An Opulent Interior Like Nowhere Else
When our client took over a former coaching inn and set about transforming it into something the area had never seen before, there was no formal brief to speak of. Decisions were made in person, on site, as the vision evolved. What he wanted was clear in spirit if not on paper: spaces that felt opulent, transportive, and entirely unlike anything else nearby. Coulon Stone has worked with this client on and off for the best part of two decades, contributing stonework across the staircase, reception desk, bar, floors, and bathrooms.
This is a project defined not by a single moment but by an ongoing relationship built on craft, trust, and a shared appetite for doing things properly.
The Materials
No single material defines this project. The staircase is clad in Carrara marble. The reception desk combines Black Fusion granite with a backlit, multicoloured onyx inlay. The bar floor is laid in Verde Guatemalan granite, specified at an unusually large 2 metres by 1 metre at the client's express request. Each material was chosen to contribute to an interior that rewards attention; the more you look, the more you find.
The Design
The staircase is the centrepiece. Its string course follows a curving, ramped descent, twisting as it goes, which meant every tread, riser, and side panel had to be individually templated and shaped to follow the geometry. There are no two identical pieces.
The reception desk is equally considered: a heavily profiled top in Black Fusion granite sits above a panel of backlit multicoloured onyx, the illumination bringing the stone to life in a way that stops guests in their tracks. In the bar, the Verde Guatemalan floor tiles were laid at a scale that most fabricators would not attempt, giving the space a boldness that matches the rest of the interior.
The Challenge
A curved, ramping staircase presents a compounding geometric problem. As the string course turns and drops simultaneously, the relationship between treads, risers, and the going of the staircase changes at every step. Every component had to be templated on site, shaped individually in the workshop, and then fitted with patience and precision. There is no shortcut, and no room for approximation.
The Result
The finished interior is unlike anything else in the area. The stonework contributes to spaces that feel transportive: part Italian luxury, part Moroccan warmth, entirely the client's own vision. Guests who walk through the door find themselves somewhere that could not exist anywhere else, and the stone is a significant part of why.
