Photo courtesy of Marmiro Stones
How can something as solid as stone create flow, a dynamic we usually associate with water?
Marvelously, in the hands of a designer with an abundance of vision and resources, as Heidi Arpacilar has demonstrated for clients from Franklin Lakes to the Hamptons, from Edgewater to Miami, and from Wayne to Dubai.
“Stone traditionally has been viewed as the premier material to use in a home’s exterior settings, for creating memorable walkways, surrounding inviting pools, and bringing elegance to outdoor cooking and gathering spaces,” said Arpacilar, who with her husband, Moe, operates Carlstadt-based Marmiro Stones. “While stone is an excellent choice for those purposes, one of the keys to great design is to find a way to honor tradition without being bound by it, to take the best of what has proven itself over time and adapt it to our times. That philosophy is what drives a lot of my recent work with using stone as an element that unifies the exterior and interior of our clients’ homes.”
Arpacilar said that one of the overarching themes in residential architecture for the last decade or more has been a shift away from rigidly defined, clearly separated rooms to contiguous, continuous spaces, so that people can move from kitchen to great room or family room in a way that facilitates easy gathering and conversation. “This is a wonderful development, but too often the flow is limited to the confines of the house itself, which, of course, is paradoxical, and not a reflection of how we live today,” said Arpacilar, executive vice president of Marmiro Stones.
Photo courtesy of Marmiro Stones
Her solution? Bring the outside in through strategic use of stone. “The idea is to have continuity without monotony, promoting flow while preserving form,” the designer said. To realize this goal, Arpacilar draws on her company’s extensive line of natural stone products to unify interiors and exteriors.
“We often advise our clients to select their stone from the inside out. For example, if we’re using stone to create a focal wall in a great room that faces a pool area, the stone we install to define the walkway to the pool or the pool’s perimeter will complement the color and texture of that focal wall,” Arpacilar said.
Other interior installations that are readily coordinated with outdoor stone include fireplace mantles, kitchen counters and backsplashes, and stone “rugs” positioned as one enters the home.
“Our lives today are about movement and easy, frequent transition from one setting or mode to another. Our homes should reflect and accommodate that reality,” said Arpacilar, noting that innovative use of design elements such as stone can create continuity and connectedness in an elegant, enduring fashion.
Continuity and connectedness do more than inform the design ethos of Marmiro Stones; they also are the foundations of the company’s business philosophy and culture. The products that Marmiro Stones selects for and installs in customers’ homes come from the company’s own quarries and manufacturing plants in Turkey.
Photo courtesy of Marmiro Stones
“We operate with the view that we are one family — a ‘chosen family,’ as we think of everyone who works with us in our company — serving other families, and that we provide something from our home that will enrich your home and your life,” said Moe Arpacilar, president and CEO of Marmiro Stones.
“Our offices, showroom, customized fabrication shop, and warehouse are all under one inclusive roof, allowing us to effectively control every aspect of our business,” he said of the company’s location at 790 Washington Ave. in Carlstadt. Additionally, Marmiro Stones’ portfolio of products can be viewed — by appointment only — at the Water Mill Design Studio, 910 Montauk Highway in Water Mill, N.Y.
The company provides services up and down the East Coast and recently opened two distribution centers, one in Durham, N.C., and a second in Edgemere, Md.
“One of the most distinctive qualities about stone is its enduring nature, and we work to distinguish ourselves by bringing that same quality to the way we interact with designers and homeowners. Our goal isn’t to ‘make the sale’ in a one-and-done, see-you-later fashion. We build enduring relationships with the people who honor us by choosing our ‘chosen family’ to serve their family, and by making our stone their ‘chosen stone,’ ” said the Marmiro Stones president.
That commitment to creating lasting ties is reflected in everything from free design consultations — a rarity today — to prompt attention to any maintenance or service needs that may arise years after an installation has been completed.
It is a commitment recognized and very much appreciated by the design community. “We have a long-standing relationship with Marmiro Stones,” said Brian Koribanick of Landscape Techniques in Nutley. “What sets them apart is their level of service. They don’t hesitate to come to job sites, and their office support makes our job a lot easier. We also love to impress clients by bringing them to Marmiro’s amazing showroom.”
One of the strengths of Marmiro Stones, added Joe Spero, owner of Pool Docs Inc. in Lakewood, is that this old-school dedication to service is matched by a cutting-edge design sense. “Marmiro Stones is a company very in tune with what is trending in terms of materials and aesthetics,” Spero said. “This really makes the process easier when putting together a project. They have also put together a dedicated team that is passionate about what they do, and it really shows.”
To learn more about Marmiro Stones and the design innovations, products, installation services and ongoing commitment it offers, call (201) 933-6461 or visit marmiro.com.
