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The joy of English stone
When the interior designer Isabella Worsley conceived Country Life's ‘outdoor drawing room’ at this week’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, she worked with English stone specialist Artorius Faber to lend the space a timeless feel
What key quality does English stone lend to a space?
It introduces a real sense of permanence. Too often, newly designed spaces can feel transitory, but when creating Country Life’s outdoor drawing room, the use of stone for floors, fireplaces, a water trough and architectural details such as the architraves of the window ensured that it had a timeless feel. Stone also plays a vital role in creating a seamless join between inside and out, and frames the space beautifully. It goes without saying that it’s also the most fantastic investment in the future.
Designer Isabella Worsley created Country Life's stand at the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show.
What, for you, is the appeal of bespoke projects such as this?
The possibilities of bespoke are transformative, as well as endless. Visiting Artorius Faber in Somerset and understanding those possibilities — both the nature of the stone and the craft skills on offer — did a huge amount to inform the design. It enabled us to achieve the classical proportion that was required.
We were also able to create a look that’s sufficiently pared back, so that it doesn’t overwhelm other elements and also to achieve a finish that feels appropriate and not too ‘crisp’. Together, the elements bring a rhythm to the space that elevates it far above the ordinary. It’s a quality that 18th and 19th-century architects really understood, and thankfully, many of the elements they designed, such as chimney pieces, survive to this day, even if the houses didn’t. In the 21st century it’s wonderful that this amazing amount of detail can be used to bring a space to life in both a considered and coherent way — and to ensure that it’s fit for purpose.
What are the benefits of stone quarried in England?
Apart from the obvious benefits of sourcing locally, English stone has a sense of appropriateness, thanks to its colour, texture and also the fact that it’s an integral part of our landscape and built environment. Because it responds in such a different way, compared with other stones such as marble, the look is also distinctively English, too.
For further information, telephone 01935 847333 or visit www.artoriusfaber.com
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