You would be hard pressed to find anyone who knows stone quite the same way as Robert Israeli, owner of Short Hills Marble & Tile and its parent corporation Allstone. Robert started working in the industry decades ago, touching every piece of the process from quarrying to installation to design and innovation. His first-hand experience and understanding of the process from start to finish has helped grow his companies into undisputed leaders in the world of stone and tile.
“I understand literally everything about stone, the geology, where it came from, the mountains,” said Robert. “When I talk to people about a piece of stone, a little piece of marble that is leaning on the wall, it's about how it grows, what the mountain it came from looks like, how difficult it is to get, how many pieces it took to get a good one.”
This passion—and uniquely deep knowledge—is one of the many reasons Short Hills Marble & Tile is at the forefront of the stone and tile industry. Winner of the Best of Houzz Service since 2014, Short Hills Marble & Tile is the flagship showroom for AllStone, an importer and distributor of stone and tile from around the world. With this luxury stone and tile readily available at the nearby Allstone warehouse, the Short Hills Marble & Tile team can easily give their clients access to the most beautiful hand-crafted materials in the world.
Dante is a simplified intertwining lattice of Capri Blue Polished marble
and London Grey Polished marble winding across a field of Dynasty White Honed marble.
“The breadth of our assortment means you can go so many different directions with the natural stone collections that we stock and give each space a totally different look,” said Adrienne Gallman, designer and showroom manager at Short Hills Marble & Tile.
That aesthetic adaptability is more clear than ever in the two newest designs added to their Waterjet Collection. First there is Apollo, a playful and chic design by Robert, made of Thassos Polished, Dynasty White Honed, Capri Blue Polished and London Gray Sandblasted marbles. And there is also Dante, an elegant pattern, designed by Adrienne and comprised of Dynasty White Honed, Capri Blue Polished and London Gray Polished marbles.
“I like blue, it’s my favorite color, so it was a very easy decision for me to choose these colors,” said Robert. “But stone is more than just color, it's much more than that. Stone is just like us. It has feeling and emotion, it has that in its own way. I understand where it came from, I’ve been to the mountain, and it’s very easy for me to talk about.”
Where Robert approaches stone and tile informed by the earth and history of stone, Adrienne comes to it from an artist’s perspective.
“I see patterns in everything,” she said. “There's a lot out there if you look at the right angle. Nature, architectural details, old ironwork, I can just look at something and see a pattern that no one else sees. I try to always take a picture, so I have a whole inspirational library, which makes it easy to come up with unique designs and solutions.”
Both the Apollo and Dante designs are available in Field, Border and Corner pieces. These patterns are designed to make people stop, stare and feel lured in, with textures and details that call out for touch. While the final designs look effortless, the process to get there wasn’t quite exactly simple.
Neutral colorways allow Dante and Apollo to stand alone or play together.
Available field, border, and corner pieces in Apollo and Dante.
“We started with more than fifty different patterns and concepts,” said Adrienne. “And narrowed it down from there to these two designs based on a couple of factors.
We picked the colorations that coordinate with our stock program, so they're very versatile—we can use them with different series.
“They also price out well as a stock item for our waterjet range. But ultimately we each chose the design we personally liked best.”
Puppy and designer approved, Dante is sure to delight.
For the stone selections, they did five to 10 different mock-ups, creating AutoCAD files as a design template for use in the waterjet machine. This high-tech tool can cut with such precision that it is often used for aerospace and automotive manufacturing. That same precision also makes it ideal for creating intricate cuts and curves in stone, which is nearly impossible with other types of tile-cutting tools.
“You can thank the Italians for this awesome machine,” said Robert.
Waterjet cutting is celebrated for creating some of the most detailed and exquisite tile in the world. Once a design is loaded onto the computer, the waterjet machine creates delicate details in pieces with identical, elaborate patterns that fit together seamlessly. The different stones are assembled to create a unique mosaic that once installed, you can’t tell where the pieces begin and end. Since Apollo and Dante are designed in-house, these in-stock tiles are custom tailored to work with Short Hills Marble & Tile stone collections to easily offer a complete look.
“These mosaics can go so many different design directions with the natural stone collections that we stock,” said Adrienne. “It’s easy to give your space a totally different look, from traditional to contemporary, depending on what other materials you use. They’re so versatile, no pun intended.”
Playful yet deceptively intricate, Apollo highlights the beauty of four different marbles
and the mastery of waterjet technology.
Short Hills Marble & Tile carries a comprehensive collection of natural stone tiles, slabs, and mosaics in stock, as well as many fine lines of ceramic, porcelain, glass, and other specialty materials curated by their team. Their carefully chosen selection features exclusive designs alongside tile from premier manufacturers from around the world. They also have a network of factory partners around the world able to fabricate any material for any size project and create one-of-a-kind custom interior designs.
“Since we have the ability to work directly with these partners, as a company and a retail tile showroom, we can really do anything,” said Adrienne. “We’re not your everyday tile store."
