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FLOORS & MARBLE
French flooring & marble
French provincial homes place a special emphasis on natural materials such as timber and marble which provide a tactile yet elegant country quality.
- Oak parquet flooring
- French limewashed flooring
- Antique timber finishes
- Herringbone floors
- French travertine floors
- Cararra marble
- Marble benchtops
- Inlaid marble
- Classic marble mouldings
Flooring
The floors in a house are very much the canvas onto which the furniture and general décor rests. We specialize in a wide range of French stone and French oak flooring with parquetry, herringbone, Versailles pattern and more. These can be done in both traditional as well as painted finishes. We also import from Europe premium timber and oak flooring that can be fully customized in terms of surface, antique treatment, size, pattern design and custom painted finishes.
Timber floor finishes
The final finish on the floor is as important as the choice of timber. Part of creating that special soft elegance that is so typical of the French provincial style is with surfaces that have a certain lived-in patina.
This can be achieved even on new floors by the use of antique timber finishes; creating variety of tones with areas of highlights and darker areas. Another popular method is the limewash finish on timber, especially in off whites and soft greys. This can be done by skilfully rubbing layers and then sanding them through. These painted finishes can be done by covering the timber completely or allowing some of the grain to shine through.
Marble in the kitchen
The classic French provincial white painted kitchen is beautifully complemented by Carrara marble, a mainly white marble with smoky veins of light grey. This versatile marble also looks great on a colourfully painted Provençale kitchen.
For the finishing touch we specialise in hard-to-find French decorative mouldings for the edges of bench tops.
Marble in the bathroom
What creates the French style in the bathroom is the careful blend of clean lines and classical finishing touches. This is beautifully achieved by the use of marble for the base, which can then be adorned with decorative borders or inlayed stone elements. We also design stone and marble mouldings that truly enhance the overall effect. At Christophe Living we can combine special paint effects or decorative wallpapers with marble and stone, which work wonderfully in a French style powder room.
Marble inlays
Tiles with inlayed marble or with decorative marble borders are a specialty of the Italian marble masons and have been used in grand homes throughout Europe and in France. Whether they are used for borders for mirrors, in the bathroom or at the top of wall tiles, they can instantly add a touch of classical elegance.
