Agates and Geodes
2. Fireplace SurroundNext is the fireplace surround, of course. You’ll see fireplaces clad in everything from onyx slabs to marble tiles, even cement mixed with crystals in a recent Houzz Tour of Hector Romero’s full-scale remodel. This fireplace was clearly inspired by the deep blue of the Pacific. Houzzers recommend Italian suppliers Antolini and Caesarstone as resources, but the material is also quarried in Brazil, China, India, and Madagascar. Metaphysics prize blue agate for promoting clear thinking and introspection, much like the ocean waters it resembles.
4. Full Wall BacksplashLess common, perhaps, but no less striking is a wall-length backsplash done up in bookended panels of agate to match the countertop. Bookending slabs involves facing mirror images toward each other to give the effect of an intact cross-section of the complete sediment pattern.
6. Single ArtworkFortunately, if you love the look of agates and geodes, there are plenty of ways to sneak them into your decor on any budget. Geode Pool, the artwork shown in the photo, is an installation by Marmont Hill, an artist collective whose members’ work leverages the uniqueness and character of their materials and subject matter. Properly mounted, a cut-to-size slab or off-cut from another project could become bold artistic statement on a wall.
7. Gallery WallSo far, we’ve seen agates used in fairly monochromatic schemes, but these coveted minerals actually come in a plethora of colors. By matting and framing six different hues individually, Kim Armstrong ensures that the whole sextet will reference the colors of both of the room’s textile patterns, but with plenty of white space to hold their own.
8. Fire ScreenCan’t afford a truckload of slabs to cover your fireplace surround? Think beyond the outside of the firebox and discover the design opportunity within. This fire screen was created by ironworker Philip Nimmo using nine small agate slices, the kind that keep popping up in boutiques and home decor showrooms as coasters…
9. ChandelierSimilar to the fire gate example is this six-light spiked agate chandelier. While no mention of the manufacturer was made in the photo’s description, thanks to Houzz’ “Visual Match” tool, fans of the fixture’s edgy glam can hover over the image and find what may well be that exact chandelier.
10. SinkA true geode in the raw, this sink basin wouldn’t be the most comfortable to splash your hands into, but that isn’t the point, after all. The point is the wow-factor of drenching a geode in water, the same substance that sparked its crystallization in the first place. Apparently, it’s quite easy to clean with jewelry cleaner, says the home’s designer.
11. Table LampAs geodes and agates are having a moment in interior design, it won’t take much digging to find lamps like these. They work especially well in a sophisticated and glamorous space, like this soothing lilac and neutral bedroom, but they’re equally at home in a quirky bohemian bungalow paired with ethnic textiles and oodles of plants and natural curiosities.
1. CountertopsWe’ll begin with a round-up of all the places in the home that are already accustomed to hosting natural stone. Countertops spring to mind first. We often refer to small powder rooms metaphorically as jewel boxes, but this one literally IS: Awash in luxury with quartz-laden wallpaper and a slab of semiprecious crystal agate, this pampered powder room in Boca is the real deal.
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