Houston’s Own Stone Palace Opens: You’ve Never Seen Rocks Like This

The Newly opened Aria Stone Gallery is just what its name implies: a stylish gallery-like space with monumental slabs of some of the most exotic and thrilling stones available in the world. “There’s a huge art community in Houston that can look at these stones and see their artistic value,” says April Renee Graves, Aria’s director of marketing and operations.

The 10,000-square-foot showroom showcases marble, natural quartzite and exotic granite slabs the way a museum might display canvases by modern masters. The vertical displays lend ideas beyond standard countertops, kitchen backsplashes and bathrooms — interior designers are already placing them as large-scale artwork on walls in living areas and bedrooms.

Blue and green marble is the hardest to keep in stock, Graves says, since they are prized for their intense colorations and rarity. They include marbles quarried from Brazil such as Lumen, a soft blue and canary yellow; green Verde Aurora with pockets of color; and emerald quartzite, which has a stippled quality. Textured stones with a brushed or honed finish are sought after, and Graves notes that “our granites don’t look like what most people know as granite. They’re gorgeous and look more like marble. And, we’ll always carry polished white Calacatta, because that’s a look that will never go away.”

Aria Stone is also pushing the envelope on technology, perfecting the exclusive production of thin, one-centimeter stone slabs for weight-sensitive projects such as private aircraft and floating countertops in minimalist kitchens and modern fireplace surrounds. Aria Stone Gallery, Decorative Center Houston, 5120 Woodway, Suite 1016, 713.614.3663