Choose the stone around the room

What the material changes

Two fireplaces can be the same shape and feel completely different because of the stone. A pale marble can keep a room soft. A darker quartz can make the opening feel sharper. A porcelain with stronger pattern can work well when the rest of the room is quiet. The right answer is not just the colour you like on a screen. It is the colour that sits with your floor, walls, furniture and the amount of light in the room.

Because Sontuoso Stone makes fireplaces to measure, the material choice is part of the design from the start. The surround, hearth, shelf and opening are planned together. If you are choosing a fire or stove as well, the stone needs to suit that too. A fire is warm, bright and central. The stone around it should hold the room without fighting it.

Fireplace marble and limestone colours

Our marble fireplaces are made in thirteen marble colours: Nacarado, Blanco Micro, Marfil, Polare, Rigel, Porcini, Andromeda, Mont Blanc, Arctic Ice, Ice Flow, Grey Shimmer, Giorgione and Oriental White. The limestone fireplaces come in three: Semi Rijo, Antalya and Bateig. Order a sample or visit the showroom to see how each one looks in daylight against your floor and walls before you choose.

Marble and micro marble

Marble is chosen for movement, veining and the way it catches light. It can be quiet and creamy, or stronger with more visible lines through the stone. Micro marble gives a more even look. It is often used indoors for fireplace surrounds and hearths where you want the feel of marble without a heavy pattern running through every piece.

Marble is a natural material, so it needs sensible care. Wipe marks promptly, avoid harsh cleaners and do not treat it like a kitchen chopping surface. Around a fireplace, that usually means simple care: soft cloth, mild cleaner and no abrasive pads.

Limestone, quartz and porcelain

Limestone has a softer, calmer look than many marbles. It suits rooms where you want the fireplace to feel settled rather than highly patterned. It can mark if treated roughly, so it is best chosen with its natural character in mind.

Quartz gives a more controlled indoor surface. It can be plain, dark, pale or strongly veined, depending on the colour. It suits fireplaces, hearths and indoor furniture where you want a clean finish and a more consistent pattern from piece to piece.

Porcelain is useful when the surface has to work harder. It can be made with a marble-like pattern, a concrete look, a dark finish or a cleaner plain face. It is used across indoor and outdoor products where the finish needs to handle daily use. For outdoor tables and fire pit tables, porcelain is often the practical route.

Terrazzo and outdoor materials

Terrazzo has visible chips and a more speckled character. It is used on selected furniture and outdoor pieces because it has the weight and surface needed for those jobs. It is not trying to look like marble. It has its own texture and looks good when the room or terrace can take a more granular surface.

Outdoor stone has a harder job than indoor stone. It has to deal with weather, changing light and regular cleaning. That is why outdoor tables and fire pit tables use materials chosen for that use, rather than simply copying an indoor fireplace finish outside. If you are choosing outdoor furniture, start with the product page, then use the material samples to narrow the colour.

How to choose without guessing

Start by shortlisting a few colours from this page. Then check them against the room. A stone can look warm in the showroom and cooler at home, or the other way round. Put the sample beside your flooring, paint, curtains and furniture. Look at it in daylight and again in the evening. If the fireplace will sit near a window, check the sample near that window.

If you are choosing for a fireplace, think about the whole wall. If you are choosing for furniture, think about the top surface you will see every day. If you are choosing for an outdoor table, think about the garden materials around it: paving, brick, planting and the frame colour. You can also bring samples or photos into the Solihull showroom and talk it through.

Useful next pages: request a sample, see marble fireplaces, or browse stone furniture.