An eye for style in stone

Joseph Sarcona envisioned a European interior when he designed his home in Staten Island, NY. Decorated with a medallion in the center, he created the foyer specifically to emanate historic places in Italy.

"The design of the foyer and the first floor was to look like the Tuscany portion of Italy," said Dennis Dell'Angelo, the architect for the project. "Mr. Sarcona wanted the appearance of an Italian villa."

To accomplish this effect, Sarcona chose polished Kashmir White granite tiles from India. He selected the granite based on its light color and versatility.

"We have mahogany moldings already, so I wanted to brighten up the house," Sarcona said. "At the same time, the granite has different color specks in it, such as brown and green, that matches everything, so it really tied it all together."

To give a sense of flow and continuity, the tile is not only featured in the foyer, but also the kitchen. "The biggest challenge was trying to find a pattern and stone that was compatible throughout the building," said Dell'Angelo. "It was used for different spaces so it had to be compatible for all the uses, but it also had to be carried through the seams as far as coloration and blending. The Kashmir White tile gave us the ability to go from a formal presentation in the foyer to family areas that are less formal."

Because the granite is located in both the foyer and the kitchen, the rooms were then distinguished by accents of other colors. To make the foyer more sophisticated, a marble and onyx medallion was added. Pocono Green granite diamonds, from India, accent the kitchen.

Ankur International of Monmouth Junction, NJ supplied the 900 square-feet of Kashmir White granite in 18-x 18 -inch tiles for the 5,000-square-foot residence. They also supplied the 18-x-18-inch Pocono Green granite tiles for the diamonds. "None of the tiles were specially fabricated because the installer [field] cut them," said Anita Toshniwal of Ankur International.

Frank Sarcona & Sons installed the tile in about three months. Most of the tile was installed using a thin-set application, according to installer

Frank Sarcona. "We worked through experience and everything turned out nicely," he said. With three workers, they began the project in January 1999 and were finished in August 2001.

"Everybody who walks into the foyer is floored," said Dell'Angelo. "It is as impressive a design as it was meant to be. It was really a fantastic project."