Calacatta Residence is a peaceful abode outside of London. Designed as a sanctuary for the residents, this dwelling incorporates organic materials into an impeccable interior design. Extravagauza, founded by interior design duo Joanna and Mike Gauza, designed the residence’s interior. Calacatta Residence, like all of Extravagauza’s work, feels poised in that delicate space between architecture and art; a true sweet spot in the world of design.

At once both subtle and dramatic, the dwelling derives its name from the abundance of Calacatta marble used throughout the design. A long time favourite of designers, Calacatta marble originates from the Carrara quarries in Tuscany and has been widely used since ancient times. Italian artists favoured the creamy white marble for sculpture, while classical builders fruitfully used the stone for monuments and cathedrals.

It is easy to see the appeal of this marble. The white colour is one of the purest whites available in the natural world, while the deep, grey veins gives the marble a distinctive and appealing pattern. The impressive veining is the result of mineral deposits left in the limestone before the earth’s heat converts it to marble. The organic nature of the stone ensures no two pieces are ever alike. Calacatta marble is unique; there is no way for it to be otherwise.

Adorned on accent walls like wallpaper, as a delicate flooring treatment, or more traditionally as tiling in the bathroom, Calacatta marble abounds. One would expect the marble to completely define the interior, and in some instances, it does. But it is also a lovely backdrop for the other elements in the home: soft grey fabrics, sharp metal accents in deepest black, and furnishings that take on a sculptural quality in each room. And all the while that stunning marble, the dark veins stretching across the room like tree branches, flowing throughout the residence like a stream winding its way down a mountain.

Perhaps it is all the marble, or simply the creative energy the dwelling exudes, that lends the obvious comparison of Calacatta Residence to art. Like the brush strokes of a Van Gogh, the soft blending of watercolours in a Monet, or the smooth curves of a Michelangelo sculpture, Calacatta Residence is mesmerising; each glance appears to reveal more than the last, like seeing shapes form and reform in slow moving clouds.

Like its namesake, Calacatta Residence feels distinctive, dramatic, and organic. The placement of each piece of furniture, each fastened fixture, and each slab of marble combines for a truly striking and beautifully styled interior design. Like a classic work of art, the residence feels effortless, eternal, and ethereal.