Deb Foglia discusses her progress with her home renovations at the Mountain Chateau. We seem to be checking off projects per room, but no room has quite been completely finished yet. One of the more exciting projects that was completed is the kitchen niche. If you remember our “new” kitchen was previously the dining room. We are still awaiting cabinets and the rest of the kitchen, but our niche is complete. We have quite a few questions on the tile and details on Instagram and I wanted to share all of that with you today.

We partnered with Short Hills Marble and Tile for our tile projects and each room truly has been touched with beauty from their products and help. 

For this project we started with Italian Hand-Made Ceramic – 4”x4” Cotto Biscuit Gloss. The color was the perfect off white, we were very torn with doing a 6×6 which I loved too, but I ended up with the 4×4 instead. When I say it was a last second decision…it was a last second decision. I truly believe either would look great. 

Some of my inspiration came from English Victorian style kitchens here are a few below, including the Downtown Abbey Kitchen.

Inspiration: 

So we looked at these photos of inspiration and thought well what in the world are those black things? lol Are they tile…they kind of look like metal….

We finally figured out that they were nail heads! 

We decided that they were the perfect addition to add between each white ceramic tile to give that classic but interesting detail. We just loved it! So we ordered black furniture nail heads for this and our contractor installed these one by one (we had over 500) between each tile.

His method was to drill into the grout and add glue to the nail heads and place them inside the drilled hole. It worked like a charm! Tedious but oh so cool!

Our grout lines are a little larger than the ones from inspiration and of course not every wall is perfectly straight in an old home but with leveling and a very meticulous contractor we achieved our classic Victorian style niche. 

To achieve this look and inquire about products click here: https://shorthillstile.com/get-in-touch/

Next up is painting the cabinets and wall…and of course wait for our kitchen cabinets to arrive!

Source: Seeking Lavender lane

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Let’s take you all back to how this bathroom looked before! Our 3rd floor bathroom was in the worst shape space in the house. We believe the bathroom has not been used in 40 years because of the condition of the plumbing and condition of the space. 2 weeks after we closed on the house in April, we were welcomed with a leak that burst from the toilet in this room. The plumbers believe it had been building up over time and possibly having a few contractors come in and give us quotes on the space it must of triggered the plumbing and created the leak. We were not living in the house yet at the time, so we were grateful to have the flooring lady here getting us a quote to refinish the floor when she caught the leak. We immediately had servpro here to take care of drying it out, pulling out the ceiling, cabinetry, and flooring on the floor below. We were certainly thankful to have insurance to fix all of this, and we knew this would be the first space to get a makeover. BEFORE, during demo ( I never got photos only video of the Before-Before)

Our initial goal when buying the house was to have most of the major work done by the time we moved in come July. As we all know how renovations work…they never quite look like the HGTV shows no matter how much you want them to. So our July date was not possible and even as we head into our second week of August we are still no where near the end of the major stuff yet…well, maybe the beginning of the end minus the kitchen. We had a date of July 10th to be out of our house so once we started getting closer the goal was to get the 3rd floor done so we could move in up there and have a space to sleep and a bathroom to use. This bathroom became a priority and we had our contractor and plumbers get to work. We were excited to partner with Short Hills Tile and select finishes for the space that would give this a vintage vibe still but with some updated modern touches that would work as our sons main bath. We didn’t want anything too babyish as my son is now a teenager (I can’t believe I’m saying that) and so we chose sophisticated but masculine finishes like the 3”x8” zellige ceramic in Botanical Green and Wheat Gloss elongated tiles for stripes in the tub, and a simple white Adex Penny Rounds in Matte White with Matte Black detail for the floor with a black border for that vintage edge. 

We got our hands on this project in early may getting the demo work done ourselves, but we quickly realized they built this home to last and them tiles were not going anywhere. We chose to just cover them instead of wrapping them  and our contractor added the headboard over top of the tiles instead. Beadboard has such a vintage feel so I knew the look would tie into those vintage vibes but also conveniently help us cover the tiles on the wall quickly. 

Our bathroom fixtures we stuck with timeless and since there was already a black toilet seat toilet in here I wanted to find one similar to replace it. Unfortunately, the original toilet was not salvageable. A few more details to add like towel hooks we are going to customize from vintage shoe molds and I would love to add a curtain to the base of the sink. This has been our main bath this past month as we live here, but we are excited to reveal soon our primary bath and renovate the powder room before fall. 

