The Livia

About the stone: Quarried in the Apuan Alps of northern Italy, Arabescato takes its name from the Italian arabesco — a reference to the bold, flowing veining that sweeps across its white field. Cooler and more dramatic than Calacatta, with charcoal and grey veins traced through a clean white ground. Classical, expressive, and architectural.

Design Heritage The Livia is a faithful continuation of the Georgian column surround — one of the most enduring forms in English fireplace design. Born of the eighteenth-century neoclassical revival and informed by the architectural principles of Robert Adam and his contemporaries, the column surround was designed to bring the order and symmetry of classical antiquity into the domestic interior.

The Details Full fluted columns flank the fire opening, capped with simple block capitals that meet a continuously reeded frieze. Above, a moulded mantelshelf projects with classical authority. The design is a study in restraint — no carved figures, no ornament beyond the fluting and the reeding — letting the natural drama of the Arabescato veining be the room's focal point.

Proportions & Presence Tall, formal, and dignified, The Livia is designed for rooms with proper ceilings and proper proportions. The full columns give the surround real architectural weight, while the cool grey and charcoal veining of the marble keeps the piece from feeling overly traditional.

Styling Suggestions The Livia is at its best in period properties and formal reception rooms — pale walls, panelling, and Georgian or Regency furniture make it sing. Style the mantel with a single classical bust or a pair of brass candlesticks; the design's symmetry rewards restrained, considered styling rather than visual clutter.