Beautiful Blue takes centre stage
Luxury quartzite Blue Explosion!
While we have a superb range of natural stone in stock, we occasionally take delivery of exceptionally stunning limited edition slabs. One of these is a luxury quartzite called Blue Explosion, referred to by MD John Krause as one of the most amazing stones we’ve ever stocked, a work of art in itself.
It was the choice of residential customers Emily Docktor and Brian Hersholt for their new bar countertop. Originally from the States, they relocated to London around a decade ago, settling first near Angel in Islington, then moving to a classic Victorian house in Nunhead in South East London.
They decided to update the living space, building an arch to connect two smaller rooms. One of these had become a catch-all, used for storage and as a playroom, but then transformed this into a ‘snug’ for relaxing, complete with TV, record player, vinyl collection – and a bar!
The search for a perfect countertop for the bar brought Emily to Diespeker. She was familiar with the name, as where they previously lived in Angel was close to Graham Street, once Diespeker’s main premises. Emily kept seeing the Diespeker & Co logo, which remains on the building (learn more about this from Ghost Signs). She noticed Diespeker’s current location was just down the road from her new home and cycled over. “I’d been prepared to drive out of town to find the marble, so I was amazed to find this, right in the heart of London.” After being shown around, she returned with Brian to choose their ideal stone.
The décor of the snug is a neutral pink, so they were keen to introduce a big pop of colour with the countertop. “We considered different stones including Calacatta Aurora, but it was Brian who fell in love with Blue Explosion – the most extravagant one!”
The countertop was templated by Diespeker, which Emily says was a sensible approach, as it was being installed around an old chimney breast. The age of the property meant that they had to work around Victorian-era building imperfections. “If I’d measured it myself, I would have had a big gap between the countertop and the walls!”
Diespeker advised that the best solution would be to cut the slab into three pieces. The installation team were then able to match up the veining and install the sections to minimise awareness of the joints, so the countertop appears to be one solid piece of marble. Emily and Brian opted for bullnose edging, which offers a smooth finish and elegant aesthetic.
Emily was impressed with the service from Diespeker. “It was a really fast turnaround; we picked out the stone before the cabinetry was finished. After the templating we discussed how the pieces would be lined up, then the stone was cut and the countertop installed just a week later.”
Emily is delighted with her luxury quartzite countertop. “It’s exactly what I had in mind!”
Key contacts for the project were Senior Sales Manager Sydney Robertson and Foreman David Batt.
