31. Marble is a stone, but not all stones are marble as explained in this podcast.

I'm Miriam Prada, an interior designer based in London, and I welcome you to my weekly podcast on the fascinating world of interior design. As I record this episode, it's the 11th of April 2024, and it's almost 11 o'clock in the evening. Since the 1st of September, I've been sharing with you, every Tuesday at 7 in the morning UK time, my experiences and knowledge about interiors. I acknowledge that the hours I have for recording and editing are limited, and this week I've surpassed my own record for procrastination! But here I am, once again fulfilling the commitment to publish the podcast and share with you the latest in interior design. In this episode, I want to talk especially about a topic that I'm passionate about: the stones used in interior design. Often, even I make mistakes when talking about them quickly, because it's common to think that all stones are marbles, but that's not correct. Marble is just one of the many stones we use. I've just returned from a trip to Valencia, Spain, where I visited some manufacturers and an impressive quarry. It was so inspiring that it motivated me to plug in the microphone as soon as I landed and start recording this episode for you. I'll explore the differences and similarities between marble, quartz, granite, travertine, and other materials, highlighting their properties and how they influence our design choices. For example, marble, known for its elegance and versatility, is quite delicate and sensitive to acid, while quartz is harder and resistant to stains and scratches, although it can be damaged by extreme heat. Additionally, I'll take you behind the scenes of how these stones are extracted and processed from the quarries, transforming them from raw blocks to the beautiful finishes we see in kitchens, bathrooms, and more. We'll talk about different finishes like polishing, brushing, and honing, and how these can radically alter the appearance of the stone. Each stone has its own story and peculiarities, and it's a pleasure for me to unveil these details that, I hope, will help you understand and appreciate the world of interior design more. Thank you so much for stopping by to listen.   Miriam Prada A bit about me... I am a Building Engineer and interior designer, specializing in high-end projects. With 15 years of experience in the design industry, I've had the privilege of collaborating with a wide range of clients, including developers, builders, real estate agents, entrepreneurs, and private clients. I've successfully completed over 25 projects in seven different countries (Spain, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, India, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and Switzerland) and have had the pleasure of working with clients from 11 nationalities. My most valuable project to date exceeds £50 million, and one of my notable achievements was designing a development of 16 apartments where the penthouse set a historic record as the highest-priced one-bedroom per square meter in the history of Westminster, London. Currently based in London, I continue working on multiple local and international projects. Leveraging the capabilities of the digital world, I've produced and launched this podcast, 'Atelier Prada,' where, in a relaxed and colloquial way, I address various topics in the world of interior design with the goal of sharing some of the knowledge acquired over these years. [https://miriamprada.com/podcasts/] For more interior design inspiration, visit: (https://miriamprada.com/) Follow me on Instagram for visual details: (https://www.instagram.com/atelier_prada/) Discover behind-the-scenes moments on TikTok: (https://www.tiktok.com/@atelier_prada/)