These three materials are lovely in and of themselves, but in combination they make the heart sing with their balance of lightness & weight, smoothness & texture, refinement & strength, as well as coldness & warmth. Their complementary attributes lend an unconscious delight to the spaces they define and inhabit.
Natural stone is beautiful in its mass and complexity and was historically used as a foundation material that could be safely in contact with the earth and bear the weight of most any residential structures. It was also commonly used as fireplace and chimney material due to its inflammable nature and its resistance to heat. Today, poured in place concrete often serves as an elegant substitute for stone in the aforementioned applications. Stone is now used in all manner of ways due to our ability to machine it into thinner elements such as wall cladding, flooring, countertops, and thin tiles for most any surface such as backsplashes and showers.
Steel also has a complexity in its make-up and appearance ranging from mild steel to stainless steel. All steels are an alloy of iron and carbon with mild steel having a low carbon content and carbon steel having a higher carbon content and thus greater strength. Stainless steel’s appearance and noncorrosive qualities come from the addition of chromium and often other metals for specific desired properties. Mild steel can be oxidized to maintain a blue/black appearance and stainless steel can be brushed or polished to the luster that one is familiar with in kitchen appliances and cabinet hardware.
And all know the seductive appearance and feel of wood and its power to transport you to where you can hear the wind in the trees and the smell of leaves underfoot. Wood comes in a myriad of species, grains, textures, and colors and some take stain well and others not, but mainly wood just wants to be wood. All that said, take a look around you, it’s the blend of stone, steel & wood that makes the magic come to life!