Onice Smeralda Kitchen in West London

Kitchens & Worktops
Written By Marco Fazio

A Collaboration with Rundell Associates

 

This bespoke kitchen, recently completed in a private residence in West London, harmoniously blends natural stone precision with contemporary architectural detailing. Designed by Rundell Associates and fabricated by stoneCIRCLE, the project features full cladding in Onice Smeralda onyx and brushed brass, resulting in a clean, cohesive visual effect.

 
Onice Smeralda kitchen island by stoneCIRCLE - photo Marco Joe Fazio Creatives
 

The Material: Onice Smeralda

Sourced for its distinctive pale green hue and subtle veining, Onice Smeralda provides a refined alternative to more traditional marbles. Its semi-translucent surface responds beautifully to natural and artificial lighting, making it suitable for high-end residential interiors where material character is paramount.

The slabs were bookmatched to ensure vein matching across both vertical and horizontal planes to provide the very best appearance the slabs could achieve.

 

The Kitchen Island: Function Disguised in Form

The central island, designed by Rundell Associates, is the kitchen's focal point. It boasts a fluid, asymmetrical shape crafted from a single slab of Onice Smeralda, featuring a carefully integrated stainless steel sink concealed beneath a removable matching cover. When closed, the island presents an uninterrupted surface of stone.

This necessitated precision CNC shaping and meticulous planning to ensure that the removable section matched the surrounding onyx in dimension and veining.

 
Onice Smeralda kitchen island worktop by stoneCIRCLE - photo Marco Joe Fazio Creatives
 

Technical Notes and Execution

To meet the design intent and achieve the required tolerances, stoneCIRCLE applied:

  • 3D digital modelling to map out the complex geometry of the island

  • CNC cutting for accurate shaping of both the island and cover

  • Hand-finishing to refine the edge details and achieve a uniform surface finish

  • Flush integration of the stainless steel sink within the stone structure

Our team carried out the on-site installation, ensuring consistency between fabrication and final fitting — especially important in a project where every surface transition is visible.

 

Project Details

  • Location: West London

  • Use: Private residential kitchen

  • Design: Rundell Associates

  • Stone: Onice Smeralda

  • Finish: Honed

  • Scope: Full cladding of kitchen units and central island, stone sink cover integration, door architraves

  • Photography: Marco Joe Fazio Creatives

Marco Fazio

Marco Joe Fazio is Chief Creative Officer and Director of Photography at space+style™ by Marco Joe Fazio Ltd, where he leads visual storytelling, photography, cinematography and content strategy for clients across hospitality, food & drink, fashion, architecture and design.

Born and raised in Tuscany, Italy, Marco discovered photography at an early age through traditional film and darkroom printing. Before becoming a full-time photographer, he spent two decades working in architecture, interior architecture and lighting design, founding an award-winning practice and leading multidisciplinary teams on projects for international fashion brands.

After moving to London in 2008, Marco became a Chartered Architect with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), combining his architectural background with a distinctive photographic approach that connects people, spaces and brands through visual storytelling.

His work has been recognised with the Fellowship of the British Institute of Professional Photography (FBIPP), together with the prestigious Peter Grugeon Award for Best Fellowship of the Year in 2016. He is also a member of the Association of Photographers (AOP).

Today, Marco specialises in creating strategic visual content for luxury hospitality, boutique hotels, restaurants, drinks brands, interior designers and manufacturers. His work combines commercial photography, cinematography and brand storytelling to help businesses communicate their expertise, craftsmanship and identity through compelling visual narratives.

Alongside his visual practice, Marco brings more than a decade of experience in music composition and sound engineering, enabling him to create bespoke soundtracks and immersive sound design that complement his film productions.

Education and mentoring remain central to his professional practice. He founded the telling [fashion] stories workshop series and lectures in photography and visual communication at London South Bank University (LSBU), supporting the next generation of creative professionals.

The combination of architecture, photography, filmmaking and music gives Marco a distinctive multidisciplinary perspective, allowing him to create work that is visually refined, emotionally engaging and strategically aligned with each client's brand.

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