For the last couple of years, tile manufacturers have been striving to produce super-thin stone and ceramic that can be used to cover a substrate without major renovation or demolition, but it's a wallpaper company that seems to have pushed the process to its limit. This week, New York-based design studio Trove is debuting a collection of waterproof, rip-resistant wall"papers" made from stone... that's right, stone.
Called "StoneGround," the material is produced by grinding down marble and limestone into a fine powder. Non-toxic resin acts as the base to which the powder bonds, by way of a sprayer that can produce a variety of colors, patterns, and designs. The final product is about 80 percent calcium carbonate (mineral powder) and 20 percent resin.
There's no actual paper used to create StoneGround, and the production process requires 20 to 30% less ink than regular wallpaper. Trove co-founder Randall Buck calls it a "tree-free solution." All Trove's current designs will be available in StoneGround, and they'll be showcasing the technology in four new patterns to be launched at ICFF (May 14-17 at the Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center) this week.
We'll be interested to see how StoneGround holds up against applications traditionally reserved for tile, like bathroom walls and kitchen backsplashes.
SHOWN ABOVE
• Nix Pattern
• Fuoco Pattern
• Ciel Pattern
• Sargasso Pattern
• Ursa Pattern
• Auva Pattern
• Indi Pattern
• Io Pattern
• Syrma Pattern
• Navi Pattern
Images: Trove











Nomade Express Slee...
I love all of them but the best is first.
Those are beautiful!
I covet that coat rack in the first picture.
I love #6 and maybe #4 too.
Just a question: if they are sold "rolled up" like wallpaper they must have an higher proportion of resin than stone in the composition.
delicious. wow. fabulous. my new bathroom will have this. yum. wow. lovely. :)
yeah, it is a great idea, especially for damp rooms. seems like you would need a professional installer, no?
Love this. My question is how easy will be to remove? If they are smart they will figure this out. Like wallpaper someday someone will want to remove it. In fact, somebody tell the wallpaper industry that if they want to sway those of us who are skittish about wallpaper they need to come up with "I change my mind" wallpaper that is easy to remove.
The first one could be a piece by Gerard Richter.
I love some of Trove's wallpapers, and if it really is durable etc that's a good thing, but I feel kind of ... about the "tree-free" thing. I assume they mean to imply that it's eco-friendly, but trees are more renewable than stone, surely. o.o
The opera boxes (my favorite) has been featured here before, I think. It's one of my favorite wallpapers ever.
They're all astonishingly beautiful... so I'm assuming that they come at prices that make decent people blanche. That first one is hauntingly lovely.
Are they semi-rigid panels, or do they roll up like normal wallpaper? The website is all groovy designy stuff and no solid information.
First is just amazing! Not sure if it'd make me queazy staring at it.
I want that coat rack. Where is it from?