PRECIOUS STONES
May 1, 2004 | 12:00am
Go to any lobby of a building and chances are the first thing you’ll notice are the floors (of course, that’s after you’ve been frisked by the security guard and your can of Mace returned to you grudgingly). Walk into any new high-rise or a really expensive house and you will probably be stepping on natural stone, and the walls may be covered with it, too – that’s when you know that this is an expensive structure. Enterprise Center on Ayala Avenue, for instance, sports wonderfully pockmarked travertine walls inside; Palisades has limestone cladding in its exteriors. Stones such as granite, marble, serpentine, limestone, onyx, slate, travertine, sandstone and alabaster are among the world’s most widely used natural stones as building materials.
Yet, you can also have expensive ceramic tiles that look like granite or marble, limestone or sandstone. With today’s technology, it takes an expert eye to know which is real stone and which is not.
What’s the difference between the two? Tiles are made from raw materials like clay and then they’re baked – and they’re made by man. Natural stones, on the other hand, are made by, well, God; they’re quarried around the world and blessed are the countries that have an abundance of it. The Philippines, for instance, has marble, but not granite. China has granite, but it may not be as good as Italy’s. France has Chantilly limestone, while Spain boasts its distinct very white limestone. Natural stones come in a variety of colors – our local marble comes in beige, but other countries have pink, orange, green, brown and white – and no two are exactly alike.
The good news is that you have literally hundreds of stones to choose from. This may also be the bad news. With so many choices, how can you be sure you’re choosing the right one?
Liberty Marble and Granite, and Liberty Stile – two companies owned by businessman Tom Batac, who started his stone business in New York – have a "library" for both natural stones and high-end tiles in its showroom in Makati. If you have swatches for fabrics, you have slabs of stones for these that architects, interior designers and homeowners pore over.
Liberty executive vice president Dinggay Reyes-Espiritu says, "We can source any stone from anywhere in the world."
That’s impressive, but considering that Tom Batac has one of the biggest natural stone companies in the state of New York, it is not surprising how the Philippine company benefits from his more than 30 years of experience in the business. Liberty Marble New York has worked on projects such as the Regent Plaza Hotel, Barney’s, Intercontinental Hotel, Deutsche Bank, Virgin Megastore, St. Regis Hotel, and Dolce & Gabbana.
The Philippine company boasts an impressive client list as well: the luxury condominium building One Roxas Triangle on Paseo de Roxas, RCBC Plaza on Ayala Avenue, Phinma Plaza in Rockwell Center, Palisades in Legaspi Village, and JG Summit Center on Ayala Avenue.
So how do you differentiate these natural stones? "They have different mineral compositions and different degrees of porosity," says Dinggay. But for the untrained eye, it’s how they look that clues you into the kind of stone that it is. For instance, the most familiar one to us is marble, which we produce locally in Romblon. It is characterized by veins on its surface. Granite, which has become very popular in the last decade or so in residential projects, is speckled and comes from Spain, Italy, and countries in Europe, North America and Africa. In Asia, China granite is the leading choice for middle-range projects because it is one of the most inexpensive granite there is – and quite nice, too. Travertine is characterized by pockmarks, which some architects choose to leave alone while others have the holes filled.
Alabaster is an almost translucent stone, says Dinggay Espiritu, pointing to a wall at the reception area of the Liberty showroom. When lit from behind, the stone looks almost like a jewel.
"Granite is the hardest stone in the world and it’s normally used for exterior buildings," she says, explaining its popularity. "One must remember that all natural stones are porous, meaning they absorb water and stains." Dinggay recommends that for kitchen countertops where spills often occur, one should use dark color granite or marble – the same for the flooring in high-traffic areas or homes with kids.
The trend these days, she says, is the "structured look." No more highly polished floors but rather rough and looking like they’ve been there for ages.
Because natural stones are expensive (and they can outlive the homeowners), some people opt for ceramic tiles, which are easier on the pocket and easy to maintain since some of them are 100 percent non-porous. You can spill soy sauce in it and not go crazy because it won’t be absorbed into the tile.
Aesthetically, tiles deliver the goods as much as natural stones do. Many of the high-end brands have lines that simulate slate, marble, limestone or granite. Liberty Stile, the ceramic tile arm of the company, carries brands such as Ricchetti, Marazzi, Grespor, Pavigres and Cerev, and Saime whose prices can go as high up as P2,000 per tile.
