A New Meaning to Hand-Crafted Interiors
A developer’s journey to sourcing marble
By Brett Wolfe
Marble is a trend that will never go out of style. Whether it’s a subtle accent or wow-factor flooring, the presence of marble is timeless and elegant; it exudes a sense of luxury that few other materials can. What is often overlooked is the precision and level of detail it takes to source and integrate the marble stone authentically into a space.
For PMG’s latest luxury residential project in Manhattan’s West Village, 111 Leroy, we planned to integrate a type of marble that only exists in Carrara, Italy. A small team consisting of myself, our architect team at Workshop APD, and our supplier Eurasia Stone, planned two separate trips abroad with a different goal in mind for each, but ultimately to understand the quality and intricacies firsthand and rule out any uncertainty. In order to do this, we wanted to cut the stone from the quarry ourselves.
Carrara, Italy has been a source of raw marble material for centuries and has been used for some of the most iconic buildings and structures throughout history, including Michelangelo’s statue David and Rome’s Pantheon. From the ancient Roman times to modern day, the Carrara quarries have produced more marble than any other place on Earth.
Visible during our first trip to the site in Carrara, each mountain had various options of veining and color, giving us the opportunity to explore and understand the variety but essentially, pick out the stone we had always intended. We worked to match what Workshop APD wanted with what the quarry had available, and identified precisely the design that would mesh with the entire 111 Leroy product and aesthetic. For us, that meant choosing the stone with gray and white coloring in a Statuary marble.
“The trip to Carrera, Italy was critical to ensure that the kitchens and baths at 111 Leroy matched the level of design throughout the project. Having the ability to see the stone firsthand gave our team a greater understanding of this one-of-a-kind material and the unique veining that exists in some of the stone. This understanding gave us the ability to create truly bespoke kitchens that are rarely seen outside of our luxury single family residential work.” Andrew Kotchen, Founding Principal, Workshop/APD.
Our supplier, Eurasia Stone, was onsite with us to negotiate the price of the cut slabs and tiles with the owners of the mountain, who in most instances are deep-rooted Italian families. Once our desired stone was identified, we then reserved and signed the rock itself and deciphered how and where the rock would be cut in order to create the pieces needed to install.
On my second trip back to the quarries in Italy, I worked with the factory specialists to dry lay the marble we were sourcing so that each unique piece was perfectly arranged for installation inside 111 Leroy. To make the designs cohesive, Workshop APD requested larger slabs of stone which allowed them to waterfall the marble in the kitchens and ensure flawless bookmatching. As a developer, we understand our buyers’ sophisticated tastes, especially when shopping for grandeur in the West Village. And in luxury real estate, the bathrooms and kitchens are our selling points.
The commitment to quality is what sets PMG apart in the industry. There is no better accuracy and attention to detail than going straight to the natural material source, giving an all-new meaning to “hand-crafted.”
More on 111 Leroy:
Developed by PMG and designed by Workshop APD, 111 Leroy is located in the highly sought-after West Village neighborhood of Manhattan on the charming Leroy Street, encompassing nine condominiums and five adjacent single-family townhomes. The nine condominiums, known as the Residences, are comprised of full-floor residences and an exclusive duplex penthouse with two roof terraces. The five townhomes, known as the Houses, feature multiple private terraces, with fire pits, outdoor kitchens, hot tubs, and private elevators.
For more information, please visit 111leroy.com.
Brett Wolfe is the Managing Director for Property Markets Group. To learn more, please visit propertymg.com.