Surface specialist Caesarstone has been on our radar for a while now - its engineered stone products being a go-to resource for budding and established designers alike. For its latest collaborative endeavour, the brand has teamed up with London-based design studio Raw-Edges - helmed by Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay - to create a collection of seven living islands that offer both a new take on the materials and an innovative interpretation of the domestic space.
The new Islands collection, first previewed at the stone company’s Toronto outpost in January, will be unveiled next month at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, offering a modern counterpoint to the city’s storied 18th century Palazzo Clerici.
Islands marks a playful shift in Caesarstone’s focus, as it looks to re-imagine its surfaces for more unconventional uses. Here, materials take centre stage in the collection with a simple and intuitive design; a sheet of stone arranged into table-like structures serve as a base for each of Raw-Edges’ explorations. Further elements are inserted through slots cut into the stone to become an integral part of the islands.
Raw-Edges' seven islands include functional home environments such as a kitchen, a bathtub and a vanity top, with more whimsical pieces such as a fish tank, a wooden blocks counter and a ping-pong table. ‘We looked at different functions in our everyday common interiors,’ explain the designers. ‘We see the whole experience, and we wanted to create balance between the islands that have clearer functions and others islands that are maybe more poetic.’
Mer and Alkalay's main focus is on the kitchen, the pivotal point of the collection and the most ingenious in terms of the use of space. The cooking island challenges a traditional household layout with a combination of appliances and modular storage units cleverly combined into the space, imagined as a stage for entertaining.
The collection employs seven different colours from Caesarstone ‘Classico’ series, with natural finishes in different shades ranging from pearlescent greys to darker browns and charcoal. The quartz surface is combined with reclaimed wood, ceramics, terracotta, glass and brightly coloured additions, which bring the stone to life and enhance its striking grains and veined details
Raw-Edges’ seemingly simple concept, yet clever compositions, are illustrated with a video, which humorously shows the thinking process behind the collection and brings the designs to life.
Some of the islands have a playful scope, such as this one with construction blocks made from reclaimed wood
A sheet of stone arranged into a table-like structure serves as a base for each of Raw-Edges’ explorations
Further elements are inserted through slots cut into the stone to become an integral part of the islands
Watch Raw-Edges and Caesarstone's collaboration come to life
The collection employs seven different colours from Caesarstone's ‘Classico’ series, natural finishes in different shades ranging from pearlescent greys to darker browns and charcoal. The designers chose Mink stone for the planting table, giving the ensemble a very organic look
Raw-Edges' main focus is on the kitchen, the pivotal point of the collection and the most ingenious in terms of the use of space
The cooking island challenges a traditional household layout with combination of appliances and modular storage units cleverly combined into the countertop, imagined as a stage for entertaining
The ping-pong table is a simple design rendered in 'Frosty Carrina' marble
The designers’ exploration of the domestic space includes a bathtub and shower made of 'Piatra Gray' stone combined with different woods
One of the more offbeat 'Islands' is the fish tank made from dark 'Raven' stone. 'We wanted to create balance between the Islands that have more clearer functions and others Islands that maybe more poetic,' explain the designers
The vanity island is executed in the 'Shitake' stone, with clever design details such as a towel slot
ADDRESS
Palazzo Clerici
Via Clerici, 5
20121 Milan
Italy
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