Located in a newly renovated building in downtown Texarkana, Stone Studio feels more like you're walking through an art gallery than shopping for granite or marble.
Driving through downtown several months ago, I began to notice some changes coming to a building on Broad Street. Contemporary Concepts – owned by Dustin Hughes – has expanded to now include the Stone Studio. The studio is a show room that feels more like an art gallery. Every detail is well thought out and nearly every feature you see is custom built by his team. Enormous glass and metal doors lead you into the expansive first showroom, where the slabs of natural stone are set up in such a way that you feel as though you are viewing fine art in a museum.
Every detail you see in the studio is custom: from the chandeliers to the enormous glass doors that welcome you to the space.
After a warm welcome, our homeschool group was led on a tour by Mary Adams (operations). Mary was so kind with all of the kids and answered every question thrown at her. Perhaps the most wonderful part of the tour was being told “Yes, you can touch!” So often we tell our children no to touching, it was a pleasant surprise to know that they could feel the stone for themselves. They felt the smooth sanded stone and the unfinished stone to note the differences. Next, Mary guided us through the different showrooms, sharing the process in great detail as we went. There are actually two main showrooms, both equally large and filled with unique natural stone from all over the world.
Learn more at www.ccimill.com/stonestudio
My favorite stone was this breathtaking slab with hints of blue and green. It reminded me of the ocean and was beautiful. Photos simply do not capture the intricacies of the stone.
The highlight of the day for our group was being able to see the massive cutting machine in progress. The stone slabs are moved by a suction cup system that is suspended from tracks on the ceiling, and placed onto a cutting table. Water splashed and the blades whirred loudly, a few children covered their ears, but most were as close as they could safely be as they watched the machine work it’s magic. Everyone was delighted to be able to touch the freshly cut stone, and Victor (the production manager) was kind enough to explain the blades and cutting process to a group of eager listeners. It was an incredible process to watch and it captivated all of our attention.
I had no idea the range of natural stone available and visiting Stone Studio opened my eyes to the large variety that there is, as well as different finish options. When you visit, ask Mary about the “leather” finish. It’s incredible.
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and visit. I am certain we will be back; we’ve been considering a bathroom renovation for almost five years and it may just be the right time. Whether you are in the market for some stone or not, it’s worth a visit just to soak in the experience they have skillfully crafted in the Stone Studio.
This feature was undoubtedly my favorite and something I have never seen before. That is a piece of natural stone suspended as a drop ceiling, and backlit. And it was absolutely incredible. The light was unique and added a rich ambiance to the bathroom space.
Thank you to Stone Sudio at CCI Mills for a fantastic field trip for our Wild + Free TXK homeschool group.
Thank you so much for visiting our site. I hope this article inspires you to seek out some spontaneous adventure of your own. Thank you for following along and may your day be filled with wonder as you wander. - Nichole
