Specifying Custom Stone for Hospitality Projects: A Guide for Architects and Designers

Custom stone vanities, sinks and tubs can define a hotel room or a residential development, but only if every unit arrives right. This guide covers the decisions architects and interior designers should settle with a stone fabricator before production begins.

1. Start from drawings, not catalog photos

Send elevations, plans or CAD files showing the space, plumbing positions and any adjacent finishes. A good fabricator returns dimensioned shop drawings for your sign-off, showing overall size, basin position and depth, faucet and drain preparation, edge profiles and joint locations. Nothing should be cut until these are approved.

2. Specify the stone precisely

• Stone name and origin: trade names such as Calacatta Viola are used for stones from different quarries. Confirm exactly what you are getting.
• Finish: polished or honed, and whether interiors and exteriors differ. See our finish guide.
• Thickness and construction: solid block, mitered panels or a combination.

3. Approve the actual slab

Natural stone varies from block to block. For a feature piece, ask for photos of the actual slab before cutting. For bookmatched or vein-matched elements such as wall cladding, confirm the layout so the veining flows as designed.

4. Plan for consistency across units

Multi-unit projects such as hotel floors or apartment buildings need repeatable results.

• Lock one shop drawing as the master specification.
• Agree acceptable color and veining range up front, ideally with reference photos.
• Ask how units will be labeled and packed so each reaches the right room.

5. Coordinate plumbing and fixtures

Confirm faucet type early. For deck-mounted fixtures, US-standard preparations include 8-inch widespread, single-hole and 4-inch centerset; wall-mounted faucets need valves set in the wall before finishes. Clarify which items the stone supplier provides. At MEG, faucets, drains, mounting brackets and other accessories are not included and should be specified by the project team.

6. Engineer the installation

Share piece weights with the structural engineer and contractor. Wall-mounted pieces need blocking or rated anchors; bathtubs need floor capacity checked for the filled weight. Our installation checklist covers the basics.

7. Plan logistics and timeline

• Confirm crate sizes and weights for site access, elevators and staging.
• Build production and shipping into the program. Most single MEG orders arrive in about 2 weeks from approval, production included; multi-unit schedules are confirmed per project.
• Inspect crates on delivery and record any damage before signing.

Working with MEG

Our engineer, Ziynet Albayrak, works directly with project teams from quote to delivery: dimensioned shop drawings for approval, slab photos before cutting, finished-piece photos before crating, and insured DHL Express shipping. Learn about our Trade & Hospitality Program or send us your drawings for a quotation.