Slabs of this dreamy Aqua Green Polished Quartzite are perfect for a calming, natural space.
The color green has many positive aspects associated with it: nature, youth, safety, life, and hope being the most common. It is the most healing and soothing color for the eye to process, and has been proven to enhance vision, stability, and endurance in viewers.
Green often signifies cleanliness and healthy living, which is why packaging designers use green on environmental or health products. Green has an association with healing and has been proven to also help alleviate anxiety and depression, which is why hospitals often use the color.
Today, these healthful, restful connections make it an extremely popular and naturally beautiful color to use in interior design.
Fun Facts About Green.
Green is the color used for night vision goggles because the human eye is most sensitive and able to distinguish the most shades in that color.
You might not know that green is many people’s second most favorite color; blue being the first.
Green was a sacred color to the Egyptians representing the hope and joy of spring. The floors of their temples were often made from green natural stone.
Green has long been a symbol of fertility and was once the preferred color choice for wedding gowns in the 1400’s.
Jade green—created by a chemical reaction—was considered so beautiful in China that only the eyes of royalty could behold it, and it was known as mi se, meaning “mysterious color.”
The French “celadon” name was later given to this elegant color. The name is based on the literary character of a French shepherd who wore pale green ribbons.
So Many Greens. So Little Time.
Choosing which shade of green is right for you can be daunting to say the least. Because from emerald to olive to aqua, green comes in a huge range of jewel-like, leafy, or blue-infused shades. Each one also has its own distinct symbolism and associations.
Here are some examples: Inspired by the famous gemstone of the same name, emerald green is particularly recognized for deep color, rarity, and beauty. Hunter green has a rich, melancholic feel reminiscent of evergreen forests, while jungle green with its cooler blue undertone mimics the green tint of tropical plants. Both are now popular for modern kitchen designs.
Green can vary in shade (mixed with black) and tint (mixed with white). But there are also a broad range of green varieties that are mixed with other colors, such as yellow, blue, gray, and brown.
Yellow-greens like chartreuse (named after the French liquor which shares the distinctive color) or lime green have a lively, energetic feel and are often seen in children’s areas or work out rooms . Blue-greens such as aqua, sea green, and teal have a more subtle energy so those interior uses feel more calm and subtle, and are often used in bathrooms or meditation areas.
Gray greens like seafoam and sage are wintery and more somber than their yellow- and blue-green relations. A cozy library can benefit from the tone. Brown-greens like dark olive have a formal and dignified air, which explains why they are often selected for dining rooms and more elegant spaces.
Start With Your Style.
The cool emerald swaths of this Maestro Quartzite bring glamour and luxury to any setting.
Let’s say you fell in love with a particular shade of green that first saw on a restaurant placemat. You can’t stop thinking about the shade, but will it work on your shower wall or your kitchen counter?
The good news is that green is a very versatile color. It can be cool or warm, energetic, or soothing, subtle or strong. So, the place to begin your decision making is to consider not just the room but the design style where you want your green to go.
Nature Inspired
A nature-inspired theme gives off a more earthy and muted vibe. To achieve this look, focus on natural textures and shades that you would find outdoors, such as beiges, browns, and greens. You could consider a hardwood brown floor with a jade green sofa and tan cushions, or think about emerald green natural stone walls with beige sofas, brown woven baskets and plenty of plants.
The calming deep greens of Aquabella Quartzite are calming and blend well with earthy whites, creams and browns.
Modern Industrial
Imagine a dark gray credenza, metal tables and lusciously veined jade green marble walls. Green can bring a sense of peace and neutrality to an industrial-style space. Just remember to balance the hard surfaces with a soft textured sofa or textiles in contrasting colors.
Mid Century Modern
Here’s where chartreuse is reborn. This mischievous color harkens back to a carefree era. Use it on attention-grabbing kitchen cabinets paired with white engineered stone countertops and red dinettes with graphic patterned seats. Or for those less adventurous, think yellow-green tea kettles and towels!
Sodalite Fantasy Quartzite highlights greens, blues, browns and absolutely stuns when bookmatched as a wall accent.
Tropical
Jade green is often said to be the same color as deep tropical bodies of water, and as such, it is a color that appears throughout tropical-themed interior design. This is a unusual look that works especially well in dining spaces and living rooms. The tropical decor style is about making bold statements, so don’t be afraid to combine several shades of green over several surfaces, textures, and furniture pieces.
Botanic Wave Quartzite is a stunning natural stone surface that creates a statement in any room it graces.