When it comes to tile sizes, Dinggay says that even in a small space, the bigger the tile, the more spacious the floor would look. And here’s another tip: Don’t go filling your floors with borders and designs – this would make it look smaller. "One big expanse is easier on the eye," she says.
Like with natural stone, it’s no longer cool to have the highly polished tiles on the floor. Natural-looking is always better. As for borders, while the floral and cutesy designs are still available, there are the trendy , contemporary ones to consider – mostly geometric designs and tiles that come with metal.
And colors? "Either very dark, like black and gray, or very light, like white and beige. The brands come out with their collections every year so we change our displays, too."
It’s interesting how the Liberty showroom treats its products. The tiles are displayed and framed like artworks, which is perhaps why the space is doubling as an art gallery where painters mount exhibits. The first one was Ivan Acuña, whose abstract works have all but sold out.
Liberty also keeps its showroom up to date with the latest products in the bathroom. In addition to natural stones and ceramic tiles, it also distributes glass mosaic which, according to Dinggay Espiritu, is the latest trend in luxury bathrooms and pools.
"Aesthetically, glass is more beautiful and we’re going back to the mosaic design but this time in glass. The difference is there’s brilliance in it, the mosaic tiles – coming in 30 by 30-piece or one-square-foot tiles – is formulated to bring out the iridescence. Whatever color you want, we can mix it. We send it to Italy and they send a small sample for your approval."
It also carries the high-end bathroom brand Agape with sculptural sinks made from PVC and stunning bathtubs that have the price tag of, well, a small house.
So, what does a P1-million bathtub look like? The first one you’ll see doesn’t look like any tub you’ve seen – unless you’ve been to a ryokan (traditional inn) in Japan where the art of simple living has been practiced for ages. It’s made of treated wood – yes, wood! It looks like rectangular box whose beauty is in its simplicity and ergonomic design. The interior of the tub follows the contour of the body, so even if it looks severely angular on the outside, soaking in it would be a comfortable experience. Even the matching washbasin and faucets are very linear. So is the P18,000 hamper.
"The philosophy of Agape is to create a new lifestyle in bathroom furniture and they collaborate with Italy’s top designers to produce their collections."
In a world where beauty is now synonymous with simplicity, there’s never been a more exciting time to build a house.
Liberty Marbe & Granite showroom is located at 223 Nicanor Garcia St., Bel-Air Village 2, Makati City. Call 890-1257, 890-0322. 890-6121, 896-8512.
Yet, you can also have expensive ceramic tiles that look like granite or marble, limestone or sandstone. With today’s technology, it takes an expert eye to know which is real stone and which is not.
What’s the difference between the two? Tiles are made from raw materials like clay and then they’re baked – and they’re made by man. Natural stones, on the other hand, are made by, well, God; they’re quarried around the world and blessed are the countries that have an abundance of it. The Philippines, for instance, has marble, but not granite. China has granite, but it may not be as good as Italy’s. France has Chantilly limestone, while Spain boasts its distinct very white limestone. Natural stones come in a variety of colors – our local marble comes in beige, but other countries have pink, orange, green, brown and white – and no two are exactly alike.
The good news is that you have literally hundreds of stones to choose from. This may also be the bad news. With so many choices, how can you be sure you’re choosing the right one?
Liberty Marble and Granite, and Liberty Stile – two companies owned by businessman Tom Batac, who started his stone business in New York – have a "library" for both natural stones and high-end tiles in its showroom in Makati. If you have swatches for fabrics, you have slabs of stones for these that architects, interior designers and homeowners pore over.
Liberty executive vice president Dinggay Reyes-Espiritu says, "We can source any stone from anywhere in the world."
That’s impressive, but considering that Tom Batac has one of the biggest natural stone companies in the state of New York, it is not surprising how the Philippine company benefits from his more than 30 years of experience in the business. Liberty Marble New York has worked on projects such as the Regent Plaza Hotel, Barney’s, Intercontinental Hotel, Deutsche Bank, Virgin Megastore, St. Regis Hotel, and Dolce & Gabbana.