Source: Seeking Lavender lane

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Featured here in our Calacatta Gold

More colors at www.shorthillstile.com

When Short Hills Marble & Tile is ready to launch a new stone color or design, owner Robert Israeli offers up his home to become the playground for installation projects. (perks of owning a stone business!) Over the past year Short Hills Marble & Tile has been in design and creation mode for 2 new IN STOCK waterjets showcasing our popular core line stone colors. 

Robert’s bathroom is a definite show piece of many sizes, shapes & innovative design that captures Allstone’s unique stone products we carry. We sat down with Robert after it was finally completed and asked him all about the design process and what he loves most about his luxurious bathroom escape featuring our Calacatta Gold color. 

Allstone: Describe the installation process & other material used to bring your bathroom vision to life.

Robert: First install of The Wave & Cleopatra was a success with my installer Alex, from Alux Construction . The Wave was installed on the floor and was an easy install with no complications. We weren’t sure about the Cleopatra with its sharp corners and cuts but it was not difficult. 

To save money, I used our 6×12 base around the shower opening instead of slabs. Inside the shower walls we used bars so we have a nice opening, penny rounds on the shower pan and ceiling and ogee molding in the shower. For the makeup area I used our Adelaine Hexagon and 3×12. We used almost all of our Calacatta Gold sizes that we carry. The grout color used was Silverado Wall Unsanded by Tec. 

Allstone: What was your vision when designing the bathroom? 

Robert: Wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do but the house can take a classic serious color like Calacatta Gold (Robert lives in a Tudor Style home). The non-traditional shapes of The Wave & Cleopatra made it tricky to design at first. But I am more than happy with the outcome. My bathroom makes me feel exactly where I need to be. Highly recommend this color and these shapes together. 

Allstone: What unique pieces were used that could inspire others? 

Robert: I used our 6”x12” base all the way around the bottom of the bathroom walls & shower opening as it just looked nicer. Also used bar molding around the arch of the shower opening so we didn’t have to deal with mitering or bullnosing the marble. This allowed me to mix classic and new shapes together that I love. 

Allstone: You used Dolomya for the vanity and shower seat – what is Dolomya and why did you decide to use it in this space? 

Robert: Dolomya is a unique product from Italy. It has an undulated surface (wave-like look). The wax and sealer are applied by hand and then baked into the stone. It is truly a unique process done by the Italians. We have slabs of Dolomya in our warehouse for sale so I used the color Oyster as it has great interactions with the gold. I used it for the vanity, shower seat, counter top and radiator frame – which I think is genius as it hides the metal looking frame. 

Allstone: How does the bathroom make you feel when walking into it everyday?

Robert: Every morning I walk in and I can’t believe it’s my bathroom! Overall it looks bigger as we removed the tub and added in 2 sinks. The luxury touches include heated floors, heated towel rack & wall mounted TV. It’s like walking into a 5 star hotel bathroom. 

To view our full line of Calacatta Gold along with our Wave & Cleopatra be sure to check out our website at www.shorthillstile.com

Shop the look:

When you drive past the iconic green awning and sprawling ivy at 658 Morris Turnpike, your first glance is maybe it’s a house? And you wouldn’t be wrong! At one point it was a home. When current owner Robert Israeli took it over back in 1998 he then converted it to a marble & tile showroom, one of the first in the area. His vision was to always go beyond the ‘boutique’ showroom and expand its possibilities with importing.

Allstone, the wholesale division was born a few years later with a warehouse located just 2 miles down the road from the showroom. This allowed SHMT to have their own warehouse with stocked material for easy access for their customers. Allstone now caters to over 200 design showrooms across the United States. The vision didn’t stop there…

Venture Stone & Tile came along in 2004 rounding out with a commercial division. With projects from Dolphin Stadium, W Hotels, Hilton’s, and Dillard’s Department Stores. No project is too big for us to handle with the resources and expertise that we have.

Needless to say, SHMT has access to all of these divisions. From helping homeowners with single room projects, full builds, renovations, high rise apartments and so much more. We are not your average boutique showroom. Our services extend beyond NJ too!

Our personal relationships with our factories play an integral part in our unique stones that we offer. Quality is our number #1 priority and we couldn’t provide that without these factory relationships.

Short Hills Marble & Tile has a team of experienced interior designers ready to help you with your next project, no matter the size.

Additional services also include

• Professional Design Consultations
• CAD Layouts/Drawings
• Onsite & Job Site Meetings
• Restoration
• Fabrications
• Installations
• 3D Renderings

Reach out today to book your design consultation or stop by & tour our 2 story showroom & team of experienced designers. 

