The Marble Institute of America has awarded AG&M with the Pinnacle Award of Excellence for the Texas Hill Country Contemporary Bryant Residence



AUSTIN - Artisan Group Member Architectural Granite & Marble (AG&M) in Austin has been awarded the MIA Pinnacle Award of Excellence for the Bryant Residence and is now one of three finalists for the Grand Pinnacle Award. The Architect was Mark Carlson, partner at the Cornerstone Group and fabricator/installer was Hill Country Granite.



"The challenge for this project was to find materials that fit into the owner's architectural style, self –entitled "Texas Hill Country Contemporary"; warm and inviting, but also clean and contemporary," says Chad Seiders, AG&M Sales Manager. "The architect and the owners were determined not to copy the typical "Tuscan" style so popular for upscale homes in the Austin area."



The main feature of the house is the use of both indoor and outdoor spaces and is designed so that everyday life flows through all of the spaces. So the material selections had to be compatible to color schemes inside and out, blending with the local cut stone used on the exterior of the house, but also functional in their application. Finally, the owner wanted the stone selections to be bold enough to be featured in the grand scale of the living spaces.



This highly coveted award from the Marble Institute of America is given to projects whose beauty, ingenuity, and craftsmanship exemplify professional mastery in the use of natural stone in commercial and residential environments.



AG&M furnished hone finish Selina Gold limestone tile from Egypt for the majority of the interior floor paving. Since this material has a wide range of color, the selection was made from a particular quarry and a particular layer within that quarry.

Goldstone granite was chosen for the exterior paving, pool coping, and fireplace facing applications because it performs well in exterior applications and has the soft coloring of limestone. The paving and coping is chisel finish and the outdoor fireplace is clad with split face Goldstone to match. This color selection allowed the colors to blend between the interior tile and outdoor paving, yet withstand outdoor use.



The kitchen countertops are in a polish finish Apollo Storm granite with matching full-height, end-matched backsplash.



The master bathroom is separated from the other spaces by the master bedroom, so the owners decided to go with a completely different color scheme. The homeowners chose a classic Calacatta Gold Premium marble for the counters and tub deck, but decided against the same material for tile due to the large veins. AG&M was able to match the Calacatta with a White Statuary tile in a hone finish for the floors to accomplish a consistent look between counters and floors.



Artisan Group

Artisan Group™ is the premier network of stone fabricators in North America. Its extensive network allows the organization to offer the world's best granite from the best sources around the globe. Utilizing the most technically advanced, automated shops in the industry, highly skilled craftsmen ensure that each and every installation meets exacting standards. From classic to exotic, it offers the most extensive array of color choices in the industry, and with short lead times and competitive pricing, Artisan Group granite countertops are closer than one might expect.



AG&M

Architectural Granite & Marble is a leader in natural stone supply with five U.S. sales centers and slab yards and a globetrotting management team. AG&M's deep industry experience and excellent reputation provides access to the finest quarries in the world, while its diverse customer base gives them the buying power to bring residential and commercial customers top quality natural stone.