Reclaimed and Antique French Limestone

Reclaimed Antique French Limestone Floors for Truly Dramatic Interior Designs

Antique Dalle de Bourgogne first surface

Most reclaimed antique limestone from France comes in very large sizes, destining these slabs for larger rooms of scale-often matched by open spaces and high ceilings. Their past use in sidewalks, basement floors and foundation stone shows us that reclaimed limestone is extremely durable and can be used around the whole house without any limitations. Since we don’t have any control over the size of the slabs and only some control over coloration , reclaimed limestone should be carefully selected before purchasing. It is not uncommon to find stark variations in coloration in a single lot.

Antique Dalle de Bourgogne first surface

The use of surface finishes – from waxes to oils –throughout past decades and centuries may have altered the surface of the material as well. Where an antique blond Barr French limestone stone may have an almost reddish-brown looking surface from extensive use of floor waxes, another blond Barr floor might have retained its original blond surface color and another one turned into a grayish tone. To combine such different surfaces in an interior design concept it needs the homeowners’ appreciation for historic floors and the willingness to accept these unpredictable properties. Paint, grease and chemical spots show the history of the stone and are not blemishes or quality issues.

Antique Grey Barr

Where reclaimed French limestone flooring is rather mono-colored (Barr stone – gray or sand) or muted colored (Dalle de Bourgogne, Dalle or Barr de Montpelier – gray mixed with browns and reds), reclaimed Jerusalem limestone stands out with its strong color variegation, ranging from single colored gray, sand or brown stones to red and yellowed marbled slabs mixed with white, pink and sand hues. For the more colorful stones a good rule of thumb is to let the floor determine the direction of the interior design. The more muted and mono colored stones create a neutral canvass that can be filled with matching furniture, rugs and accessories.