We are always so honored when a design professional chooses our stone for their own personal projects. After all, there’s no end to the resources at their fingertips and creative ideas bubbling up in their minds. So, we were naturally thrilled to learn that Birmingham, Alabama-based interior designer Mary Lauren McBride, owner and lead designer of Mary McBride Interiors, not only chose our Dynasty White marble for her personal bathroom remodel and extension, but that her bathroom was just the first of many projects where she has featured the marble. 

“I do a lot in my own house first,” said McBride. “A lot of designers do—it’s like a test kitchen. And once I have a component in my own house, I feel very confident selling it to a client.”

In 2016, with architect (and neighbor) Anna Evans, McBride renovated her family home. Together they completely re-concepted the home McBride shares with her husband and three daughters. The full-scale renovation kept the original structure’s footprint—other than in one important spot.

“This bathroom was the one area where we ended up picking up the square footage,” said McBride. “I love a big bathroom and now our bathroom is probably the same size as our bedroom.”

The expanded space was designed not only to incorporate extra space—for important additions like a soaker tub—but to maximize the view of the McBrides beloved yard.

“It’s on the back of the house and we love our backyard,” said McBride. “With the vaulted ceiling and everything, Anna really captured that view.”

With the view outside as the focal point of the expanded bathroom, the choice of materials for the space was complex. McBride wanted something that would feel light and airy, but still luxurious. Something that would capture McBride’s signature style, the happy spot where effortless meets inviting. She knew early on that she wanted tried, true, and trusted white marble.

“I feel like everyone says, ‘I want a white marble bathroom,’” said McBride with a laugh. “But I really wanted a beautiful, pure white marble in my bathroom, and when I saw the Dynasty White marble, I knew it was the one. It’s so pretty, it’s got beautiful veins, and it’s got that soft whiteness that everybody loves.”

“It is so subtle and beautiful. All the layers of different textures combine to make it visually very interesting, but not overwhelming.”

Dynasty White is a pure white marble, extremely strong and resilient, and is a trade secret alternative to expensive white Italian marbles like Carrara. Allstone’s selection is premium because the team handpicks only slabs that meet our signature high-quality standards. While marble captures a moment of time in the earth’s history—and no two slabs, even from the same quarry, are identical—what McBride values most about Dynasty White is the stone’s consistency.

“It’s very consistent,” said McBride. “And you know, there are other marbles out there where you never know what you’re going to get. It may be super gray or pure white. And I’m a big believer that whatever you need to do to get that consistency, it’s worth it. And Dynasty White makes it easy. All the times we have installed it, it looks pretty darn similar to what’s in my bathroom—which is awesome.”

The marble was originally suggested by a rep at Fixtures & Finishes, a Birmingham-based plumbing, tile and stone, and lighting boutique showroom that McBride utilized for all the bathroom fixtures. The inherent versatility of Dynasty White, available as mosaics and field tile, meant McBride had many options for using it in her bathroom.

She ended up installing it throughout the space, as 12×24 floor tile, 2” hexagon tile on the shower floor, and 3x12s for the shower walls. The result: a luxurious but calm retreat.

“It is its own little mini spa, a really nice oasis,” said McBride. “I think that’s why I, and so many others, love a white marble bathroom: it is so classic and elegant and relaxing. I think that’s important.”

2” Dynasty White Hexagons create dimension in the tone-on-tone shower.

Photography by Jean Allsopp.

Trends come and go, white marble bathrooms have stood the test of time. And while it works perfectly in McBride’s traditional and elevated bathroom, she says the marble is equally at home in modern and sleek spas, rustic farmhouse retreats, and zen havens.

“We definitely strive to give all of our clients a unique design, but it’s also really nice when we find a product or material that we love that works,” said McBride. “We know we can always rely on the Dynasty White as a material and change the way we lay it out, or border it, or maybe we do 6×12 tiles. Then we can still give each client a special design while getting the consistency of that material.”

And McBride discovered yet another way that Dynasty White is versatile when the marble she originally had installed as countertops needed to be replaced.

Mixing mosaics in a small space like a shower can feel busy – keeping the color consistent, like these Dynasty White subway tiles and hexagons, softens the design. Photography by Jean Allsopp.  

“The countertops that were originally installed looked super gray,” said McBride. “And I was like ‘I’d rather have nothing than this.’ I went back to the showroom and found a different countertop, and it was just a perfect match with the floor tile sample I had brought with me.”

