Neolith Rediscovers Design Classics for 2018 Introductions
CASTELLÒN, SPAIN --TheSize, manufacturer of sintered stone brand Neolith, expands its range of premium surfaces with four new color introductions for its 2018 catalogue: Retrostone, Mirage, Krater and Calatorao. Following rigorous market research and a customer survey of prototypes, the new décors are a direct response to today’s trends for high-end commercial and residential architectural surfacing design. Inspired by past and present, these four color additions are complemented by an expanded range of Neolith products, including two new colors in the NanoTech polished finish – pale-gray Luna and light-brown Bombón and 13 new 20mm thick slabs, bringing the full range to 18.
Neolith Retrostone: The Return of a Classic
Neolith Retrostone is an elegant surface with a striking, big-grain effect based on Terrazzo, a traditional manufacturing solution to help use up scraps of marble and granite by setting it in concrete. It’s a stone with a long history, extensively utilized by Venetian stonemasons in the 16th century, to produce a mesmerizing, kaleidoscopic effect; a true design classic.
Throughout 2017, Neolith noticed an increase in demand from both architects and specifiers for Terrazzo, alongside other vintage stone designs. This playful and colorful stone once so popular, from bank floors to DIY applications, is finding a new lease on life as a stylish surface in the home and beyond. Characterized by bold patterning and cosmopolitan sophistication, Terrazzo has resurged in popularity largely thanks to its eco-friendly and low-maintenance qualities.
Neolith Retrostone evokes the mosaic-like aesthetic which made Terrazzo such a popular choice for interior designers in the 1950s and 1960s, bringing the design to a contemporary audience.
Part of the Neolith Fusion collection, Retrostone is offered in silk finish in 6mm and 12mm thicknesses and available in 3,200mm x 1,600mm and 3,200 x 1,500mm formats. It is ideal for worktop (12mm), flooring and wall cladding applications (6mm).
Neolith Mirage: More than Meets the Eye
Neolith Mirage captures the understated grandeur of Europe’s medieval churches and public buildings, constructed from richly textured sandstone. This new stone turns up the contrast on Neolith’s similarly sand-inspired Arena, to offer a richer and more pronounced texturing.
Hyper-realism is a feature that more and more designers are looking for, especially with its ability to capture the authenticity of natural stone. Answering this demand, Neolith recreated the complex spontaneity of the graining within natural sandstone, to develop Mirage, which as the name suggests, is so realistic, it quite literally tricks the eye.
A recognized weakness of natural sandstone in many applications is its lack of water resistance which makes it, unless treated, unsuitable for bathroom and kitchen surfacing and modern cladding applications. However, the development of Mirage means that designers can now capture the organic beauty of the natural stone without the porosity.
Part of the Neolith Fusion collection, Mirage is offered in silk finish in 6mm and 12mm thicknesses and available in 3,200mm x 1,600mm and 3,200 x 1,500mm formats. It is ideal for worktop (12mm), flooring and wall cladding applications (6mm).
Neolith Krater: There’s a New Shade in Town
Following the success of Neolith’s Nero Marquina surface color, the company has developed Krater, a vividly detailed stone that increases design options for naturally darker shades and tones within their commercial and residential surfacing projects.
A homage to natural soapstone, the inspiration for Krater ties back to the inky stone’s heritage as a material used to construct some of the world’s most enduring monuments, including Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer, Neolith has developed a unique surface with universal appeal.
The depth and contrast offered by darker stones, especially igneous rocks, has gradually increased in popularity amongst interior designers looking to add a bold and striking focal points within a room, whether for a commercial, retail or residential setting.
This dark brown, almost black, design of Krater is characterized by a beautifully swirling, deep gray grain, captured using the very latest technology to create an organic, continuous pattern, true to the look of the natural stone.
Part of the Neolith Fusion collection, Krater is offered in silk and riverwashed finishes in 6mm and 12mm thicknesses and available in 3,200mm x 1,600mm and 3,200 x 1,500mm formats. It is ideal for worktop (12mm), flooring and wall cladding applications (6mm).
Calatorao: Enduring Popularity
Neolith Calatorao is a distinctive, fine-grained limestone which has been hewn from the world-famous quarries of Zaragoza, Spain, for over 2000 years.
An ancient stone with a rich history of use across the Iberian Peninsula, from Baroque churches and town square cobbling to highly-polished flooring and interior walls, Neolith has faithfully captured Calatarao's lustrous golden veining and intensely dark gray color which characterizes the stone.
Calatorao has a timeless appeal, adding a touch of Aragonese finesse to any commercial or residential space. It was a favorite stone among the celebrated Spanish sculptor Juan de Ávalos, who used it extensively throughout his distinguished career.
Part of the Neolith Classtone collection, Calatorao is offered in silk finish in 6mm, 12mm and 20mm thicknesses and available in 3,200mm x 1,600mm and 3,200 x 1,500mm formats. It is ideal for worktops and table tops (12mm), flooring, wall and fireplace cladding applications (6mm).
NanoTech polished
Due to popular demand, Neolith has also increased its range of NanoTech polished finishes (launched in 2017). The exclusive polishing process, in which a slab is directly polished once it comes out of the kiln using special raw material, creates a perfectly flat reflection.
Highly desirable in both commercial and residential settings, the two new NanoTech polished finishes for 2018 are the pale-gray Luna and light-brown Bombón. They join Arctic White and Nero in the now four-strong range.