The Philippine company boasts an impressive client list as well: the luxury condominium building One Roxas Triangle on Paseo de Roxas, RCBC Plaza on Ayala Avenue, Phinma Plaza in Rockwell Center, Palisades in Legaspi Village, and JG Summit Center on Ayala Avenue.
So how do you differentiate these natural stones? "They have different mineral compositions and different degrees of porosity," says Dinggay. But for the untrained eye, it’s how they look that clues you into the kind of stone that it is. For instance, the most familiar one to us is marble, which we produce locally in Romblon. It is characterized by veins on its surface. Granite, which has become very popular in the last decade or so in residential projects, is speckled and comes from Spain, Italy, and countries in Europe, North America and Africa. In Asia, China granite is the leading choice for middle-range projects because it is one of the most inexpensive granite there is – and quite nice, too. Travertine is characterized by pockmarks, which some architects choose to leave alone while others have the holes filled.
Alabaster is an almost translucent stone, says Dinggay Espiritu, pointing to a wall at the reception area of the Liberty showroom. When lit from behind, the stone looks almost like a jewel.
"Granite is the hardest stone in the world and it’s normally used for exterior buildings," she says, explaining its popularity. "One must remember that all natural stones are porous, meaning they absorb water and stains." Dinggay recommends that for kitchen countertops where spills often occur, one should use dark color granite or marble – the same for the flooring in high-traffic areas or homes with kids.
The trend these days, she says, is the "structured look." No more highly polished floors but rather rough and looking like they’ve been there for ages.
Because natural stones are expensive (and they can outlive the homeowners), some people opt for ceramic tiles, which are easier on the pocket and easy to maintain since some of them are 100 percent non-porous. You can spill soy sauce in it and not go crazy because it won’t be absorbed into the tile.
Aesthetically, tiles deliver the goods as much as natural stones do. Many of the high-end brands have lines that simulate slate, marble, limestone or granite. Liberty Stile, the ceramic tile arm of the company, carries brands such as Ricchetti, Marazzi, Grespor, Pavigres and Cerev, and Saime whose prices can go as high up as P2,000 per tile.
When it comes to tile sizes, Dinggay says that even in a small space, the bigger the tile, the more spacious the floor would look. And here’s another tip: Don’t go filling your floors with borders and designs – this would make it look smaller. "One big expanse is easier on the eye," she says.
Like with natural stone, it’s no longer cool to have the highly polished tiles on the floor. Natural-looking is always better. As for borders, while the floral and cutesy designs are still available, there are the trendy , contemporary ones to consider – mostly geometric designs and tiles that come with metal.
And colors? "Either very dark, like black and gray, or very light, like white and beige. The brands come out with their collections every year so we change our displays, too."
It’s interesting how the Liberty showroom treats its products. The tiles are displayed and framed like artworks, which is perhaps why the space is doubling as an art gallery where painters mount exhibits. The first one was Ivan Acuña, whose abstract works have all but sold out.
Liberty also keeps its showroom up to date with the latest products in the bathroom. In addition to natural stones and ceramic tiles, it also distributes glass mosaic which, according to Dinggay Espiritu, is the latest trend in luxury bathrooms and pools.
"Aesthetically, glass is more beautiful and we’re going back to the mosaic design but this time in glass. The difference is there’s brilliance in it, the mosaic tiles – coming in 30 by 30-piece or one-square-foot tiles – is formulated to bring out the iridescence. Whatever color you want, we can mix it. We send it to Italy and they send a small sample for your approval."
It also carries the high-end bathroom brand Agape with sculptural sinks made from PVC and stunning bathtubs that have the price tag of, well, a small house.
So, what does a P1-million bathtub look like? The first one you’ll see doesn’t look like any tub you’ve seen – unless you’ve been to a ryokan (traditional inn) in Japan where the art of simple living has been practiced for ages. It’s made of treated wood – yes, wood! It looks like rectangular box whose beauty is in its simplicity and ergonomic design. The interior of the tub follows the contour of the body, so even if it looks severely angular on the outside, soaking in it would be a comfortable experience. Even the matching washbasin and faucets are very linear. So is the P18,000 hamper.
"The philosophy of Agape is to create a new lifestyle in bathroom furniture and they collaborate with Italy’s top designers to produce their collections."
In a world where beauty is now synonymous with simplicity, there’s never been a more exciting time to build a house.
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