Author page: CaraGreen

With the emerging sintered stone trend in surfacing, Modern Surfaces is pleased to have industry leader, Lapitec, join their movement. Modern Surfaces is comprised of several materials companies determined to Create Better. Lapitec is the next generation of surfacing and was an ideal partner for Modern Surfaces, as they are a true innovator in this space. 

PaperStone has launched its latest venture, PaperStone Labs, to help designers, architects and innovators get a sneak peek into what really goes on behind the scenes at its Washington think tank. PaperStone Labs is a place to go if you have an idea that you would like to collaborate on and help bring to market. Want a new color? Ask PaperStone Labs. Is there a textured finish you would love to see? Ask PaperStone labs. Need a specific resin made for your application? Ask our scientists.

We love sintered stone.  Not just for its unmatched performance, but for all that has gone into its creation.  From its inception, Lapitec sintered stone was a purpose-driven product.  It was created to address the limitations of natural stone and quartz.

CaraGreen pounds the sustainability drum pretty hard, bestowing the virtues of recycled content, local manufacture, recyclability and human health on the architect and design community through lunch and learns and product education.  But what happens when a product's sustainability comes into question?

Wow. Nice Quartz. Is that Marble? I don’t know how to type a whistle sound, but man, if I could! Carrera, Calacatta? Is that a long sleek white counter with no words and a half naked lady? Hummina
hummina.

When we think about construction, we are often inspired by dramatic exteriors and modern awe-inspiring exterior building facades. What we need to realize, what happens inside is more important, as that is where we spend the bulk of our time. The health of the space, the mood it creates, its functionality and efficiency are all important factors.

I am good for a massive eyeroll or two every time I land on a stone fabricator’s website. Seriously: granite or quartz. That’s it? Oh, but there are 15 different kinds of each, with the most prominent one being oddly named: JoeBob’s Quartz by JoeBob’s Surface Solutions. Guess what JoeBob? That is not a solution. That is a rapid four foot dash in a crowd of lemmings off the cliff that is resistance to change.
 

Growing up in Vermont, there was an artisanal aspect to granite. Fine Italian craftsmen and sculptors created beautiful works from the black speckled gray granite that was a beautiful, vital part of the Vermont landscape. The headstones in the graveyards are beautiful to see, and walking through a graveyard is not an eerie experience, but rather like walking through a historical monument. But this is not the granite graveyard that is the blight on the stone fabrication industry today. 

Everytime an article comes out touting the “green” countertop options available on the market, it is woefully inaccurate.  Often listing the same material multiple times in different formats, or completely misunderstanding the green claims of others, the lists just don’t stand up to reality.

We went to KBIS this year to check out the current trends in kitchen and bath design! Read our thoughts here.