British Marble Collection, Made By Simpson Studio

Reviving British Marble

Date
October 31, 2021
What they do:
Product Design
What we do for client:
Public Relations

Although British marble was hugely popular in Victorian times, the 20th century saw it gradually upstaged by Italian varieties which are still favoured for smart domestic interiors, five-star hotel bathrooms and corporate HQs.

Made by Simpson Studio, the workshop arm of the eponymous architectural practice in Parsons Green, London, rediscovered this beautiful and versatile local material in the portfolio of Britannicus Stone in Fulham, and has revived its fortunes with a limited-edition collection of tables and accessories. The British Marble Collection champions two types of stone that have been largely consigned to a lowly, purely functional status in the construction industry.

Ashburton marble from Devon displays luxurious grey swirls of rich coral fossil and white or pink calcite veining. Once used to clad the bathrooms of the London Hilton and the foyer of the Post Office Tower in London, and the President Roosevelt Memorial in Washington D.C., it’s now been relegated for use as a humble aggregate.
Similarly, Ledmore marble from Scotland is ground down and used as gravel these days despite its striking lime green copper compound veining and spectacular banding.
Ashburton Marble mine in Devon

An Ashburton marble quarry in Devon

 

The British Marble Side Table slides effortlessly across the arm of a sofa or armchair and features a discreet rack down one side to store a single book or magazine.

1700 British Marble Side Table by Simpson Studio in Ashburton marble from Devon

The British Marble Side Table in Ashburton marble with a hand-blackened steel frame by Swarf.

The British Marble Butler’s Tray has a detachable marble top with solid brass handles perfect for serving wines and cocktails. British hardware manufacturers Swarf have designed simple frames for both tables crafted in local timber or hand-blackened steel.

Simpson Studio 2030 British Marble Butler's Tray in Ledmore marble from Scotland

The British Marble Butler’s Tray with a detachable Ledmore marble top.

The British Marble Tray Collection includes square, rectangular and oval trays with carved raised edges which are ideal for use as serving boards or storing keys or trinkets.

Ledmore marble tray, Made by Simpson Studio, London

The British Marble Side Table crafted from Ledmore marble from Scotland.

A range of Candle Holders cast in hand-finished corten steel are filled with fig-scented, blended wax that burns for up to 80 hours. Ledmore and Ashburton marble bases continue the aesthetic of the collection which aims to reintroduce these beautiful but long-neglected British materials back into the smartest living and dining rooms across the land.

British Marble Collection candles by Simpson Studio

Corten steel candle holders filled with slow-burning, fig-scented, blended wax

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