Leslie Newsom Rascoe, MILIEU Design Director, sits down with the charismatic Magd Riad, President of Marmi Natural Stone, for an engaging conversation about the company’s heritage and what has led them to their latest launch of Marmi’s bespoke Editions Collection.
When and why did you join Marmi Natural Stone? What did it offer that was missing in the marketplace?
I joined Marmi in 2008, when the company was just under two years old and operating as a small offshoot of our Egyptian parent company, Marmonil. At the time I’d worked in corporate roles after earning my MBA. Initially I came on as a consultant focused on revamping our strategy. What stood out was how few natural stone companies were catering directly to architects and designers. Most distributors focused on slabs alone or local projects, but no one owned quarries, managed the supply chain, and offered bespoke solutions nationwide. Six months later I was asked to stay on full time, and by January 2010, I became president. From day one, we set out to fill that gap: a stone partner for designers, architects, and builders, committed to quality, craftsmanship, and personal service.
Marmonil, your parent company, has always valued generational relationships with quarriers and craftspeople from around the world. How important are relationships to Marmi, particularly with designers and architects?
Relationships are absolutely the cornerstone of everything we do. Marmonil is now over 60 years old, and next year Marmi turns 20. Many of our quarries are family‑run across generations, so our trust and consistency with them run deep. On the other side, we’ve built long‑standing partnerships with architects, designers, builders and developers—some stretching back a decade or more. Those bonds aren’t just contracts; they are collaborations rooted in mutual respect, reliability, and a shared passion for beautifully enduring work.
In what ways have you fostered those relationships?
I’m naturally a people‑person, and in the early days I leaned in hard—spending time on site, asking dozens of questions, even having designers lead me through their perspectives on stone. As we’ve grown, our sales and business development teams have stayed true to that ethos—design intent is primary to our role as stone providers. I still meet one‑on‑one with clients whenever I can, and we organize quarry trips and architectural tours so our clients experience natural stone from its origin to installation. Staying close to the industry at large keeps us grounded, helps guide our strategy, and ensures we evolve alongside the design community’s needs.
From offering slabs to building a complete array of highly-refined custom services, how has Marmi evolved and expanded over the years?
We began strictly as a slab distributor & fabricator, but over time we added an entire custom division: bespoke staircases, exterior cladding, pool decks, carved fireplaces, columns and more. Three years ago, we launched Marmi Editions—our line of carved stone furnishings —starting with mantels and then branching into bathrooms and kitchens with more to come. Today we’re a true full‑service single-source partner, handling everything from material sourcing to final installation, and providing market ready products alongside fully bespoke work.
Collaboration is part of your DNA. Has collaborating with some of the most talented design professionals in the business pushed you to be a better company?
Absolutely. From recreating the floor pattern from the George V in Paris for Charlotte Moss, to Matthew Quinn’s intricate kitchen challenges, to carving a cantilevered custom staircase for a captain of industry, every project has taught us something new. Our team thrives on problem‑solving, and the “never‑been‑done-before” pieces shape our internal processes and raise our standards. Today our craftsmen expect the unexpected, which means we deliver more innovative solutions faster and more reliably than ever before.
What are some of your most memorable projects to date?
The cantilevered carved stone block staircase and the elaborate floor we completed for Charlotte Moss definitely stand out. We also created a striking embassy interior in Georgetown with interior designer Patrick Sutton and architect Ankie Barnes and an intricate sea-inspired mosaic installation in the Bahamas with Michael Smith. More recently, we’re honored to be renovating The Breakers in Palm Beach— I am personally very excited about this project, as it is where my wife and I were married.
Speaking of collaboration, let’s talk about the launch of Marmi Editions. Had you pondered offering your own bespoke pieces for a long time?