Botanical Bohemian
Botanical style interior decor themes center around flowers and foliage, which of course, have green features. Botanical Bohemian is a timeless design style that has gained a new popularity in the past decade.
If you want to create a quirkier bohemian style, try fuchsia next to green. Use this pinkish red color in small splashes against a strong green background, such as a green tile wall juxtaposed against small floral details or a leaf print wallpaper set behind a rose-colored chaise. Think roses and camellias against white marble for a feminine feel or wildflowers against ceramic tile to evoke a more free-spirited emotion.
Fresh Farmhouse
Green can have a very fresh, new-country appeal when paired with the right colors. This type of style works well in a kitchen, a casual dining room, or anywhere where you want the space to feel clean and crisp. Green/white/navy is a more sophisticated combination—achieving a refreshing and invigorating atmosphere while also lending an air of relaxation and comfort.
Color Suggestions to Use with Green
This slab of Emerald Green Quartzite is perfectly accented with salmon bolsters and turquoise upholstery, giving a calm, welcoming appeal to the environment.
Salmon – goes swimmingly with green because the contrast makes both colors appear more vivid.
Millennial Pink – this dusky pink shade has become hugely popular because of its soft, subtle tone. In a bathroom, choose green subway tiles set against dusky pink walls and add in hanging chandelier. In a bedroom, achieve a more formal look by opting for green semi-precious stone fireplace surrounds and gold metal-framed chairs upholstered in velvet.
Navy — In a predominantly green room, choose navy accents to help ground the space and add a dark contrast, such as a navy rug or a navy sofa.
Brown — works well with green because these are two colors that are often seen side by side in nature. This is a relatively “safe” choice to pair with green. Brown sofas will always be in style, as will brown upholstered bed frames, and brown ottomans.
Biscuit Beige — Biscuit is a dark shade of beige that is a warm neutral. Like brown, it works particularly well with green because it is a naturally occurring color. Biscuit Beige can represent sandy beaches, mountains, or desert landscapes, which are popular themes in today’s design world.
Fuchsia – Fuchsia adds fun! Use it to add small colorful details to the weight and depth of a green background starting point. Warning: overdoing it with fuchsia and green can make for an over-stimulating and slightly dated room.
We’re Seeing Green at IRG.
IRG’s in-stock selection of natural and engineered surfacing materials offers you the perfect opportunity to see all the green choices you have (granites, marbles, onyx, quartzites and tiles) all in one place! Choose the location nearest you and let the IRG stone experts guide you through your decision-making process to find the perfect green shade for your life and your lifestyle. Call or come in today.
As the name implies, Maestro Quartzite is a leader in beauty and glamour. Its unusual and mystical strong blue-green toned veining makes this mesmerizing natural stone a gorgeous choice for walls and countertops. You won’t be able to resist the strong wavelike pattern that draws you in to a dreamy dramatic state.
2. Where can Maestro Quartzite be used?
IRG’s Maestro Quartzite is as practical as it is aesthetically pleasing, so let your imagination flow and use it in a variety of ways in any room. For a truly spectacular statement, book match slabs to make a dominate – and dramatic – focal point.
3. How do I care for Maestro Quartzite?
Quartzite is heat- and stain-resistant, making it both durable and practical for kitchen and bath counters. If choosing Maestro for your kitchen counter, think about adding more drama by incorporating it on a spectacular waterfall. Or, when less is more, draw attention to its beauty with a minimalist installation. Remember, for all applications, proper sealing will help keep out the moisture and bacteria while retaining its magnificent appearance.
4. Where can I find Maestro Quartzite?
No one has a better selection of in-stock Quartzite slabs that IRG. Visit an IRG showroom near you—conveniently located in Brisbane, Dublin, and Sacramento—and let IRG’s staff of surface experts help guide you through your selection process. Schedule an appointment today.
1. Calacatta Vagli Marble is a standout among marbles.
Many Italian marbles have white-toned backgrounds, and most are very valuable and easily recognizable. But it’s the coloration of IRG’s luxurious Calacatta Vagli Marble that sets it apart from others in its class. Rich veins of taupe and grey-blue weave across a creamy white backdrop, then splashes of gold are shot throughout making it a truly glamorous choice for your home.
2. Calacatta Vagli Marble is timeless and elegant.
Ornate and not ordinary, IRG’s Calacatta Vagli is a perfect choice for use in sophisticated kitchen design or for an impressive primary bathroom. Just remember that any marble will show the signs of use and wear over time. Patina is inevitable but many homeowners consider it a plus and enjoy the additional beauty of a natural stone surface as it changes through generations (read more about patina on stone here).
