Project series | SMEG
"We really like to understand the brand and create a physical manifestation of that brand in the space,"
- Rebecca Vulic, Director of X+O.
For design studio X+O, the Smeg showroom project was an exercise in brand storytelling through material choice. Better known for retail, hospitality, and wellness spaces, the studio approached the brief with a clear intention: to translate the Smeg brand into something customers could physically walk through and connect with, whatever their personal style. "We really like to understand the brand and create a physical manifestation of that brand in the space," says Rebecca Vulic, Director of X+O.
That philosophy shaped every material decision across the showroom, with Smartstone selected throughout for its ability to let craftsmanship and detail take centre stage. "The designs really allowed for the stone to speak for themselves," says Rebecca.
Quality was central to the decision. David from Sienna stone, the mason responsible for the craftsmanship of the stone in the SMEG showroom. "Quality's a big thing, making sure that it is fit for purpose. We've always found it user-friendly," says David from Sienna Stone, noting Smartstones Sintered Collection continued development has made it consistently rewarding to work with.
As Rebecca puts it, "all of the stones had to very much complement the product, and that was a key thing." In the Victoria kitchen, the brief shifted toward tradition, with Calacatta Borghini selected for how closely it reads as natural stone while offering easier upkeep: "It's a win-win," says Rebecca. Outdoors, Grigio Solido was chosen for the barbecue area, impressively standing up to outdoor use.
Sustainability underpinned the project throughout. "Working with Smartstone was a natural choice for us, with all of the materials being all-natural, recyclable," says Rebecca, an alignment that mirrored Smeg's own environmental values just as much as its aesthetic ones.
Taken together, the showroom becomes more than a display of appliances. It's a working example of how material choice can carry a brand's identity, offering customers a tangible sense of how these same surfaces might translate into their own homes.
"Quality's a big thing, making sure that it is fit for purpose.
We've always found it user-friendly,"
- David, Sienna Stone
Fabricating Smartstone
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