Stone Forest began with the simple idea of bringing the unsurpassed beauty of natural materials into people’s homes and gardens. Twenty-five years later, we haven’t strayed from this original concept.
This photo album takes a look back at our innovative “firsts” in the Kitchen & Bath industry as our 25th anniversary comes to a close and we aspire to continue as the creative pioneers you’ve come to know and love.
This photo album takes a look back at our innovative “firsts” in the Kitchen & Bath industry as our 25th anniversary comes to a close and we aspire to continue as the creative pioneers you’ve come to know and love.
Paired with a couple of bird-adorned hose bibbs as faucetry, this rustic vessel sink was introduced to the Decorative Plumbing Market as the first of its kind, sculpted from a single block of stone. At this time, Stone Forest was one of only a handful of companies offering above-counter vessel sink designs, most of which were made from cast materials (unlike the selected blocks of solid granite or marble we were using). We began the design process by extrapolating from our Garden Collection work, creating vessels with dimension by pairing rough-chiseled exteriors with polished rims and interiors for contrast. It’s also our first professional photo investment taken for the Kitchen & Bath archive of images, which is now an extensive collection of designs!
The Beveled Round Vessel was another design based around the rough chisel/polish contrast.
Around the same time, we introduced the first double-walled copper vessel sink and farmhouse sink. These are created from heavy 16 gauge copper sheeting and are virtually indestructible. The double wall construction also allows us to foam-fill the sink, which reduces reverberation (other copper sinks sound “tinny”) and gives the sink a pleasing, substantial feel. Unlike other brands (which are typically single walled with the exception of the front apron), our Copper Farm is double walled on all sides, which enables a number of mounting options including under-mount, flush mount, partially elevated and above counter. One side of the sink is hammered and the other has a smooth front apron so that you can choose which surface to display.
The rectangular Zen and Verona vessel sinks moved us into more contemporary territory, but prove to be timeless designs.
We then took a round granite boulder, cleaved it in half, and carved out the center for the bowl: the Natural Vessel Sink was born. We have continued to carve sinks in this same vein in different sizes and materials (like our #C27 Wabi Vesselor #C28 brown Pebble Vessel). This really articulates our mantra, as explained by owner Michael Zimber: “Keep things simple and let the material speak louder than the design.”
Around the same time, our Zen Vessel Sink design was thinned down and re-introduced in sand-cast bronze.
We then decided to venture out and explore new material possibilities, finding exotic stones like honey and multi-colored onyx (shown above) and carving completely high-polished versions of our existing vessel sink designs. The natural veining in onyx proved to be an exciting, jazzy spin on the subtle sink shapes, and soon bathrooms were being designed around the dramatic color schemes of the material itself.
Adding to our growing repertoire of unique pedestal designs in stone and iron (to hold all those lovely vessel sinks, of course!), the hand-crafted L-slab pedestal in wood provided a rich base for one of our stone or metal vessel sinks. This sparked an entire collection of “natural edge” hardwood furniture made from thick slabs of sustainable hardwood (including wall-mounted countertops and consoles). Handcrafted using mortise and tenon joinery, our designs emphasize the natural or outer edge of the tree as well as other unique characteristics including burls, knotholes and naturally occurring checks/ cracks. In order to create a sustainable product, we mill small growth trees and laminate the planks together in order to create an old growth, large slab look. The slabs contain a mix of heartwood and sapwood, with resulting variations in light and dark grain. Butterfly joints are used both to control cracks and for purely decorative reasons. All of our natural edge hardwood products reflect the individual characteristics of the tree from which it was made and each piece is one-of-a-kind.
Around the same time, our curvaceous Papillon Bathtub won Interior Design Magazine’s Best-of-Year Award and is still one of our best-selling designs to date, chosen for projects around the globe.
The industry’s first solid bamboo sink is born with our “Moso” design, and was recognized as Interior Design Magazine‘sBest of Year Award winner in 2007, and as a GOOD DESIGN™ Award winner in 2008.
Around the same time, we reintroduced our beveled round metal vessel sink in all stainless steel or combined copper/stainless materials, seamlessly combining the turned exteriors and foam-filling them for an elegant, substantial end product.
And then, another star was born. Our SYNC System is a unique modular concept offering multiple combinations of sinks, countertops, and shelving made of stone and stainless steel. You can create your own custom layout for any space, and each component is joined by sleek wall brackets, which double as towel bars on each end. SYNC was recognized with the Decorative Plumbing and Hardware Association’s Innovative Product of the Year Award for 2008.
Around the same time, we introduced the Bordeaux and Vintage Vanities, making an old-school design new again: but from one solid piece of stone. Traditionally fabricated with a joined porcelain basin and stone countertop, these classic vanity sinks are carved from a single block of Carrara marble. Combine the subtle detailing of the washbasin with traditional console legs in metal, and voila!
This throwback broke out on the scene this spring and has received one of the strongest responses for a new product to date. Paying homage to a memorable era, the Industrial Pedestal in cast iron draws on the utilitarian forms of the factory floor. It pairs nicely with one of our very own vessel sinks in stone or metal (yep! that beige vessel you see on top takes us back to 1993 with the beginning of our album. what goes around comes around.)