3. Marble is more porous than other stone choices.
If you love strong veining and classic upscale looks, go ahead, and go for marble. Be aware that acidic ingredients can leave etch marks; so, wipe any spills away quickly. Be sure to properly seal your surfaces at installation and regularly reseal as part of your maintenance upkeep.
Interior Design: Innen Studio & Gallois Interiors | Photography: Gallois Photo
4. Calacatta Vagli Marble is in stock now at IRG.
No one has a better selection of in-stock Calacatta marble slabs that IRG. To find out more about one home renovator’s experience with choosing marble slabs, click here. Visit an IRG showroom near you—conveniently located in Brisbane, Dublin, and Sacramento—and IRG’s staff of marble experts can guide you through your selection.
Interior Design: Innen Studio & Gallois Interiors | Photography: Gallois Photo
The Medici Family hailed from Florence, Italy in the first half of the 15th century. Their sponsorships in art and architecture during the Renaissance helped to create many of the world’s finest paintings, sculpture, and architecture. IRG’s Calacatta Medici Marble derives its name from the Medici family. As the name implies, it is an Italian beauty embodying the look and feel of traditional luxury. Even today, the classic Italian white marble enjoys vast popularity for its elegant, understated design in all forms.
2. Where can Calacatta Medici marble be used?
Desire for white marble bathrooms and kitchen countertops made of Calacatta has endured for centuries, yet Calacatta Medici is by no means an ordinary choice. Its crisp, elegant look complements a variety of interior styles and applications. More contemporary kitchen designs, for example, might pair this Calacatta with complimentary elements like black or brass fixtures.
Marble slabs require sealing. And because marble is sensitive to acids, you’ll need to use a cutting board religiously and wipe away tomato sauce and lemon juice quickly. But over the years, marble develops a patina—which is part of its charm and beauty. Despite requiring some attention, maintaining and sealing your marble is a DIY project that doesn’t take much time.
No one has a better selection of in-stock marble slabs that IRG. Visit an IRG showroom near you (in Brisbane, Dublin, and Sacramento) to see this spectacular stone in person. Then let the IRG staff help you create your own Italian masterpiece as you set the stage for the personal masterpiece you call home.
Patina is a natural aging that adds beauty and character. Patina on wood can appear as wear marks—think of stair treads that have indentations from where family members have gone up and down. Each mark is nostalgic and can tell the story of Christmas mornings sneaking down the stairs and running back up with joyous treasures. The same is true for handrails, banisters, door handles, flooring, tabletops, and countertops. Many religions believe in “touching icons” made of bronze or metal. These items are touched and rubbed so much that the finish is noticeably worn, indicating its truly cherished status. In China, the appearance of “oldness” can contribute to the concept that stone can be elegant. In Japan, patina is viewed as an impression of antiquity and is highly valued.
All materials show signs of use and change that alter their appearance over time. These significant indicators are treasured reminders of the passage of time and that nothing is truly constant. Natural stone is no exception.
some things get better with age.
Western cultures may not be as forgiving but patina can be viewed as part of the beauty of time, which is why many manmade surfacing materials today actually mimic the aging process in their finishes using photographic techniques. Marble’s popularity began in ancient Rome and Greece, where white and off-white marble was used in art and architecture by the world’s greatest designers. From Michelangelo’s David to the Taj Mahal to courtyards and cathedrals, marble has been the stone of choice for centuries. Marble’s elegant movement and distinctive veins are prized to this day, when its patina only adds to its appreciated beauty.
Patina versus Perfect: choosing a stone surface for you home
Patina is inevitable on all natural stone surfaces. Setting your expectations for future visual effects at the onset of your natural stone surface selection process is just as important as the regular maintenance involved to keep the patina at the state you enjoy.
For example, if you want your countertops to look like they were installed yesterday, polished white marble might not be your best decision. But if you love strong veining, classic upscale looks, andyou’re aware that lemon and other acidic ingredients can leave etch marks, go ahead and take the plunge with a marble countertop.
Patina on stone—see if you can learn to love it.
Patina on your countertop surface, not your thing?
Let’s say you love the look of stone but equate a scratch or stain with neglect or mistreatment. There’s a countertop surface for you, thanks to today’s technology. Many engineered surfaces are impervious to stains, scratch-resistant, and super durable, but maybe, most importantly, they’re beautiful and can look stunning as your kitchen or bathroom countertop. Porcelain slabs are a perfect example of beauty and functionality. These slabs are made of clay that’s been fired at high temperatures, and imprinted with a hyper-realistic photo of actual stone (using an ultra-high-definition inkjet printer).
