Stone Federation of Great Britain invited Squire & Partners to design the central feature of the Stone Gallery at Surface Design Show 2020, with the aim of creating an inspirational stand that would highlight innovative uses and applications of natural stone.

The bespoke installation, titled ‘Stone Tapestry’, showcased natural stone types finished in different ways to explore innovative textures, light, colour and pattern and create a tapestry of inspiring materials from around the world.

The curated selection ranged from marble, onyx and quartzite to slate and limestone to create a kaleidoscope of tones from off-whites, vibrant yellows and pastel pinks through to dramatic greens, reds, browns and blacks.

Each of the eighteen samples were finished in seven different ways – polished, honed, sand-blasted, leathered, corrugated, ribbed and pillowed – to demonstrate the beauty and versatility of natural stone.

A large world map above the installation displayed the provenance of the stones, which came from quarries in China, Brazil, Turkey, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Iran and India and the UK.

Sustainability within the industry was addressed with numerous samples created from off-cuts, and photographic postcards detailed information on each stone type - replacing bulky stone samples.

Following Surface Design Show 2020, Stone Tapestry was due to travel to Milane Salone 2020, before returning to Surface Design Show and the Natural Stone Show in 2021.