Ascale Arizona Sand

Inspired by the sandstones of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona: a warm sand beige with not one vein, carrying soft clouds of tone that recall limestone worn down by wind. From across the room it reads completely uniform; only up close does the movement appear that keeps it from looking like paint on a board.

Ascale is large-format sintered porcelain from the Spanish maker TAU Cerámica: a blend of minerals fired under high pressure and heat into a dense, non-porous slab. It absorbs nothing and never needs sealing, and resists scratching, staining, heat and UV, so it works on a worktop, on a floor and on an exterior façade alike. This is the neutral ground of the range — the choice when the cabinetry, the splashback or the floor is meant to hold the eye and the worktop only has to stay out of the way. A warm tone is also more forgiving of dust and crumbs than a crisp white. Matte finish, in 2, 1.2 and 0.6 cm, on 162 × 324, 160 × 320, 120 × 280 and 300 × 100 cm slabs.