Care and maintenance of your investments.
Stone care: Holding back the signs of age.Yes. Natural stone slabs require sealing. And because marble is sensitive to acids, you’ll need to use a cutting board religiously and wipe away tomato sauce and lemon juice pronto. But over the years, marble develops a patina—which is part of its charm and the beauty of it. And sealing your marble is a DIY project that doesn’t take much time.
Natural stone care tips (marble, granite, quartzite).
Use a neutral cleaner or mild soap with warm water and a non-abrasive cloth for daily cleaning.
Avoid using vinegar, lemon, or other acid-based cleaners such as bathroom cleaners and tub and tile cleaners.
Use coasters, trivets and mats under hot items or items that can scratch the stone.
Minimize soap scum near sinks or on shower walls by regularly using a squeegee.
Re-seal granite and quartzite surfaces yearly and more porous stones every 8 months. (Noticeable water spots at the sink faucet on kitchen and bathroom countertops is a sign your surface is ready for re-sealing.)
Engineered stone care tips.
Pental Quartz® is scratch resistant, stain-resistant, and heat-resistant up to 250° F. Honed surfaces may show fingerprints and other signs of daily living more easily than polished surfaces, so more frequent maintenance according to the below techniques may be required.
Use a cloth or sponge with mild soap and warm water for daily cleaning. Rinse soap thoroughly to remove soap residue which can affect the appearance of the surface.
Clean spills immediately and rinse surface thoroughly with water.
Remove stubborn spots using a soft, non-abrasive cloth or sponge with a mild and neutral cleaner along with plenty of water.
Avoid using harsh chemicals such as bleach cleaners on the surface.
Never cut or chop directly on quartz. Pental Quartz® is scratch resistant but not scratch proof.
Use a hot pad or trivet between hot pans or plates and the surface. Direct contact with extremely high heat can cause damage (such as with crock pots, electric skillets, etc.).
Porcelain care tips:
Porcelain touts resistance to scratches, acid, impacts and fire. It is also waterproof. Regardless of these properties, like all other surfaces, it is recommended that highly staining products like coffee and red wine are cleaned immediately.
Use a damp microfiber cloth or soft sponge and neutral liquid detergent for daily cleaning.
Stubborn stains may be removed using a low-abrasion sponge and neutral cleaner.
Do not use steel scouring pads for stains or cleaning.
Substances such as oven cleaners, acids or dyes must be removed immediately by washing the surface with water.
It is recommended to use hot mats and trivets under hot pans though the product offers great resistance to heat.
Use chopping boards when cutting, as ceramic knives can scratch the surface.
Appreciating stone’s beautiful compositions: Viewing stone choices at IRG.
IRG’s immense in-stock selection of natural and engineered stone slabs offers you the perfect opportunity to compare and contrast full slab options for your home. Keep your mind open to all surfaces, but be educated, not afraid. The IRG stone experts can guide you through your decision-making process to find the perfect solution for your life, your lifestyle, and your budget.
If you need a natural stone surfacing material whose beauty will lift your spirits, color it with IRG’s Ijen Blue Quartzite. This stunning and unique surface is mysterious, and magical.
1. Why is Ijen Blue Quartzite so unique?
The gossamer, thread-like veining in Ijen Blue weaves dark blue, gold, and white strands into a mesmerizing pattern. Add its gorgeous blue background and this quartzite will quickly draw you into its depths, adding a hypnotic calm to your day.
2. Where can Ijen Blue Quartzite be used?
Ijen Blue comes from the quarries of Brazil and makes a showstopping wall, fireplace, kitchen island or counter and backsplash combination. Best used where it can star as a dominant feature in the room, this quartzite is a good choice for modern, minimalist designs — but book-matching slabs for waterfall islands or shower walls is a powerful way to add drama.
3. How do I care for this Quartzite?
Quartzite is heat- and stain-resistant, making it a very durable and practical material. It can be used on a spectacular waterfall kitchen counter or a minimalist installation in a modern home design. Proper sealing will keep out moisture and bacteria while retaining its magnificent appearance.
4. Where can I find Ijen Blue Quartzite?
No one has a better selection of in-stock Quartzite slabs than IRG. Visit an IRG showroom near you (conveniently located in Brisbane, Dublin, and Sacramento) and IRG’s staff of surface experts can guide you through your selection. Schedule an appointment today.
The IRG Blog is your resource for stone product information, ideas and inspiration. Use our informational articles, project features, and product spotlights to help create your vision, then come into one of our showrooms to bring your ideas to life!
