eager to try new interiors and finishes and put a fresh spin on contemporary homes. “It’s just a matter of finding the right people to work with,” Etai said. “Adrienne always pushes the envelope a little – she’s always forward-thinking, but with the market in mind. It’s a great process to collaborate on. It makes my job a lot of fun”. The design of the home brought in timeless marble colors laid out in modern patterns for an edge that won’t feel outdated, such as in the open concept kitchen with all-around views of a 3” x 12” Calacatta Gold subway tile backsplash.

“The Calacatta had a nice balance for the space with enough movement to contrast and emphasize the white cabinets, but also tie in and add warmth from the white oak accents on the range hood and island,” said Adrienne. Allstone’s Calacatta Gold is imported from the Borghini quarry, one of the oldest operating quarries in the Carrara region of Italy. Accessing high-quality luxury stone luckily wasn’t one of 2020s many challenges.

3” x 12” Calacatta Gold subway tile backsplash.

With seven bathrooms, it can be tough to keep their designs distinct from one another, while still incorporating the home’s overall aesthetic. “I love patterns – I see them everywhere, I dream of them – which makes it easy to come up with unique solutions and designs for our in-stock field tile,” said Adrienne. Sticking to a white and grey palette, Adrienne got busy creating seven concepts, playing around with sizes, layouts, and finishes to create an airy, contemporary vibe.

A first-floor guest bath received similar marble treatment in the form of 3”x12” Ice White and 3”x12” Capri Blue to create a checkerboard pattern floor with Capri Blue Penny Rounds in the shower, all imported from Italy to Allstone.

3″ x 12″ Ice White and Capri Blue create a classic checkerboard floor.

In one of the bathrooms, Adrienne chose to combine two stocked marble series – 3”x6” Dynasty White and 3”x6” Bianco Carrara from Allstone’s product offering – arranged in an offset stripe pattern. “Etai had a concept photo from Pinterest for this space that had a striped tile pattern and I was so excited to run with it. I love stripes; you look in my closet and you’ll understand.”

3″ x 6″ Dynasty White and Bianco Carrara blend into each other for a subtle stripe pattern.
Photo Credit: Christian Garibaldi.

Bianco Carrara Adelaine Hexagon, shower floor

The majority of the marble stone and tile that now adorns the interior of this luxury residence is from Allstone’s in-stock catalog, which can be found on the Allstone website.

Hartshorn Drive has proved that spec homes can be luxurious when paired with posh construction, architecture, and design selections. This concept home aims to alter the cold reputation of spec homes and provide it with a fresh, sophisticated view. Allstone is excited to continue providing architects and designers with high-quality, exclusive lines of stone and tile.

Check out our full line of marble & stone at www.allstone.net.