The new countertop pieces have more movement in them, but thanks to Dynasty White’s clean background and thick veins, the two stones perfectly complement each other. (And those original “too gray” countertops found a happy home in McBride’s renovated laundry room.)

“When I tell clients that I have not only used Dynasty White before but that I have used it in my personal home, I think they instantly feel comforted,” said McBride. “Like, ‘Okay, if it’s good enough for my designer, and it’s good enough for me.’”

“Now that I think about it, we’re actually about to install it in another house,” she added.

You can find Mary’s latest project featuring Dynasty White on her Instagram or see more of her design work on her website. 

Be sure to follow Allstone for more project features and design ideas on Instagram, Website & YouTube

Traditionally spec homes are blank canvases for a new homeowner to put their touch on, but for Etai, Adrienne, and the team, Hartshorn Drive was sold move-in ready. The team’s styles encompass the best of every design aesthetic, creating a particular market for city dwellers looking to move to the suburbs. “Etai’s style is timeless with a modern flair,” said Adrienne. With an interior design degree and over 16 years in the tile industry, the last 10 of which she’s been with Allstone, Adrienne is a veteran who knows her way through a project. Together, the trio embarked on what would become Hartshorn Drive from one of Etai’s concept sketches. 

Allstone’s stock perfectly fit Etai’s vision for the concept home. Etai and Adrienne hand-selected the perfect stone and tile linking together traditional and modern for an extraordinary outcome, adding a diverse mix of homes to suburban areas like Short Hills. For the home’s Principal bath, Adrienne turned to Allstone’s in-stock Glass Thassos for the main floor, shower floor, shower wall, and vanity backsplash. Glass Thassos has the look of classic white Thassos marble but is a cross between marble and glass. This allows it to still coordinate with many designs while being more durable and less maintenance than classic marble– perfect for a bathroom.

“For the main bath, I wanted to keep it a very clean, white palette and add warmth through the other finishes in the space. Our Glass Thassos is super modern and clean, and maintenance-free which is amazing because that space is large!” – Adrienne Gallmann, SHMT Showroom Manager/Designer

While many designers and architects stick to the status quo, Etai’s team is eager to try new interiors and finishes and put a fresh spin on contemporary homes. “It’s just a matter of finding the right people to work with,” Etai said. “Adrienne always pushes the envelope a little – she’s always forward-thinking, but with the market in mind. It’s a great process to collaborate on. It makes my job a lot of fun”. The design of the home brought in timeless marble colors laid out in modern patterns for an edge that won’t feel outdated, such as in the open concept kitchen with all-around views of a 3” x 12” Calacatta Gold subway tile backsplash.

“The Calacatta had a nice balance for the space with enough movement to contrast and emphasize the white cabinets, but also tie in and add warmth from the white oak accents on the range hood and island,” said Adrienne. Allstone’s Calacatta Gold is imported from the Borghini quarry, one of the oldest operating quarries in the Carrara region of Italy. Accessing high-quality luxury stone luckily wasn’t one of 2020s many challenges.

With seven bathrooms, it can be tough to keep their designs distinct from one another, while still incorporating the home’s overall aesthetic. “I love patterns – I see them everywhere, I dream of them – which makes it easy to come up with unique solutions and designs for our in-stock field tile,” said Adrienne. Sticking to a white and grey palette, Adrienne got busy creating seven concepts, playing around with sizes, layouts, and finishes to create an airy, contemporary vibe.

A first-floor guest bath received similar marble treatment in the form of 3”x12” Ice White and 3”x12” Capri Blue to create a checkerboard pattern floor with Capri Blue Penny Rounds in the shower, all imported from Italy to Allstone.

In one of the bathrooms, Adrienne chose to combine two stocked marble series – 3”x6” Dynasty White and 3”x6” Bianco Carrara from Allstone’s product offering – arranged in an offset stripe pattern. “Etai had a concept photo from Pinterest for this space that had a striped tile pattern and I was so excited to run with it. I love stripes; you look in my closet and you’ll understand.”

The majority of the marble stone and tile that now adorns the interior of this luxury residence is from Allstone’s in-stock catalog, which can be found on the Allstone website.

Hartshorn Drive has proved that spec homes can be luxurious when paired with posh construction, architecture, and design selections. This concept home aims to alter the cold reputation of spec homes and provide it with a fresh, sophisticated view. Allstone is excited to continue providing architects and designers with high-quality, exclusive lines of stone and tile.

Check out our full line of marble & stone at shorthillstile.com.