Honestly, it clicked during the pandemic. For the first time in decades I was home—my wife and I were expecting our first child—and I had space and time to think. I’d also watched friends in the Makers community, including Makers Alliance Founder Dave Dawson at Urban Electric balance product lines with custom work. That inspired me to create our own catalogue of architectural pieces, starting with mantels and then extending into bathrooms, kitchens and beyond.
What inspired these collections? Did you see a need that was not being met?
Designers told us they loved bespoke but needed a starting point—market ready products that felt handcrafted, honest and rooted in architectural precedent. By carving each piece from solid marble, adding solid metal accents, following industry standards for dimensionality and then allowing full personalization of finish and material on top of it all, we are giving the market both speed and creativity. Designers get the benefit of a prototyped collection and the soul of a one‑off sculpture.
Given the exceptionally high standard expected from Marmi products, how did you decide on the designers you would partner with for Editions?
I wanted collaborators whose work resonated broadly, not just niche. I’ve known Neil Zuleta, our now Creative Director, for 15 years—his vision aligned perfectly with ours. By working closely with one or two creatives, we maintain a cohesive design language that always feels recognizably Marmi.
Edition No. 1 includes thirteen distinct silhouettes. Was there a particular time period from which you drew inspiration? These mantels are works of art, fabricated by skilled artisans. Are they all carved in the same place? How customizable are they?
We didn’t limit ourselves to one era—pieces borrow from modern, Art Deco and neoclassical sources but are deconstructed for today’s interiors—we call it Neo Historic, representational but not so strictly reverential that a piece is limited in use. The mantels are carved by hand from solid blocks of stone—mainly from Italian artisans. In our standard offering, clients can choose their marble, metal accents, size and even subtle profile tweaks like adding or removing towel bars. For the more adventurous and as long as the proportions remain true, we’ll tailor them to any project that has the time and appetite for a full custom option.
Edition No. 2 is Bath. How did Creative Director, Neil Zeluta, build on your first Edition?
Those thirteen mantel silhouettes evolved into distinct families—Tassilo, Capella, Hamilton, and so on—each with a coherent design language. Neil extended those architectural details from our most popular families into pedestals, washstands, freestanding tubs and vanities, making every piece feel like part of a unified Marmi Editions world.
What are the offerings in this bathroom line?
Edition No. 2 features pedestals, washstands, vessel sinks, wall mount basins, vanities and carved marble tubs. Each piece is sculptural yet fully functional, and a designer can match items across a project within a single aesthetic family though some of the best designs we have seen mix and match the families for a truly layered aesthetic conceived in matching stone blocks.
What sets this collection apart from traditional bathroom interiors?
By recalling 1920s-1940s European bathrooms—where marble pieces were treated like jewelry—we allow clients to create intimate, gallery‑like bathing spaces.
From range hoods and apron sinks to backsplashes and shelving units, how is Edition No. 3 taking kitchen design to an elevated level? Are you seeing residential clients embrace the idea of complete kitchens of natural stone?
While full marble kitchens are still emerging, we see clients selecting key elements—an island, range hood, backsplash, shelving unit or apron sink—to bring that sculptural quality into culinary spaces. The concept is familiar in Europe, and now U.S. designers are adopting it one standout piece at a time.
What are the most popular stone and metal finishes being used? Are you doing a lot of commercial kitchens as well?
Some of the top stones right now are Calacatta Violette and Ceppo di Grie. On metal, solid brass finishes lead, followed by polished nickel. Commercial interest is growing—front‑of‑house restaurant kitchens and boutique hotels are increasingly specifying our islands and hoods—but most of our work remains bespoke residential.
Given the smashing success of the Editions line, what’s on the horizon for Marmi? Are there new launches and collaborations you can share with us?
We’re excited to expand into bars and entertaining pieces next—custom wine bars, sculptural serving tables as well as other hospitality pieces that carry forward our design language. Please stay tuned for Edition No. 4!
To see the Editions collections and more from Marmi Natural Stone, visit marmistone.com
PRODUCED BY LESLIE NEWSOM RASCOE, MILIEU Design Director