A Natural in Stone
by August 23, 1999 12:00 am 65 views
This past January, Maryanne Van Dyke opened Natural Stone Accents in Rogers’ Van Dyke Center.
She imports slate, quartzite, travertine, marble and granite from Italy, Brazil, Turkey, Greece and Mexico.
“There’s a reason natural stone was popular with the wealthy years ago,” Van Dyke says. “It lasts forever, and it doesn’t require any maintenance.”
Van Dyke says natural stone is dent-resistant, abrasive-proof and low-maintenance. Slate is naturally slip-resistant, she adds.
And, best of all perhaps, the price of natural stone has been coming down. Architects are using it more often in businesses and homes. Natural stone is used for cabinet tops, floor covering and for clodding on non-weight-bearing walls.
Van Dyke works through Llave International of Phoenix, Ariz., to import the natural stone she sells.
Natural Stone Accents has 300 samples in stock. Large quantities of stone can be ordered through the showroom and usually shipped to Northwest Arkansas in a short period of time. The business sells natural stone in blocks from 4 square inches to 2 square feet in size. Van Dyke also stocks sealants and other products used to treat and maintain natural stone.
In October, Natural Stone Accents will move to another location at the Van Dyke Center where the business will have a 2,000-SF warehouse.
“Natural stone is affordable, so why would you copy the original thing?” Van Dyke says.