Yorkshire stone specialists Lapicida are bringing 2,000 years of Italian craftsmanship into British homes with its stunning new Marble Mosaics collection, as Graham Walker has been finding out.
Rich colours, intricate patterns and the timeless beauty of marble have made mosaics a design statement for more than 2,000 years.
The Romans turned it into an art form, using thousands of individual pieces of stone – known as tesserae – to create everything from striking geometric floors to elaborate pictures, depicting gods, animals, hunting and everyday life.
Now Lapicida has reimagined that heritage with a range primarily about colour, texture, pattern and versatility.Its new Roman Marble Mosaics are handcrafted in Italy using skills passed down through generations.
Every individual marble tessera is gently tumbled, creating softly aged edges and an authentic, characterful finish that cannot be replicated by mass-produced, machine-made alternatives.
They are then backed onto 30x30cm mesh sheets, which can be easily cut and laid to create an infinite amount of patternsThe result is natural stone with a distinctly human touch.
In Roman times, mosaics decorated villas, public baths, civic buildings and religious spaces across the Roman Empire – and their extraordinary durability means examples can still be seen today.
While the inspiration may be ancient, the design possibilities are anything but.
Lapicida's mosaics can transform any space into a stunning showpiece, from statement floors and bathroom walls to kitchens, hallways, borders and bespoke decorative details.
It describes the marble mosaics as a form of “architectural jewellery” – capable of framing, defining and elevating interiors in much the same way as a rug, artwork or beautiful piece of hardware.
Its three-acre North Yorkshire headquarters at St James Park, Knaresborough, is a destination for luxury stone and surfaces, encompassing everything from Italian porcelain and reclaimed English sandstone to marble mosaics and spectacular bespoke stone fabrication.
Combining advanced cutting technology with traditional stonemasonry skills, Lapicida can produce everything from precision architectural pieces to an ornate bath carved from a single block of stone.
Its recently opened Slab Gallery has further expanded that offer, allowing customers to experience dramatic marble, limestone and porcelain slabs at full scale.
Now its Roman Marble Mosaics prove that luxury does not always have to come in monumental proportions.
Rather than the uninterrupted expanse of a large slab, small tesserae allow subtle colour variations and a myriad of laying possibilities to work together, producing texture, movement and depth.
The new collection features carefully curated marbles spanning soft whites and neutrals to dramatic greens, reds and blacks.Lapicida's range includes elegant Bianco Carrara and Calacatta Gold, deep Verde Guatemala, warm Botticino and Rosa Perlino, richly coloured Rosso Verona and atmospheric Bardiglio Nuvolato.
For darker interiors there is Bronze Fantasy, while Sahara Noir delivers maximum drama with its near-black surface and contrasting natural veining.
Coordinating 10cm x 10cm marble squares open up even more possibilities, allowing colours, sizes and patterns to be combined to create a genuinely bespoke look.It means a centuries-old craft can work just as effectively in a minimalist contemporary bathroom as a period hallway or statement kitchen.
Sometimes the smallest pieces can make the biggest impression.
Handcrafted, tactile and naturally individual, this is a collection rooted in more than 2,000 years of design history – but made to create interiors for today.
The Roman Marble Mosaics are available to view at Lapicida’s North Yorkshire headquarters and London showroom.
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CONTACT:
Lapicida, St James Park, Knaresborough, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG5 8PJ
Tel Showroom: 01423 400 100
Tel Aftersales: 01423 400 200
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